Indiana
Delphi murders: Richard Allen sentenced to 130 years for killing Indiana teens
Richard Allen, the Indiana man convicted of killing two middle school girls in 2017, was sentenced to 130 years in prison on Friday, almost eight years after the children’s bodies were found near a hiking trail.
Allen, 52, was convicted of murder in November after a four-week trial in the deaths of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, in Delphi.
The bodies of the girls, who were close friends, were found near a hiking trail on Feb. 14, 2017, but their killings went unsolved for years.
Allen received the maximum sentence. Judge Frances C. Gull told him it ranks “right up there with the most hideous crimes.”
“These families will deal with your carnage forever,” the judge said.
Indianapolis State Police arrested Allen in October 2022. He was charged with murder after what the state police superintendent called a “long-term and complex investigation.”
Prosecutors said that Allen encountered the girls on the Monon High Bridge Trail and that, armed with a gun, he forced them down a hill and cut their throats.
A jury convicted Allen on Nov. 11 of four counts of murder: one count each of felony murder and murder for each victim.
Allen had faced a potential sentence of 45 to 130 years in prison.
His attorneys say they plan to appeal. “Richard Allen maintains his innocence,” they wrote in a sentencing memo ahead of Friday’s sentencing.
The killings shook the small town of Delphi, a community of around 2,900 about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
Liberty had recorded a man who prosecutors allege was Allen in cellphone video that day. Prosecutors also said that an unspent .40-caliber round that came from Allen’s gun was found at the scene and that a black 2016 Ford Focus was seen on security video nearby — and that Allen owned the only such car registered in Carroll County when the murders took place.
Defense attorneys argued no one identified Allen as the man in the video or seen by witnesses. They also argued no forensic or DNA evidence connected him to the killings.
Prosecutors played an alleged confession made last year in a recorded jail call to his wife. In it, he says: “I did it, I killed Abby. I killed Abby and Libby.”
His wife did not appear to believe him and said his medication must be messing with his mind.
A former prison psychologist also testified that Allen confessed to her that he killed the girls, and prosecutors said he confessed to other prison staff members.
Allen’s defense attorney, Brad Rozzi, has attributed the confessions to a mental health crisis. Allen was being held in a maximum-security prison while he awaited trial. Defense attorneys have also argued he was kept in solitary confinement without due process.
Defense attorneys also wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Allen has a long history of mental health illness and that he had been treated for major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder throughout his life.
Allen, who was a CVS clerk at the time of the killings, was not a suspect until a file clerk organizing thousands of tips discovered a mislabeled “lead sheet” in September 2022.
The document, which had incorrectly been marked “clear,” showed that Allen reached out to investigators days after the killings and said he had been at the same location as the girls on the day they disappeared.
Defense attorneys have said that Allen often walked on that trail and that he voluntarily went to police because he wanted to help in any way he could.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Indiana
Indiana law enforcement takes up donations for Special Olympics
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
Indiana
Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
Indiana
Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.
This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.
From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.
The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.
Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:
- The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
- The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
- The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
- The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.
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The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.
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