New court filings allege that Liberty German and Abigail Williams, the two teenagers murdered in Delphi, Indiana in 2017, may have been “ritualistically sacrificed” by followers of Odinism, a pagan Norse religion and white nationalist group.
Richard Allen, 50, who stands accused of killing the girls while they were hiking at the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, is asking the judge to throw out evidence from the search of his home, arguing the warrant omitted key information about the possible Odinism connection.
“Members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German,” a 136-page memorandum memorandum filed Monday states, according to the Journal & Courier.
Allen’s lawyers claim authorities failed to disclose the theory about the motive and nature of the killings when they searched Allen’s Delphi property last year.
As CrimeOnline reported, the Delphi Double Homicide Task Force took Allen into custody on October 28, 2022, at his home in Delphi, for the murders of Abigail, 13, and Libby, 14.
The victims were found murdered near the Monon High Bridge on February 14, 2017, after taking an outing to the bridge the day prior. The outing was only meant for a few hours, and when the girls failed to return, family members contacted police.
Following his arrest, investigators searched Allen’s residence and found:
- A .40 caliber pistol
- Boots
- Knives
- Additional firearms
The Indiana State Police Laboratory examined a bullet found at the crime scene and ultimately determined that it came from a gun registered to Allen, and “forensically determined” that the bullet cycled through his gun.
Allen claimed he never let anyone else use his gun, but he had no explanation when told a bullet from his firearm was found at the crime scene.
“(N)othing, absolutely nothing, links Richard Allen to Odinism or any religious cult,” the memorandum continued. “Odinism is the pagan religion referenced above, and its followers are called Odinites.”
“Evidence supports that at the crime scene, these murdering Odinites left behind obvious signatures, symbols in the form of runes (Germanic letters). These runes were (1) formed with sticks, (2) fashioned with tree branches and (3) painted using the blood of Liberty German.
“Delphi investigation seemingly, and quickly, abandoned the obvious correlation between the crime scene and Odinism, despite an obscene amount of evidence linking Odinism to the crime scene.”
Allen’s lawyers are now requesting a Franks hearing to suppress the evidence collected from the home search.
In a Franks hearing, the defense will attempt to show that investigators used “false statement knowingly or intentionally, or with reckless disregard for the truth” in the case. Allen’s team argued that the omission of the ritualistic killing theory from the affidavit undermined the basis for searching his property.
The defense also argued that Allen is a “patsy” in the case and that his arrest was motivated by an upcoming election.
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[Featured image: Richard Allen/ISP; Abby (R) and Libby (l)/Handout]
