US Man Sentenced to 130 Years for Indiana Murders of Two Teens
Richard Allen, a 52-year-old man from Indiana, has been sentenced to 130 years in prison for the 2017 murders of two teenage girls, Liberty German and Abigail Williams, in the small town of Delphi. The chilling case, which baffled investigators for years, has finally reached its conclusion.
Liberty, 14, and Abigail, 13, were reported missing in February 2017 during a hike near an abandoned railway bridge. Their bodies were discovered the following day with fatal injuries, sparking an intense investigation that garnered national attention. The case became a cornerstone of true-crime discussions after one of the victims, Liberty, managed to capture critical evidence on her phone, including a photograph and an audio recording of a man instructing them to go “down the hill.”
Allen received two consecutive 65-year sentences for the murders. Speaking after the sentencing, Liberty’s grandfather, Mike Patty, expressed gratitude to the jury, prosecutors, investigators, and the supportive local community. “It’s been nearly eight years of waiting for this day,” he said. “If I live to see 80, almost 10% of my life has been consumed by this tragedy.”
Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett acknowledged the profound impact of the girls’ deaths on the local community. He expressed hope that the sentencing would bring some reassurance to residents, though he acknowledged the lasting pain for the victims’ families. “Justice was served today, but it doesn’t bring Abby or Libby back,” he said. “These families will forever bear this loss.”
Investigators initially interviewed Allen, a local pharmacist, as a witness shortly after the crime. However, it wasn’t until 2022, after reviewing prior suspects and discovering a link between his firearm and an unspent bullet found at the scene, that he became a prime suspect. Allen was arrested later that year.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Allen had allegedly confessed to the murders multiple times while in custody. Jurors were presented with a recording of him telling his wife he was responsible for the crimes. His defense team argued that Allen’s mental health issues made his confessions unreliable, but the jury ultimately convicted him.
Sheriff Liggett apologized to the families for the lengthy investigation, saying, “It took eight years to get here, and for that, I am deeply sorry.” While the sentencing provides a measure of closure, the community continues to mourn the loss of two young lives taken far too soon.
