Richard Allen, 52, was sentenced to 130 years in prison on Friday for the murders of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, whose bodies were found near Delphi’s Monon High Bridge Trail in February 2017. The killings, which shook the small Indiana town of Delphi, remained unsolved for years until Allen’s arrest in 2022 after a key piece of evidence resurfaced.

During his trial, prosecutors detailed how Allen encountered the girls on the trail, armed with a gun, and forced them down a hill before killing them. Evidence included Liberty’s cellphone recording of a man prosecutors identified as Allen, an unspent .40-caliber round from his gun found at the scene, and surveillance footage showing his black 2016 Ford Focus near the area. In addition, prosecutors presented multiple confessions Allen made, including one during a jail call to his wife and another to a prison psychologist.

Judge Frances C. Gull described the crime as “hideous” and noted the devastation it caused to the victims’ families. “These families will deal with your carnage forever,” she told Allen during sentencing. He was convicted on November 11 of four counts of murder—two counts for each victim—after a four-week trial.

Abby Williams & Libby German.

Defense attorneys argued there was no DNA or forensic evidence linking Allen to the crime and attributed his confessions to a mental health crisis. They revealed Allen had a history of depression and anxiety and was kept in solitary confinement while awaiting trial, which they claimed contributed to his statements. His wife also dismissed the jail call confession, attributing it to his medication.

The case broke open in 2022 after a file clerk organizing thousands of tips discovered a misplaced “lead sheet” revealing Allen had informed police he was near the scene on the day of the murders. At the time, he told investigators he frequented the trail and wanted to help. However, this information had been incorrectly marked as resolved.

Despite the defense’s arguments, the jury sided with the prosecution, and Allen was sentenced to the maximum penalty. His attorneys plan to appeal the decision, maintaining that he is innocent.