The suspect in the 1980 rape and murder of a Mobile teen is scheduled to go on trial for the second time this week, the Mobile District Attorney’s Office said Monday morning.

Alvin Ray Allen, 65, is charged with murdering 19-year-old Sandra Elaine Williams on Sept. 11, 1980. The teenager’s body was found on a dead end street in Toulminville. Investigators said Williams had also been raped.

No suspects emerged at the time of the murder and the case went cold for decades until Williams’ family encouraged state investigators to re-examine the case, using DNA technology not available in 1980, as well as re-interviewing witnesses.

Allen was in and out of police custody numerous times in the decades following the murder on charges including assault, resisting arrest and DUI.

But it wasn’t until Sept. 10, 2019 — almost 39 years to the day after Williams’ murder — that police arrested Allen for the crime. Police arrived at Allen’s Mobile home with a warrant following a grand jury indictment, but he refused to leave his property until a SWAT team arrived and broke down his door.

Court records show Allen was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty to the crime. He was allowed to post bond and be released on condition he wear an electrical monitoring device, have no contact with the victim’s family and only travel to his home, three rental properties he owned and church.

In January 2020, Allen’s attorney filed a motion to end the electronic monitoring component of his release, but the motion was denied by Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Ben Brooks.

In March 2020, Allen went on trial for Williams’ murder, but following a five-day trial and three days of deliberations, the jury foreman advised Brooks the jury could not reach a verdict and declared a mistrial.

Included in the court documents are a letter written to Brooks by Williams’ mother, Virginia West, in which West expresses concern over a reported plea deal through which Allen would serve no jail time, but would admit to killing Williams.

“That is not justice for Sandy,” West wrote. “That is also not what I want and I told (former Mobile district attorney) Ashley (Rich) that. Judge Brooks, I have had to live with this case for almost 45 years and I would like this case tried again. I am willing to accept the outcome if tried again.”

In her letter, West also said Rich had told her she didn’t think the case was winnable.

“(Rich) said that ‘In my experience of 26 years I can’t win this case if I tried it over and over again,’” West wrote.

“What is the possibility of a continuance until Ms. Rich is out of office and we can get a District Attorney that will fight for justice for Sandy?” West added.

Ashley Rich opted to not seek reelection last November, with Keith Blackwood winning the election to replace her. Blackwood was sworn into office in January.