‘Thank God it’s over’: Reactions mixed after Richard Allen convicted in Delphi Murders
DELPHI, Ind. (WISH) — There were mixed reactions as people outside the Carroll County courthouse on Monday learned Richard Allen was found guilty on all counts in the Delphi Murders trial.
Allen, 52, was convicted Monday in the murders 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.
While some were relieved and celebrating the verdict, most were uninterested in talking to the media after weeks and years of scrutiny in the public eye.
The one woman who spoke to News 8 on camera says justice was served.
“It’s over,” said Kelly Brown, of Peru, Indiana. “Just thank God it’s over. I’m really happy and pleased with the verdict. The state of Indiana should be proud.”
In the hours after Allen’s conviction, most people on the streets were unwilling to talk to the media. “No Media” signs were hung on many of the businesses around the courthouse.
Another man spoke to News 8 off-camera. He said people in his life don’t think this was the right outcome – but it ultimately does not matter because Allen was found guilty.
Many in the community hope the family can find peace and move forward after this verdict.
“It’s a chapter that will be behind them and remember the great things that those little girls brought to them,” Brown said.
The small town of Delphi, Indiana, can finally close this chapter of the Delphi Murders. This quiet town is ready to become quiet again as the frenzy around this case slowly dissipates.
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Allen will be sentenced Dec. 20. A gag order is in place until the sentencing, meaning Allen, lawyers, jurors, families, and witnesses will not be allowed to speak on the verdict.