Indianapolis (AP)— A man from Indiana has been sentenced to the maximum 130 years in prison for the brutal killings of two teenage girls back in 2017. The case has haunted the small town of Delphi for years, casting a shadow over the close-knit community.
Richard Allen, a 52-year-old man who lived in Delphi, was found guilty on November 11 of murdering Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14. The girls, affectionately known as Abby and Libby, were killed during a winter hike in February 2017. Allen was convicted on multiple counts of murder, including charges tied to kidnapping.
During a court hearing on Friday, Allen County Superior Court Judge Fran Gull handed down the harshest possible sentence: two consecutive 65-year prison terms, one for each murder. The sentencing hearing lasted under two hours and included emotional victim impact statements from six of the girls’ family members. After the hearing, one of Allen’s defense attorneys, Jennifer Auger, stated that they plan to appeal the verdict and request a new trial.
“What these families have gone through is unimaginable,” Auger said, adding that the defense will release a more detailed statement later.
Allen had been working as a pharmacy technician in Delphi when he was arrested in October 2022, more than five years after the killings. His workplace was just blocks away from the Carroll County Courthouse, where his trial later took place. The trial itself was marked by delays, leaked evidence, and other complications, including the temporary withdrawal of his defense lawyers.
The case has captivated true-crime enthusiasts for years due to its chilling details and the horrifying circumstances surrounding the girls’ deaths. Abby and Libby disappeared on February 13, 2017, during a hike on a day off from school. A relative had dropped them off at a trail near the Monon High Bridge just outside Delphi. When they didn’t show up at the pickup spot later that evening, they were reported missing. Their bodies were found the next day in a wooded area near an abandoned railroad bridge. Investigators revealed that their throats had been cut.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland told jurors that Allen had forced the girls off the hiking trail at gunpoint, intending to harm them. A passing vehicle disrupted his plans, McLeland explained, and he ended up killing the girls instead. Key evidence presented during the trial included an unspent bullet found between the girls’ bodies. Firearms experts testified that the bullet had been cycled through Allen’s handgun, a .40-caliber Sig Sauer.
McLeland also pointed to a grainy cellphone video Libby had recorded just before the attack. The video showed a man walking behind the girls on the Monon High Bridge, and a voice could be heard saying, “Down the hill.” Prosecutors argued that the man in the video was Allen and called him “Bridge Guy” throughout the trial. McLeland also revealed that Allen had confessed multiple times to the murders—in person, on the phone, and even in writing. In one recording, Allen reportedly told his wife, “I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.”
Allen’s defense attorneys argued that his confessions weren’t reliable, saying he was suffering from severe mental health issues after spending months in solitary confinement. A psychiatrist testified that being locked up in isolation can cause a person to become delirious and psychotic. Allen’s lawyers also pointed out that no fingerprints, DNA, or other forensic evidence directly linked him to the crime scene. Additionally, no witnesses could conclusively identify him as the man seen in the video.
During the trial, Allen’s defense team attempted to introduce a theory suggesting that Abby and Libby were killed as part of a ritual sacrifice by members of a white nationalist group known as the Odinists, who follow a pagan Norse religion. However, the judge ruled against this theory, saying there wasn’t enough admissible evidence to support it.
Delphi, a small town about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis, has been forever changed by this tragedy. The sentencing marks the end of one chapter in this heartbreaking story, but the impact of Abby and Libby’s loss continues to weigh heavily on their families and the community.
