INDIANAPOLIS — The murder trial in Delphi, Indiana, is nearing its conclusion after weeks of testimony regarding the tragic fate of two teenage girls who disappeared during a winter hike in 2017. Their murders remained unresolved for several years until law enforcement apprehended a man living and working in the same community.
Richard Allen, 52, is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of murder in the commission or attempted commission of kidnapping concerning the deaths of 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty German, commonly referred to as Abby and Libby. Should he be found guilty of all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 130 years in prison.
On Thursday morning, closing arguments commenced after an extensive trial that has captivated the community. Jurors were presented with significant evidence, including a recorded phone conversation in which Allen confessed to his wife, stating, “I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.” The defense contends that Allen was in a state of delirium and psychological distress while incarcerated and made these statements under significant mental strain.
Prosecutors introduced harrowing crime scene evidence, including images depicting the girls’ injuries and a blurred cellphone video purportedly recorded by German shortly before their disappearance. This video shows a man trailing behind Williams as they crossed an abandoned railroad bridge. The defense suggested that another individual might have abducted the girls and returned them the following day to the spot where their bodies were ultimately discovered.
Throughout the proceedings, jurors and alternates were sequestered, reflecting the trial’s intensity that commenced on October 18 in Delphi, where Allen was also employed as a pharmacy technician. A special judge from Allen County presided over the case.
The case has attracted considerable attention from true-crime enthusiasts, marred by multiple delays, including a leak of evidence and changes in Allen’s legal representation, with public defenders initially withdrawing only to be reinstated by the Indiana Supreme Court. A gag order has also governed proceedings.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland began the trial by alleging that Allen compelled the two girls off the Monon High Bridge, armed and intending to sexually assault them, before fatally harming them on February 13, 2017. Their remains were found the subsequent day, located approximately a quarter-mile from the bridge.
In his opening statement, Allen’s defense lawyer, Andrew Baldwin, insisted that his client was not the murderer, claiming inconsistencies in the state’s timeline and asserting that one or more individuals must have been involved in the abduction and return of the teens.
The defense introduced a digital forensics expert who testified that Libby’s cellphone had headphones or an auxiliary cable connected for nearly five hours after the girls disappeared, casting doubt on the timeline suggested by investigators, who believe the teenagers were killed around 2:32 p.m. on February 13.
Additional evidence included an unspent bullet discovered between the girls’ bodies. A firearms expert testified that her evaluation indicated the bullet had been cycled through Allen’s Sig Sauer .40-caliber handgun, while a defense firearms expert questioned the state police’s findings concerning the bullet.
Testimonies were also provided regarding Allen’s admissions made to his wife and others, including mental health professionals, where he claimed responsibility for the girls’ deaths using a box cutter that he supposedly discarded afterward. Prosecutors argued that some of his confessions contained details that only the genuine perpetrator would know.
Defense attorneys, however, challenged the reliability of Allen’s confessions, suggesting they stemmed from a serious mental health crisis exacerbated by the isolation and scrutiny he faced while incarcerated. A psychiatrist supported this claim, stating that solitary confinement could lead to delirium and psychosis.
Prosecutors also shared a report from a prison psychologist stating that Allen indicated he abandoned his plan to assault the girls upon seeing a nearby van. A state trooper corroborated this claim, suggesting that a nearby resident’s account aligned with Allen’s statement. The defense raised questions about the timing of this man’s van as it moved through that area.
Additionally, jurors viewed an enhanced version of the cellphone video that depicted Williams along with a man dressed in a blue jacket and jeans towards the end of the bridge. The recording includes one of the girls remarking about the lack of a path, and before the video concludes, a voice instructs them to “Down the hill.”
The defense concluded its case on Wednesday after presenting a week of testimony. Although Allen’s legal representatives sought to argue that external influences, specifically members of a white nationalist group associated with a pagan faith, were responsible for the girls’ deaths, the judge dismissed this claim, stating the defense could not adequately support its contention with appropriate evidence.