Allen was convicted of murder in the killings of the two girls near the Monon High Bridge in 2017.
DELPHI, Ind. — Richard Allen was sentenced Friday, Dec. 20 to 130 years for the 2017 Delphi murders of Abby Williams and Libby German.
Special Judge Frances Gull handed down a 65-year sentence to Allen for each of the murders of Abby and Libby, the maximum penalty for both charges.
Gull said to Allen, “you rank right up there with the most hideous crimes” she’s presided over in 27 years.
During the court proceedings, Gull acknowledged the profound and enduring impact these crimes would have on the families of the two girls. Libby’s grandmother, in a poignant address to the judge and the courtroom, referred to this impact as a “generational impact,” emphasizing the long-lasting repercussions of the tragic events.
Confronting Allen directly, Judge Gull expressed the gravity of his actions and the lasting consequences for the families, stating, “These families will carry the burden of your actions for a lifetime. Your disregard for the severity of the situation is evident in your disrespectful demeanor.”
It was moments after that that she announced the maximum sentence.
In November, a jury found Allen guilty on four murder charges, two for each girl. Under Indiana state law, an individual can only be sentenced for murdering an individual once. Counts 1 and 2 were dismissed by the judge. He was sentenced on Counts 3 and 4.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland asked the judge to seal the autopsy and crime scene photos, which were a big part of Friday morning’s hearing. The families of Abby and Libby lashed out against the defense team, saying they allowed recklessness to allow those photos to be leaked online, causing tremendous harms to the families.
Regarding mitigating factors, Gull noted that Allen has no previous criminal history, but said based on the heinous nature of the crime, she did not give any weight to that.
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Victim impact statements during sentencing hearing
Carrie Timmons, Libby’s mother, said during sentencing that it has been “absolute hell” for Libby’s family for eight years. She said she was left with “a literal hole in my soul.”
“I’ll never understand how you were able to get away with this for so long,” Timmons said, speaking to Allen.
Timmons also told Allen to “please put me on your visitor’s list. I’ll listen” for when Allen is ready to apologize and explain his actions.
Diane Erksin, Abby’s grandmother, said, “I will never be the same person I was before Abigail’s murder.”
Eric Erskin, Abby’s grandfather, said, “The loss of losing Abby is like losing a limb that never grows back.”
Eric also addressed Allen when he said, “You, Richard Allen, will never take away our memories or the girls’ legacies.”
Becky Patty, Libby’s grandmother, said, “He robbed us all,” saying she hopes Allen lives the rest of his life with the same fear he instilled in Abby and Libby.
Becky said she lives every day with the burden of allowing Libby and Abby to go to the trails that day. She then asked Allen if he will ever take responsibility for his actions that day.
Mike Patty, Libby’s grandfather, said to Allen, “I will never understand how you could commit such an atrocity.”
Mike also said he was not ready to provide forgiveness, saying, “I’ve never felt such hatred, and I know I shouldn’t feel this way.”
Mike concluded with addressing Allen with, “Now is the time to take accountability” by stopping his appeal and “let the girls rest in peace.”
In his statement prior to the sentencing, McLeland said throughout the trial, Allen seemed to show no remorse and no regret.
After leaving the courthouse, Cody Patty, Libby’s uncle, spoke briefly to reporters.
“This still ain’t justice. Nothin’ is gonna bring the girls back. So, I mean, this is a little closure…I mean a step forward. We’ll be able to sleep a little easier tonight,” Cody said.
After the hearing concluded, one of Allen’s defense attorneys, Jennifer Auger, told reporters they plan to appeal and seek a new trial.
“Thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims. What they went through was unimaginable,” Auger said. She added that the defense plans to give a more detailed statement later, “but today is not the day for that.”
Post-sentencing news conference
Officials and family members addressed the media for the first time since the gag order was lifted after Allen’s sentencing.
“As we move forward, we remain committed to keeping Abigail Williams and Libby German at the center of our focus,” Indiana State Police Sgt. Jeremy Piers said.
“Justice has been served for the girls,” said Mike Patty, Libby’s grandfather, who thanked the jurors for remaining open-minded and objective. “For that, I will always be grateful.”
“There will never be any closure in this case … a form of justice was served, but it does not bring Abby or Libby back,” Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett said. “Today is not closure — it is just turning the page and starting a new chapter.”
Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter noted that the crime happened 2,866 days ago.
“I wish you all could’ve been in the courtroom to hear the victim impact statements. I’ll always remember them,” Carter said. “We lived by that gag order. The defense did not, and it cost a human life. Anybody that shares those photographs of those two little girls should be held accountable … I will never ever forgive that.”
“To the Delphi community and to the family of Abby and Libby, words cannot possibly explain what we all feel, but what Nick McLeland did and the rest of the team that was associated with this … we owe them a great gratitude that could never possibly be repaid,” Carter said. “How about we start to heal now? How about we hit that reset button and understand that justice in this country was served, and if you don’t like justice in this country, go to another one.”
McLeland thanked his prosecuting team, ISP, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and other agencies with their assistance in getting the conviction.
McLeland also thanked Kathy Shank, a volunteer file clerk who found Allen’s file in 2022 under an incorrect name and marked “cleared.” She brought Allen’s name back to the attention of police.
“Without her, we would not be here. Without her, we would not have an arrest, a conviction and a sentence,” McLeland said of Shank.
“Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Abby and Libby themselves. Libby for recording the defendant as he walked across the bridge. Having the wherewithal to pull out her phone and record that individual, having the wherewithal to know that something wasn’t right,” McLeland said. “And then to Abby for hiding the phone from the killer so that he couldn’t take it with him … Without the efforts from those two little girls, we wouldn’t be here today, so Abby and Libby, thank you.”
McLeland took several questions from the media:
- On Allen’s appeal: “Once he files that notice, we’ll deal with it accordingly and work with the attorney general’s office to represent the state, and we’ll give them whatever support that they need.”
- On other suspects: “At this point, we have no other evidence showing that any other actors were involved.”
- On the victims’ families: “I hope it’s a sigh of relief that this portion is over and that the conviction as it is now stands and that he’s been sentenced to the maximum possible sentence. I hope that they now can continue to heal and start to put this chapter behind them.”
- On what he thinks convinced the jury: “I think it was a culmination of everything that we had. I think once you start stacking that evidence against him, and as it stacks up, it’s hard to say that the defendant isn’t ‘bridge guy.’ And if you can accept that he’s ‘bridge guy,’ you can accept that he’s the killer. That’s the bottom line.”
What’s next for Richard Allen?
The gag order was lifted by Gull on Friday. Families have not been able to speak throughout the course of the trial and leading up to the trial.
Allen asked for his family not to be present at the sentencing.
Jennifer Auger, from Allen’s defense team, spoke briefly with reporters after the sentencing, saying, “What they went through is unimaginable. We’re looking forward to the next steps in our appeals. Other than that, we have nothing to say.”
In a sentencing memorandum filed Dec. 19, one day before sentencing, Allen’s attorneys said he “maintains his innocence and looks 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 said in the filing. “For that reason, as well as all other reasons identified herein, 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.”
(Below is video of Allen’s lawyers leaving the Carroll County Courthouse after the sentencing.)
During pre-trial hearings, Gull ruled Allen’s defense team could not present third-party suspects or alternate theories about the murders, including that the girls were killed as part of a pagan ritual.
Allen’s attorneys have 30 days from his sentencing to file an appeal.
