US man sentenced to 130 years for murdering two girls in Indiana

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c140px43yy5o

Version 0 of 1.

The bodies of Liberty German, on the left, and Abigail Williams were found near an abandoned railway bridge in 2017

Richard Allen, a US man convicted last month of killing two teenagers in the state of Indiana, has been sentenced to 130 years behind bars for their deaths.

The bodies of teenagers Liberty German, who was 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, were found near their hometown of Delphi in 2017. The case that went cold for years and became a focal point for true-crime enthusiasts.

It gained national attention as one of the victims recorded possible evidence on her phone, including audio and a Snapchat video of a possible suspect.

Allen, 52, was given 65 years for each victim, according to media reports.

Libby's grandfather, Mike Patty, thanked the jurors on Friday, saying he would forever be grateful for their work, as well as prosecutors and investigators.

He also expressed gratitude for the community he said had embraced the families of the young victims "from day one and continues to lift us up".

"It's been almost eight years coming," he said a press conference after the sentencing hearing.

"If I live to make it 80, almost 10% of my life has been spent working on this."

The two girls were found with cuts to their throat in February 2017, near an abandoned railway bridge and close to the location where they had been dropped off for a hike.

Libby's phone had recorded audio of a man telling the two girls to go "down the hill" and had taken a photo of a man walking near the trail.

Their deaths affected the local community, said Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett, adding that he hoped the conviction and sentencing would reassure residents about security.

"A form of justice was served, but it does not bring Abby or Libby back," he said.

"These families will live every day without two of the most important people in their lives."

He also apologised to the families "that it took eight years for us to get to this point".

Allen, a local pharmacist, was interviewed as a possible witness soon after the crime. He was questioned again five years later when police linked his gun to an unspent bullet found at the scene.

But despite receiving thousands of leads, police only focused on Allen in 2022 after reviewing former suspects. He was arrested that same year.

During his trial, prosecutors said he had confessed multiple times to the murders while in prison and played a recording for the jury of him apparently telling his wife he had committed the crimes.

Defence attorneys contended Allen was mentally unwell when he told people he was guilty.