Live blog: Richard Allen found guilty on all charges
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Monday is Day 21 in the trial of Delphi Murders suspect Richard Allen at the Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi, and the fourth day – or third full day – of jury deliberations.
Allen, 52, is charged with murder and murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping in the deaths of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German. The girls’ bodies were found near the Monon High Bridge near Delphi on Feb. 14, 2017, a day after they went missing.
Allen was first investigated in 2017 and again in October 2022. After a second police interview, he was taken into custody.
The trial began Oct. 18 and was expected to continue through mid-November. Originally, 16 Allen County residents sat as the jury on the case, but one juror was dismissed on Oct. 25.
Cameras are not allowed in the courtroom.
Tune into News 8 and follow our daily live blogs throughout the trial for the latest developments.
NOTE: The times listed in the blog headers are the times which the entries were added. Specific times for courtroom events will be listed in the entries if available. These notes are compiled from photographs of written notes provided by reporters in courtroom and emailed to the WISH-TV news desk.
For a brief summary of Day 20 in the Delphi Murders trial (Saturday), scroll to the bottom of the page.
To view all of our previous trial coverage, click here, and follow News 8’s Kyla Russell on X as she covers the trial live from Delphi.
3:47 p.m. Timeline of verdict announcement
At 2:02 p.m. the public entered the courtroom. News 8’s Kyla Russell reports Allen is wearing a light purple button-down shirt. Prosecutor Nick McLeland is wearing pink. There are 16 law enforcement officers in the courtroom and seven not in uniform.
At 2:09 none of the seats in the courtroom reserved for the defense and Allen family are filled.
Nick McLeland, Stacey Diener, Jerry Holeman, Steve Mullin and James Luttrell are seated at the prosecution table.
Richard Allen and Andrew Baldwin sit at the defense table.
At 2:12 p.m. Judge Gull enters the courtroom. Russell reports that she seems to be upset that defense attorneys Brad Rozzi and Jennifer Auger are not in the courtroom.
There are five law enforcement officers, two bailiffs, a court reporter, Judge Gull and one Carroll County Courthouse staff member in the well.
At 2:14 p.m. Rozzi, Auger and Allen’s family members enter the courtroom.
Gull tells the court that all attorneys phones must be turned off. She says everyone must remain silent and everyone must follow all rules.
Gull says to the courtroom, “you can take your unhappiness outside.”
At 2:19 the jury enters the courtroom.
Juror #30 passes the verdict.
The verdict is announced: guilty on all counts. The jury is polled and are unanimous.
Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, December 20, 2024 at 9 a.m.
3:38 p.m. Detail on verdict
This section is a recap of the notes News 8’s Kyla Russell took during the sentencing phase of the trial.
Charges:
- Count 1: Felony Murder of Abigail Williams–GUILTY
- Count 2: Felony Murder of Liberty German–GUILTY
- Count 3: Murder of Abigail Williams–GUILTY
- Count 4: Murder of Liberty German–GUILTY
Russell noted Allen’s family cried when the verdict was read and Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter held Libby’s grandmother Becky Patty. Carter cried and hugged Libby’s family members.
Libby’s father Derek German is in the court room for the first time since the first day of the trial.
Russell notes Richard Allen has been crying or emotional throughout.
2:35 p.m. Richard Allen found guilty on all counts
Delphi Murders suspect Richard Allen was found guilty on all four charges after 21 days in one of the most high-profile trials in Indiana history.
Allen was found guilty on two counts of felony murder and two counts of murder for the 2017 deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.
The verdict was announced just after 2 p.m. Monday after several hours in court throughout the morning.
News 8’s Kyla Russell says Allen will be sentenced Dec. 20. A gag order is in place until the sentencing, meaning Allen, lawyers, families, and witnesses will not be allowed to speak on the verdict. A post-verdict press conference has been canceled, per the Indiana State Police.
WISH-TV is live from Carroll County courthouse as we discuss the verdict. Watch here.
1:39 p.m.: Jury has reached verdict
News 8’s Kyla Russell reports per Richard Allen’s defense team that the jury has reached a verdict in the Delphi Murders trial.
It is still unclear what the verdict is.
1:31 p.m.
10:47 a.m.: Deliberations continue
News 8’s Kyla Russell reports it is nearly hour 16 in deliberations for the Delphi Murders jury.
9 a.m.: Court in session for the day
The jury in the Delphi Murders trial arrived at the Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi shortly before 9 a.m. for the fourth day of deliberations.
Deliberations will continue Tuesday if the jury is unable to reach a verdict on Monday.
If a verdict is reached on Monday, the judge will be notified and she will then announce to the court a time when the verdict will be read.
8:30 a.m.: Defense arrives at the courthouse
The defense team for Richard Allen has arrived at the Carroll County Courthouse.
News 8’s Kyla Russell says Allen and his defense team were seen leaving the courthouse just before 2 p.m. Saturday while the jury was still deliberating. It was unclear why the group departed.
8:27 a.m.: Jury arrives at courthouse
Vans carrying the 15 jurors — 12 who will decide if Richard Allen is guilty and three alternates — have arrived at the Carroll County Courthouse for the fourth day (third full day) of deliberations.
Their task is to determine whether suspect Richard Allen is guilty of the 2017 murders of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.
Brief summary of Day 20 of the Delphi Murders trial
The jury wrapped up deliberations on Saturday after five hours.
At one point, the jury asked Richard Allen’s defense team for another look at some of the evidence they presented.
Special Judge Frances Gull said the evidence could only be displayed one time.
The court did not say what evidence the jury wanted to review.
News 8’s Kyla Russell says Allen and his defense team were seen leaving the courthouse just before 2 p.m. It was unclear why the group departed.
There will be 15 jurors in the room again on Monday — the 12 who will decide whether Richard Allen is guilty in the murders of Abby and Libby, along with three alternates.
Deliberations could take hours or days. The 12-member jury (three alternates excluded) must reach a unanimous verdict.
If they have reasonable doubt Allen committed the murders, they are instructed to find him not guilty.
If they believe he committed the murders, they are instructed to find him guilty.
If the jury is unable to reach a unanimous verdict, the trial could end in a mistrial.
Deliberations will continue Tuesday if a verdict is not reached on Monday.