Outside the Carroll County courthouse in Indiana Monday, crowds reacted with a mix of emotions as they learned that Richard Allen had been found guilty in the Delphi Murders trial.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the 52-year-old was convicted for the murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German. Their bodies were located near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi on February 14, 2017, a day after they disappeared.
“It’s over,” Indiana resident Kelly Brown told News 8. “Just thank God it’s over. I’m really happy and pleased with the verdict. The state of Indiana should be proud.”
A man spoke to News 8 off-camera, saying that people he knows didn’t agree with the outcome.
A friend of the girls’ families, who identified herself as Sarah Ausbrook, told FOX 59 that Delphi, where Allen is from, is generally comprised of commendable residents.
“Today is the day. Today is actually the day,” she said Monday. “And if you can take any message from here, please take it that this town is filled with good people.”
Meanwhile, crime scene investigator and host of the Zone 7 podcast, Sheryl McCollum, told Nancy Grace that the town was ready for justice in the case.
”What I saw, even when the town started putting signs up on business windows, they were solid in what they wanted: justice for Abby and Libby” McCollum said.
“When a lot of the information came out… I don’t think it was lost on this community or this jury, when he (Allen) told in chronological order what happened that day, that for me is when the tide turned completely for the majority of people.”
The murders have haunted the community since the discovery of Abby and Libby, whose throats were slashed. In the wake of their deaths, the “Bridge Guy” video, the phrase “down the hill,” and various sketches became the centerpiece of public speculation.
It took over five years before police arrested Allen, who worked at a local CVS pharmacy.
“They were the victims, and we were the victims also with it,” Delphi resident Timothy Harper told FOX 59. “They are free. Today is their day. We have been saying it for years. Endless nights of sleep and we can now say that this is justice.”
Allen reportedly looked straight ahead and didn’t show emotion as the verdict was read.
“Regardless of what the verdict is,” Special Judge Francis Gull said before it was read, “people will not be happy.”
Sentencing in the case is scheduled for December 20. He faces 90 to 130 years in prison.
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[Featured image via Richmond County Sheriff’s Office]
