CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. – Last year, defense attorneys for Richard Allen, the man accused of killing Abigail Williams and Liberty German while they were hiking trails in Delphi on February 13, 2017, filed a 136-page document, alleging that members of a white nationalist group were responsible for the murders. Attorneys Andrew Baldwin and Brad Rozzi claim that the two girls were killed by Odinists, a type of Heathenry often associated with white nationalism.
The original claim of Odinism prompted many Heathen groups to respond. Heathens Against Hate and The Troth responded vigorously, defending Heathenry against the idea that members of a Pagan cult committed the murders as a ritual sacrifice.
The Heathen groups also made clear that Odin had been co-opted by racist groups to advance white supremacy, antisemitism, and xenophobia. They emphasized that Heathen practices within their organizations are inclusive and welcoming. As Heathens Against Hate noted in their statement, “It is imperative that the rest of us stand firm in our faiths and work to educate the public about what Heathenry is and is not.”
Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi [Public Domain]
The defense’s filing stated that two groups of Indiana Odinists, one from Delphi and another from Rushville, were investigated for potential involvement in the killings.
Police investigated the killings for nearly six years before arresting Allen on October 26, 2022, after linking an unfired bullet found at the crime scene to a firearm recovered from his home during a search. For almost two years, Allen’s defense sought to suppress the search warrant that enabled police to seize his pistol.
The defense argued they were never informed about these investigations or the related documents. The defense alleges that law enforcement deliberately withheld crucial information from the judge when seeking the search warrant executed last year on Allen’s home and continued to withhold information that should have been included in the discovery files released to the defense.
The filing also described ritualistic symbols found at the crime scene, including the positioning of Libby’s body, which the defense alleges suggests ties to Odinist practices.
According to the defense, the Odinists had a motive for the crime, alleging that one of the girls’ parents was in an interracial relationship. They further outline 92 reasons why the murders could not have been carried out by a single person. The filing also criticized detectives for not thoroughly investigating a potential suspect with connections to Odinism and the victims. The defense claims this suspect’s alibi was insufficiently vetted.
Additionally, Allen’s attorneys requested his immediate transfer from Westville Correctional Facility, claiming his life was at risk due to Odinist-affiliated staff members within the prison, who may also be covering up for those involved in the murders. They referenced an instance where they noticed “In Odin We Trust” patches on prison workers’ uniforms, which later disappeared after the defense suggested Odinists were involved in the crime. Allen had also reportedly mentioned threats from “Odinites” in an interview, despite the defense not having discussed their research on the group with him beforehand.
In two recent developments, Special Judge Fran Gull ruled last Thursday that jurors in the upcoming trial will be permitted to hear evidence regarding Richard Allen’s admissions to a prison therapist, guards, inmates, and family members.
Allen’s attorneys argued that his solitary confinement in a high-security prison triggered a mental health crisis, leading him to make statements under psychological duress.
However, in her order, Judge Gull wrote, “The defendant has not demonstrated that any of these statements resulted from coercive interrogation by the State or from his pretrial detention.” She emphasized that the conditions of Allen’s detention were not intended to force confessions but to protect him from harm.
“The Court finds statements given by the defendant to Dr. Wala, the Warden, inmates, guards, medical personnel, mental health professionals, and law enforcement personnel were not coerced, were voluntary, were not the result of interrogation by the State or its actors, nor the product of his confinement and, therefore, denied the defendant’s Motion to Suppress Statements…” she said.
“The Court is not convinced that the detention caused the defendant to make incriminating statements,” Gull continued. “Although the defendant suffers from major depressive disorder and anxiety, these are not severe mental illnesses that would prevent him from making voluntary statements.”
Judge Gull concluded that Allen’s arguments regarding his statements pertain to the weight the jury might assign them, rather than their admissibility. She also ruled on Wednesday that the defense had failed to present admissible evidence linking Odinism to the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in 2017. While Allen faces multiple murder charges, the court will not consider the defense’s claim of third-party involvement unless they can provide concrete proof during the trial. Gull emphasized that this argument could confuse the issues and mislead the jury.
“The burden is on the defense to show a nexus,” Gull said, referring to the connection between Odinism, other suspects, and the murders. She noted that the defense had “failed to produce admissible evidence demonstrating a nexus,” thereby excluding the Odinist theory from the trial.
However, the Odinist theory is not entirely off the table. Judge Gull explained that if the defense can present valid evidence during the trial, the argument could be revisited. Any “offers of proof,” however, would take place outside the presence of the jury.
Allen’s trial is set to begin in about six weeks, with jury selection starting in Fort Wayne. After the jury is selected and sequestered, the trial will move to Delphi and is expected to run from October through mid-November.
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