Live Update: Richard Allen Convicted on All Counts

INDIANAPOLIS — Monday marks Day 21 in the trial of Richard Allen, the suspect in the Delphi Murders case, being held at the Carroll County Courthouse. This is also the fourth day of jury deliberations.

Allen, 52, faces serious charges including murder and murder during the commission or attempted commission of kidnapping related to the deaths of two teenage girls: 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German. Their bodies were discovered near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi on February 14, 2017, just a day after they went missing.

Initially investigated in 2017, Allen was questioned again in October 2022, leading to his arrest following a second police interview.

The trial commenced on October 18 and is expected to continue through mid-November. Originally composed of 16 jurors from Allen County, one juror was dismissed on October 25.

Cameras are prohibited inside the courtroom.

For ongoing updates throughout the trial, follow our live blogs.

Note: The timestamps in blog headers indicate when entries were added. Specific times for courtroom events will be noted within those entries when available. This information has been compiled from notes provided by reporters present in the courtroom.

A summary of Day 20 in the Delphi Murders trial can be found at the bottom of this page.

In a significant conclusion to one of Indiana's most high-profile trials, Richard Allen was found guilty on all four counts after a lengthy deliberation period spanning over three weeks.

He was convicted on two counts of felony murder and two counts of murder concerning the tragic deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German in 2017. The verdict was delivered shortly after 2 p.m. on Monday following several hours spent in court that morning.

According to reports, sentencing for Allen is scheduled for December 20. A gag order remains effective until then, restricting comments about the verdict from Allen himself as well as his legal team, family members, and witnesses. Consequently, a planned post-verdict press conference has been canceled by Indiana State Police.

1:39 p.m.: Jury has reached verdict

Reports confirm that Richard Allen’s defense team has indicated that the jury has reached a decision regarding his case. Details about the nature of this verdict remain unclear at this time.

1:31 p.m.

10:47 a.m.: Deliberations continue

News 8’s Kyla Russell reports that the jury in the Delphi Murders case has now been deliberating for nearly 16 hours.

9 a.m.: Court in session for the day

The jury arrived at the Carroll County Courthouse shortly before 9 a.m. to commence the fourth day of deliberations. If they do not reach a verdict today, discussions will resume on Tuesday.

Should a verdict be reached today, the judge will notify the court of when it will be announced.

8:30 a.m.: Defense arrives at the courthouse

The defense team representing Richard Allen has arrived at the courthouse. Earlier, they were seen leaving just before 2 p.m. on Saturday while jury deliberations were still ongoing; however, the reason for their departure remains unclear.

8:27 a.m.: Jury arrives at courthouse

Vans transporting the 15 jurors—12 who will determine Richard Allen's guilt and three alternates—arrived for what marks the fourth day (third full day) of deliberations regarding Allen's involvement in the 2017 murders of Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German.

Brief summary of Day 20 of the Delphi Murders trial

On Saturday, after five hours of deliberation, the jury concluded their sessions but requested another review of some evidence presented by Allen’s defense team. Special Judge Frances Gull clarified that this evidence could only be displayed once during the trial.

As deliberations continue with all 15 jurors present on Monday—the same composition as before—their decision process may take hours or even days. The primary jury must reach a unanimous decision: if there is reasonable doubt about Allen's guilt, he must be found not guilty. Conversely, if they believe he committed the murders, they are instructed to find him guilty.

A failure to achieve a unanimous verdict could result in a mistrial, with further deliberations set to occur on Tuesday if necessary.