Prosecutors concluded their case Thursday in the Delphi murders trial, emphasizing confessions and statements made by accused child killer Richard Allen.
During the last two weeks, the prosecution linked Allen’s Sig Sauer gun to an unspent round found at the murder scene, and detailed the more than 61 confessions he made while in custody.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13, were walking on the Monon High Bridge in Carroll County when they were murdered and left in the woods on February 13, 2017.
Allen, arrested five years later in 2022, has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.
The prosecution also called witnesses who saw a man in the same outfit Allen claimed to wear on the Delphi trails on February 13, 2017.
Libby filmed the incident on her phone, showing a man in a blue jacket and jeans following them on the bridge before he commanded, “Guys, down the hill.”
In the footage, she appears to reference a gun.
Days after the murders, Allen reported a tip stating he was on the trails around 1:30 p.m. and claimed to have seen a group of girls on the bridge. Witnesses identified “Bridge Guy,” the figure from German’s video.
Former firearm examiner Melissa Oberg said that the cartridge at the crime scene was ejected from Allen’s gun.
Also on Thursday, the jury heard recorded confessions from Allen made to his wife, Kathy, and his mother, Janis, while he was incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Facility in 2023.
In a phone call to his wife on April 3, 2023, Allen stated, “I just want to apologize to you. I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.”
During cross-examination by defense attorney Bradley Rozzi, Indiana State Police Master Trooper Brian Harshman said that Allen’s behavior while in jail, such as smearing and eating his feces, was for attention rather than a sign of mental illness.
“Richard Allen struggles to be alone,” Harshman said.
Day 13 of testimony marked the defense’s first full day to argue for Allen’s innocence.
Allen’s defense team said the confessions should be dismissed due to his mental instability. Instead, they’re pushing for evidence to be submitted to the jury that blames the killings on an Odinism ritual.
Special Judge Frances Gull previously blocked Allen’s attorneys from presenting their theory to jurors, stating they lack admissible evidence linking Odinism to the crimes.
However, the defense filed more motions during the trial, asking Gull to allow specific evidence associated with Odinism.
They argued that testimony from prosecution witnesses during the trial’s first 10 day should allow them to present Norse Paganism.
The trial continues, Check back for updates.
[Feature photo: Abby and Libby/Handout]
