Convicted Indiana killer of teen girls cites mental health crisis, pagan ritual in appeal
Left to right: Abigail Williams, Richard Allen, Libby German (Indiana State Police)
A man convicted of killing two teenage girls in 2017 is hoping to get his conviction overturned after saying he was in the middle of a psychological crisis when he confessed and in his trial he was unfairly prevented from using his argument that the girls were killed by others in a pagan ritual.
Big picture view:
Richard Allen was convicted in 2024 for the murders of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, in the small town of Delphi, Indiana. Affectionately called Abby and Libby, their murders were unsolved for over five years before Allen was arrested.
What we know:
Attorneys for Allen argued the case before the Indiana Court of Appeals Monday. His attorneys said after his arrest, Allen fell into a steep psychological decline, getting to the point where he confessed several times to killing the girls.
The backstory:
The bodies of Abby and Libby were found at the bottom of a hill near a railroad trestle in a wooded area. The teens' throats were cut, one was found nude while the other was found wearing the other girl’s clothes.
The two eighth-graders were dropped off, never making it to their pickup point. Grainy cellphone video from one of the girls was recovered after their bodies were found. In the video, a suspicious man was seen following them, later caught on audio saying "Down the hill."
Why you should care:
After Allen’s arrest, the case drew heavy interest from media and true-crime enthusiasts. Prosecutors say Allen, armed with a gun, forced the girls off the trial planning to rape them, but changed his mind after a vehicle passed by.
Dig deeper:
During his trial, Allen’s attorneys wanted to have an expert witness testify that the killings appeared to be a ritual sacrifice by people worshiping Norse god Odin. The expert was expected to discuss how the positioning of the bodies, branches left on the bodies, outdoor location and knife wounds were all indications of pagan rituals.
What we don't know:
The three judges handling the appeal did question why the trial judge did not allow the defense to call the expert to testify about the pagan ritual. They also questioned why a sketch that looked nothing like Allen was omitted from the trial.
Video of Allen’s odd behavior in prison were shown to jurors, but they left out the audio in which Allen claimed to be a king and that he started World War III.
The other side:
Indiana Deputy Attorney General Ellen Meilaender said the strongest evidence was provided by Allen himself when he told police that he was on the trail before he was arrested but claimed he did not see the girls.
What's next:
The judges will rule on the appeal at a later date.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.