Allen's Vehicle Identification
The prosecution claimed surveillance video from the Hoosier Harvest store showed Allen’s black 2016 Ford Focus, asserting it was the only such vehicle registered in Carroll County at the time. They claimed that the timing of Mr Allen's vehicle seen driving away from the area at 14:21 on February 13, 2017, provides irrefutable evidence of his presence at the relevant time.
The Defense Argument:
"Act of Desperation"
The defense described the vehicle investigation as a late-stage “act of desperation,” suggesting it was not a strong lead but an attempt to fit evidence to Allen after his arrest. This questions the identification’s timing and certainty, as well as the state's lack of professionalism in leaving such a late DMV check to the first days of the trial.
Incorrect Time on Hoosier Harvestore CCTV Footage
On October 22, 2024, Steve Mullin - the prosecution investigator - was recalled to the stand to confirm a critical detail. It was put to him that the Hoosier Harvestore CCTV was offset - ahead - by 54-minutes, which is not uncommon with CCTV systems. Mullin confirmed that the FBI themselves checked this detail, and that the camera was fast that day by 54-minutes. This provides photographic evidence of Mr Allen leaving the Monon High Bridge Trail area at 13:27, not 14:21.
Vehicle identification based on generic surveillance footage and a DMV search is circumstantial at best. The defense’s characterization of it as a desperate move highlights the lack of early, robust evidence linking Allen to the crime scene, rendering this point weak in the absence of stronger corroboration. The 54-minute time discrepancy on the CCTV evidence - as confirmed by Indiana State Police - is robust evidence that Mr Allen was no longer in the area of the crime a full 45-minutes before the state claims that it happened.