Delphi trial: Richard Allen found guilty of murder for killing Abby Williams and Liberty German

DELPHI, Ind. (TCN) -- A jury has found Richard Allen, the man charged with killing best friends Abby Williams and Liberty German in 2017, guilty of four counts of murder.

The Associated Press reports Allen was found guilty of two counts of felony murder and two counts of murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping for the deaths of Williams and German. He reportedly faces a maximum sentence of 130 years in prison. The jury deliberated for several days following the lengthy trial that began almost a month ago on Oct. 18.

Prosecutors reportedly argued during the trial that an unspent bullet casing found under Williams' and German’s bodies matched a Sig Sauer that Allen owned. Allen was also wearing clothing similar to the man seen in the famous "down the hill" video, which led Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland to name Allen "Bridge Guy."

McLeland said at the trial, "Richard Allen is Bridge Guy. He kidnapped them and later murdered them."

Other evidence prosecutors used in the trial included an alleged jailhouse confession in which Allen reportedly called his wife and admitted "several times that he killed Abby and Libby."

McLeland said Allen shared information that "only the killer would know."

Allen’s defense team, however, claimed Allen underwent a mental health crisis because he was locked in solitary confinement. His team also leaned into the fact that there was no DNA left at the scene. His attorney Bradley Rozzi said Allen continued to live and work in Delphi after the killings occurred, adding, "He had every chance to run, but he did not because he didn’t do it."

German, 14, and Williams, 13, disappeared Feb. 13, 2017, when they went on a hike together at the Monon High Bridge. They failed to show up at their designated pickup spot, which caused their families to become concerned. Their bodies were found the next day about half a mile from the bridge. Allen was arrested in October 2022.

Officials did not share with the public how German and Williams died until the trial, when it was revealed that their throats had been cut.

Allen will be sentenced in December.

For more analysis about the case, be sure to tune in to "True Crime News." For more background on the case, check out the video below.

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