(NewsNation) — Jury selection is set to begin next week in the trial of Richard Allen, accused of killing two teenage girls in Delphi, Indiana, in 2017.
The trial has faced delays as the defense and prosecution sparred over what evidence would be allowed and where the trial would be held.
Here’s what you need to know about suspect Richard Allen before the trial begins:
Who is Richard Allen?
Allen, now 51, moved to Delphi, Indiana, in 2006 from elsewhere in the state. A licensed pharmacy technician, he worked at a local CVS store.
He is married and has an adult daughter. One photo taken with his wife before his arrest shows Allen smiling in front of a police sketch of the suspect in the case.
What crime is Richard Allen accused of?
Allen is accused of killing Libby German and Abby Williams. German, 14, and Williams, 13, were reported missing after being dropped off at a local hiking trail. Their bodies were found the next day.
Police have not released information on how the girls were killed but court documents revealed both had been stabbed to death. Court documents also say some of the girls’ clothing was missing and it appears their bodies had been moved.
When was Richard Allen arrested?
Allen was arrested five years after German and Williams were killed.
Police released two different sketches of a suspect during the years-long investigation, as well as an audio clip from one of the girl’s phones of a man saying something that sounded like “down the hill.”
Does Richard Allen have any connection to Libby German and Abby Williams?
Allen does not have any known connection to the girls or their families, though it is likely that they would have run across each other in a small town with a population around 3,000.
Allen’s home is about five miles from where the girls’ bodies were found.
Does Richard Allen have a criminal record?
There is no evidence of Allen having any run-ins with the law beyond traffic tickets for speeding and driving without a seatbelt. The fines associated with those tickets were all paid off.
Did Richard Allen confess to killing Libby German and Abby Williams?
Prosecutors say Allen confessed to the killings multiple times, to his wife as well as to other inmates at the prison where he was being held.
Allen’s defense team argued those statements should be disallowed at trial because they violated his due process rights. Prosecutors said there was no attempt to force Allen to confess and they should be allowed.
Special Judge Fran Gull ruled the statements are admissible in court.
What evidence ties Richard Allen to the crime?
Court documents from pre-trial motions show Allen admitted to investigators he was on the trail the same day German and Williams died, though he denied any involvement in their deaths.
Other evidence mentioned in unsealed documents include a firearm taken from Allen’s house that investigators say is linked to the crime scene and recorded confessions he made to his wife and mother while in prison.
What is Richard Allen’s defense?
Allen has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His defense team has accused prosecutors of withholding evidence in the lead up to the trial. They also attempted to introduce a defense that the killings were the result of a ritual sacrifice by a cult and police suppressed evidence related to that but the judge disallowed that defense.
What is the Odinism theory?
Allen’s attorneys attempted to introduce a defense, suggesting that investigators withheld evidence connecting German and William’s deaths to a white supremacist cult known as Odinism.
Odinism is a white supremacist belief system that incorporates beliefs associated with Norse paganism, though mainstream Norse neo-pagans disavow any connection with white supremacist groups. Allen’s team argued that the girls were part of a ritual human sacrifice and said investigators suppressed evidence that would link the killings to Odinism.
Gull ruled that the Odinism defense could not be used in trial.
What evidence was leaked in the case?
Sensitive crime scene photos were spread online via YouTube and podcasters. The pictures were taken by a friend of one of Allen’s former attorneys.
The judge did not charge Allen’s attorneys with contempt since she found they had not willingly leaked information, but they were removed from the case. After an appeal, the team was reinstated as Allen’s counsel.
What is next for Richard Allen’s trial?
Jury selection is set to begin on Oct. 14, 2024. The trial is expected to last about a month.