Death of Indian Teenager Defendants Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German went more than five years without being arrested while hiking and photographing a trail in early 2017.
That was, in late 2022, when pharmacy technician and married father Richard Allen was accused of the crime that roiled the small community of Delphi, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
Before that, the search begins to find out who killed the best friends. Even a chilling clue that investigators said was recovered from Libby's cellphone – piqued the interest of Internet sleuths because it showed the suspect – only deepened the mystery.
The bodies of Abby, 13, and Libby, 14, eighth graders at Delphi Community Middle School, were found after their families said they disappeared while walking together near an abandoned railroad bridge. The girls were stabbed to death, according to court documents.
Allen's lawyers maintained his innocence, saying after the arrest, “Rick has nothing to hide.”
And now, with the trial of Allen, 52, beginning Monday with jury selection on a double homicide charge, multiple questions and complicated connections may finally come to light.
Why are details limited?
Judge Frances Gull issued a gag order in December 2022 after Allen's lawyers spoke on their client's behalf. At the time, a probable cause statement alleging a bullet was found near Abby and Libby's bodies were not sealed. A gun was attached belonging to the suspect.
Carroll County prosecutors sought the gag order amid intense media coverage that prevented nearly everyone involved in the case, including attorneys, law enforcement and family members, from speaking publicly.
But the defense also asked for a trial outside of Carroll County, arguing the possibility of a “tainted jury.” Gull refused the request but agreed to allow the jury to come from Allen County, more than 100 miles away.
After jury selection this week in the Allen County seat of Fort Wayne, the trial will continue in Carroll County and could last about a month if jurors are sequestered. Gul did not order any video or audio inside the courtroom and banned the use of electronics.
Allen, who was jailed awaiting trial, faces two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated manslaughter in the teens' deaths. If convicted, he could face up to 130 years in prison.
Alleged Confession
A highly anticipated aspect of the trial is what prosecutors will do as part of their case against Allen, whose lawyers say he has “never been arrested or charged with a crime in his entire life.”
For years, state police had no suspects, but occasionally released information, including audio and images taken from a video found on Libby's cellphone, pleading with the public for help. The phone was found underneath the body, according to the probable cause statement.
The audio was of a male voice that could be heard saying: “Guys, go down the hill.”
While the clip sparked interest on social media and among true crime followers, it did not generate a viable lead. Police further release the video later They believe the suspect, including a man wearing a dark jacket and jeans, was walking near the Delphi Historic Trail. A girl can also be heard saying “Guns” in the video.
In an arrest affidavit, police confirmed they initially interviewed Allen in 2017 as part of the case and said he admitted to being on the trail the day the teens disappeared.
In June 2023, hundreds of pages of documents from the case were released, revealing that an arrested Allen's Alleged Confession A few months ago, his wife was informed by phone that he had committed a murder.
Prosecutors So I Sat He was going to admit it to others, including staff and inmates at the maximum security state prison where he was being held.
But his lawyers responded in a separate document that he “appears to suffer from a variety of mental symptoms that lawyers would describe as schizophrenic and delusional.” They also said Allen had memory loss and a “general inability to communicate rationally with attorneys and family.”
Lawyers noted that this behavior was different from how he normally communicated.
But while Allen's defense is expected to challenge any evidence of an alleged confession, his lawyers, Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rosie, cannot present the jury with an alternative theory to murder. Gaul last month rejected the claim that Abby and Libby were killed as part of a ritual sacrifice by people associated with the Norse pagan religion Odinism. White nationalist groups spread.
Although the defense said in a memorandum that details of the crime scene could suggest some form of occult practice, Gull ultimately concluded that “the probative value of such evidence is greatly outweighed by the confusion of the issues and the possibility of misleading the jury.”
Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McClelland dismissed the Odinism theory as “a fanciful defense for social media consumption.”
However, defense attorneys can argue during the trial why certain evidence is admissible.
Crime scene inspection
The judge has not yet ruled on the defense's request for jurors to visit the crime scene, arguing that this would “greatly help” the understanding of what will be presented at the trial.
A visit there “will help you observe and experience the unique geography of the land; Something that cannot be discerned in photographs and videos,” the defense lawyers wrote in their petition.
Prosecutors opposed the move due to safety concerns. Gull said he would decide on that after jury selection.
Meanwhile, the local Carroll County courthouse is expected to be packed with supporters of the victims when the trial begins. In the community of Delphi, home to about 3,000 people, Abby is remembered as an avid reader who enjoyed playing with her cat Bongo and on the high school volleyball team, while Libby loved sports, painting and vacationing with her. the family
“She and her good friend Libby were looking forward to planning their next four years of school together,” Abby's obituary read.
Libby's grandfather, Mike Patty, told reporters after Allen's arrest in October 2022 that the families' search for justice was just beginning.
“All I know is we have another job, another mountain to climb ahead of us,” Patty said. “But we are ready for the challenge and we will move forward. We won’t stop.”
