Richard Allen appeals 130-year sentence for Delphi murders

Richard Allen, currently serving a 130-year sentence for the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi, Indiana, is appealing his conviction. During oral arguments before the Indiana Court of Appeals, defense attorneys argued that Allen’s constitutional rights were violated and that his conviction should be overturned.

A central component of the appeal concerns confessions Allen made while incarcerated. His lawyers contend these statements are unreliable because they were made during a period of profound psychological crisis and psychosis brought on by prolonged solitary confinement. They argue the trial court should have ruled these statements involuntary before they were presented to a jury.

The defense is also challenging the exclusion of certain evidence, including a police sketch of a man seen near the crime scene that allegedly does not resemble Allen, and expert testimony regarding a theory that the killings were part of a pagan ritual. Prosecutors maintain that the evidence, including Allen’s presence near the trail and statements made before his mental health declined, was sufficient for a guilty verdict.