The infamous Delphi murder case has taken several shocking twists over the years, such as when accused murderer Richard Allen made a claim about the murders of teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams.
In court documents released last year, the then 50-year-old local man maintained his innocence of the 2017 killings, claiming instead that the murders were committed by a pagan cult hijacked by white nationalists.
“Members of a pagan Norse religion called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritually sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German,” his lawyers wrote in the documents obtained by The independent.
Allen's lawyers said the killers left “possible signatures of Odinism” at the crime scene, with the victims' bodies staged by trees with branches and sticks placed over their bodies in the shape of pagan symbols.
Although Allen has no known ties to any pagan sect, his lawyers also took the extraordinary step of naming four people they believe are involved in Odinism as potential suspects. None of these individuals have ever been named by law enforcement as suspects or persons of interest in the case.
However, Allen's lawyers are prohibited from discussing the names or anything related to the Odinist cult theory.
Special Judge Frances Gull made the ruling in September, just weeks before the trial started on October 14.
What is Odinism?
Odinism is a pagan Norse religion with origins in ancient Viking and Scandinavian beliefs and pre-Christian European culture.
It is also called Wotanism and, according to the Anti-Defamation League, is seen as a 'racist variant' of the pagan religious sect Asatru.
While Asatru himself is not racist, Odinism has become increasingly linked to white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs in the US over the years.
It is said that many followers – known as Odinites – exist among the white supremacist prison population.
“The religion, which revives a pre-Christian pantheon of Norse gods, is attractive 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, fighting heroically against the elements,” explains the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“It sings the virtues of the tribe or people, with a strong emphasis on genetic proximity. And it credits whites with building a civilization and an ethic of individual responsibility even as they boldly killed wild boars, fought for their tribes and explored the far reaches of the known world.”
Were Libby and Abby murdered by Odinites?
The murders of Libby and Abby had never been publicly linked to Odinism before the defense made the claims.
But according to Allen's attorneys, law enforcement investigated the cult's possible involvement early in the investigation — as early as February 2018.
On February 13, 2017, Libby and Abby disappeared after taking a walk along the Monon High Bridge Trail in their hometown of Delphi.
During the walk, Libby posted a photo of her best friend on Snapchat as they walked past the Monon High Bridge.
A few minutes later, Libby captured a video of a man – known as a 'bridge guy' – wearing jeans, a blue jacket and a cap walking along the abandoned railway bridge. In the footage – found on Libby's phone after their murders – the man tells the two girls: “Guys, down the hill.”
The next day – Valentine's Day 2017 – the girls' bodies were discovered in a wooded area less than a half mile from the trail along the side of Deer Creek.
In the court documents, Allen's attorneys claim that “possible signatures of Odinism were left at the crime scene,” including the staging of the bodies and branches displayed on the victims to create pagan symbols and shapes.
The documents describe the scene as “grisly” and also reveal never-before-known details about how Libby and Abby died.
The teenage best friends had their necks cut, the documents show.
Libby was found at the base of a tree with “four tree branches of varying sizes deliberately placed in a very specific and arranged pattern on her naked body” and bloodstains and drips all over her body.
Abby, meanwhile, was fully clothed, including Libby's sweatshirt and jeans, the documents state.
There was no blood on her clothing, indicating that she was likely murdered naked and then dressed after being killed. Tree branches and sticks were also placed on her body, the documents state.
Both victims appeared to have been moved after being killed and positioned.
According to Allen's lawyers, the police did investigate a connection with Odinism in the case, but after a conversation with an expert the theory was quickly “abandoned”.
Several officials continued to believe an Odinist sect was behind the killings, but the information was withheld from the defense, his lawyers allege.
