The man accused of killing two Indiana teenagers on a popular hiking trail in 2017 is desperate for a public defender, according to a handwritten letter he penned to the Carroll Circuit County Court. “I, Richard M. Allen, hereby throw myself at the mercy of the court,” wrote the 50-year-old suspect, who is charged in the deaths of Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13. “I am begging to be provided with legal assistance in a public defender or whatever help is available.” Two days after his Oct. 26 arrest, Allen indicated he would be seeking private legal representation. “However, at the time I had no clue how expensive it would be just to talk to someone,” he wrote in a letter postmarked with Monday’s date. He said he and his wife were in dire financial straits. “We have both been forced to immediately abandon employment, myself due to incarceration and my wife for her personal safety,” he wrote, adding that his wife had to flee their home, too. He concluded with a flourish, reiterating that “again I throw myself at the mercy of the court,” and thanking the court for its time “in this most urgent matter.”