Indiana man wants new trial in killing of teens where pagan ritual can be introduced

Key Points:

• Richard Allen, serving 130 years for the 2017 murders of two Indiana teen girls, is appealing his convictions, claiming his confessions were made during a psychological crisis and that he was unfairly prevented from presenting a defense involving a pagan ritual theory.
• Prosecutors maintain Allen's confessions were credible and supported by evidence, including his admission of being near the crime scene and forensic links to his handgun, arguing that the pagan ritual defense would have distracted the trial without substantial proof.
• The victims, Abigail Williams and Liberty German, were found with their throats cut near an abandoned railroad trestle, with no evidence of sexual assault; prosecutors say Allen planned to rape them but killed them after being interrupted.
• Defense attorneys highlight the lack of direct forensic evidence linking Allen to the crime scene and allege his mental deterioration in solitary confinement led to false confessions, citing severe abuse and psychological decline while detained.
• The appeals court will also consider arguments about witness inconsistencies regarding the suspect's description and the exclusion of expert testimony challenging forensic evidence related to a bullet found at the scene.