An Indiana man convicted of killing two teenage girls in 2017 was sentenced to 130 years in prison for the murders. Richard Allen, 52, was found guilty of the killings of Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14. The girls had been hiking along the Moon High Bridge Trail near Delphi, Indiana, when they vanished on February 13, 2017. Their bodies were discovered the next day, with their throats slashed in a wooded area just off the Delphi Historic Trails system.
At Allen’s sentencing, family members of the victims expressed their anger and sorrow. Josh Lank, Liberty’s cousin, delivered a powerful statement, saying, “This man has made my family’s life a living hell. Now it’s time for your life to be a living hell.” Despite the emotional statements from the victims’ families, Allen maintained his innocence, and his attorneys indicated that they would appeal the verdict.
Allen was convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping. The trial, which lasted 17 days, became one of the most high-profile and controversial murder trials in Indiana’s history. Prosecutors faced significant challenges in the case, as there was no direct physical evidence linking Allen to the murders. There were no DNA, fingerprints, or other forensic traces connecting him to the crime scene. Additionally, the case had been marred by a series of missteps, including the accidental loss of critical evidence.
For example, prosecutors lost 70 days’ worth of police interviews, and a report detailing the loss of videos from April to June 2017 was inadvertently shared with Allen’s defense team. These tapes were critical to the investigation, as they contained interviews with potential suspects. The mishandling of evidence continued when two recorded interviews with men considered key suspects were also lost, further complicating the case. Despite these setbacks, the prosecution pressed forward with their case.
The prosecution argued that Allen had confessed to the murders on multiple occasions, and they presented evidence that he was the “Bridge Guy” seen in a cellphone video walking behind the victims shortly before their deaths. The video was a key piece of evidence, and the prosecution contended that it showed Allen in the area at the time of the crime. Additionally, they introduced a recorded phone conversation between Allen and his wife in which he allegedly admitted to killing the girls, saying, “I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.”
In contrast, Allen’s defense team argued that the confessions were coerced, the result of months of solitary confinement and harassment. They claimed that the pressure of being held in isolation led Allen to falsely confess to the murders. The defense also introduced an alternative theory, suggesting that the girls’ deaths were the result of a ritualistic sacrifice carried out by members of a white nationalist “Odinism” cult. However, this theory was dismissed by the judge, who ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support it.
Despite the defense’s arguments, the jury found Allen guilty of all charges. Prosecutors had emphasized the fact that Allen had lived in the same community for years, which meant he had been among the residents who had been searching for the killer. Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland told the jury, “Five years, he lives in the city. Five years, he lives amongst us,” underscoring the gravity of the case and the fear it had instilled in the local community.
Allen’s conviction and sentencing mark the conclusion of a long and painful chapter for the families of Abby Williams and Libby German. While Allen faces life in prison, the case remains a reminder of the tragic loss of two young lives and the enduring impact on their loved ones. The legal battle surrounding the case is far from over, as Allen’s attorneys plan to appeal the verdict, but for now, the families of the victims have been given a measure of justice.
