Richard Allen Found Guilty in 2017 Delphi Murders: Jury Convicts Him on All Counts for Killing of Abby and Libby
Richard Allen Found Guilty in 2017 Delphi Murders: Richard Allen, a former pharmacy worker from Delphi, Indiana, was found guilty on Monday for the brutal 2017 murders of two teenage girls, Abigail Williams and Liberty German. Allen faced two counts of murder and two additional counts of murder while committing or attempting kidnapping, with the verdict sparking widespread reactions from the community and online.
The 12 jurors, along with alternates, reached a unanimous decision after deliberating since Thursday. Judge Fran Gull from Allen County presided over the trial, which took place in Delphi, where Allen, 52, had lived and worked. He showed no visible reaction when the verdict was announced, though he briefly glanced at his family before being escorted out. Sentencing is scheduled for December 20, with Allen facing a potential 130-year prison term.
The case of Abigail, 13, and Liberty, 14—known affectionately as Abby and Libby—has captivated both local and national audiences. The two girls disappeared on February 13, 2017, during a hike on the Monon High Bridge trail, a spot frequented by locals. The next day, their bodies were discovered in a nearby wooded area, their throats slashed. The search for their killer drew on years of intense investigation, with a break in the case leading to Allen’s arrest in October 2022.
“Bridge Guy” and the Evidence That Led to Allen’s Conviction
Prosecutors argued that Allen is the person seen in a grainy cellphone video taken by Liberty German shortly before the girls vanished. In the video, Allen, dubbed “Bridge Guy,” is heard telling the teens to go “down the hill.” This recording, along with Allen’s own statements and evidence found at the crime scene, served as key elements in the prosecution’s case.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland emphasized to jurors that Allen’s own confessions contained information only the killer would know. One piece of physical evidence was a bullet found between the girls’ bodies, which was linked to Allen’s .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun through forensic analysis. Although a defense expert questioned the validity of the bullet analysis, prosecutors maintained it tied Allen to the scene.
Witnesses, including Allen’s prison psychologist, testified that he had confessed multiple times to the murders, describing details of the crime. Allen’s psychologist, Dr. Monica Wala, recounted how he confessed during therapy sessions, providing graphic details about the murder and even explaining how he placed branches over the bodies to obscure them. However, Allen’s defense attorney, Bradley Rozzi, argued that the confessions were unreliable, as Allen was in a severe mental health crisis exacerbated by months of solitary confinement.
Defense Claims of Mistaken Identity and Lack of Physical Evidence
Allen’s defense team has continued to assert his innocence. Rozzi argued in court that no direct forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, linked Allen to the crime scene. He also noted that no witnesses explicitly identified Allen as the man seen on the bridge, adding that Allen had every opportunity to flee Delphi in the years following the crime but chose to stay, working at a local pharmacy.
Allen was initially identified as a suspect after a retired state worker found paperwork indicating he had told police he was on the hiking trail the day Abby and Libby went missing. Although the confession and the video evidence were pivotal for the prosecution, the defense contended that there were inconsistencies, including claims that Allen’s mental state compromised his statements.
A Long Journey to Justice
The Delphi murders have long been the subject of national media coverage and online speculation. Public interest in the case intensified following evidence leaks, defense team withdrawals, and multiple trial delays. Monday’s guilty verdict has closed a chapter in the prolonged investigation, though Allen’s defense team has signaled plans to appeal.
