A trial for the suspect involved in the murder of two Indiana teenage girls is set to begin soon.
During the winter of 2017, Liberty “Libby” Rose Lynn German, 14, and her friend Abigail J. Williams, 13, embarked on a hike through woods near their houses on winter break. Growing up in the small, seemingly safe town of Delphi, Indiana, German and Williams didn’t anticipate running into danger in broad daylight.
The girls never returned from their walk. They were reported missing later that evening, and their bodies showed up the next day. Police soon released footage from German’s cellphone, which included grainy photos of a man and an audio of him stating, “Down the hill.”
Their deaths remained a mystery for years, haunting the small community with a population under 3,000 people. Countless true crime podcasts picked up the story and shared possible theories surrounding the case.
It wasn’t until 2022, five years after the girls’ deaths, that a man was arrested and charged with their murders. Richard Allen, now 52, was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder (committing or attempting to commit kidnapping). Jury selection begins today, and the trial will likely begin later this week, lasting about a month.
Authorities had interviewed Allen for years following the killings. In 2017, the Delphi resident admitted to seeing three “females” while walking on the trail but claimed he did not speak to them.
In 2022, investigators interviewed Allen again, this time searching his home and finding a 40-caliber pistol that matched a bullet found between the girls’ bodies.
According to the affidavit, Allen “had no explanation as to why a round cycled through his firearm would be at that location.”
Now, Allen will stand on trial for the murders. Apparently, the court has evidence of his confession as well, which he gave to his wife via a phone call.
“The incriminating statements are going to be extremely persuasive because that’s what the jury wants to hear,” said Hal Johnston, an adjunct criminal law professor at Indiana University. “Next to physical evidence, they want to hear that the guy said he did it.”
If convicted, Allen—a pharmacy technician and resident of Delphi—could face up to 130 years in prison. At the very least, this brings closure to the mysterious and devastating case.
The post 7 Years Later, the Delphi Double Teen Murder Case Is Finally Going to Trial appeared first on VICE.
The post 7 Years Later, the Delphi Double Teen Murder Case Is Finally Going to Trial appeared first on VICE.
