In a case that has long haunted the small town of Delphi, Indiana, a man is set to stand trial for the murders of two teenage girls during a winter outing in 2017. Richard Allen, aged 52, faces charges of two counts of murder and two additional counts of murder committed while attempting to kidnap the victims. The tragic killings involved 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German, and if found guilty, Allen could be sentenced to up to 130 years in prison, though prosecutors have chosen not to pursue the death penalty.
The process of selecting a jury started in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with plans to choose 12 jurors and four alternates. After their selection, these jurors will be sequestered in Delphi, a town with a population of approximately 3,000, located about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. They will be under strict supervision by bailiffs, prohibited from using mobile phones or accessing news media for the entirety of the trial.
If jury selection wraps up by Wednesday, it is anticipated that jury instructions and opening statements could commence on Friday morning. The trial is expected to unfold over the course of a month. Richard Allen, who is a pharmacy technician and had been a resident of Delphi, was taken into custody in October 2022, almost six years after the girls were murdered.
On February 13, 2017, a relative had transported the two eighth graders to a hiking trail near Delphi, but they never arrived at the designated pick-up spot later that day. Their disappearance prompted a search, and their bodies were discovered the next day in a remote, wooded area near the trail. Shortly after their deaths, police publicized grainy images and audio found on Liberty German’s cellphone, which were believed to contain clues about the assailant.
Despite these efforts, an arrest did not occur for several years. In July 2017, authorities released a sketch of a potential suspect, and another sketch followed in April 2019. A short video that captured the suspect walking on a derelict railroad bridge, called the Monon High Bridge, was also shared with the public.
After years of searching for the perpetrator, investigators revisited earlier tips. Richard Allen had initially been interviewed in 2017, where he claimed to have walked on the trail the day of the girls’ disappearance and mentioned seeing three “females” at another bridge, although he did not converse with them. He attributed his distraction to observing stock updates on his phone, according to the arrest report.
On October 13, 2022, authorities questioned Allen again as he reiterated his account regarding three “juvenile girls.” Following this interrogation, investigators searched his residence and confiscated a .40-caliber pistol. Results showed that an unspent bullet located between the bodies of the victims had been cycled through Allen’s firearm.
In the affidavit, Allen claimed he had never been to the area where the bullet was recovered, nor did he recognize the property’s owner, and offered no explanation for how his weapon’s bullet could have ended up there.
This high-profile case has undergone several delays due to evidence leaks. Additionally, Allen’s public defenders resigned but were later reinstated by the Indiana Supreme Court. The Delphi murders have fueled rampant speculation and theories among true-crime enthusiasts.
Judge Fran Gull, who is presiding over Allen’s case, enacted a gag order at the request of prosecutors shortly after his arrest, preventing attorneys, law enforcement, court employees, the coroner, and the victims’ family members from publicly discussing the matter, including on social media platforms.
Cameras have been banned from the courtroom during the trial, and reporters are restricted from bringing electronic devices into the courthouse. In a ruling this past August, Judge Gull permitted the prosecution to present evidence of numerous incriminating statements made by Allen in conversations with correctional staff, inmates, law enforcement, and family members, including a recorded phone call with his wife where he supposedly confesses to the murders.
This ruling has been characterized as “a significant blow to the defense” by a criminal law expert who commented on the case. He noted that such incriminating statements could strongly influence the jury’s perception, as they often seek out admissions of guilt alongside tangible evidence.
Allen’s legal representatives had planned to argue that the killings were part of a ritual sacrifice allegedly connected to a pagan Norse group known as the Odinists; however, Judge Gull dismissed this line of argument due to a lack of credible evidence. Moreover, she ruled against claims that suggested other individuals, including the deceased property owner, could have been responsible for the girls’ deaths.
While the exact circumstances surrounding Abby and Libby’s deaths remain undisclosed by prosecutors, a court filing from Allen’s defense team in support of their Odinism allegation suggests their throats had been slit, indicating the brutal nature of the crime that shocked the small community and continues to resonate in the memories of its residents.