Indiana Man Appeals Conviction in Delphi Teens' Killings, Cites Pagan Ritual Defense
Richard Allen, serving 130 years for the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, argues his confession was made during a psychological crisis and that he was unfairly prevented from introducing evidence of a pagan ritual.
A man convicted of murdering two Indiana teenagers is seeking to overturn his conviction, arguing that his confession was made during a period of psychological distress and that he should have been allowed to present a defense suggesting the girls were killed as part of a pagan ritual. Richard Allen is serving a 130-year sentence for the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, known as Abby and Libby.
The case, which captivated true-crime enthusiasts, remained unsolved for over five years before Allen's arrest. His case is scheduled for an hour of arguments before the Indiana Court of Appeals on Monday.
Prosecutors contend that Allen made incriminating statements before he exhibited signs of mental illness and continued to do so after his condition improved. They maintain that sufficient evidence existed to convict Allen even without his confessions. According to prosecutors, Allen admitted to being on the trail near the crime scene around the time one of the victims recorded a brief video of a man matching Allen's description saying, “Down the hill.”
The girls' bodies were discovered on February 13, 2017, down a steep embankment near an abandoned railroad trestle outside Delphi. Both teenagers, who were eighth graders, had their throats cut. One victim was found nude, while the other was wearing the first victim's clothing. There was no evidence of sexual assault.
Prosecutors stated that Allen was armed and forced the girls off the trail, admitting he had planned to rape them before being interrupted. An expert testified that an unfired bullet found between the victims had been cycled through Allen's handgun. However, Allen's defense attorneys argued at trial that no witness definitively identified Allen as the man seen near the trail, and no forensic evidence directly linked him to the murder scene.
Allen's attorneys claim that prolonged solitary confinement awaiting trial led to a severe psychological decline. They assert that he eventually convinced himself he was guilty and confessed multiple times due to mental stress. His lawyers described his condition as deteriorating significantly, including weight loss and self-neglect.
Prosecutors countered that Allen's statements coincided with his exposure to case evidence, including the condition of the victims' bodies, which they argue forced him to confront the reality of his actions.
Allen's defense team had sought to present an expert witness who would testify that the killings bore the hallmarks of a ritual sacrifice, potentially involving followers of Norse mythology. This expert was expected to point to the positioning of the bodies, the presence of branches on the remains, the outdoor location, and the nature of the knife wounds as indicators of pagan rituals. Prosecutors opposed this, arguing that the expert's basis was limited and that the defense should not be allowed to present theories without sufficient supporting evidence.
Additional arguments Allen's attorneys plan to present to the appeals court include inconsistencies in witness descriptions of the man seen near the trail, noting a sketch of a potential suspect that did not resemble Allen. They also question why Allen's defense expert was not permitted to testify on whether marks on an unfired bullet could be definitively traced to a specific firearm.