Separating fact from fiction continues to be a struggle. Rumors are abound. As with any homicide case with such notoriety, we seek knowledge. How was this guy right under our noses the entire time? Weren’t there any signs??
Richard Allen is exactly what you expect from a serial killer. Outwardly, he’s your average guy. Average looking, polite, reserved, married with children, long term employment, no criminal record. If I had a dollar for every serial killer that was a cookie cutter of the average citizen!
Then the cracks begin to form. Under that reserved demeanor is a monster. A time bomb. Someone who is simmering under the surface.
Richard Allen has worked at the local Delphi CVS for several years. According to local sources, Libby’s Aunt, Tara German, was waited on by Richard Allen when she needed to process photos for Libby’s funeral. Imagine, the very man who so brutally murdered your niece is the same man standing before you telling you that he will process your photos for free!
The CVS is allegedly the only pharmacy around for miles. It’s right there on Main Street. Sources state that nearly everyone involved in the investigation from law enforcement to family regularly visited that CVS. The sketch of the Delphi homicide suspect hung on the wall right next to Allen’s workspace. There he was, likely standing side-by-side to the sketch for the world to see. But they didn’t see.
It’s alleged that investigators came by the CVS to inquire about the Delphi murder weapon. Investigators are said to have stopped by the store to see if they sold a specific type of hook knife. Did Allen handle the inquiry? Did he obtain the murder weapon at CVS? We can only speculate.
It paints a picture. Investigators standing at the front counter, speaking to the killer about the weapon used at the crime scene, right next to the suspect sketch. Who can we blame? Allen is the average guy. You don’t expect the Delphi killer to be the guy standing behind the counter at CVS. That’s the typical ‘hiding in plain sight’ scenario.
Then the underbelly of the monster begins to emerge. A former CVS coworker took to Reddit to discuss working with Allen for eight month post-homicide. While the coworker stated that Allen was always polite and easy to work with, he also said that it was common knowledge around CVS that Allen was a recovered alcoholic and had been institutionalized in the past. The coworker never asked why Allen was institutionalized and never considered he may be related to the homicide. Another missed opportunity by many.
Another Redditor stepped forward to state that he/she worked at JC’s Bar and regularly interacted with Richard Allen and his wife, Kathy. Kathy was described as happy and bubbly. Richard was described as reserved. The worker described an agitated Richard that was upset over a loss in a pool game and went on to physically threaten and intimidate his wife. He saw the monster under the veil.
The monster under the surface will always reveal himself. The more time someone spends with a serial killer the more the underbelly is seen. While he may appear reserved and cool on the surface, those in close contact can experience an intimidating, controlling, violent psychopath.
Any person who can commit such a brutal act of murder, who can callously stage bodies, who leaves his ‘signatures’ at the scene…this person is going to display controlling and violent behavior.
A serial killer can often control his emotion and put on that external valor of reserve in an effort to hide the inner demon. Eventually the inner demon must show himself. This is why we typically see a period of rage and then a cooling off period before another episode of rage and another cooling off period. This cycle will usually continue until the killer’s death, arrest or of he becomes physically unable to commit such an act.
All the signs were there. Richard was an alcoholic, he was institutionalized for a period of time, he had allegedly shown violent tendencies, he resembled the sketches, he drastically changed his look after the homicides and he lived just over a mile from the crime scene. According to some locals, the Allen family were regular visitors at the Monon High Bridge. Yet it appears Allen remained under the radar.
The Allen home was literally at the end of a creek and trail that branches away from the scene of the murders, located in a triangle that actually points toward the crime scene! He could have walked from the crime scene to his home virtually undetected in minutes. A route often discussed by sleuthers.
We can only speculate how investigators were tipped off to Richard Allen. Local rumors vary from his alleged ties to child pornographer Kegan Kline to the recent search of the Wabash river to rumors that his own wife became suspicious and turned him in. An anonymous Redditor claimed that Delphi police had responded to eight calls of domestic violence at the Allen household. Only time will unveil the truth.
What is known is that investigators did search the Allen property in the days before the arrest. A neighbor told local FOX59 that investigators dug out the backyard fire pit at the Allen home.
What were investigators searching for in the fire pit? Could it be the infamous blue jacket, brown fanny pack and blue jeans? It’s rather common for a murderer to burn bloody clothing. If the clothes were burned, the buttons, zipper and fasteners may remain. The killer of Abby and Libby allegedly took items from the girls. It’s possible the items were tossed into a fire pit. Did this search lead to the arrest?
Investigators will certainly attempt to connect Allen to other crimes. They will interview family, coworkers and friends. They will search his devices, vehicles and home extensively. They will trace his travel history and prior addresses. They will enter his DNA into CODIS and ViCap. It’s possible that victims or witnesses may recognize Allen and come forward.
Allen has exhibited the behaviors of a serial killer. It would be highly unusual for a first homicide to be so heinous and include signatures. Signatures are something that a killer exhibits from habit. It’s something that is typically worked up to. Former Carroll County Prosecutor, Robert Ives, stated that there were at least three signatures displayed at the scene.
An unrelated prior search warrant stated that the bodies were moved and staged. It mentioned that items were taken from one or both victims. These are hallmarks of an experienced killer.
Abby and Libby were abducted around 2:40pm and allegedly murdered around 3pm in the afternoon. The killer was seen by several witnesses prior to the homicide. Several hikers were in close proximity. It’s unusual for someone to take control of and murder two people in broad daylight in an area in which they could easily be detected. This is someone who was controlled and deliberate.
The aftermath. Allen behaved like a serial killer after the homicides. He is a chameleon. Based on photos taken from his wife’s social media page, his appearance drastically changed. It’s alleged he stopped drinking alcohol and spent time in a mental institution although no date has been confirmed.
Did Allen show remorse after the homicides? For nearly six years he stood and worked within feet of the suspect sketch. A sketch of himself. He posed for a photo in front of that same sketch. He processed photos for his victim’s funeral. It’s likely that he interacted with the families and law enforcement regularly. At any time he could have stepped forward out of remorse and turned himself in. He didn’t.
Did he show remorse when Libby’s Aunt stood before him, presenting photos of her recently murdered niece, her heart broken? Or did he instead stand there and remember how those girls looked, like dolls covered in blood, horrifically murdered by his own hands! I won’t believe a glimmer of that crime scene didn’t flash through his mind. The mind of a cold, callous murderer.
Richard Allen is presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
If you have had any contact with Richard Allen and wish to be heard, you may contact the author directly at truthtellersblog@gmail.com or comment below. All blog comments are anonymous.
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