Delphi Suspect Claims White Nationalist Pagans Killed 2 Teens — Despite Allegedly Confessing to Wife

Richard Allen's attorneys claim that Liberty German and Abigail Williams were killed as part of a ritualistic sacrifice

Attorneys for the Indiana man accused of killing two teenage girls in Indiana in 2017 have put forward a theory that the girls were actually sacrificed as part of a pagan ritual, according to a court filing reported by multiple outlets.

Richard Allen, 50, was arrested and charged with murder in 2022 in connection with the deaths of Liberty “Libby” German, 14, and Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, who were found dead near the edge of a creek in Delphi, Ind., in February 2017.

Allen’s attorneys are now claiming in a Monday filing that a search warrant of their client’s home was based on faulty evidence, and that the girls were murdered by Odinists, a Norse pagan religion that is linked with White nationalism, reported the Lafayette Journal & Courier, WTHR and FOX 59 among other outlets.

Related: Delphi Murders Suspect Allegedly Confessed on Jailhouse Call with Wife: 'Admits Several Times'

The claims come despite an allegation in previous court documents that Allen confessed to the murders in a jailhouse phone call with his wife in June, according to the Associated Press, CNN and ABC News. At a June hearing, Allen’s attorney argued that statements made by Allen in jail should be considered unreliable due to his declining mental state, the AP reported.

The two teens, who were best friends, were dropped off to go hiking on Feb. 13, 2017 near the "Monon High Bridge," an abandoned railroad. Liberty posted a Snapchat photo of Abigail walking that bridge. They were found dead by searchers the next morning.

Days after they were killed, Indiana State Police released photos found on Libby’s phone that showed a man walking on the trail at around the same time, as well as an audio recording of the man’s voice saying, "Down the hill."

Related: Suspect Arrested in 2017 Delphi Killings of Indiana Teens Liberty German and Abigail Williams

Five years later, police searched the home of Allen, finding a gun that they alleged was linked to an unspent bullet found at the crime scene, as well as several knives, according to the AP, which also reported that investigators said the girl’s injuries were caused by a sharp object.

In Monday’s 136-page filing, the Journal & Courier reported that Allen’s attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi argue that evidence of a ritualistic killing were withheld from the search warrant, which they moved to suppress in court.

“Members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German," the court filing said, according to the Journal & Courier, adding that “nothing, absolutely nothing, links Richard Allen to Odinism or any religious cult.”

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The paper reported that Allen’s attorneys requested a Franks hearing, at which the defense can introduce evidence intended to disprove the validity of a search warrant.

FOX 59, citing the court filing, reported that Liberty and Abigail’s bodies were found posed with tree branches “intentionally placed in a very specific and arranged pattern.” The outlet also reported that Allen’s attorneys claim that blood matching one of the girls was found painted on trees in a symbol resembling the letter “F.” According to the filing, the symbol “F” is associated with Odinism.

Allen’s attorneys alleged that “cult” members are linked to the killings and that investigators concealed evidence that could’ve cleared Allen, FOX 59 reported.

The court filing also requests that Allen be moved to a different correctional facility and claims corrections officers at Westville Correctional Facility, where he is being held, were linked to Odinism and were threatening Allen, WTHR reported.

According to court records, Allen’s trial is scheduled to begin in January.

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