The bodies of two adolescent girls were found seven years ago outside the small Indiana town of Delphi, close to a hiking route.
For years, the case remained unresolved, and officials have not disclosed many details to the public regarding the reasons behind the suspected killings of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, also known as Libby and Abby, by Richard Allen, a former drugstore employee.
On November 11, Allen, 52, was found guilty of the deaths of the teenagers. On Friday, he was found guilty on four charges of felony murder—murder for intentionally killing Abigail, murder for knowingly killing Liberty, and felony murder for killing Abigail while attempting to kidnap her—and was sentenced to 130 years in prison.
Allen’s attorneys have maintained his innocence and asserted that the murders were a part of a ceremonial sacrifice.
Here is all the information you require regarding the case.
How did Liberty German and Abigail Williams die?
On the afternoon of February 13, 2017, a makeup snow day when the close friends got the day off, Libby’s older sister testified that she dropped the eighth graders off at a popular path near Delphi.
He said that Libby’s father was due to pick them up later that afternoon, but he was unable to get in touch with his daughter over the phone, and when he parked at the trailhead and started looking, he was unable to locate them.
According to state police at the time, their remains were discovered on February 14 a half-mile upstream from what was then an abandoned rail bridge close to the route.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland informed jurors that their necks had been slit during his opening statement. He stated Libby was covered in blood and nude. Abby was wearing pants and Libby’s hoodie.
According to the case’s probable cause affidavit, an unspent round from a.40-caliber handgun discovered close to their bodies originated from Allen’s firearm.
Who is Richard Allen?
According to Libby’s grandmother, Allen processed pictures for her family at a CVS in Delphi without charging them.
Officials now think he was the man in an enigmatic Snapchat video that showed a Caucasian man in a black jacket and jeans strolling down the route where the teenagers had gone to make friends.
Days after the girls’ bodies were found, investigators shared the photos that they had found on Libby’s cellphone in an attempt to identify a potential suspect.
Authorities made public a another audio clip of a male voice saying, “Guys, down the hill,” which was also discovered on Libby’s phone.
Authorities looked to the public for assistance in finding a suspect for years without identifying any. During a press conference in 2019, Indiana State authorities Superintendent Doug Carter stated that the murderer had likely been interviewed by authorities and had strong ties to the neighborhood.
“We think you are hiding in plain sight,” he added, addressing the murderer who might be in the room.
Although Allen acknowledged attending the path on the day the teenagers disappeared during an interview with officials in 2017, he was not taken seriously as a suspect for years. Allen fell between the gaps after that interview, according to testimony from a law enforcement official involved in the inquiry.
police didn’t focus on Allen until September 2022, when a volunteer file clerk who was assisting police in organizing thousands of tips for the inquiry discovered a document pertaining to the interview.
He faces a maximum jail sentence of 130 years after being caught and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder a few weeks later.
According to the prosecution, Allen, who is being detained at a maximum-security prison pending trial, admitted to the murders in a recorded phone call to his wife and in discussions with facility employees and other inmates.
According to Allen’s attorneys, he is innocent and seems to be dealing with mental health problems like memory loss and delusions.
What is Odinism?
Allen’s defense team claimed in a long brief last year that the teenagers were slaughtered in a ritual sacrifice by members of Odinism, a pagan Norse religion that white nationalists have embraced.
According to the lawyers, officials first looked into two organizations of Odinists in Indiana in connection with the killings before focusing on Allen. They also mentioned ritualistic markers discovered at the crime site, such as the location of Libby’s body.
According to an FBI agent who requested a search warrant in 2017, the bodies of the girls seemed to have been staged and transported.
The attorneys stated in the filing that there is no evidence connecting Allen to Odinism or any religious cult.
The judge presiding over the case rejected their attempt, stating in a ruling last month that the confusion of the issues and the possibility of misleading the jury greatly outweigh the probative value of such evidence. Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland dismissed the theory as a fanciful defense for social media to devour.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!