DELPHI, Indiana – A jury of five men and seven women found Richard Allen guilty in November of all four charges in the deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.
The jury convicted the 52-year-old Delphi man of two counts of murder and two counts of murder in the kidnapping of the girls. The long-awaited decision in one of Indiana’s most high-profile murder cases came after more than seven years of investigation, nearly three weeks of testimony and approximately 18 hours of deliberation spread over four days.
Jurors reached their verdict on November 11. Allen’s sentencing hearing begins this morning. He faces between 45 and 130 years in prison. Investigators, prosecutors and the victims’ families plan to hold a news conference after Allen is sentenced.
Delphi Murders: Odinism, confessions, alleged judicial bias are issues that Richard Allen could raise on appeal
His lawyers have maintained that Allen is innocent. In a six-page memorandum filed Wednesday, the attorneys said they plan to present minimal arguments at the sentencing hearing and focus their efforts on Allen’s appeal, which they expect will be “a neutral, distant and impartial tribunal’.
“The practical reality is that unless this case is overturned and retried, Richard Allen will likely spend the rest of his life in prison,” wrote attorney Andrew Baldwin, adding that even in the best-case scenario, Allen will be 85 when he is released. issued.
Normally, parties submit long and detailed memoranda outlining why a suspect should receive a particular sentence. But Allen’s attorneys cited just a few factors, including his lack of criminal history, his military service and his mental illness, that they say should result in a less severe sentence.
They also advised Allen not to participate in the pre-sentencing process, which involves an interview with a probation officer who will prepare a report to assist the judge in determining the appropriate sentence. Allen’s lawyers advised him not to talk to “state actors” because doing so would only “negatively impact his defense,” according to their memorandum.
Abby and Libby were kidnapped and murdered on February 13, 2017 after taking a walk on the Monon High Bridge trail. Their bodies were found the next day.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Delphi murder convicts suspect Richard Allen will be sentenced Friday
