Delphi Killings Were Ritual Sacrifice By White Nationalists, Attorneys Argue In New Filing

DELPHI, IN — Attorneys for the man accused of killing two teen girls more than six years ago on a trail near Delphi, Indiana, filed court documents Monday arguing that it was not their client, but members of a Norse religion with white nationalist affiliations, who were responsible for the deaths.

Richard Allen was arrested almost a year ago and charged with two counts of murder in the February 2017 killings of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, at the Delphi Historic Trails. Allen previously admitted he was at the trails the day before the bodies were found and an unspent round from his gun was discovered between their remains. He also confessed at least five times to the killings, multiple outlets reported in June.

However, in Monday’s 136-page filing, Allen’s lawyers contend the deaths were part of a ritual sacrifice conducted by members of the pagan religion and white nationalist organization known as Odinists.

Two groups of Odinists, one from around Delphi and another from the Rushville area, were considered in connection with the killings but investigators abandoned the angle, according to the lawyers, who said Allen has no link to Odinism.

One of the girls’ blood was used to paint a symbol associated with Odinism on trees, WANE reported, adding an alleged cult member knew about details of the crime scene that weren’t publicly available.

Prison guards at Westville Correctional Facility, where Allen is being held, wore patches with apparent Odinistic symbols, one of which said “In Odin We Trust,” according to WANE.

Also Monday, Allen’s attorneys requested a hearing to present evidence that the search warrant for his house was based on faulty probable cause and should be suppressed.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.