Even though Richard Allen was convicted last month, a gag order remained on the case until Friday, so this was the first time, since the before the trial began that we are hearing from both attorneys and the girls' families.
The sentencing hearing was over in just about an hour as Judge Fran Gull sentencing Richard Allen to 130 years in prison, 65 years for each of the two girls, bringing to an end a nearly eight year saga that has put a national spotlight on this small Indiana community of just about 3,000 residents.
Abigail Williams and Liberty German were thirteen and fourteen years old when they vanished after going for an afternoon hike on February 13, 2017.
Their bodies were found the next day with their throats had been slashed. Ironically, prosecutors say Libby had recorded Allen on their cell phone as they crossed an abandoned railway trestle.
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And yet, it was five years before Allen was arrested in 2022-despite multiple confessions, in person, over the phone and in writing, which were presented at trial. Allen's attorney's tried to convince the jury, which remained sequestered the entire time, that he was innocent.
Libby German's grandfather Mike Patty saying on behalf of both families, "Justice has been served for the girls. I want to thank the jurors. Who took time out of their lives...for that i will always be grateful."
One of Allen's defense attorneys spoke only briefly following Friday's hearing. While she would not discuss next steps now, it appears clear they will file an appeal.