This primer is designed to inform newcomers about compelling evidence suggesting the involvement of third-party suspects in the Delphi murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German on February 13, 2017. While the trial of Richard Allen is now underway, many are unfamiliar with the strong links to a group of individuals practicing Odinism, a pagan Norse religion often appropriated by white nationalist groups.
The information here is derived from Richard Allen's defense, Franks Motion (1), which you can read in full here.
1. Ritualistic Elements at the Crime Scene:
The crime scene showcased several ritualistic aspects strongly suggesting a planned act involving multiple individuals:
- Rune formations: Both girls had sticks and tree branches arranged on their bodies, mimicking specific runes, symbols deeply tied to Odinism. “Sticks and tree branches were deliberately, carefully and proficiently placed on each girl in a certain arrangement mimicking certain runes."
- Libby’s blood “painting”: A symbol resembling the “F” rune, often signifying “Odin”, was found on a nearby tree, painted with Libby’s blood.
- Abby’s “horns”: Small sticks, resembling horns, were crudely placed on Abby’s head. Elvis Fields, a later suspect, confessed to “giving [Abigail] horns” with sticks, matching the crime scene evidence.
- Posing and clothing differences: The girls were posed differently. Libby was naked with blood markings across her body, while Abby was dressed in Libby’s clothes with no blood on her garments.
The deliberate arrangement of the bodies and symbolic elements points strongly towards ritualistic practices within Odinism, a theory largely ignored by the lead investigators, Unified Command.
2. Brad Holder – A Suspect Quickly Dismissed:
Brad Holder, an avowed Odinist, becomes a key suspect. He is directly connected to Abby Williams as his son, Logan, was dating her. However, despite alarming evidence, Holder was cleared as a suspect by Unified Command remarkably quickly.
Compelling evidence against Holder:
- Runes on social media: Holder posted images on social media mimicking the specific runes found at the crime scene, knowledge the public should not have had access to. “Police knew – or had to know – that runes had been left at the crime scene. Additionally, Unified Command had already cleared Holder as a suspect in spite of the fact that runes found on Brad Holder’s Facebook pages mimicked runes found at a crime scene that had not been released to the public.”
- Mimicked murder scene image: A disturbing image found on Holder’s social media depicted two young women, either dead or posed as such, with branches laid across their bodies in a forest setting, eerily mirroring the Delphi crime scene.
- “Goodfellas” meme: Holder posted a meme the day after the girls' bodies were found, later deleted, depicting characters moving a dead body, with a caption referencing real friends helping to "move the body & never speak of it again.”
- Incriminating 2am Facebook post: Just 12 hours after the girls went missing, Holder posted, and later deleted, a status proclaiming his testosterone and energy were “through the roof," raising questions about his actions that night.
- Link to Elvis Fields: Fields, a later suspect who confessed to his involvement in the murders, actively recreated Holder’s social media posts, including photos of weaponry and a mason jar. Fields described himself as part of a “gang” with a "brother,” suggesting connections to Holder and the Vinlanders group.
- Weak alibi and suspicious behavior: Holder claimed to be at work during the murders, but his alibi was weakly investigated. Deputy Rogers memorialized his contact with Human Resources at Liberty Landfill as follows: “Case provided this officer a copy of the time sheet for this week showing Brad indeed had clocked in and out on February 13th…"
- Disregard of tips: Multiple tipsters alerted law enforcement to Holder’s suspicious social media activity and potential connection to the crime, but these were swiftly dismissed by investigators. “Liggett essentially gave up on investigating Brad Holder because of Holder’s purported alibi."
3. Other Third-Party Suspects & the “Odin Report”:
Trooper Kevin Murphy independently investigated a man named Elvis Fields in Rushville, IN (126 miles from Delphi), after his sister, Mary Jacobs, reported his suspicious confession of being involved in the murders. “On February 14, 2017, her brother, Elvis Fields, in Rushville, IN, was rambling, hyper, and borderline incoherent. He was talking about having a ‘brother’ and was part of a ‘gang’ now. Elvis told her that he had been on a bridge with two girls that were killed." This investigation revealed several key connections back to Holder and the Odinite group:
- Elvis Fields’ confession: Fields, described as mentally impaired, admitted his involvement to two of his sisters, even revealing knowledge of specific crime scene details such as the placement of sticks to give Abby “horns." "Elvis told her that someone named Abigail was a troublemaker, so he had to give her horns.”
- “Spit” incriminating statement: After submitting a DNA sample, Fields chillingly asked a state trooper if he could explain his “spit” being found on one of the girls. Later, he confirmed to a different sister that he did “spit on one of the girls” after they were killed.
- Johnny Messer: This Rushville man was an active recruiter for the Vinlanders and was known to have close ties with both Holder and Fields, potentially bridging the gap between them. “Evidence shows that the Recruiter, Johnny Messer was the connective tissue between the Delphi crew and the Rushville crew. Unified Command overlooked these connections and furthermore Liggett failed to inform Judge Diener of these connections to the murder scene.” Messer’s ex-girlfriend confirmed to police that Messer travelled to Delphi around Valentine’s Day 2017 with her vehicle. When he returned the car, there was dried blood on one side of it which took “several car washes to clean off.”
- Rod Abrams: Fields’ roommate and friend provided a conflicting alibi to investigators, claiming they were in Muncie visiting a sick friend on the day of the murders, which phone records contradicted. Both men, along with another individual, Ned Smith, were purportedly seeking membership in the Vinlanders.
This evidence was documented in what is now called the “Odin Report,” but ultimately ignored by Unified Command and concealed by Tony Liggett, the lead investigator who filed for a search warrant against Richard Allen in October 2022.
4. Falsified Evidence & A Disintegrating Timeline:
The search warrant affidavit filed against Richard Allen was based on a faulty timeline carefully constructed by Tony Liggett.
Key flaws in Liggett’s affidavit and investigation:
- Conflicting witness descriptions: Liggett used statements from key eyewitnesses, Betsy Blair and Sarah Carbaugh, to establish Allen’s presence at the crime scene, but he concealed vital information contradicting his narrative. Blair described a man on the bridge in his twenties or thirties with brown, “poofy” hair, significantly younger than Allen’s appearance in 2017, a fact Liggett knew firsthand. Carbaugh described a man walking down the road wearing a “tan” jacket with “mud” on his clothes, whereas Liggett falsified her account, claiming the man wore a “blue” jacket with “muddy and bloody” clothing.
- Concealing Betsy Blair’s vehicle observation: Blair saw a car at the CPS lot that did not match Allen’s black Ford Focus, supporting the possibility that Allen had already left the trails at 1:30 pm, as he told investigators. However, Liggett failed to mention this in the affidavit, a detail that destroys his timeline.
Liggett’s omissions and blatant lies regarding eyewitness accounts completely undermine his narrative, revealing a desperate attempt to frame Richard Allen.
5. Odinite “Guardians” at Westville:
Richard Allen was kept at Westville Correctional Facility, guarded by Odinist corrections officers, raising significant concerns about his safety and well-being. “Throughout this document references are made to the ‘Unified Command’. Essentially, the Unified Command was “the leadership” of the Delphi murder investigation, according to Tony Liggett (Carroll County sheriff and member of Unified Command when the investigation began).” Two such officers, Sergeant Robinson and Sergeant Jones, were routinely seen wearing “In Odin We Trust” patches on their uniforms during attorney visits, a display that curiously ended after Unified Command became aware that the defense was pursuing the Odinite angle. Robinson’s Facebook posts also revealed pictures of his Odin altar, filled with Odinite symbols, further solidifying his connection to the religion.
These facts raise questions about the impartiality and integrity of Allen’s confinement at Westville, where he has faced intimidation and potential threats. The coincidence of Odinite officers overseeing Allen’s custody in a case with substantial links to their religion raises serious doubts.
6. Lack of Evidence Against Richard Allen:
Liggett and Holeman have confirmed no forensic or electronic evidence links Allen to the girls or the crime scene:
- No DNA
- No incriminating cell phone or computer data
- No fingerprint evidence
- No social media connection to the murders
Liggett attempted to link Allen to the crime using his presence on the trails that day, his ownership of a blue coat, guns, and knives - attributes shared by countless individuals. Liggett even cited a flawed report from a DNR officer, Dan Dulin, whose interview with Allen is missing and who, concerningly, identified Allen with an incorrect name in official reports. “Well, since we can’t necessarily trust DNR Dan’s accuracy in writing reports, at least there would be a tape-recording that would be able to provide the precise words used by Richard Allen, right? Wrong."
The lack of evidence, coupled with Liggett’s intentional and reckless fabrication of a timeline using concealed and falsified information, creates a compelling case for Allen’s innocence. It is hard to believe Liggett could state this about Holder as an officer on Unified Command: “Q: Nothing stands out to you as you sit there about why Brad Holder might have been a suspect? A: No.” This entire investigation is troubling.
7. Conclusion:
While Richard Allen faces trial for the Delphi murders, substantial evidence strongly suggests that other individuals, possibly connected through Odinism, are responsible. Liggett’s blatant efforts to manipulate the narrative through concealed and falsified information cannot be ignored. His attempts to suppress this investigation by stating “no leads required” or “fully covered” with regards to Holder showcase reckless behavior by Unified Command. The presence of Odinite officers at Westville, the alarming evidence against Holder and his associates, and the complete lack of evidence connecting Allen to the crime demand a deeper look into the role of third parties in this heinous crime. As the primer discussed, Richard’s defense team learned that in February of 2018, Mary Jacobs passed a polygraph test related to what she had been told by Elvis Fields about Fields involvement in the crime, however Elvis was never seriously considered a suspect and Unified Command seemingly buried the evidence that showed how connected Elvis was to Holder. While Allen is the individual being charged, perhaps the spotlight should shine elsewhere, on individuals linked to a disturbing ideology with an evident connection to the crime.