What is Odinism? Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen's lawyer claims Liberty and Abigail were 'sacrificed'
DELPHI, INDIANA: Lawyers for Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen recently claimed that teenage victims Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, were killed by members of 'Odinism,' a pagan Norse religion and white nationalist group, as per the Daily Mail.
In unsealed legal documents obtained by the publication, Allen's lawyers, Bradley Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin, claimed that the teens were "ritualistically sacrificed."
The lawyers also argued that officials allegedly left out key information in their request for a search warrant, including the alleged link between Odinism and the 2017 murders.
An overview of Odinism
The term 'Odinism' is used to define a "polytheistic religion of ancient Scandinavia" where the Norse god Odin was considered to be the chief of the gods, as per Dictionary.com.
The modern reconstruction of this religion is allegedly associated with white supremacist ideology at times, the website notes.
According to Wikipedia, a reconstructionist religious organization called the Odinic Rite, named after the god Odin, that conceives itself as a "folkish" group and is usually concerned with Germanic paganism, mythology, folklore, and runes, refers to their Heathenry as "Odinism."
The term was first used by Scottish writer, historian, and philosopher, Thomas Carlyle in his book, ‘On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History’ in 1841. It was also mentioned by Orestes Brownson in his 1848 Letter to Protestants.
Alexander Rud Mills, an Australian barrister known for his fascist beliefs, reportedly re-introduced the term in the late 1930s.
Mills reportedly views Odin as an archetypal father figure, with other Norse deities like Thor and Frigg playing minor roles.
In 1973, John Gibbs-Bailey and John Yeowell reportedly founded the Committee for the Restoration of the Odinic Rite or Odinist Committee in England.
The name of the organization was later changed to the Odinic Rite in 1980.
Richard Rudgley in 'The Return of Odin: The Modern Renaissance of Pagan Imagination' mentioned that The Odinic Rite further expanded in the 1990s with national branches in Germany, France, and North America.
David V Barrett in 'A Brief Guide to Secret Religions: A Complete Guide to Hermetic, Pagan and Esoteric Beliefs' mentioned that The Odinic Rite considered Odinism the natural religion of the people of Northern Europe.
The Odinic Rite allegedly only allows white members and encourages members to live by the "Nine Noble Virtues" and "Nine Charges," Jennifer Snook mentioned in 'American Heathens: The Politics of Identity in a Pagan Religious Movement.'
Exploring the 'Odinism' claims of Richard Allen's lawyers in Delphi murders case
As per newly unsealed documents, Allen's lawyers claimed, "Members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German," the Daily Mail reported.
Rozzi and Baldwin are also reportedly requesting a Franks hearing, which indicates that the lawyers have reasons to believe that investigators withheld certain information from a judge or intentionally lied to get the search warrant approved.
The documents claim that a report made by the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit allegedly found "individual(s) responsible for the homicides were involved in Nordic beliefs."
"Due to either incompetence or a concerted intentionality, those in charge of the investigation refused to arrest or even properly investigate these obvious suspects," the filings further added.
The lawyers further alleged that the suspects involved in the case were named and ignored in a 12-page "Odin Report" compiled by a trooper with Indiana State Police, the lead agency on the case.
However, investigators with Indiana State Police said the FBI unit never came across such a finding.
As per the filing, Rozzi and Baldwin claimed that one man from Logansport allegedly posted social media images that mimicked runes found at the crime scene weeks after Libby and Abby's murder.
The lawyers claimed that the unnamed man was an alleged Odinite whose son allegedly "dated" Abby.
"His social media posts seemingly taunted the very police that refused to fully investigate him," the court documents mentioned.
"The Defense believes that the Court will be shocked at the number of clues or 'easter eggs,' both before and after the murders, that he openly posted on his Facebook page that pointed the finger to his involvement in the murders," it added.
The attorneys also claimed that cops allegedly cleared the suspect within 30 days of the Delphi murders despite their "absolute obsession and fascination with runes."
The person was cleared as a suspect "in spite of the fact that runes found on the Facebook pages mimicked runes found at a crime scene that had not been released to the public," the filings noted.
"The investigation had barely begun, but the Unified Command had already cleared the very man that any person with even a small amount of common sense or curiosity would believe was a strong candidate for being involved in the murder of the girls," it continued.
The filings also mentioned that Libby and Abby's bodies were allegedly surrounded by "runes" made out of "sticks, tree branches" and an "F" symbol made by "using the blood of Liberty German."
It mentioned that Abby allegedly had sticks in her hair, which "crudely mimicked horns or antlers." "Evidence supports that at the crime scene, these murdering Odinites left behind obvious signatures, symbols in the form of runes," the document stated.
"Sticks and tree branches were deliberately, carefully and proficiently placed on each girl in a certain arrangement mimicking certain runes," it continued.
"At least one of the branches appeared to have its end cut off cleanly by some type of tool like an electric saw, providing proof of a preconceived plan," the filing added.
The attorneys even quoted a trooper, who allegedly said that the crime scene "seemed to me to border on almost a satanic type of worshipping, sacrificing, but I couldn't really wrap my brain around it."
Rozzi and Baldwin also accused law enforcement of abandoning the "the obvious correlation" between the crime scene and Odinism "despite an obscene amount of evidence."
The Daily Mail reportedly contacted the unidentified man, who said, "If there are any lawyers out there that would like to help me, pro bono, go after the defense for the pain and anguish they have caused me and my family, that would be awesome."
Allen's attorneys have also pointed fingers at four other men and claimed in the filings that one of them even allegedly confessed to his sister about killing the teens.
The lawyers dubbed the official investigation as "an utter failure in pursuing the Odinist suspects, in spite of powerful evidence of Odinites involvement in the murders."
In the legal documents, the attorneys also clarified that Allen is not linked to Odinism, or any other pagan religions or white nationalist groups.
It also argued that Allen is innocent and had "nothing to do with the crime" and claimed that no forensic evidence links Allen to the crime scene.
The filings continue to mention that the "Odiniate suspects" were ignored by police.
The documents further pointed out that a professor consulted by authorities reportedly stated that "it was not Odinism or any type of cult worshipping or any type of group that would have conducted the crime."
However, Allen's attorneys are claiming that investigators are currently unable to identify the professors and "may never be able to figure out who the professor is."
They further cited that a former top cop allegedly sent a letter to prosecutor Nick McCleland, stating that there were men who practiced Odinism in or near Delphi with another group in Rushville.
Rushville's now-retired ex-assistant police chief Todd Click, allegedly said in the letter that he and two other officers had "connected both groups of men to the murders."
"The letter that Click sent to McCleland was the first that the Defense has heard that the FBI actually believed that Odinists were likely involved," the filing stated.
"In other words, this report contained exculpatory evidence that Unified Command concealed from the Defense. This information was – and is— crucial for Richard Allen's Defense," it added.
"While the prosecution has been holding on to this exculpatory evidence, Richard Allen has been living in hell," the lawyers argued.
They also said that the Odinism angle was "essentially abandoned" in the Delphi murders case. Part of the lawyers' argument also mentioend that Odinist members are working in the Indiana Department of Corrections as corrections officers of Westville Correctional Facility, where Allen is currently held.
The attorneys alleged that Allen is "being threatened, intimidated, and mentally abused" inside the prison.
What happened to Abigail Williams and Liberty German?
The bodies of Williams and German were discovered near the Monon High Bridge Trail, in Delphi, Indiana, on February 14, 2017, a day after they disappeared from that trail.
The killings, dubbed as the "Delphi murders," garnered extensive media attention and coverage, partly due to the video and audio recordings recovered from German's phone, which recorded an individual believed to be the killer.
Allen was taken into custody in October 2022 and booked into Carroll County Jail on two counts of murder. Prosecutors previously said that Allen admitted to killing the teens five time while speaking to his wife in prison phone calls, the Daily Mail reported.
The suspect pleaded not guilty to both counts of murder, with attorney Baldwin previously claiming Allen was the "wrong guy."
Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland openly admitted that he believes "Allen is not the only actor involved in this." Prosecutors are yet to name any potential accomplices.