'HIDEOUS CRIMES'
Richard Allen rolls his eyes as he gets 130 years for Delphi murders and is confronted by girls’ families for first time
Libby's older sister broke her silence hours after the sentencing
CONVICTED double murderer Richard Allen has been sentenced to 130 years in prison for the gruesome 2017 Delphi killings of best friends Liberty "Libby" German and Abigail Williams.
Allen, who declined to address family members or the court during Friday's sentencing, rolled his eyes at the judge before he was handed the maximum penalty of 65 years for each murder charge.
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In November, a jury determined without a reasonable doubt Allen, 52, was the "bridge guy" that prosecutors said ordered Libby, 14, and Abigail, 13, down the Monon High Bridge before slitting their throats on February 13, 2017.
Judge Frances Gull described Allen's offenses as among the "most hideous" of her 27 years on the bench.
"You rank right up there with the most hideous crimes," Gull said, according to radio station .
"You sit here and roll your eyes at me as you've rolled your eyes at me the entire trial.
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"These families will deal with your carnage for generations," the judge snapped at Allen, who wore a gray sweatshirt over his orange prison jumpsuit.
The last 2867 days have been absolute hell.
Carrie Timmons, Libby's mom
The families of Libby and Abigail delivered heartbreaking, grieving impact statements - the first time the loved ones have spoken about the murders for over seven years.
"I was left with a hole in my soul," Carrie Timmons, Libby's mom, painfully said, according to NBC affiliate .
"I'll never understand how you were able to get away with this for so long," Timmons said directly to daughter's killer.
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"The last 2867 days have been absolute hell. Next week, we should have been celebrating our birthdays. She would be 22, and she should be here.
"I quit celebrating at her 14th and my 39th," Timmons added, according to the .
New Delphi evidence will prove Richard Allen was not at scene of murders & could point to fresh suspect, defense claims
Becky Patty, Libby's grandmother, spoke of her hatred of Allen and her desire for him to be held in the prison's general population.
"I hope he's not held in a single cell," Patty said.
"I hope he's in general population. I hope he spends each day living with the same fear he inflicted on Libby and Abby the last moments of their lives.
"I hope God can see my heart and forgive me."
Kelsi German, Libby's older sister, shared a photo from a beach that she said her slain sister loved so much.
"There's something poetic about being somewhere this beautiful that Lib loved so much on this day," Kelsi shared in an Instagram Story.
"Today was officially the day. 130 years."
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Diana Erskin, Abigail's grandmother, called the sentencing a "day of great sadness."
"I will never be the same person I was before Abigail’s murder,” she said, admitting she struggles on most nights without waking up.
"[Allen] took Abby’s life on earth, but she had already given her heart to Go."
Eric Erskin, Abigail's grandfather, described the pain of his granddaughter's killing as "losing a limb that will never grow back."
"You will never take away our memories and their legacy," he said.
'LOWLIFE COWARD'
Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.
Allen asked for his family not to be present at his sentencing, his attorney said.
"What they went through is unimaginable," Jennifer Auger, one of Allen's defense attorneys, said.
"We're looking forward to the next steps in our appeals. Other than that we have nothing to say."
Allen's attorneys said the killer maintained his innocence and was looking forward to the appellate process.
"Richard Allen believes that he will be afforded due process under the law and will be permitted to present a full and complete defense at a future trial in this cause," his attorneys wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed on Thursday.
"For that reason, as well as all other reasons identified, Richard Allen (1) chose not to participate in the pre-sentence process; (2) will not be presenting evidence at the sentencing hearing outside of this memorandum; and (3) his attorneys will be speaking and articulating arguments in minimal fashion during the sentencing hearing."
Defense's timeline of Richard Allen's 'mental decline'
March 23, 2023: Allen was depressed and withdrawn and said he “was not straight in the head."
April 4, 2023: Allen suffered from insomnia and hopelessness, was suicidal, and stated, “Death would bring relief to him."
April 13, 2023: Allen was exhibiting “bizarre” behavior, including consuming his feces, and was suffering from a “grave disability.” The prison psychologist ordered Allen to receive an involuntary injection of psychotropic medication.
April 21, 2023: Allen’s thoughts were disjointed and he was saying “strange things.” Wala discussed that he might be considered incompetent to stand trial.
May 3, 2023: Allen said he wanted to confess details of the crime.
May 18, 2023: Allen receives another dose of psychotropic medication.
May 23, 2023: Allen was diagnosed as suffering from stress-induced psychosis.
June 8, 2023: Allen’s depression was reported to be “at its peak,” with trembling and knees buckling noted by a psychologist.
June 16, 2023: Allen receives another dose of psychotropic medication.
End of June 2023: Allen’s mental health improving.
October 2023: Allen begins proclaiming his innocence.
Allen's team has 30 days from his sentencing to file an appeal.
During a joint law enforcement press conference, Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett said, "There will never be closure in this case."
"I keep hearing the word closure. There will never be closure in this case. The Germans and the Williams lost their daughters, their granddaughters in this case," he said.
"All because a lowlife coward decided to take their innocent lives.
"There's no doubt a form of justice was served, but it does not bring Abby and Libby back."
'MORE LIKE SISTERS'
For over five years, Allen camouflaged himself in Delphi, the small county seat of Carroll County that's home to fewer than 3,000 residents.
He hid in plain sight, sheltered by his life as a husband and father who worked as a pharmacy technician at a local CVS, state prosecutors argued during his trial.
The Germans and the Williams lost their daughters, their granddaughters in this case. All because a lowlife coward decided to take their innocent lives.
Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett
"[February 13, 2017] is a day this community will never forget - a day Abigail Williams and Liberty German went to the trails for a walk and never came back," Carroll County prosecutor Nick McLeland said during closing arguments.
Horrifying crime scene photos showed during the trial showed how Libby and Abigail's bodies were covered with branches, leaves, and dirt.
Libby was fully nude, while Abigail wore her best friend's sweatshirt and jeans.
McLeland described Libby and Abigail's relationship "more like sisters" than best friends.
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RICHARD ALLEN'S ARREST
It would not be until October 28, 2022, that investigators arrested Allen and charged him with the grisly murders that held a dark cloud over Delphi for a half-decade.
Investigators linked a .40 caliber bullet found near the bodies of Libby and Abigail to a gun owned by Allen.
When confronted by investigators about the cartridge found at the scene, Allen had no explanation.
"See how the pieces are starting to fall into place," McLeland told jurors.
However, Allen's defense team stressed the prosecution's case was riddled with inconsistencies, including a broken timeline, bumbled ballistics, false confessions, and digital forensics data.
"You should question the credibility of this investigation," Brad Rozzi, one of Allen's attorneys, said during closing arguments.
Rozzi underscored that investigators only arrested the defendant because of a "magic bullet," which he claimed the state tried to use as leverage against Allen.
THE 'BRIDGE GUY'
From the start of the trial, the prosecution's goal was to prove and convince jurors without a reasonable doubt that Allen was the "bridge guy" captured in the video on Libby's final post.
In the picture, a shadowy figure in a blue jacket walks several feet behind Libby and Abigail on the Monon High Bridge, hands in pockets and head facing downward.
Indiana State Police also recovered an audio recording in Libby's cell phone, in which the "bridge guy" was overheard telling the girls, "Guys, down the hill."
The video, prosecutor McLeland said, "shows the moment Abby and Libby were kidnapped.
"You can hear the fear in Libby's voice and see the fear on Abby's face," he added.
Investigators initially interviewed Allen about the murders and confirmed to police that he was wearing the same clothing as the "bridge guy."
After becoming combative with investigators questioning him, authorities obtained a search warrant and combed through Allen's car and home.
"Surprise, surprise, the same jacket as 'bridge guy' was wearing," McLeland said after investigators found a similar blue Carhartt jacket in Allen's car.
The search also uncovered a .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun and images of the bridge in a photo album.
Between January 2022 and April 2022, McLeland said Allen conducted 11 searches about Delphi, including "Delphi IN news."
Prosecutors also stressed to jurors Allen's multiple confessions about the killings while behind bars.
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In the months after his arrest, Allen confessed multiple times to a prison psychologist and during phone calls to his wife and mother.
Allen's defense disputed the confession, saying their child's mental health deteriorated after 13 months in solitary confinement.
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