A jury in Indiana has found Richard Allen guilty of taking the lives two teens in February 2017 in what has become known nationwide as the Delphi murders.
Suspect behind Delphi murders convicted
A group of seven women and five men on the jury deliberating for 19 hours over three days before reaching their verdict.
Allen, 52, was convicted on charges tied to the deaths of Liberty “Libby” German, 14, and Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, who were killed while hiking in Delphi.
When the verdict was read, Allen held a Bible in his hand, showing little emotion at first but later turned to his family and seemed to ask, “Are you okay?”
His wife, Kathy, was visibly upset and struggled to stand after hearing the court’s decision. “This isn’t over at all,” she told 13 News when she exited the courtroom.
The murders took place over seven years ago when Abby and Libby disappeared while on a walk on February 13, 2017.
Their bodies were discovered the following day, hidden in the brush of a wooded area by the High Monon Trail.
Allen was found guilty of two counts each of murder and felony murder and is scheduled for sentencing on December 20, when he will potentially face a 130 year prison term.
Prosecutors provided evidence linking Allen to the crime scene, including an unspent bullet that matched a gun recovered from his residence in 2022, along with numerous confessions he made while incarcerated.
Expert testifies that Allen confessed
Monica Wala, previously the lead psychologist at Westville Correctional Facility where Allen was detained, testified that while Allen initially claimed innocence, he began confessing in April 2023.
Wala recounted Allen saying, “I killed Abby and Libby. I’m sorry,” and shared that he originally intended to sexually assault them but fled upon spotting a nearby van. He also told her that he had cut their throats and covered their bodies with sticks.
Near the trial’s end, a former FBI forensic expert testified that it seemed as though someone plugged headphones into Libby’s phone, found near the victims’ bodies in the early hours of Feb. 13.
The headphones were reportedly removed at 10:32 p.m., challenging the prosecution’s timeline that the murders occurred around 2:30 p.m.
Carroll County prosecutor Nick McLeland told the court when searchers located the girls, they found Libby unclothed and covered in blood, both victims having had their throats cut multiple times.
Clothing items were mismatched or had been tossed into Deer Creek, which was close by the crime scene.
Abby was in her undershirt and Libby’s sweatshirt over her own jeans. She had on her shoes but was not wearing any socks. Police discovered Libby’s phone and one of her shoes under Abby’s body.
Video footage links Allen to Delphi murders
During the trial, jurors viewed a 43-second video Libby had recorded on her phone before the murders.
It showed the girls walking with an unknown man in a hat and blue utility jacket, famously dubbed “Bridge Guy.”
Libby captured the video at 2:13 p.m., less than half an hour after the girls were dropped off at the trail by Abby’s family.
In the video, the man is heard saying, “Guys, down the hill, which Allen confessed to along with killing them.
Witnesses during the trial reported seeing Allen on or near the High Monon Trail on February 13, around the time of the girls’ disappearance.
In October 2022, over five years after the murders, authorities searched Allen’s home in Delphi, finding a blue Carhartt jacket, a SIG Sauer P226 .40-caliber handgun, and a .40-caliber S&W cartridge in a keepsake box in his bedroom.
It was the type of gun that would fire a .40-caliber bullet like the one that was discovered at the crime scene, which led to his arrest.
Allen’s largely focused on his mental decline and a theory that the girls were killed by a cult in a ritualistic act, but the judge barred this theory’s evidence during the trial.
Outside the courthouse, onlookers greeted the news of Allen’s conviction with cheers. Becky Patty, Libby German’s grandmother, embraced family members, tears in her eyes as they exited.
Libby’s sister, Kelsi, shared her thoughts on Instagram, saying, “Nearly 8 years, today was the day.”
