An Indiana man convicted in the 2017 killings of two teenage girls who vanished during a winter hike will face up to 130 years in prison when he's sentenced Friday. The case has long cast a shadow over the teens' small hometown of Delphi.
Richard Allen, 52, was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping in the deaths of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14. The sentencing will range between 45 years and 130 years for the killings of the Delphi teens, known as Abby and Libby.
Allen, who also lived in Delphi, was arrested in October 2022, more than five years after the February 2017 killings. He was employed as a pharmacy technician at a pharmacy near the county courthouse where he later stood trial.
The trial faced delays, evidence leaks, and changes in legal representation. The case garnered significant attention from true-crime enthusiasts due to its compelling evidence.
Allen will be sentenced by Allen County Superior Court Judge Fran Gull. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which relatives of the victims may address the court.
Prosecutors argued that Allen forced the girls off a hiking trail with a gun, intending to rape them before ultimately killing them. Evidence presented included an unspent bullet from Allen's handgun found near the victims and a firearms expert's analysis linking it to his weapon.
Despite Allen's repeated confessions, his defense claimed his mental health crisis and isolation in prison made his statements unreliable. The defense argued that no concrete evidence tied Allen to the crime scene.
The defense's attempt to link the murders to a white nationalist group's ritual sacrifice was dismissed by the judge due to lack of admissible evidence.
Following Allen's sentencing, a long-standing gag order in the case is expected to be lifted. Law enforcement, prosecutors, and relatives of the victims plan to hold a news conference after the hearing concludes.
