Two friends on an ordinary day

Abigail Williams was thirteen. Liberty German was fourteen. They were friends who went to spend time outdoors near the Monon High Bridge trail in Delphi, Indiana. On February 13, 2017, they disappeared during that outing. Searchers found them dead the following day. Their families faced a terrible loss. For years the girls’ names remained in the news while police worked to identify the killer.

A child is not a piece of evidence

Libby’s phone helped investigators, and the bridge became a familiar image in coverage of the case. It is important to explain that evidence. But an article that begins and ends with a recording can make the girls sound like objects in a police file. They also had school, friends, families and future plans. Those parts of their lives deserve a place beside the court history.

Years before a trial

Investigators followed tips, released images and searched for evidence. They arrested Richard Allen in 2022. Prosecutors later presented their case at trial. Defense attorneys challenged parts of that evidence, including statements made while Allen was incarcerated and how a cartridge was linked to the scene. The public argued about those subjects long before a jury made its decision.

What the jury found

In November 2024, a jury convicted Allen of four counts tied to the girls’ killings. The judge sentenced him to 130 years in prison that December. These are real court results and should not be reported as mere accusations. Allen has continued to dispute the findings and has used the appeals process to seek a different result.

Why a conviction can still be appealed

A criminal appeal asks a higher court to review claimed legal errors. It is not a fresh vote on every rumor posted online. Lawyers have raised questions about the search warrant, restrictions on defense evidence, statements made in custody and the use of forensic material. The state disputes the defense’s arguments and asks that the judgment stand. The appellate judges must decide according to the law and the trial record.

The public should not decide by clip

When a case has a short video, a dramatic audio recording or a well-known photograph, people may feel they know everything. They do not. Judges and jurors examine evidence under rules that social-media clips do not have. We should identify what was presented in court, what the judge excluded and what remains disputed instead of repeating claims that cannot be tested.

Grief does not end with sentencing

For the girls’ families and their community, years of searching, trial preparation and hearings did not bring Abby and Libby back. Each new appeal story can revive the loss. We can report difficult legal arguments without treating the families’ pain as material for entertainment or repeating graphic descriptions that do not help readers understand the outcome.

Why It Matters

A fair legal process and respect for victims can exist together. Readers deserve to know that Allen was convicted, why he is appealing and which arguments the state disputes. Abby and Libby deserve to be remembered as two friends, not just the names attached to a disputed piece of evidence.

What Happens Next

The Indiana appeal was argued on September 21, 2026. The reviewed case materials did not establish a later written decision. The conviction and sentence remain in force unless a court issues a ruling changing them.