An Indiana man serving 130 years in prison for the murders of two teenage girls is seeking a new trial, with his attorney arguing that police relied heavily on confessions made while he was suffering from severe psychological distress.

Richard Allen was convicted in 2024 of murdering Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, whose deaths in Delphi, Indiana, remained unsolved for more than five years.

During an appeal hearing before a three-judge panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals, Allen’s attorney, Mark Leeman, argued that investigators became focused on Allen after he acknowledged being on the trail where the girls disappeared.

Leeman said investigators then pursued evidence supporting Allen’s guilt while failing to adequately consider evidence pointing toward other possible suspects. He also argued that police withheld from the jury a sketch of a man seen near the trail that looked significantly different from Allen.

The judges questioned several decisions made during Allen’s trial, including the exclusion of evidence and expert testimony sought by the defense.

The panel asked why the trial judge had prevented a defense expert from testifying about the possibility that the killings were connected to a pagan ritual. The judges also questioned why a police sketch of a person seen near the trail was not presented to jurors.

Another issue involved an unspent bullet discovered near the victims. Prosecutors argued that markings on the bullet showed it had been cycled through Allen’s handgun. Defense lawyers wanted an expert to challenge whether such markings could reliably be linked to one particular firearm.

The appeals judges also questioned why jurors were allowed to see videos showing Allen behaving strangely while in prison but were not permitted to hear audio recordings in which he reportedly claimed to be a king and said he had started World War III.

At the same time, the judges repeatedly asked prosecutors whether the disputed trial decisions would have affected the verdict and whether the evidence against Allen would still have been sufficient to secure a conviction.

Indiana Deputy Attorney General Ellen Meilaender argued that Allen’s own statements provided important evidence. She said he had told investigators before his arrest that he was on the trail on the afternoon the girls disappeared, although he denied seeing them.

Prosecutors argued that the timeline of events showed Allen must have seen the girls and described his denial as evidence of consciousness of guilt.

The appeals court did not immediately issue a ruling.

The case dates back to February 13, 2017, when Abigail Williams and Liberty German were dropped off near a hiking trail outside Delphi. Their bodies were later found down a steep hill near an abandoned railroad trestle.

The girls had suffered fatal wounds to their throats. Investigators also found branches scattered over their bodies. One victim was found without clothing, while the other was wearing the first girl’s clothes. Authorities reported no evidence that either girl had been sexually assaulted.

One of the girls had recorded a short video of a man near the trail. The recording included a male voice telling the girls to go “down the hill.”

Prosecutors argued that Allen was armed and forced the girls away from the trail. They said he initially intended to sexually assault them but changed his plan after a passing vehicle approached.

The prosecution also relied on an unspent bullet found near the victims. An expert testified that the bullet had been cycled through Allen’s handgun.

Allen’s defense attorneys argued that no witness directly identified him as the man seen near the trail. They also said investigators had found no fingerprint, DNA or other forensic evidence directly connecting Allen to the killings.

Allen’s lawyers have also argued that his mental condition deteriorated while he was held in solitary confinement awaiting trial.

According to the defense, Allen initially denied involvement for months, but prolonged isolation and psychological stress caused a severe decline in his mental state. His attorneys say he eventually became convinced that he had committed the murders and made several confessions.

Prosecutors have disputed that explanation, arguing that Allen’s statements occurred after he had been exposed to evidence about the condition of the victims’ bodies.

The defense also sought to introduce expert testimony suggesting that the crime scene could have been connected to a pagan ritual involving followers of Odin, a figure in Norse mythology.

The proposed expert testimony was based on the positioning of the bodies, branches found at the scene, the outdoor setting and the knife wounds.

Prosecutors argued that the proposed theory was based on limited examples and should not be presented to the jury without stronger supporting evidence.

The Indiana Court of Appeals is expected to issue its decision at a later date.

SOURCE: Associated Press, September 22, 2026.