DELPHI, Ind. ― A jury of five men and seven women found Richard Allen guilty in November of all four charges in the deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.
The jury convicted the 52-year-old Delphi man of two counts of murder and two counts of murder while kidnapping the girls. The long-awaited decision in one of Indiana’s most high-profile murder cases came after more than seven years of investigation, nearly three weeks of testimony and roughly 18 hours of deliberation spread over four days
Jurors reached their verdict on Nov. 11. Allen’s sentencing hearing begins this morning. He’s facing between 45 and 130 years of imprisonment. Investigators, prosecutors and the victims’ families plan to hold a press conference after Allen is sentenced.
Delphi murders: Odinism, confessions, alleged judicial bias among issues Richard Allen could raise on appeal
His attorneys have maintained Allen is innocent. In a six-page memorandum filed Wednesday, the attorneys said they plan to present minimal arguments at the sentencing hearing and focus their efforts on Allen’s appeal, which they expect will involve “a neutral, detached and unbiased tribunal.”
“The practical reality is that unless this matter is reversed and retried, Richard Allen is likely facing the rest of his life in prison,” defense attorney Andrew Baldwin wrote, adding that even in the best-case scenario, Allen will be 85 when he’s released.
Normally, parties submit long and detailed memorandums outlining why a defendant should receive a certain sentence. But Allen’s attorneys listed only a few factors, including his lack of criminal history, his military service and his mental illness, that they said should result in a less harsh sentence.
They’ve also advised Allen not to participate in the pre-sentencing process, which involves an interview with a probation officer who prepares a report to help the judge determine the appropriate punishment. Allen’s attorneys advised him not to talk to “state actors” because doing so has only “negatively impacted his defense,” according to their memorandum.
Abby and Libby were kidnapped and killed on Feb. 13, 2017 after they went on a hike on the Monon High Bridge trail. Their bodies were found the next day.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Convicted Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen sentencing Friday