The murder trial of Richard Allen, accused of the 2017 killings of two Delphi, Indiana, teenagers, began with opening statements on Friday. Allen, 52, is charged with murdering 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams, two close friends found dead after hiking near the Monon High Bridge in a small town.
The case has attracted widespread attention due to its complexity and the five-year search for a suspect. Allen faces multiple charges, including murder and felony murder, stemming from the alleged kidnapping and killing of the girls. He pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors later added additional charges.
The prosecution presented photos of the crime scene, showing the remote wooded area where the girls’ bodies were found, with their throats cut. Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin argued there is significant reasonable doubt in the case, pointing to potential issues with hair evidence and suggesting the girls may have gotten into a vehicle at some point.
If convicted, Allen could face up to 130 years in prison. The trial has generated so much public interest that the judge implemented restrictions to limit media access, including a gag order and a ban on electronic devices in the courtroom.
Richard Allen’s Trial Begins in Delphi Murders Case, Prosecution and Defense Clash Over Key Evidence
The victims were found dead after a hike on February 13, 2017, a day when the eighth-grade girls were off from school. They had been hiking along the Delphi Historic Trail but did not meet Libby’s father at their planned time. Their bodies were discovered the next day in a wooded area about half a mile from the bridge.
Both girls were known for their love of sports, arts, and outdoor activities, and their deaths deeply affected the small community. In their memory, a new softball park and amphitheater were constructed and named after them.
The investigation into the killings had been ongoing for years, with authorities releasing sketches and a video from Libby’s cell phone showing a man walking behind the girls and instructing them to go “down the hill.”
A breakthrough came when investigators linked an unspent .40 caliber round found at the crime scene to a pistol owned by Allen. He had admitted to being in the area on the day of the murders, initially claiming he was there to watch fish. Despite his arrest, defense attorneys continue to claim authorities apprehended the wrong person.
A key point in the trial is Allen’s alleged confessions, which prosecutors claim he made multiple times while in custody. In particular, court documents reveal that Allen admitted to the killings during an April 2023 phone call with his wife.
The defense has challenged these admissions, arguing they were made involuntarily after months of solitary confinement. The defense is also exploring alternate theories, including a connection to Odinism, a Norse pagan religion linked to white supremacist groups, which they were recently allowed to present in court.
