Richard Allen Found Guilty of Murdering Libby German and Abby Williams in Delphi Murders Trial

The bodies of Liberty “Libby” German, 14, and Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, were found near a creek off a hiking trail in February 2017

Richard Allen, who was charged with the 2017 murders of two teenage girls in Delphi Ind., has been found guilty.

Allen was convicted on four counts of murder after the jury deliberated over a span of four days, according to the Associated Press, the Indianapolis Star and WTHR.

The bodies of Liberty “Libby” German, 14, and Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, were found near a creek off a hiking trail in February 2017. During opening statements at Allen's trial, which began on Oct. 18, prosecutors revealed that the girls' throats had been cut, according to the AP, Fox 59 and the Indianapolis Star.

Citing prosecutors, Fox 59 and the Star reported that Libby was found naked and covered in blood, while Abby was found wearing Libby's clothes

For five years, no suspects were identified. But in 2022, police arrested Allen, a Delphi resident, after searching his home and allegedly finding knives as well as a gun that authorities claimed was linked to a bullet found at the scene, the AP reported.

While he was behind bars with his trial pending, Allen allegedly confessed to the murders during a phone call with his wife, prosecutors claimed, according to  AP, CNN and Fox 59.

But during his trial, Allen's attorney Andrew Baldwin said the confession was made during a time when his client was in a compromised mental state, Fox 59 reported.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Nick McLeland reminded the jury of Allen's alleged confession and asked the jury to find him guilty of murder.

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"Now all the pieces are clear," McLeland said, according to WTHR. "He kidnapped them and later murdered them. He slit their throats. He stole the youth and life away from Abby and Libby."

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi called the prosecution's proposed timeline into question. Rozzi also attempted to discredit the state's witnesses who described the so-called "bridge guy" seen in a video walking on the trial where the girls were killed, who prosecutors claim is Allen.

"Somethings wrong here," Rozzi said, per WTHR. "Something's not right."

Allen's defense team has tried to claim that the murders were actually committed by Odinists, members of a Norse pagan religion linked with White nationalism, as part of a ritual sacrifice, according to defense motions obtained by the AP and CNN.

But a judge prevented the defense from introducing the Odinist theory during trial, citing a lack of evidence, court records indicate.

After the girls were found in 2017, Liberty's grandfather Mike Patty told PEOPLE that they were best friends who loved playing sports and hiking together.