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The notorious Delphi murders case has taken another shocking twist as accused killer Richard Allen made a bombshell claim about the killings of teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams. In court documents released on Monday, the 50-year-old local man maintained his innocence of the 2017 killings and instead claimed that the murders were carried out by a pagan cult hijacked by white nationalists. “Members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German,” his attorneys write in the documents seen by The Independent. Mr Allen’s attorneys said that “possible Odinism signatures” were left behind by the killers at the crime scene with the victims’ bodies staged by trees with branches and sticks laid across their bodies in the shape of pagan symbols. While Mr Allen has no known connection to any pagan cult, his defence attorneys also took the extraordinary step of naming four individuals they say are involved in Odinism as potential suspects. None of these individuals have ever been named by law enforcement as suspects or persons of interest in the case. What is Odinism? Odinism is a pagan Norse religion with origins in ancient Viking and Nordic beliefs and pre-Christian European culture. Sometimes referred to as Wotanism, it is seen as a “racist variant” of the pagan religious sect Asatru, according to the Anti-Defamation League. While Asatru itself is not racist, over the years Odinism has become increasingly tied to white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs in the US. Many followers – known as Odinites – are now said to exist among the white supremacist prison population. “The religion, which revives a pre-Christian pantheon of Norse gods, is appealing to white supremacists because it mythologizes the virtues of early northern European whites – seen as wandering barbarians, deeply involved in a mystical relationship with nature, struggling heroically against the elements,” the Southern Poverty Law Center explains. “It sings the virtues of the tribe, or folk, strongly emphasizing genetic closeness. And it credits whites with building civilization and an ethic of individual responsibility, even as they boldly slew wild boars, fought for their tribes and explored the far reaches of the known world.” Were Libby and Abby killed by Odinites? The murders of Libby and Abby have never been publicly linked to Odinism before now. But, according to Mr Allen’s attorneys, law enforcement officials did explore the cult’s possible involvement early on in the investigation – as far back as February 2018. On 13 February 2017, Libby and Abby disappeared after set off on a walk along the Monon High Bridge Trail in their hometown of Delphi. During the walk, Libby posted a photo of her best friend on Snapchat as they walked along the Monon High Bridge. Minutes later, Libby captured a video of a man – known as “bridge guy” – dressed in blue jeans, a blue jacket and a cap walking along the abandoned railroad bridge. In the footage – found on Libby’s phone following their murders – the man tells the two girls: “Guys, down the hill.” The next day – Valentine’s Day 2017 – the girls’ bodies were discovered in a wooded area less than half a mile off the trail along the side of Deer Creek. In the court documents, Mr Allen’s attorneys claim that there were “possible Odinism signatures left behind at the crime scene” including the staging of the bodies and branches displayed on the victims to create pagan symbols and shapes. Describing the scene as “ghoulish”, the documents also reveal never-before-known details about how Libby and Abby died. The teenage best friends both had their necks slashed, the documents reveal. Libby was found at the base of a tree with “four tree branches of varying sizes intentionally placed in a very specific and arranged pattern on her naked body” and blood spots and drippings all over her body. Abby meanwhile was fully clothed, including in Libby’s sweatshirt and jeans, the documents state. There was no blood on her clothing, indicating that she was likely murdered while naked and then dressed after she was killed. Tree branches and sticks had also been arranged on her body, the documents state. Both victims appeared to have been moved after they were murdered and positioned. According to Mr Allen’s attorneys, police on the case did investigate a link to Odinism but, after speaking to an expert, the theory was quickly “abandoned”. Several officials continued to believe an Odinist cult was behind the murders but the information was withheld from the defence, his attorneys claim. Now, the defence is seeking a Franks hearing in the case and to have Mr Allen moved to another facility. Read More Delphi murders suspect makes bombshell claim that victims were ‘sacrificed’ by white nationalist cult What we know about the Delphi murders of Abigail Williams and Libby German Delphi murders: What we know about suspect Richard Allen

India is the fifth largest economy and is seen by the West as a key partner against China.

A convicted murderer who is suspected of slaughtering dozens of other women was found dead in his Texas jail cell early Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The TDCJ said Billy Chemirmir’s cellmate was identified as the assailant. Billy Chemirmir was found guilty of capital murder in October 2022 in the death of 87-year-old Mary Brooks. His first case for another murder ended in a mistrial.

Microsoft Corp. mistakenly uploaded confidential information about its video-game operations to a federal court website, according to a

A former NFL player is missing after his mother was found dead in a creek behind her home in Illinois. Mystery erupted around Sergio Brown on Saturday after a concerned family member filed a missing persons report for the 35-year-old New England Patriots alum and his mother Myrtle Brown, 73. Myrtle was found dead less than 100 yards from her Maywood home the following day. Her death was ruled a homicide as the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office found injuries resulting from an assault. The case took a bizarre turn on Monday as video emerged from an Instagram account linked to Mr Brown, Fox32 reported. In the video, a man identified as Mr Brown claims he’s been kidnapped by law enforcement as he goes on a long-winded rant against “fake news” and the FBI. He also claims that he thought his mother was on vacation. The Independent has not been able to independently verify that the account belongs to Mr Brown. Police have not commented on the video. Read More Missing ex-NFL star posts bizarre Instagram about police and FBI after mother found dead in creek Ex-NFL star Sergio Brown and his mother went missing. Police say she was murdered and he has yet to be found

Whoopi Goldberg came to Hasan Minhaj's defense after the comic admitted he'd embellished some of the stories in his standup sets over the years.

High street fashion retailer H&M has joined other companies in charging shoppers who return items purchased online. Customers must now pay £1.99 to return parcels either in store or online, with the cost of the return being deducted from their refund. Rival high street stores including Zara, Boohoo, Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns, with retail experts predicting that even more are likely to follow suit. During the pandemic, when online shopping inevitably soared in popularity, customers became increasingly more reliant on returning items when they did not fit. However, this also led to a rise in people buying items in bulk and returning almost all those items, some of them worn. While most online and high street retailers do not formally announce the move to charge for returns, many have introduced the change under the radar, with H&M implementing the return fee this summer. Business analysts have told the BBC that other retailers are likely to do the same. "It’s interesting that companies seem to be doing it by stealth, but it’s a sensible thing to be doing," retail expert Jonathan De Mello told the outlet. "It makes economic sense, as it discourages shoppers from bulk buying online products and then returning the majority of them. That’s been a real problem for companies." While H&M shoppers might be disappointed in the extra returns fee, added De Mello, most might understand why a company would need to make this decision, especially when it comes to the environment. Many shoppers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of deliveries and returns, from courier vans to wasted packaging. Retail expert and analyst Natalie Berg wrote on Twitter/X that retailers have “created a monster” with free returns. “​​H&M charging for returns. Retailers have created a monster with free returns. It makes financial and environmental sense to put an end to this ‘buy to try’ mentality.” But Berg pointed out that customers who have signed up to H&M membership would be exempt from the extra fee for returning items. “This is actually a really delicate way to tier your customers,” Berg said of the membership scheme. “Slowly climb down from costly promises by limiting those benefits to loyalty members. Retailers have become too generous over the past decade. Save that generosity for your most valuable customers.” Read More Inside London’s first Vogue World: Thong leotards and Anna Wintour’s VIP assembly line Voguewashing London Fashion Week won’t pay the wages of Britain’s young fashion designers Bridesmaid who “didn’t love” her dress spends 35 years wearing it around the world Meghan Markle praised for mixing high-fashion with affordable pieces Vogue World wowed but won’t pay the wages of young fashion designers Ukrainian designers prove beauty can come from darkness at London Fashion Week

Police in Denver are looking for a female suspect in connection with a mass shooting that injured five people at a bar in the city’s Lower Downtown district. The shooting happened at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row at around 11.14pm on Saturday. Surveillance cameras caught images of a woman pointing a gun in the direction of five people standing outside of the bar. According to police, the woman was denied entry into the bar, then started to walk away, but quickly returned to talk again with security staff. After she started to walk away from the bar for a second time, she took out a gun and fired it in the direction of the bar several times, injuring five victims who are presumed by police to not be the intended targets. Officers in the area quickly rushed to the scene along with paramedics who took the victims to the hospital. The injuries they sustained are believed to be non-life-threatening. Lissa Druss, a spokesperson for Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row told Scripps News, “We are disheartened by the events of last evening. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that were injured,” she said. “We are grateful for the swift actions of DPD, but we are very concerned about the activity in LoDo and have been engaged with city officials and neighbourhood leaders on how to make positive improvements in the area. The safety of our staff and our patrons is paramount to our company." There has yet to be an arrest made in connection with the shooting. This particular shooting has been recorded as the 500th mass shooting this year in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The bar where the shooting took place opened in 2021 and is part of a chain of bars across the United States owned by American country music star Dierks Bentley. Another shooting also happened in the past few in Denver on 17th Avenue between Gilpin Street and Williams Street, where three people were shot, two of them hospitalised, Denver police say. The incident happened on Monday night, with a possible suspect in custody. Read More A Colorado mountain tied to an 1864 massacre is renamed Mount Blue Sky Minnesota man acquitted of killing 3 people, wounding 2 others in case that turned alibi defense Mother of Baltimore mass shooting victim condemns faulty police response: 'That's not right'

The winner of the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes is going to need to pay up. These three teams have the money and the need to go all in.

A Ukrainian fashion designer said she will continue to “work no matter what”, after showing her latest collection at London Fashion Week (LFW). Nadya Dzyak was one of three designers showing their latest collections in a showcase dubbed ‘Ukrainian Fashion Week’. This is the second season Ukrainian Fashion Week has taken place in London, as the traditional Kyiv-based event has been cancelled due to the ongoing Russian invasion. The show took place on the final day of LFW. It began with a voiceover saying: “Creating collections is our resistance to war”, going on to highlight that the fashion is a manifestation of “our strength and resilience”. “No matter what, we work. We’ll work because it’s our life and it’s our fight, to create new pieces,” Dzyak told the PA news agency backstage after the show. She said it was particularly meaningful participating in London Fashion Week, calling the city “the main centre of the world of fashion”. She said: “You cannot imagine how it’s important for us – it’s very strong, it gives power, it gives a lot of emotions.” Dzyak founded her eponymous brand in 2008, and her spring/summer 2024 collection was full of bright colours with sheer dresses laden with ruffles and frills. She said she was inspired by Ukrainian artist Polina Raiko, who was part of the naïve or folk art movement and died in 2004. Raiko’s museum house in Oleshky was flooded after the Russian destruction of the Kakhovka Dam earlier this year. “I was inspired by her drawings on the walls from this building,” Dzyak said, likening her design process to “painting with ruffles”. She continued: “This collection is about hope, about kindness, about optimism, about belief in lightness and victory. You can see very bright colours – for me, it’s something very beautiful.” The designer brought her bright colours to unconventional denim looks, which were dyed on the porch of her parents’ house. “My father helped me hand-dye clothes and dry them in the sun. There was something archaic, almost ritualistic in this process,” Dzyak said in a statement. “It made me reflect again on how we will carry the metaphysics of our heritage into the future, everyday life, traditions, parental love.” Also showing her latest collection was Elena Reva, who founded Elenareva in Kyiv in 2012. Her aesthetic was much more pared-back, with a muted colour palette on romantic gowns and structured tailoring. She was inspired by ancient Trypillian culture, which had a powerful cult dedicated to the Mother Goddess. Reva told the PA news agency backstage that the jewellery in the collection was designed to give “power and energy, because we need the power now”. She added: “It’s a very difficult situation in our country – it’s terrible. [But] we have to continue our jobs. We have to live… But it’s terrible when the rockets come in.” Her collection mixed masculine tailoring with feminine silhouettes, and created silver pendants of artifacts like amphora – made to look like items unearthed by modern archaeologists. Kseniaschnaider – the Kyiv-based brand founded in 2011 by married couple Ksenia and Anton Schnaider – was also on the runway. Denim dominated the collection in different forms, from patchwork jeans to distressed jackets. One of the models wore a denim interpretation of Cossack styles. All of the garments were made in Ukraine, with the brand adopting sustainable materials – such as aged-look denim dyed with a recycled finish made by cork stoppers. Kseniaschnaider launched the second drop of its collaboration with Adidas Originals during the show, including football tops in geometric patterns and a midi-length dress in Ukraine’s yellow, white and blue colours. At the end of the show, Dzyak, Reva and Schnaider walked down the runway with Ukrainian flags draped around their shoulders. Dzyak wants the world to know that Ukrainian designers are “very talented, very strong, very brave and very optimistic”. Reva added that it’s crucial for the world to see Ukrainian fashion, saying: “We have to tell about our culture, it’s very important. “We have a very strong community in Ukraine, and we have a very interesting story. And that’s why we have to continue.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Beginner’s guide to buying second-hand furniture Do I need to treat my garden furniture before storing it for winter? Prince William heads to New York for UN General Assembly climate week event

Prime minister Modi praises bill as "special moment" for his country, ahead of general elections.

Adam Wainwright has secured his 200th career win in a strange way. He has also joined an odd list of Cardinals' legends after pitching seven shutout innings.