Richard Allen, the Delphi murders case suspect, was found guilty on Monday for the murder of two teenage girls, Abby Williams and Libby Germans, in February 2017. Allen is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder. The bodies of the deceased were discovered at the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana.
The defense attorneys, Andrew Baldwin and Bradley Rozzi, in a motion to Judge Gull, wrote that they want to be able to speak about third-party suspects in the case, including its theory that the murders of the girls were carried out by followers of a Pagan religion known as Odinism.
"Granting this motion would serve the cause of judicial efficiency, as the defendant’s offer of proof would otherwise cause a significant delay in the trial if the defendant were required to present the same evidence into the record at trial for purposes of the offer of proof," the motion reads.
What is Odinism? Defense attorneys claimed a pagan cult was behind Delphi murders
Odinism is a pagan Norse religion rooted in ancient Viking and Nordic traditions. It attempts to revive Norse religious beliefs of pre-Christian Europe.
"The religion, which revives a pre-Christian pantheon of Norse gods, is appealing to white supremacists because it mythologizes the virtues of early northern European whites—seen as wandering barbarians, deeply involved in a mystical relationship with nature, struggling heroically against the elements," the Southern Poverty Law Center says.
Named after the god Odin, Odinism is believed to be a “racist variant” of the pagan religious sect Asatru. Although Asatru itself is not inherently racist, Odinism has, over time, become associated with white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies in the United States.
"It sings the virtues of the tribe, or folk, strongly emphasizing genetic closeness. And it credits whites with building civilization and an ethic of individual responsibility, even as they boldly slew wild boars, fought for their tribes, and explored the far reaches of the known world," it added.
Allen’s attorneys claimed "possible Odinism signatures" were left behind by the Delphi Murderer at the crime scene, with the victims’ bodies staged by tree branches and sticks laid across their bodies in the shape of pagan symbols.
Libby was found at the base of a tree with several branches being arranged in a specific pattern on top of her naked body and blood spots dripping all over, while Abby was found fully clothed with no blood on her clothes whatsoever, which implies she was killed while naked and then dressed after.
"Members of a pagan Norse religion called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German," Allen's attorneys wrote according to The Independent.
Even though Allen has no known connection to any pagan cult, his defense attorneys named four individuals they believed were involved in Odinism as potential suspects. However, none of these individuals have ever been named by law enforcement as suspects. Allen’s attorneys were banned by Special Judge Gull from bringing up names or anything to do with the Odinism cult theory during the trial.
The Delphi murders had never been publicly linked to Odinism before the defense made the claims. According to Allen's attorneys,
"Several officials continued to believe an Odinist cult was behind the murders, but the information was withheld from the defense."
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Abby Williams and Libby German were murdered on February 13, 2017, near the woods of Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana. After several twists and turns, the notorious Delphi murders case suspect finally got arrested in October 2022, five years after the Delphi murders took place. After a long trial, the suspect, Richard Allen, was finally charged with,
"Two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping. Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20; he could face up to 130 years in prison," According to Associated Press.
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