In 2017, the murders of Abigail Joyce “Abby” Williams and Liberty Rose Lynn “Libby” German made it to the national news. While officials haven’t been able to reach a solid conclusion, they have reportedly arrested a 50-year-old man who is suspected of killing both teens from Delphi, Indiana. The suspect has been identified as Richard Allen.
Abigail Joyce “Abby” Williams was 13 years old at the time of her death. Her elder sister, Liberty Rose Lynn “Libby” German, was 14. The teens went missing on February 13, 2017, after they went for a hike from school. However, they didn’t show up to meet their dad later on. After a few years of investigation, the Indiana State Police in West Lafayette arrested Richard Allen last year on October 26. Two days later, i.e., on October 28, 2022, the suspect was formally charged with two counts of murder. Later, in his first court appearance, the suspect entered a not-guilty plea.
Who is Richard Allen?
According to Fox 59, the victims’ father, Mike Patty, said that he did not know Richard personally but was aware of his existence. Delphi is a small town in Indiana whose population stood at just 2,961, as per the U.S. Census (2020). Given the population and area of the town, it is common for people to be familiar with each other.
As for Richard Allen, official records suggest the suspect previously resided in Mexico. However, he relocated to Delphi in December 2006. The same year, he bought a home in this town and resided there permanently. Following the murders of Abigail Joyce “Abby” Williams and Liberty Rose Lynn “Libby” German, officials discovered the corpses of the teenagers near the Delphi Historic Trails on February 14, 2017. As per the official affidavit released by a judge in November 2022, police believe that Allen forced the girls down a hill. Richard Allen then took the girls to the location where he killed them.
The suspect’s home was not too far from the location of the murder discovery. Moreover, the 50-year-old man appeared as a witness in the initial stages of investigations. The suspect reportedly used to work as a pharmacy technician at a local CVS. He got his license in 2017. Reporting about his professional conduct, Indiana’s state pharmacy board stated that they never received any complaints or sanctions against Richard Allen.
In addition, when asked about Richard’s arrest, CVSHealth said, “We are shocked and saddened to learn that one of our store employees was arrested as a suspect in these crimes.” Until then, his records only had traffic violations, and he has reportedly paid for all three tickets.
Following his arrest in October 2022, Richard Allen was moved to Westville Correctional Facility in Westville, Indiana. Earlier this year, he appeared for a pre-trial conference in court. The jury trial had begun on March 20, 2023.
