Trial of Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen begins Monday: What you need to know

Richard Allen, the man accused of killing 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German while they were hiking in Delphi, Indiana, in 2017, will ultimately stand trial for murder.

Allen’s trial begins Monday with jury selection in Fort Wayne and the trial is scheduled to take place in Delphi, a town of about 3,000 that has been haunted by the murders for more than seven years. The case has been closely watched in the state and across the country.

Allen, 51, who worked and lived in the Delphi area, was arrested in October 2022, more than five years after their bodies were discovered. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.

When is Richard Allen’s trial taking place?

Richard Allen’s trial begins Monday October 14 and is expected to last six weeks, according to The Star of Indianapolis.

No cameras, cell phones or laptops will be allowed in the courtroom.

The judge in the case issued a gag order in December 2022 prohibiting attorneys, law enforcement officials, court personnel, the coroner and the girls’ family members from commenting on the case publicly or to the media in any form, including social media.

Prosecutors had requested the order, citing intense public scrutiny and media attention.

What happened to Abigail Williams and Liberty German?

On Feb. 13, 2017, a parent of one of the teens dropped them off at a hiking trail near their hometown of Delphi, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The girls never showed up to where they were supposed to be picked up. They were found dead a day later near a bridge. The autopsy showed that they had been stabbed.

In a search warrant application in March 2017, an FBI agent claimed the girls’ bodies appeared to have been “moved and staged” at the crime scene.

Timeline of arrests for the Delphi murders

It took more than five years for an arrest to be made in the murders of Libby and Abigail, and authorities released limited information throughout the investigation. Here’s a timeline of the investigation that led to Allen’s arrest.

February 2017: Shortly after the killings, investigators released two grainy photos of a suspect walking on the abandoned railroad bridge the girls had visited, as well as an audio recording of a man believed to be the suspect saying “down of the hill.”

July 2017: Authorities have released a sketch of the alleged killer.

April 2019: Police release another sketch based on video released that month showing a suspect walking on the Monon High Bridge. The images and sound came from Libby’s cell phone. Authorities hailed her as a hero for recording potentially crucial evidence.

December 2021: State police said they are seeking information from people who had contact with someone using a fictitious online profile to communicate with young girls. State police said investigators determined the profile “anthony_shots” was used from 2016 to 2017 on Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms.

October 2022: Allen is arrested and charged with the murders of Abigail and Libby.

The defense defends the ritual sacrifice theory of “Odinism”

In September 2023, Allen’s lawyers claimed in a 136-page court filing that Abigail and Libby were killed by members of a Norse pagan religion and white nationalist group known as the Odinists. They argued that Allen had nothing to do with the murders, because “nothing, absolutely nothing, connects Richard Allen to Odinism or any religious sect,” they wrote.

The lawyers said two groups of Odinists, one from the Delphi area and another from the Rushville area in southeastern Indiana, were investigated for their involvement in crimes. They say investigators found several ritual symbols at the crime scene, including how Liberty’s body was positioned.

The judge in the case denied the attorneys’ request to present their alternative theory to the jury. Defense attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi continue to press the ritual sacrifice allegations and have asked the judge to reconsider allowing it to go to trial, FOX 59 reports.