IN v. Richard Allen: Delphi Murders Trial

DELPHI, Ind. (Court TV) — An Indiana man convicted of murdering two teenagers hiking outside of Delphi has been sentenced to 130 years in prison.

Richard Allen, 52, was convicted in November on all charges related to the murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German on Feb. 13, 2017.

At his sentencing, Allen’s attorneys said that he “maintains his innocence and is hopeful that the appellate process will provide him with an opportunity to present a full defense at a second trial.”

(L to R) Richard Allen, Abigail Williams and Liberty German.

Prosecutors said Allen acted alone when he abducted the girls from the abandoned railroad trestle known as the Monon High Bridge. A key piece of evidence in the case was a cellphone video captured by Libby, showing a man approaching the girls on the bridge and ordering them “down the hill.” The following day, searchers found their bodies about a quarter of a mile away, on private property.

The case garnered national attention for years but went cold until Oct. 2022, when authorities announced they had arrested Allen, a pharmacy technician who lived and worked in Delphi.

Since Allen’s arrest, the case has taken on multiple twists and turns as evidence was leaked, Allen’s public defenders withdrew and were later reinstated, and defense filings claimed Odinists were responsible for the girls’ slayings. Special Judge Fran Gull ruled Allen’s defense could not submit any evidence that states the murders were committed by a third party at trial.

Judge Gull banned cameras from the courtroom during Allen’s trial. Reporters were also barred from taking any electronic devices inside the courthouse, leaving them to rely on paper and pens.

At the conclusion of the day’s proceedings, Judge Gull allowed members of the media inside the courthouse to view any exhibits introduced that day for 15 minutes.

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 21 – 11/11/24

• The jury reaches a verdict, finding Richard Allen guilty of all charges.
  • Richard Allen appeared wide-eyed in the courtroom and was holding a bible.
  • Before reading the verdict, Judge Gull admonished the court to maintain decorum, saying that regardless of the verdict people would be unhappy: “You can take your unhappiness outside.”
  • Allen’s family looked shocked, there was audible crying in the courtroom after the verdict was read.
  • Before being led out of the courtroom, Richard Allen looked back at his family and mouthed, “Are you okay?”

DAY 20 – 11/9/24

• Jurors arrived just before 9 a.m. to begin day 3 of deliberations.

DAY 19 – 11/8/24

• Jurors arrived at 9 a.m. to begin Day 2 deliberations.
• Transcripts will not be read back to them of witness testimony. Jurors must rely on their memory.

DAY 18 – 11/7/24

• The jury began their deliberations at 1:25 pm ET and left for the day after two hours.
• Prosecuting attorney Nicholas McLeland began the state’s closing argument by saying Feb. 13, 2017 is “a day this community will never forget.”
  • He discussed photos of the girls taken that day, including a SnapChat photo as they rode in the back of Kelsey German’s car on the way to the trails. McLeland also talked about how “this type of thing doesn’t happen in this small community.” He also discussed the search efforts on the afternoon and evening of February 13, before the jury was shown photos of the crime scene.
  • McLeland focused on the video captured at 2:13 p.m. on February 13, 2017, on German’s cellphone. McLeland displayed screenshots of the video showing “the moment Abigail and Liberty were kidnapped.” He also told the jurors “something told Liberty to record this.”
  • McLeland highlighted witnesses who say they saw “Bridge Guy” and a 2016 Ford Focus seen on surveillance video. He said it was the only one registered in Carroll County in 2017, and that car “was Richard Allen’s.”
  • McLeland then jumped to Oct. 13, 2023, when Allen was interviewed by police and confirmed he was wearing the same clothes seen in the video of “Bridge Guy,” and that he was on the trail that day.
  • McLeland highlighted items collected from Allen’s home and the numerous jailhouse confessions allegedly made by Allen.
• Defense attorney Brad Rozzi said the prosecution mishandled the case in many ways. He told the jurors, “What is most important is what they don’t want you to know, what we had to tell you time and time again. We had to do their job.”
  • Rozzi said there are four themes related to the prosecution: Broken timeline, bumbling ballistics, false confessions and digital forensics/data.
  • Rozzi highlighted how the prosecution lost videotaped interrogation sessions of people who came forward early in the case.
  • Rozzi questioned the testimony of many of the state’s witnesses. He started by saying that Betsy Blair’s description of Bridge Guy was “boyish and youthful.” Rozzi pointed out that Allen is neither.
  • Rozzi turned the jury’s attention to other possible suspects, including Brad Weber, who lived near the trails.
  • Rozzi told the jury the state was desperate several times, and gave examples of how the state is “molding facts to fit this investigation.”
• READ MORE: Jury hears closing arguments in trial of Richard Allen

DAY 17 – 11/6/24

• The defense rests.
  • WATCH: Delphi Murders Trial: Defense Rests Its Case-In-Chief
• The prosecution recalled Breann Wilber, who testified about SnapChat photos she took while on the Monon High Bridge on Feb. 13, 2017. The timestamp showed she was at the end of the bridge at 12:25 pm.
• ISP Master Trooper Brian Harshman testified that Allen had been in a one-man cell in every DOC facility where he has been housed since his arrest.
• Psychiatrist Dr. John Martin, who administered Haldol to Allen during his incarceration, testified about Allen being kept in solitary confinement. Dr. Martin said, “Richard Allen hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t break any rules in the prison system, yet it had been treated like he had. That is not right,” said Dr. Martin. “But you also have to look at the responsibility of the prison system has to keep him alive. Despite the risk of solitary confinement on someone’s overall mental health, the overriding decision was to keep him alive.”
  • Dr. Martin testified that following an April 13, 2023 incident when he determined Allen was psychotic, the prison’s mental health board gave the okay for Allen to be involuntarily medicated starting on April 14, 2023.
  • Allen’s last recorded dosage of Haldol was June 17th. During Dr. Martin’s June 20th visit, the doctor wrote that Allen told him he wanted to apologize to the families of his victims.
• READ MORE: Richard Allen’s defense rests, psychiatrist says Allen confessed to him in June 2023

DAY 16 – 11/5/24

• Eyewitness Betsy Blair was called to the stand for a second time. Blair testified about a car she saw near the trails at the CPS building the day the girls disappeared. On Tuesday, she told the jury that the car she saw was turned and backed into a spot – which she found odd. Blair said the car reminded her of her father’s 1965 Ford Comet, and was a darker color.
• Psychiatrist Dr. Stuart Grassian testified that Allen showed symptoms consistent with delirium.
• Forensic examiner Dr. Eric Warren testified about the single .40 caliber cartridge found at the crime scene.
  • Dr. Warren said it was his opinion there is not sufficient agreement between the bullet fired through Allen’s gun and the unspent bullet found near the girls’ bodies. He disagreed with state witness Dr. Melissa Oberg’s decision to compare a spent shell casing to the unspent cartridge found on the ground near the Monon High Bridge.
• Forensic examiner Stacey Eldridge, who examined extracted data from Libby German’s cellphone, testified about the timeline when her phone did not connect to a cell tower or show any movement for nearly 11 hours.
  • Testified the timeframe started a little after 5:30 p.m. on February 13, 2017, until 4:30 a.m. on February 14, 2017.
  • WATCH: Extraction Data From Liberty German’s Phone Doesn’t Fit Allen Timeline
  • Eldridge surprised many when she said data pulled from the phone suggests a headphone was plugged into the phone’s audio jack at 5:45 p.m. on February 13 and was there for nearly five hours. She said the headphones were plugged in seconds after the phone received a call.
• READ MORE: Data extraction of Libby German’s cellphone focus of testimony in Richard Allen’s trial

DAY 15 – 11/4/24

• Neuropsychologist Dr. Polly Westcott, who examined Allen in August 2023, testified that her findings concluded Allen constantly suffered from anxiety and depression to some extent.
  • Determined Allen has Dependent Personality Disorder, a disorder in which a person depends on others to be able to keep things together for their daily life. In Allen’s case, Dr. Westcott said that was his wife, Kathy.
  • Testified Allen was at times in a state of psychosis while in prison at Westville. Dr. Westcott said she found nothing indicating Allen was exaggerating. However, she noticed a significant decline while Allen was in the Department of Corrections custody.
  • WATCH: Neuropsychologist Says Richard Allen Did Not Fake Psychotic Behavior
• Max Baker returned to the stand to testify about the more than 200 hours of video he cataloged of Allen from the Westville Correctional Facility.
• Allen’s sister, Jaime Jones, testified that her brother never molested her as a child (contrary to what Allen said while in custody).
• Allen’s daughter, Brittany Zapanta, also testified that her father never molested her.
• READ MORE: Neuropsychologist testifies in Richard Allen’s trial, video of Allen in jail played for jury

DAY 14 – 11/2/24

• The jury was shown 15 videos of Allen during his incarceration between April and May 2023.
• In four videos, Allen was naked. In almost all videos, his arms were restrained behind his back. Allen was usually accompanied by at least two guards in what appeared to be a cell or a corridor.
• WATCH: Jurors Watch Videos of Richard Allen Behind Bars
• The last video was 52 minutes long. From what media could see, it showed Allen being transported while strapped to a wheelchair. Someone in scrubs, who appeared to be a medical professional, was observing him. Jurors cringed. Defense attorney Jennifer Auger was observed with her mouth open, staring in horror.
• READ MORE: Jurors react to videos of Richard Allen in prison

DAY 13 – 11/1/24

• Richard Allen’s defense began their case with a full day of witnesses.
• Special Judge Fran Gull ruled against a second defense motion to allow testimony related to Odinism, ritualistic killing, and Norse paganism evidence.
• Dr. Deanna Dwenger, a clinical psychologist who worked for the Indiana DOC Behavioral Health, testified about her knowledge of Dr. Wala’s high-interest in the Delphi murders case.
• Dr. Dwenger said she heard other inmates regularly threatened Allen, and he was always on camera while he was in his cell. She recommended the cameras be removed to improve his mental health.
  • Testified that policy is inmates with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) cannot be in solitary confinement for more than 30 days – Allen, diagnosed with SMI in April 2023, was in solitary for 13 months.
  • Dr. Dwenger said Allen was involuntarily given Haldol, a drug that was supposed to help with his symptoms of psychosis.
• Steve Mullin, an investigator for the Carroll County prosecutor’s office, was questioned about the importance of preserving evidence.
  • The defense question Mullin about “missing evidence” – dozens of tapes containing interviews.
  • Mullin said the interviews were taped over by other interviews and could not be recovered. The problem was discovered in Aug. 2023.
• READ MORE: Judge denies motions related to Odinism, ritualistic killing

DAY 12 – 10/31/24

• After calling its final witness, the state of Indiana rested its case against Richard Allen.
• The prosecution played eight recorded telephone conversations involving Allen that ranged from November 2022 to June 2023, when Allen was being held at the West Hill Correctional Facility.
  • The prosecutor outlined that Allen was making incriminating statements during those calls, telling his wife Kathy that he killed Williams and German. Kathy would tell him, “No, you didn’t it. You’re not well. You didn’t do those things.”
  • In other telephone conversations, Allen was also heard saying he thought he did it (committed the murders of the girls,) but he also felt like he was losing his mind. He also expressed thoughts of killing himself.
  • Several of the phone calls were to Allen’s mother, Janice. He didn’t talk specifically about the murders, but he did talk about how he felt the system was killing him and told them he was “losing his mind.”
• Jurors also heard from state witness Brian Harshman. He is the Master Trooper in charge of analyzing over 700 recorded phone calls where Allen was on the phone. Harshman also monitored his tablet, in-cell video, and Allen’s review behavior reports.
  • Harshman testified that in his estimation, the voice of the man known as “Bridge Guy” is the voice of Richard Allen.
  • The video of the girls walking on the Monon High Bridge was played in court again. The court heard the words “Down the Hill.”
  • Harshman was asked by the prosecutor whose voice he thought he heard. Harshman simply stated, “Richard Allen.”
• WATCH: State Rests Its Case in Chief in Delphi Murders Trial

DAY 11 – 10/30/24

• Dr. Monica Wala, the lead psychologist at Westville Correctional Facility, testified about her interactions with Allen beginning in Nov. 2022.
  • WATCH: Delphi Murders: Jurors Hear From Richard Allen’s Prison Psychologist
• Wala said she visited Allen daily while he was on suicide watch until Dec. 2022. He was placed back on suicide watch in April 2023.
• Wala said she advised Allen not to talk about the case, but at some point began receiving confessions from him regarding the killings of Williams and German.
• Wala shared notes she took with the jury and said Allen indicated that his intentions toward the girls were sexual.
• Wala said Allen’s religion often was a focus of their meetings. She observed that Allen slept with a Bible, asked for a chaplain, read his Bible, talked about God, and expressed concern for Wala’s faith.
• Wala’s observation on Allen’s mental status varied. She said Allen’s emotions were up and down. She said sometimes he would go off on a tangent, but she did not believe he was having hallucinations.
• Under cross-examination, Wala said she was no longer employed by the DOC after “an investigation.”
• Wala admitted to accessing a DOC computer in an effort to gain nonpublic information about the case. She also admitted to following discussions on social media, podcasts and online.
• She also shared information with the public about how they could access information on the case. The defense contended she shared that information on places like TrueCrime, a twitter account called Defense Diaries, Criminality, Prosecution, Gray Hughes, as well as chat rooms and on Facebook.
• When Rozzi asked if that was against the American Psychological Association guidelines, Wala replied it is “a grey area.”
• During cross-examination, Wala admitted she told Richard Allen what she was seeing online about him and about his case.
• Wala also said Allen was a Code D on the mental health scale. The scale spans from A to F. A is the least severe. E is the most severe, and the letter F is reserved for those suffering from substance abuse.
• READ MORE: Prison psychologist says Richard Allen made multiple confessions

DAY 10 – 10/29/24

• Video evidence of Richard Allen’s interview with police was seen in court for the first time.
  • WATCH: Delphi Murders: Jurors See Richard Allen’s Police Interrogation Video 
• On October 13, 2022, Allen met with the Indiana State Police at the ISP Post in Lafayette. He was interviewed by former Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullin and Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett.
• Regarding his first interview with authorities in 2017, Allen said he went to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office to provide the tip of seeing three girls on the trail. When an officer called to discuss the tip, Allen said he was headed to the grocery store. Allen paused and apologized, saying, “Forgive me. It’s been years. I’ve thought about it a lot.”
• He said he left the trails around 1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on February 13, 2017, but added that he “forgot the timing really.”
• On the videotape of the interview, Liggett asked Allen how he got to the bridge after he parked.
• Allen said he walked along the road. Allen said he remembered seeing cars parked at the Mears entrance, but he said he was focused on trading stocks during his walk.
• Allen couldn’t recall exactly what he was wearing that day but said he was wearing blue jeans and likely a Carhartt jacket, tennis shoes, or military-style combat boots. He said that, in 2017, his jacket would probably have been black. “I have sweatshirts, hoodies. I have a little bit of everything,” he said.
• Investigators then asked Richard Allen if they could examine his phone.
  • Allen asked, “How long would you have my phone?”
  • Mullin read Allen the phone rights, to which Allen responded, “I’m not going to be somebody’s fall guy. I was trying to be helpful…It honestly amazes me we’re even talking. I don’t want to be somebody’s fall guy. This doesn’t feel like a conversation it seems like you think I’ve done this.”
  • Liggett told Allen they were just “crossing T’s and dotting I’s.”
  • The video played in court shows Allen preparing to give his phone to the police, but he pulls back and says he needs to talk to his wife first.
• Indiana State Police investigator Jerry Holeman interviewed Allen on October 26, 2022. Portions of that interview were played for the jury.
  • The video shows Allen denying any wrongdoing — dozens of times.
  • Holeman told Allen he had been the last person to contact Abby and Libby.
  •  Allen again denied knowing them or ever interacting with them.
  • The inside of Allen’s mouth was swabbed for DNA by ISP investigators without any pushback from Allen.
  • Holeman continued to press Allen for a confession, telling him, “The ball was in his court.”
  • Allen responded, “You just took my DNA,” and then seemed to laugh in disbelief.
  • Jurors saw Richard Allen and his wife interacting in the interrogation room.
  • After Allen’s wife left, Holeman’s demeanor changed and Allen became more reserved.
  • “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done in my life. If you want to f*** with me, you can f*** with me, but leave my wife out of this,” said Allen.
  • Holeman screamed at Allen, “You killed those f***ing girls. I know you did.”
  • Allen said he was done talking and told Holeman to arrest him. He pushed his arms forward for Holeman to arrest him.
  • “Happy to. You’re f***ing guilty, and I’m going to prove it,” said Holeman.
• Jurors heard testimony from officials at Westville Correctional Facility that said Allen confessed multiple times to the killings. None of these confessions were videotaped or recorded. All of them were written accounts of what Allen said to deputies assigned to monitor Allen’s behavior and log what he told them.
• WCF deputies also testified that Allen harmed himself while in custody, including banging his head against a wall, eating his feces and drinking out of the toilet.
• READ MORE: Jurors watch Richard Allen’s police interviews

DAY 9 – 10/28/24

• Stacy Bozinovski, a forensic scientist and DNA analyst, testified about items taken from the crime scene and the sexual assault kits collected from Abby and Libby.
• WATCH: Delphi Murders: DNA Analyst Testifies About Items Found at Crime Scene
• Bozinovski said most of the swabs from the crime scene contained blood from Abby or Libby or a mixture of both.
• The single strand of hair found in Abby’s hand was determined to have come from Kelsi German, Libby German’s older sister. Kelsi drove the girls to the trail on February 13, 2017, the last day they were seen by their families.
• Bozinovski noted there was “some male” DNA found under the girls’ fingernails and also from external genital swabs, but she added there was no sufficient DNA found.
• Bozinovski showed the jury the cartridge found at the crime scene. She said it had plant material on it and a light-brown dirt-like stain. She swabbed it to collect skin cells for DNA. She testified Monday morning that it was “very difficult” to get DNA samples from unspent cartridges. Bozinovski found there was an insufficient quantity of DNA for an analysis.
• Bozinovski says water from the creek made it difficult to remove any DNA and may have diluted any that was there.
• Bozinovski said investigators sent 72 rootless hair fibers to the FBI for testing. Three of them came back with DNA that was inconsistent with that taken from Abby and Libby. Bozinovski decided not to do additional testing due to the likelihood the hair fibers would be destroyed.
• When asked if she found DNA belonging to Richard Allen on any tested item, Bozinovski replied, “No, I did not.”
• The defense questioned why DNA wasn’t tested on the three rootless hairs that were termed “inconsistent” with DNA found from Abby and Libby. Again, Bozinovski claimed she did not want to risk it.
• Blood spatter expert Patrick Cicero reset the crime scene for the jury, testifying about the injuries Abby and Libby suffered and his opinion on their positioning when killed.
• READ MORE: DNA and blood spatter experts testify in Richard Allen’s trial

DAY 8 – 10/26/24

• ISP Lt. Jerry Holeman, the lead investigator, testified about the interrogation of Richard Allen before his arrest.
• Holeman said before he interviewed Allen, he believed without a doubt the bullet found at the crime scene near the Delphi High Bridge belonged to Allen.
• Part of the interrogation, which took place Oct. 26, 2022, was not recorded due to technical issues, testified Holeman.
• During the interview, Holeman said Allen claimed no one had ever borrowed any of his clothes, car, or .40 caliber handgun.
• Allen never explained how a round found at the scene — one believed to have cycled through Allen’s gun, could have gotten there.
• Allen told police he never carried his gun unless he was fishing or mushroom hunting. He also said he did not have it with him while walking on the trails on February 13, 2017.
• Holeman testified Allen said, “There is no way it’s my bullet or that it came from my gun.”
• When Allen was asked how he usually carried a gun, he responded he used a side holster. Allen told Holeman he usually carried his pistol with one round in his chamber.
• Holeman testified Allen denied his involvement 20 to 25 times.
• Holeman testified Allen told him, “It’s already over,” as police were searching his home while executing a search warrant. Holeman asked Allen why he said that, to which Allen replied, “The damage was done. You already interviewed my neighbors and co-workers. They all think I am guilty.”
• Holeman testified police often will lie during interrogation interviews to elicit a reaction from a possible suspect.
  • Holeman shared that he had told Allen there had been witnesses who said they had seen Allen on the bridge.
  • He also told Allen that an expert had determined that Allen was the man known as “Bridge Guy” in the video taken by Libby German on February 13, 2017.
  • Holeman admitted he lied to Allen when he talked about the death penalty and how it was still on the line.
  • He said Allen replied, “I’m not going to tell you something I didn’t do.”
• After the interview, Holeman testified Allen said, “Take all your evidence and just arrest me.”
• During cross-examination, defense attorney Andrew Baldwin questioned the interrogation methods used by Holeman, specifically mentioning Allen’s family. Holeman testified he was simply trying to elicit a response from Allen.
• Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin asked why the beginning of Allen’s interview, when Holeman claimed he read Allen his Miranda Rights, was not recorded. Holeman claimed technical issues. Baldwin then suggested that was just one of many “missing” videotaped recordings of the Richard Allen case.
• Baldwin also spent time asking Holeman about the strand of hair found in Abby Williams’ hand at the crime scene.
  • Previous testimony from experts during the trial said it was a hair from a woman, possibly a relative of Libby. Baldwin asked why investigators never tested DNA from Libby’s family after they discovered that.
  • Holeman said, “We decided not to test family hair because of resources at the time, and we had no family female suspect.”
• READ MORE: Lead investigator testifies about Richard Allen’s interrogation

DAY 7 – 10/25/24

• Melissa Oberg, a forensic firearms examiner, explained and demonstrated to jurors how a semi-automatic pistol cycles cartridges to the gun.
  • Jurors watch two videos showing how Sig Sauers are manufactured.
• On cross-examination, Brad Rozzi questions the witness on qualifications, lack of firearm-specific experience, and possible ID errors.
  • The witness admits to omissions and uncertainty about whether current gun marks match those from 2017, though similarities are possible.
• Rozzi questions the witness’s testing methods and focuses on a spent round over an unfired one, highlighting the witness’s lack of proficiency with unfired rounds.
  • The witness confirms that the conclusions are based on the spent round, noting no distinctive marks or dirt, and discusses the limitations of determining the timing of cycling marks on evidence.
• READ MORE: Gun examiner testifies bullet found at crime scene had been in Richard Allen’s gun

DAY 6 – 10/24/24

• Kathy Shank, a retired CPS worker and volunteer clerk who organized and evaluated approximately 14,000 tips given to law enforcement after the murders, took the stand to talk about her work on the case.
  • Shank began working on the case in March 2017, and the tips filled five filing cabinets. In 2020, the paperwork was digitized in a process that took two years.
  • When investigators moved buildings in 2022, Shank said she found a box in a drawer with a lead sheet from Feb. 16, 2017, labeled “Richard Allen Whiteman.” The tip indicated that Allen had been on the trail on Feb. 13. Shank said the file had the word “CLEARED” written on it and said, “I don’t know how that tip ended up in that box.”
  • The name on the file was changed from “Richard Allen Whiteman” to “Richard Allen” on Sept. 21, 2022. Whiteman is the name of the street on which Allen lived.
    • The file revealed that Allen self-reported that he was on the trail the last day the girls were seen. Shank said that was the only tip provided.
• Daniel Dulin, a former lieutenant with the Indiana State Police, testified to his work on the case following up on leads.
  • Dulin called Allen on Feb. 18, 2017, after picking up a lead sheet. He asked to meet at Allen’s house, but Allen preferred to meet at a grocery store parking lot.
  • Dulin testified that Allen told him he had been on the Monon High Bridge Trail on Feb. 13, 2017, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — a change from his original statement to police which was that he was there from 1-3 p.m. Dulin described the interaction as brief, and the interview was not recorded.
  • Dulin said that in Sept. 2022, Fmr. Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullin told him that Allen’s height on his fishing license changed in April 2017 from 5’4 to 5’6, and the listed weight on his license dropped by 15 pounds.
  • While canvassing the crime scene, Dulin said he found sticks and branches with blood on them that were piled up in a 5-foot area. This was after the area had been released by authorities. He called the investigation center and asked them to return to the scene to collect the sticks.
• Former Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullin testified to his Oct. 2022 interview with Allen.
  • Mullin said that Allen believed he was driving his Ford Focus when he went to the bridge in 2017. He still owned the car in 2022. Allen said he wore blue jeans, a blue or black Carhartt jacket, a skullcap, and military-style boots or sneakers. Allen reported seeing three women — one older and two younger — on the trail that day.
  • When Mullin asked Allen if he was the “Bridge Guy,” Allen responded, “If the picture was the one that was taken on the girl’s camera, there’s no way it could be me.”
• Carroll County Sheriff Tony Liggett testified that he reviewed the tip about Allen that Shank found in Sept. 2022. He said, “It stuck out. I wasn’t aware anyone had seen three girls on the trail that day. We believed it was ‘Bridge Guy,'” Liggett said.
  • The jury saw the video again – this time enhanced to stabilize the man and to listen to what was being said: “Guys, down the hill.” The victims’ families could be heard crying in the courtroom while the video played.
  • Liggett took photos of Allen’s Ford Focus at the CVS drugstore where he worked and noted that it was parked backed into the spot.
  • Liggett testified to items found at Allen’s house in Sept. 2022 when officers served a search warrant, which included a .40 caliber handgun, ammunition, a single .40 caliber bullet in a keep-safe box, a blue Carhartt jacket, and a gun registered to Allen.
• ISP detective David Vido assisted in the search of Allen’s home on Oct. 13, 2022, and showed pictures to the jury that included a Ford Focus parked outside.
  • During the search, nearly 30 knives and at least four box cutters found inside the home were confiscated, along with 12 phones, two pagers and two SD cards.
  • All the items were tested, but nothing came back to link the items to the crime scene.
• ISP Lt. Jerry Holeman testified to his supervision of the search. He sat in the car with Allen, and when he asked Allen if he wanted to fill out any forms for items taken, Allen said to him, “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.” Holeman said that Allen repeated himself twice.

DAY 5 – 10/23/24

• Sarah Carbaugh testified she was walking her dog on the Monon High Bridge Trail on Feb. 13, 2017.
  • Around 4 p.m. that day, she saw a man covered in mud and blood walking alongside the road.
  • Carbaugh said, “I looked at him, but he did not make eye contact with me…I’m going to label him ‘Bridge Guy’ because that’s who I know him by.”
  • Carbaugh said she recognized the man shown in a photo on the local news as the man she had seen on the road.
  • She eventually talked with local police investigators three weeks later. She said she had been traumatized by the murders. “My inaction was me overthinking and panicking. I was having a moment.”
  • Carbaugh saw a police officer at a roadblock in Delphi asking for tips regarding the case. She called that “a sign from God” to report what she saw that day.
  • During cross-examination, the defense questioned Carbaugh’s account, claiming she changed her story during police interviews more than once.
  • WATCH: Eyewitnesses Recount ‘Bridge Guy’ in Richard Allen’s Trial
• Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roland Kohr, who performed the autopsies, testified:
  • The autopsy revealed Abby had a five to six-centimeter-long wound (approximately 2 inches long) on the left side of her neck, however, Dr. Kohr said it was not a deep cut, “only an inch deep” in the doctor’s words. He stated there was some skin damage to the right side, which he believes suggests the cut was made from right to left.
  • Dr. Kohr observed liver mortis on Abby’s body, which he described as purplish areas where blood settles after a body has been in the same position for a prolonged time. He says they found liver mortis on her upper back and the back of Abby’s legs. Kohr said liver mortis sets in after a person has been dead for at least eight hours.
  • Dr. Kohr said Libby had four wounds on her neck and possibly a fifth. Two of those wounds overlapped. Kohr observed there was an X-like pattern in the larger wound on Libby’s neck. Dr. Kohr says it is likely there were two passes made that resulted in that wound.
  • He was unsure of what he called the middle wound. He believed it could have been a second pass with the weapon but wasn’t certain. He also noted a few small abrasions below Libby’s neck. He observed there were changes in the pattern of the cuts and said if a person was drawing away as they were being cut, it could cause some changes.
  • There were five marks on the edge of the wound on the right side of Libby’s neck. Those marks were one millimeter wide with a space between them.
  • Dr. Kohr initially surmised that a serrated knife was used to make the cuts but said he had thought about the cut marks in the past few months. He now believes a box cutter was used as the weapon. Kohr said he did not create a supplemental report because he felt it would be speculative but not definitive.
  • Dr. Kohr testified about blood loss and how long it takes for someone to die from such injuries:
    • Dr. Kohr said Libby’s blood loss was more rapid than Abby’s and estimated she would’ve gone into shock more quickly. He estimated Libby would’ve died in five to ten minutes but guessed it likely would’ve been closer to five minutes based on the severity of her injuries. Dr. Kohr also noted that Libby had swelling in her brain due to less oxygen.
  • Neither girl had signs of sexual trauma or defensive wounds.
  • For Libby, the doctor suggested she was dragged from another location based on the debris found on her legs. He also said the serrated area of the wound could be from the handle of an instrument – or weapon.
• ISP Sgt. Chris Cecil testified about re-examining Libby’s iPhone.
  • Data revealed Abby and Libby each accessed social media accounts on the phone on February 13, 2017.
  • Data from the Apple Health app said the last time the phone logged movement was at 2:32:39 p.m. on February 13, 2017.
  • Cecil testified that from 2019 to 2024, there continued to be new updates of software and programs on the phone, so they attempted to pull more data from it. The phone was reprocessed. Cecil said that when another digital forensic expert plugged the phone in to charge, it added a small amount of data, but it did not change any information.
  • Cecil said from the state that when the examiner shut the phone down on Feb. 15, 2027, it would have reset the power on/off log, which prompted the defense to ask, “We will never know exactly when the phone powered off?” Cecil agreed.
  • Cecil examined 23 devices taken from the home of Richard Allen on November 8, 2022. He said the data recovered showed no communication between those devices and Williams or German. Cecil added there were no connections to Allen having any connection to the girls’ deaths.
  • Cecil testified that he did, however, find an internet search history regarding Abby and Libby in news articles on one of Allen’s devices.
  • Prosecuting Attorney McLeland pointed out that Allen’s cell phone from 2017 was not among the 23 devices taken. Investigators say they have no idea where that device might be.
• READ MORE: ‘Bridge Guy’ sighting, autopsy photos and digital forensics focus of day 5

DAY 4 – 10/22/24

• ISP CSI Brian Olehy, the lead CSI at the crime scene, continued his testimony detailing evidence collected at the scene and items collected at autopsy
  • Sexual assault kits were done on both girls at autopsy
  • On cross-examination, Olehy said, “No specific photos” were taken of the ground after the .40 caliber round was removed. He said there were no photos taken of the round itself after it was removed.
  • Defense attorney Bradley Rozzi presented the swabs to Olehy and asked if any of the information on them was a link to Allen. Olehy said, “No.”
• Lt. Brian Bunner, a digital forensic expert, testified about his role in examining information captured from Libby’s phone.
  • Lt. Bunner said the timeline report showed a video. It was a video taken at 2:13 p.m. on February 13, 2017, the day Abby and Libby were last seen alive.
  • The video, which lasted only 35 to 40 seconds, was shown once on a large television monitor in the courtroom.
  • The video shows Libby filming herself and Abby on the Delphi High Bridge. At one point, the camera points up, and you can see that there is no one behind Abby.
  • However, in a later shot, it shows a man walking behind her. That man has been called “The Bridge Man.”
  • A girl’s voice was heard in the video, and when Libby’s mother heard the voice (presumed to be her daughter), she started to cry and became very emotional.
  • The young lady was talking as she was walking at the end of the bridge.
  • Reporters in court heard the voice say, “There’s no path. The trail ends here, so we have to go down here?”
  • Several reporters said the tone of the comment sounded like a question.
  • Shortly after the girl’s voice stopped, reporters in court say they heard a voice believed to be a man, but it was unclear what was said.
  • The video from the bridge was not enhanced, and it was only played once for the jury to watch and hear.
  • There were several screenshots displayed of the man in the video behind Abby. They were shown to the jury.
• WATCH: Delphi Murders: Video Recorded On One of Victim’s Phone Played in Court
• Jeremey Chapman, an AV technician for ISP who was responsible for enhancing the cellphone audio and video, took the stand.
  • Judge Gull allowed the enhanced version of the video to be played in court Tuesday afternoon. It was about 45 seconds long. They played the video in its entirety a second time.
  • In the video, the girls say, “See, this is the path. There is no path. We have to go down here?” Shortly after, a man’s voice says, “Guys, down the hill.”
  • Chapman said he pulled three frames of still images of “Bridge Guy.” He cleaned those up by adjusting the contrast and brightness of the images. He also used de-blurring and filters to enhance the photos.
• Railly Voorhies testified she was walking on the trail with her sisters and a friend and taking photos near the Monon High Bridge on February 13, 2017.
  • Voorhies showed the jury her path to the bridge on a map. That trail was across from Freedom Bridge and across from the Monon High Bridge.
  • While walking along the trail to go home, she said she didn’t see anyone on the path past Freedom Bridge. However, she said she did pass a man who did not wave back at her and “did not seem to be a happy person” near the Freedom Bridge.
  • The state showed a photo of the “Bridge Guy,” and Voorhies said, “That was the man I had waved at on the trail.”
• Two other witnesses testified to being on the trail that day and seeing “Bridge Guy.”
• READ MORE: Examination of physical evidence recovered at crime scene a focus of day 4

DAY 3 – 10/21/24

• Carroll County Deputy Darron Giancola, who was one of the first law enforcement officers on the scene, testified about the scene where the girls’ bodies were found.
  • Giancola said he did not see their bodies as he walked south from the cemetery to the creek but did see a multi-colored shirt and one Nike shoe in the creek when he was called to the scene.
  • Giancola said Libby’s body was unclothed while Abby was clothed. Giancola recalled seeing a significant amount of blood on their bodies and on the ground.
• Abby’s clothes and shoes appeared to be damp, presumably from crossing the creek. It was determined that Abby’s body was wearing Libby’s jeans and sweatshirt, while Abby’s clothing and Libby’s t-shirt were found in the creek inside out.
• Sgt. Jason Page, a crime scene investigator with the Indiana State Police, took the jury through 44 images.
  • WATCH: Witnesses Detail Delphi Murders Crime Scene in Richard Allen’s Trial
  • Tree branches were found on the girls’ bodies. A large branch appeared over Libby’s upper body.
  • During a heated cross-exam between defense attorney Brad Rozzi and Jason Page, Rozzi asked several questions regarding the unspent bullet.
  • Rozzi asked why there weren’t more photos taken of the bullet on the ground and why there were no pictures of the bullet while it was being removed from the ground and after it was removed from the scene.
  • Attorneys raised several questions about the sticks and branches found on and around the girls’ bodies during Monday’s sessions.
  • Photos of Libby’s body, the sticks, and the blood found in the area were shown in court. The defense questioned investigators on whether they thought someone may have placed the sticks there. Page said, “It was reasonable to believe it was placed there by a human act.”
• ISP CSI Duane Datzman testified to being the CSI who discovered the bullet found between the girl’s bodies.
  • Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin tried to emphasize the defense’s interest in the bullet at the crime scene. Arguing that they believe more photos should’ve been taken of the bullet found at the scene.
  • The sticks and branches laid on top of the girls were not collected at the time, even though some had blood on them. They were deemed to not be of evidentiary value, so they were left.
  • On March 10, 2017, Datzmanwas asked to go get them. He relied on memory and photos to make sure he grabbed the correct limb, branches and twigs.
• ISP CSI Brian Olehy, the lead CSI at the crime scene, testified about the documentation and collection of evidence.

DAY 2 – 10/19/24

• Former Delphi police chief Steven Mullin testified about the search for Abby and Libby when they were first reported missing.
  • Mullin said the initial belief was the girls may have fallen from the bridge and were injured.
  • On Feb. 14, 2017, authorities received a call at 12:15 pm from Pat Brown, who said he found two bodies south of the Morning Heights cemetery.
  • The jury saw a drone video – taken from about adult height – showing a human’s view as they walked from Freedom Bridge to the far end of Monon High Bridge (the video was taken Feb. 13, 2024).
• Delphi resident Jake Johns, who participated in the search, testified about finding a tie-dye shirt in the creek and alerting a fireman. John’s coworker called Pat Brown, who he knew lived on the north side of the creek and asked him to walk down from the cemetery to investigate, leading to the discovery of the girls’ bodies.
• Delphi resident Pat Brown, who found the girls’ bodies, said at first approach, he thought their bodies were mannequins.

DAY 1 – 10/18/24

• A jury of 8 women and 4 men heard opening statements in Richard Allen’s trial.
• Carrol County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland delivered the opening statements for the State in about 15 minutes.
  • McLeland told the jury, “This case is about 3 things: BG (Bridge Guy), a bullet, and a brutal murder of two girls.”
  • The prosecutor said that Allen used a gun to force the girls down the hill before killing them. “His intent was to have his way with them but got interrupted,” McLeland said, and that Allen left behind a clue…a bullet.
  • McLeland told the jury they would hear Allen placing himself on the bridge and unsolicited, unprovoked admissions to the crime. “You’ll hear Richard Allen in his own words telling his wife, his mom… (and others).. that he did it, how he did it, and why he did it, ” he said.
• In Allen’s defense attorney’s hour-long opening statement, Andrew Baldwin said Allen confessed to a crime that he did not commit after suffering trauma from the investigation and imprisonment. “Richard Allen is an innocent man, Baldwin said, and the evidence will prove it.
  • Baldwin said the girls were not shot but instead insisted their throats were cut.
  • Richard Allen confessed to shooting those girls in the back, but they weren’t shot, Baldwin said. “Richard Allen confessed to a crime he did not commit.”
  • Richard Allen said he killed his family and his grandchildren, Baldwin said. He doesn’t have grandchildren and his family wasn’t killed.”
  • Richard Allen allegedly confessed to raping them and burying them in a shallow grave, which the defense also alleges never happened.
  • Baldwin said there was hair found in Abby’s hand that did not belong to Richard Allen.
• WATCH: Delphi Murders: Jury Hears Opening Statements in Trial of Richard Allen
• READ MORE: Prosecutor: Video, unused bullet prove man’s guilt in Delphi Murders