Richard Allen, the individual convicted of the brutal killings of two teenage girls in the wooded area near Delphi, Indiana, back in 2017, faced his fate as he was handed a sentence of 130 years in prison on Friday, December 20. This marked the culmination of a tragic saga that shook the community to its core and left an indelible mark on all those involved.
The courtroom atmosphere was heavy with tension as Allen received the maximum possible sentence from Judge Frances Gull of Allen Superior Court in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The gravity of the crimes committed by Allen was not lost on Judge Gull, who, having served as a judge for 27 years, remarked that Allen’s actions ranked among the most heinous in the state of Indiana. The weight of the sentence was meant to reflect the severity of the offenses and provide a semblance of justice for the victims and their families.
Despite the grim outcome, Allen was credited by the judge for the 786 days he had already served. This acknowledgment served as a small respite amid the sea of grief and anguish that permeated the courtroom. However, it could never undo the irreparable damage caused by Allen’s actions on that fateful day in 2017.
The trial had brought to light the harrowing details of the murder of Liberty “Libby” German, 14, and Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, who had embarked on a day of hiking near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, only to meet a tragic end. The discovery of their lifeless bodies, with their throats slit, near the banks of a creek sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community and beyond.
The investigation had initially seemed shrouded in mystery, with the unidentified figure on the bridge, ominously referred to as “Bridge Guy,” haunting the collective consciousness. For five long years, the families of the victims and the community at large grappled with the unknown, yearning for closure and justice.
It was not until Allen’s arrest in 2022 that the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Authorities made a crucial breakthrough when they matched a gun in Allen’s possession with the unspent 40 caliber bullet found at the crime scene. This pivotal discovery paved the way for Allen to be held accountable for his heinous deeds.
During the trial, a state trooper provided damning testimony, revealing that after listening to hundreds of Allen’s prison calls, he could unequivocally identify Allen’s voice as that of “Bridge Guy.” The chilling revelation sent shivers down the spines of those present in the courtroom, underscoring the depth of the depravity exhibited by Allen.
Amidst the mounting evidence and testimonies, a particularly chilling confession emerged from Allen himself. In a recorded call to his wife, Allen reportedly uttered the words, “I did it. I killed Abby and Libby.” The sheer callousness and brutality of his admission left a lingering.
