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.
A courtroom sketch of Richard Allen (left) seated next to one of his defense attorneys during his double murder trial on November 2AP
TwitterLiberty ‘Libby’ German, 14, (left) and Abigail Williams, 13, were found dead on the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana, on February 14, 2017[/caption]
FBIProspectors said Richard Allen was the ‘bridge guy’ who ordered Libby and Abigail down the Monon High Bridge before slitting their throats[/caption]
In November, a jury determined without a reasonable doubt Allen, 52, was the “bridge guy” that prosecutors 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 WIBC.
“You sit here and roll your eyes at me as you’ve rolled your eyes at me the entire trial.
“These families will deal with your carnage for generations,” the judge snapped at Allen.
The families of Libby and Abigail delivered heartbreaking impact statements during the sentencing hearing – 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 WTHR.
“I’ll never understand how you were able to get away with this for so long,” Timmons said directly to daughter’s killer.
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.”
Allen’s team has 30 days from his sentencing to file an appeal.
‘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.
“[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 found with branches placed on top.
Libby was fully nude, while Abigail wore her best friend’s sweatshirt and jeans.
McLeland described Libby and Abigail’s relationship not as best friends but “more like sisters.”
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.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
