Richard Allen, the man convicted of the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi, Indiana, has been sentenced to the maximum 130 years in prison. Special Judge Fran Gull delivered the sentence, imposing 65 years for each count of murder, to be served consecutively.
Allen, 52, was found guilty last month on four counts, including two counts of murder and two additional counts of murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping. During the sentencing hearing, which lasted under two hours, six family members of the teenage victims delivered emotional victim impact statements. Following the hearing, Allen’s defense attorneys announced plans to appeal and seek a new trial.
Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went missing on February 13, 2017, after being dropped off at a hiking trail near Delphi, Indiana. Their bodies were discovered the next day near a bridge, with autopsy results confirming they had been stabbed. Investigators also noted evidence suggesting the crime scene had been “staged.”
Allen was arrested in October 2022, five years after the murders. His arrest followed the discovery of paperwork indicating that he had informed authorities he was on the hiking trail the day the girls went missing. Prosecutors highlighted Allen’s repeated confessions to the murders, including recorded statements in which he admitted, “I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.”
Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett stated, “There is zero doubt that justice has been served,” marking the sentencing as a significant step toward closure for the grieving families and the Delphi community.
