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    • Richard Allen convicted of murders of Libby German and Abby Williams
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    Richard Allen convicted of murders of Libby German and Abby Williams

    Harry Posted on

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    DELPHI, Ind. – A jury of five men and seven women on Monday Found Richard Allen guilty of four charges in their deaths. Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.

    A jury found the 52-year-old Delphi man guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of murder while kidnapping the girls. The long awaited decision One of Indiana’s most high-profile murder cases It came after more than seven years of investigation, nearly three weeks of testimony and roughly 18 hours of deliberation spread over four days.

    The verdict is a vindication of a years-long, and at times criticized, investigation by law enforcement into the girls’ deaths on February 13, 2017. Although it may provide some closure for their families, the jury’s verdict is unlikely to be the end of a case that has created a circus-like atmosphere, deep divisions among the public, and the subject of widespread misinformation and conspiracy theories.

    Guilty on all counts: Jurors find Richard Allen guilty of murder of Abby and Libby

    Like Special Judge Frances Gull The result is unlikely to calm long-troubled waters, as was made clear before the decisions were announced just before 2pm.

    “Whatever the decision,” he said, “people are not going to be happy.”

    After the guilty verdict was announced on the first murder charge, there was a sigh of relief from Libby’s family members, followed by quiet sobs. Libby’s mother, Carrie German Timmons, hugged the woman sitting next to her. After everyone was allowed to leave, Libby’s relatives stayed to hug and thank Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland.

    Members of Allen’s family stood in a corner near the courtroom door, surrounding and comforting his wife, Kathy Allen.

    People started shouting “guilty” in front of the courthouse. Many rose in cheers.

    What’s next?

    Allen, who will definitely appeal, will appear in court again at 9 a.m. on December 20 for the sentencing. It is stated that Allen faces a prison sentence of between 90 and 130 years. If he loses his right to appeal, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

    Gull had previously issued a gag order preventing law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys and families from speaking publicly about the case. The gag order will remain in effect until lifted by a judge, Capt. Ron Galaviz, chief of public information for the Indiana State Police, told reporters.

    Victims’ families are allowed to make impact statements during sentencing hearings. Most of Abby and Libby’s relatives have remained silent since Allen’s arrest just over two years ago.

    “It’s not over… There’s still waiting, but all in all it was a good day for the families… There’s no real justice. The girls are still gone. Now there’s another family devastated forever,” said Delphi, who has been following the case from the beginning and came to watch the hearing. Aspen Conner from North Carolina who went to . “It’s a beautiful day for families, but it’s also a sad day. My greatest hope is that families can close this chapter and at least begin to find a way to see what the next step is in their healing process.”

    Inside the ‘bizarre’ Delphi murders case: Evidence leak, suicide, Odinists and legal chaos

    Sarah Ausbrook was sitting on a ledge on the east side of the courthouse when she received the call informing her that the jury had reached a verdict.

    “Hopefully this means the community can start to heal,” said Ausbrook, the girls’ family friend. “For a while, we thought every guy here was a ‘Bridge Guy.'”

    Summary of the case

    13-year-old Abby and her best friend, 14-year-old Libby, went for a walk along the Monon High Bridge trail that afternoon. Prosecutors alleged that Allen followed the girls across the high bridge, forced them down the hill and into a nearby forest, where he slit their throats and killed them.

    The case against Allen relied largely on: unspent tour found among the bodies of girls who investigators allege was looped Allen’s Sig Sauer, Model P226, .40 caliber pistol and dozens of confessions Allen did it in prison while awaiting trial.

    In a confession Doctor Monica Walatherapist Westville Prison, Allen said he was having a hard time He took the girls into the woods and planned to rape them, but a nearby privately driven van scared him, so he drove them across Deer Creek and killed them. According to Wala’s notes. That vehicle belonged to him Brad Weber who testified He was heading towards his home near the footpath around 2.30pm, minutes after the girls were believed to have been abducted.

    That van, Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland In his closing remarks on Thursday he said:It was a detail that “only the murderer would know”.

    Another important piece of evidence that prosecutors focus on is 43 seconds video Moments after Libby and Abby disappeared from the road. The video showed a man known as “”.Bridge Man” Abby was following him as he crossed the high bridge. Towards the end of the video, the man told the girls, “Go down the hill.”

    “The state has shown that Richard Allen is the Bridge Guy,” McLeland told jurors. Indiana State Police veteran trooper Brian Harshman, who testified He became familiar with Allen’s voice after listening to 700 calls he made in prison. Bridge Guy’s voice is Allen’s voice. Harshman told jurors.

    The burden of justice: Delphi murder trial jurors will face unimaginable pressures and life-changing decisions

    Defense attorneys argued that Allen was an innocent and mentally fragile man whose months of isolation in Westville led him to psychosis and made false confessions. In his closing speechBradley Rozzi urged jurors to recognize the skepticism of the years-long investigation into the girls’ deaths.

    “You have to question the credibility of this investigation because of the things they don’t tell you,” Rozzi told jurors.

    Rozzi repeatedly pointed out what the defense saw as a critical flaw in the state’s version of events: a five hour open hole Meanwhile, someone had plugged a headphone jack into Libby’s phone. Statement of the defense digital forensics expert It casts doubt on the prosecution’s theory that the girls were killed that afternoon and their bodies left in the woods, untouched for hours until first responders found them the next day.

    Defense attorneys also called numerous experts to rebut Wala’s testimony that Allen was feigning psychosis. A. neuropsychologist I told the jurors Months of solitary confinement exacerbated Allen’s depression and dependent personality disorder and drove him into psychosis. A. psychiatrist and specialist in solitary confinement I told the jurors It was stated that Allen’s behavior and mental state in Westville were “fully consistent” with the effects of prolonged isolation.

    “When is anyone going to say something is wrong here? Where’s the moral compass? Rozzi I told the jurors in his closing remarks. “You are the moral compass.”

    Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or: [email protected].

    Harry
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