Delphi Murders Trial: The sentence

 

DELPHI, Ind.-- Richard Allen will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Friday, Special Judge Fran Gull handed down the maximum sentence for the convicted killer-- 65 years for each of his two victims, served consecutively, meaning he's sentenced to 130 years in prison.  

Allen is convicted for the Delphi double murders in February 2017 of 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German.

Six family members got to face Allen in court and give their victim impact statements. Then, Gull gave Allen the opportunity to address the courtroom; he did not. 

"Justice has been served for the girls," said Mike Patty, Libby's grandfather.   

Patty was the only relative of the victims to speak on camera Friday.

"To the investigative team, and the prosecution, thank you for staying steadfast and continuing to work toward this," he said.   

"There will never be any closure in this case," said Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett. "A form of justice was served, but it does not bring Abby or Libby back."

Investigators and the prosecution are confident in their conviction of "Bridge Guy," railing against what they call conspiracy theories for Allen's innocence.

"Any notion of coverup, any notion of us deciding the outcome of this, any notion of any connection to anything else, is not correct," said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter.   

They slammed the defense for violating the gag order in this case, meaning the judge ordered no one to speak about the details of the trial.

"We lived by the gag order," Carter said. "Documents were released from the defense, that drove a public narrative, that many of you talked about. And damn it I wish I could've responded. But I was not going to violate what Judge Gull said."  

And they thanked the woman who discovered the misfiled tip about Richard Allen leading to his 2022 arrest, Kathy Shank.  

"Without her, we would not be here," Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland said. "Without her, we would not have an arrest, a conviction, and a sentence."  

A jury from Allen County found Allen guilty on all charges Nov. 11 after the prosecution laid out a largely circumstantial case.  

"I think once you start stacking that evidence against him, and as it stacks up, it's hard to say that the defendant isn't 'Bridge Guy,'" McLeland said. "If you can accept that he's Bridge Guy,' you can accept that he's the killer."  

Allen has 30 days to appeal and asked for a public defender from the judge.

Ultimately, those who investigated the case over the past eight years are hoping to move on and heal while remembering the girls at the heart of this case. 

"I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Abby and Libby themselves," McLeland said. "Libby for recording the defendant as he walked across the bridge, having the wherewithal to pull out her phone and record that individual, having the wherewithal to know that something wasn't right. "and then to Abby, for hiding the phone."  

The gag order from Judge Gull has been lifted, and the prosecution, law enforcement, and family members are now allowed to speak about this case.  

And over and over again, we heard disgust for the evidence leak in this case, the online distribution of crime scene photos, and a stark warning and plea to us all--- to not allow those photos to spread and "revictimize" the families anymore.