Who Is The Delphi Killer?

Summary

Summary of “Who Is The Delphi Killer?” – 20/20 Podcast Episode

Introduction

In the gripping episode titled “Who Is The Delphi Killer?” from ABC News’s renowned true crime series 20/20, host Deborah Roberts delves into one of the most haunting unsolved mysteries of recent times—the brutal murder of two young girls in Delphi, Indiana. Released on November 26, 2024, this episode meticulously traces the seven-year-long investigation, the community’s anguish, and the eventual arrest and trial of Richard Allen, a local resident charged with the heinous crimes.

Background of the Delphi Murders

On a seemingly ordinary day, February 13, 2017, the picturesque town of Delphi, Indiana—a place residents considered the epitome of safety—was shattered by the disappearance of two teenage girls. Abigail J. Williams, 13, and Liberty Rose Lynn, 14, were last seen embarking on a hike along the Monon High Bridge Trail, a popular local spot.

Deborah Roberts sets the scene: “Everything was normal up till February 13. Delphi was the safest place any of us felt like we could be.” ([00:56])

The horror unfolded when their bodies were discovered a day later, displaying signs of extreme violence, including throat slashes and being found in a pool of blood. The community was left in despair, grappling with the unimaginable loss of their young lives.

Investigation and Initial Leads

The investigation into Abigail and Liberty’s murders quickly became a focal point for both local law enforcement and the media. Despite receiving over 70,000 tips, the case remained unsolved for five agonizing years. The lack of leads led to widespread speculation and the emergence of internet sleuths desperate for answers.

Colin Brown notes, “Two girls disappear on a hike in the tiny town of Delphi, Indiana... A horrific double murder in broad daylight that would shatter this community.” ([03:25])

One of the turning points was the release of video footage from Liberty’s phone, capturing a man referred to as the “bridge guy.” This footage provided a haunting glimpse of a potential suspect, described as someone familiar to the community but ultimately not leading to an immediate arrest.

Suspicions and Other Persons of Interest

Throughout the investigation, several individuals came under suspicion. Ron Logan, the landowner where the girls' bodies were found, became a person of interest after multiple tips suggested his involvement. However, he was never formally charged and passed away in 2022 without being implicated in the murders.

Another name that surfaced was Anthony Schatz, linked to a fake social media account that had been interacting with the girls. It was later revealed that the account picture belonged to an unrelated male model, Keghan Klein, who was later convicted of unrelated child exploitation crimes.

Breakthrough and Arrest of Richard Allen

In a pivotal turn of events, a misfiled tip led investigators to Richard Allen, a 52-year-old local CVS store employee with deep ties to the community. Initially, Allen had contacted the police to report his presence at the trail, but due to a clerical error, his tip was overlooked. Five years later, this mistake became the breakthrough needed to solve the case.

Deborah Roberts shares, “The lead coming in the form of a wrongly documented file found by a volunteer clerk at the sheriff's department leading back to that name from five years earlier, Richard Allen.” ([22:52])

When questioned, Allen vehemently denied involvement. However, evidence collected from his home—including a Sig Sauer handgun matching a bullet found at the crime scene—and testimonies from multiple confessions he made while in custody, painted a damning picture.

The Trial

Richard Allen’s trial became a spectacle, drawing intense media attention and public interest. The courtroom was a battleground where the prosecution and defense presented their cases with fervor.

• Prosecution’s Case

  The prosecution’s strategy hinged on the over 60 confessions Allen purportedly made to various individuals, including family members and prison inmates. Deborah Roberts emphasizes the magnitude of these admissions: “60 times is a lot... Typically confess one time, right?” ([29:06]-[29:30])

  Additionally, forensic evidence, such as the bullet matching the gun found at Allen’s residence, was presented to link him directly to the murders. Audio recordings of Allen speaking to his wife from jail, where he vaguely confessed to the crimes, further bolstered the prosecution’s stance.

Susan Hendricks stated, “He has deep ties there and he was working at the local CVS store. So he did interact with a lot of people in town on a regular basis.” ([25:09])

• Defense’s Arguments

  Allen’s defense team introduced a controversial theory, attributing the murders to a white supremacist cult of Odinism. They argued that the crime scene's peculiarities—such as branches arranged around the bodies—were symbolic gestures linked to the cult’s rituals. Deborah Roberts found this claim perplexing: “I think this was probably one of the craziest offenses that I've ever heard of in my experience... I was sort of baffled by that.” ([33:00]-[33:48])

  Furthermore, the defense highlighted Allen’s deteriorating mental health due to prolonged solitary confinement, suggesting his multiple confessions were the product of psychological distress rather than guilt.

Conclusion and Current Status

After months of intense courtroom drama, November 2024 marked a significant milestone in the Delphi case. Richard Allen was found guilty on all charges for the kidnapping and murder of Abigail Williams and Liberty German. As Susan Hendricks disclosed, “In November of 2024, Richard Allen was found guilty on all charges for the kidnapping and murder of Abby Williams and Libby German.” ([37:52])

Allen is now slated for sentencing next month, where he faces up to 130 years in prison. The verdict brought a semblance of closure to the devastated families and the tight-knit Delphi community, though lingering doubts among some residents persist.

Notable Quotes

• Deborah Roberts: “It was a beautiful day that the girls said, you know what, let's hang out together. BFFs. They went out for a walk.” ([07:14])

• Richard Allen: “I did it, Kathy. I did it. Do you still love me?” ([29:33])

• Susan Hendricks: “I believe Richard Allen, who says he's guilty... everything was normal up till February 13, 2017.” ([36:53])

Conclusion

The “Who Is The Delphi Killer?” episode of 20/20 offers an exhaustive exploration of a case that captivated a nation. Through diligent reporting and compelling storytelling, Deborah Roberts and her team shed light on the harrowing journey from the initial tragedy to the eventual pursuit and conviction of Richard Allen. This episode stands as a testament to the relentless quest for justice in the face of profound loss.

Transcript

[Deborah Roberts]

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[Susan Hendricks]

Set, the real gift is this.

[Colin Brown]

And this.

[Susan Hendricks]

And this.

[Deborah Roberts]

This holiday.

[Susan Hendricks]

Lululemon makes it easy to give a gift that goes beyond.

[Deborah Roberts]

Open the moment.

[Susan Hendricks]

Shop [e-mail] hey there, 2020 listeners. This is Deborah Roberts, co anchor of 2020 Today on the podcast the chilling story of two young girls murdered in broad daylight and the tireless hunt to track down their killer. The story comes from our colleagues at Impact by Nightline. It's called who is the Delphi Killer?

[Deborah Roberts]

Everything was normal up till February 13. Delphi was the safest place any of us felt like we could be.

[Colin Brown]

Two girls disappeared without a trace. Found brutally murdered.

[Deborah Roberts]

Who would be so barbaric? Who would kill two teenage girls?

[Colin Brown]

A haunting image of the suspected killer.

[Susan Hendricks]

We have his face, the way he walks, what he sounds like. And still no one's in custody.

[Colin Brown]

Spawning Internet sleuths.

[Deborah Roberts]

This bridge is like really high up. He was right about there. This exact path that we're taking right now is what the killer walked.

[Colin Brown]

The case kept under wraps for seven years until now. What led authorities to believe this man, a local father, was responsible?

[Susan Hendricks]

He worked at cvs. He lived right there. He was hiding in plain sight.

[Colin Brown]

The new details coming to light and the trial happening right now.

[Deborah Roberts]

I thought this was probably one of the craziest offenses. The defense from the beginning has been blaming the murder on Odinism, what they describe as a Nordic cult with ties to white supremacy.

[Colin Brown]

Not everyone is convinced they even have the right guy.

[Deborah Roberts]

How was this man arrested?

[Richard Allen]

There was no DNA link between Richard Allen and the crime scene.

[Colin Brown]

Is Richard Allen really the Delphi killer?

[Deborah Roberts]

Now to the murder trial of Richard Allen, accused of killing two teenage girls.

[Richard Allen]

In Delphi, Indiana, back in 2017.

[Deborah Roberts]

Opening statements are set to get underway.

[Richard Allen]

His lawyers claim shoddy police work puts the evidence in doubt.

[Colin Brown]

It's the case that gripped the world.

[Deborah Roberts]

This was one of those that the moment it happened, people became obsessed with it.

[Colin Brown]

Two eighth grade girls disappear on a hike in the tiny town of Delphi, Indiana.

[Deborah Roberts]

The girls were dropped off on this trail for what was supposed to be a hike and a fun afternoon.

[Colin Brown]

What came next? A horrific double murder in broad daylight that would shatter this community.

[Deborah Roberts]

The Sicidio 3000 is on edge. Two bodies found. No one in custody. The bodies have been positive. Identified as abigail J. Williams, 13, of the Delphi area, and Liberty Rose Lynn, German, 14. This is considered a double homicide investigation.

[Colin Brown]

Now the trial unfolding before the world.

[Susan Hendricks]

Everyone and anyone mainstream media is trying to get in. YouTubers are trying to get in. Locals are trying to get in.

[Colin Brown]

Is this man the Delphi killer?

[Deborah Roberts]

Who would be so barbaric? Who would kill two teenage girls?

[Colin Brown]

Will there finally be justice? After a frantic five year search for the murderer, tens of thousands of tips pouring in. And a critical piece of evidence. Video recorded by one of the girls pointing directly to a suspect.

[Deborah Roberts]

Guys.

[Richard Allen]

For a long time the question was, who is bridge guy? A lot of people in town thought they recognized him.

[Deborah Roberts]

Here he is. Delphi. That's the guy. Can you find the guy?

[Susan Hendricks]

We have his face, his voice, his image, the way he walks, what he sounds like.

[Deborah Roberts]

This bridge is like really high up. He was right about there.

[Colin Brown]

In its wake, a true crime frenzy.

[Deborah Roberts]

Some really interesting, pretty disturbing stuff. I've got some pictures.

[Colin Brown]

Armchair detectives trying to solve what happened to Abby and Libby.

[Deborah Roberts]

There was obvious blood around this tree.

[Colin Brown]

Every twist and turn in the case ramping up the mystery. Just how, how gruesome was this?

[Susan Hendricks]

When you saw the images, it was horrific.

[Deborah Roberts]

We start to hear some of the details of what exactly happened to the girls. That they were found in a pool of blood. That there was a bullet found in between both girls.

[Colin Brown]

Were there clues hiding in plain sight?

[Susan Hendricks]

Everybody became a suspect. I mean everybody.

[Deborah Roberts]

Investigators are drowning in tips. Tens of thousands of tips following thousands of leads. Yet they have no suspect in hand. And there have been no arrests.

[Colin Brown]

The surprise break in the case since.

[Deborah Roberts]

The murders of Abby and Libby 2,086 days ago. I am proud to report to you. And an arrest has been made.

[Colin Brown]

Police arresting this man, Richard Allen, charging him with double murder.

[Susan Hendricks]

He worked at cvs. He lived right there. He was hiding in plain sight.

[Deborah Roberts]

So my first thoughts are, how'd you miss this guy?

[Colin Brown]

But how strong is the prosecution's case?

[Deborah Roberts]

Mr. Allen confessed 60 times.

[Richard Allen]

60 times is a lot.

[Deborah Roberts]

But Allen's defense attorneys raised the question, was he coerced into confessing?

[Colin Brown]

Now the high stakes trial. What mysteries are being revealed about the Delphi murders? Is Richard Allen the man on the bridge? The mind bending murder theory his defense team proposed really happened to the girls.

[Deborah Roberts]

The defense from the beginning has been blaming the murders on Odinism, what they describe as a Nordic cult with ties to white supremacy. The Odinist theory that Odinists were ritually sacrificing two young white girls to Odin. That was a baffling idea.

[Colin Brown]

Will he be convicted or will he walk free? Is there any world in which he could win over this jury, you think?

[Susan Hendricks]

Yes. Absolutely 100%.

[Deborah Roberts]

I think in 2017, Delphi was the safest place any of us felt like we could be. We would leave our doors unlocked, we didn't have security systems. Everybody says hi, throws a wave up, you know, always willing to stop and help somebody out. That's just the way it is in.

[Colin Brown]

The soul of small town America, in the beating heart of Hoosier country. An unthinkable crime in the Victims Best friends, 14 year old Liberty German and 13 year old Abigail Williams.

[Susan Hendricks]

They had the same interest in music and arts, had played volleyball together.

[Deborah Roberts]

This is a quilt that we had made that tells a little bit of Libby's life. Libby wanted to try everything. She wasn't afraid of anything except the dark. She was very giving, very stick up for the underdog. We were inseparable. We were always together. Everything was normal up till February 13, 2017.

[Colin Brown]

An unseasonably warm winter's day in 2017.

[Deborah Roberts]

It was a beautiful day that the girls said, you know what, let's hang out together. BFFs. They went out for a walk.

[Colin Brown]

The destination, the Monon High Bridge Trail, a popular hiking spot that runs a mile and a half through the town.

[Deborah Roberts]

I was getting ready for work and Libby busts open the bathroom door and she says, hey, can we go to High Ridge today? The moment I dropped them off, Libby got out of the car and turned around and told me she loved me. And just knowing that those were the last words is one of the most helpful things to me.

[Colin Brown]

Hours later, when the girls were supposed to meet Libby's father to be picked up, they were nowhere to be found.

[Deborah Roberts]

Becky tried to call and wasn't getting any response. So she called me probably about 4:00 and she said, hey, we're not getting any. Can't get ahold of Libby. I said, all right, let me pack up here and I'll head that way. Just walking up and down trails, trying to look and hollering and yelling. She said, it's starting to get dark, let's think. We ought to call the police.

[Susan Hendricks]

They were grounded as soon as we.

[Deborah Roberts]

Found them and they got home.

[Susan Hendricks]

We didn't think the worst. We didn't nowhere near think the worst.

[Deborah Roberts]

Probably nine o'clock at night. You could see flashlights all over Delphi. Police, neighbors in vehicles, helicopter was. I mean, everyone was out looking for these young girls, but you still had hope, you know.

[Colin Brown]

But then a full day later on Valentine's Day, the search party made a disturbing discovery.

[Susan Hendricks]

I had a friend that ran up.

[Deborah Roberts]

To me and said her husband called her and that they found the girls, but she wouldn't say anything more. I saw the coroner's van go by and that's. That's when it hit.

[Susan Hendricks]

She's. She's not hurt and waiting for us.

[Deborah Roberts]

That's when I realized any loss of life is horrific. I think the part that really struck a nerve is when we're told that this is part of a criminal investigation. A crime has been committed. This is considered a double homicide investigation. No further information will be released at this time. That changes the tone. That's an act of evil.

[Susan Hendricks]

They go down the hill. He forces them. And according to the investigators, he killed them within 20 minutes. And according to a blood expert, Abby was forced to put on Libby's clothes before she was murdered. So Libby's naked. But what happened between the guy on the bridge on Libby's phone saying, guys down the hill. They go down the hill. What? Interrupted him.

[Colin Brown]

Police were tight lipped and rumors swirled. But it would be years before the horrific details about the Delphi murders would.

[Deborah Roberts]

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[Susan Hendricks]

This episode is brought to you by Etsy.

[Deborah Roberts]

Oh, hear that? Okay, thank you.

[Susan Hendricks]

Etsy knows these aren't the sounds of holiday gifting. Well, not the ones you're hoping for.

[Deborah Roberts]

You want squeals of delight? Happy tears? How did you.

[Susan Hendricks]

And spontaneously written songs of joy.

[Deborah Roberts]

I am so happy. Oh, yeah, oh, yeah. Oh yeah. Um, okay, the song needs a bit of work, but anyway, to get those reactions, make sure everyone on your list.

[Susan Hendricks]

Feels heard with handmade, handpicked and designed gifts from small shops on Etsy. Gifts like personalized jewelry, custom artwork, cozy style items, vintage pieces, and home decor to celebrate all of your favorite people and their specific kind of special. For original gifts that say I get you, Etsy has it. Tonight, the urgent search for the person who killed those two Delphi girls is.

[Deborah Roberts]

Nearly two months old.

[Susan Hendricks]

Now.

[Deborah Roberts]

Authorities are not giving up the small.

[Colin Brown]

Town tragedy quickly becoming a massive murder mystery with people everywhere weighing in.

[Deborah Roberts]

This is the unsolved murder of Abigail Williams and Libby German.

[Colin Brown]

From the moment the story broke, Delphi has frequently become the epicenter of a media feeding frenzy. But not just journalists. Internet sleuths also trying to find answers.

[Deborah Roberts]

Are you guys following the Delphi case? Because I'm about to lose my mind. I feel like there's not justice happening.

[Colin Brown]

Eyewitnesses from that day have conflicting accounts. Over time, police circulated two very different sketches of the suspect.

[Deborah Roberts]

Those differences in the two sketches were very noticeable and actually created a lot more questions for the public. Was there more than one person? Or do they even know who they're looking for?

[Colin Brown]

And before long, they released this video.

[Deborah Roberts]

Investigators begin to release evidence and information that was captured taken from Libby's phone, including video that shows a so called bridge guy. This young lady's a hero. There's no doubt to have enough presence of mind to activate the video system on her cell phone to record what we believe is criminal behavior that is about to occur. When people saw the image, then it was. Is it you? You have a beard. Are you the guy? Are you the guy? He looks exactly like every single person in Indiana. He's wearing the clothes that everybody here wears everywhere around us wears. The bridge guy video doesn't actually show a homicide occurring. It doesn't show a person with a gun or with a knife. It does give forensic evidence in the sense of when that video was taken, when it was stored, the location of.

[Colin Brown]

Where it was taken, then an audio recording. Could this be the voice of the killer?

[Deborah Roberts]

Guys. Just three simple words chilling in the tone that they are said. It's important that we spread that person's voice far and wide for somebody that will recognize who that is and will call us and tell us. Surely you've heard him sing in the choir. Maybe you've seen him at the local grocery store. Maybe you've heard him at the school. He may have changed his appearance. Right, because police are looking for him. But you can't change your voice. Guys. Downhill, guys. We also believe this person is from.

[Colin Brown]

Delphi currently or has previously lived here.

[Deborah Roberts]

We believe this person is currently between the age range of 18 and 40.

[Colin Brown]

Directly to the killer who may be in this room.

[Deborah Roberts]

We believe you are hiding in plain sight. If that person. We're standing here right now and you look them in the eyes, what do you say to that person? What? Son of a bitch. Why? That's what I say.

[Colin Brown]

So this is it. Monon High Bridge. The story of the Delphi murders begins and ends here. The Monon High Bridge trail. It's since been partially renovated and looks a bit different these days, but it's here where police say Abby and Libby spent the last moments of their lives. Behind me is where the last photo of Abby Williams was taken and posted to Snapchat by Libby German. Their bodies were found around the bend that way. Susan Hendricks has been digging into this story for the last seven years. It's consumed her entire being.

[Susan Hendricks]

This town is so small, right? Less than 3,000 people. When you really see it and understand how small that really is, how really everyone knows everyone, they weren't used to such a massive undertaking and such a big case, if you will, to be here in Delphi.

[Colin Brown]

If you didn't grow up here, you were never gonna find this place. Never, right? What kind of chaos did bridge guy send this case into? Or the existence of a bridge guy?

[Susan Hendricks]

Oh, it was. Oh, my gosh. We have this evidence. The superintendent, Doug Carter, said, never in my life, Susan, have I had this much evidence. We have his face, his voice, his image, the way he walks, what he sounds like. And still no one's in custody.

[Colin Brown]

Did that feel crazy?

[Susan Hendricks]

It did. It did to everyone. Thinking, why can't they get this guy?

[Colin Brown]

Investigators, desperate for leads, asked the public, if they were on the bridge that day, to report what they saw.

[Susan Hendricks]

I think what they were banking on was a call from a family member to say, that's my dad. That's my brother. That's my uncle. I know how he walks. I know how he sounds.

[Colin Brown]

One of those tips called in by a man named Richard Allen.

[Deborah Roberts]

Richard Allen himself called police not long after this whole incident unfolded and self reported being at that trail.

[Richard Allen]

He was very forthcoming in when he was there, why he was there, and really spared no details, Encouraged them to call him if he could help in any other way.

[Colin Brown]

Police filed the report, but did not name him as a suspect at the time.

[Deborah Roberts]

All right, you guys. There is actually huge breaking information in.

[Susan Hendricks]

The Delphi murder trial, and we are.

[Deborah Roberts]

Dying to tell you about it.

[Colin Brown]

In the information vacuum, the Internet obsession only grew. Podcasters, YouTubers and TikTokers coming up with theories about the murders.

[Deborah Roberts]

I want to cover some developments that have occurred in this case very recently.

[Colin Brown]

Colin Brown is the host of the Paranormal files on YouTube. He went to Delphi himself to walk the trails where Abby and Libby were last seen.

[Deborah Roberts]

Definitely eerie being out here even in the daylight, because this is the time of day when it happens. Defense team is arguing he's one of.

[Colin Brown]

The many cyber sleuths still investigating the Delphi murders.

[Deborah Roberts]

There's just a lot of theories and strange things about this case that makes you really think that there may have been more than one person involved. And those people are not in jail or prison.

[Colin Brown]

One of the men Often tied to the case. Ron Logan, the owner of the land where Abby and Libby's bodies were found in 2017.

[Richard Allen]

Ron Logan was definitely one of the people police were looking very closely at. And part of the reason is that 15 different people called the tip line and suggested that he would was bridge guy, that he was the man in the video.

[Colin Brown]

Police got a warrant to search his property. That warrant up 10 years later by the podcast Murder Sheet, made connections between Logan and the suspected killer, saying his physical build is consistent with that of the male suspect. It also goes on to reveal previously unknown aspects about the crime scene. Like that it appeared Abby and Libby's bodies were moved and staged. Connie Dillman, Logan's ex girlfriend from decades ago, wasn't surprised police were searching his property. As she told Crime Nation, the very.

[Deborah Roberts]

Day that I heard that Abby and Libby were murdered on his property, I said, oh my God, he finally killed somebody.

[Richard Allen]

Ron Logan was 77 years old at the time, and a lot of people would think he was too old. He couldn't have gotten down that hill. But to this day, many people in Delphi still believe Ron Logan was responsible for this crime.

[Colin Brown]

Logan spoke to local station WTHR just days after the girls were found.

[Deborah Roberts]

I can't really wrap my emotions around it. It's so mind boggling. I haven't really caught up. It hasn't caught up with me yet.

[Colin Brown]

Ron Logan passed away in 2022. He was never a suspect in the murders. In 2021, another name surfaced in connection to the girls known at the time as Anthony Schatz. A fake social media account police say was communicating with them.

[Deborah Roberts]

What is going on, anthonyshots, what is this about? Authorities are soliciting the public's help to learn more about it. Turns out the profile picture on that account actually belongs to a male model who has nothing to do with this case. Did not know that his profile picture was being used.

[Susan Hendricks]

He came up early because apparently he was catfishing a lot of girls in the area by going under the name Anthony Schatz.

[Colin Brown]

Yeah, Libby and Abby were chatting with me.

[Susan Hendricks]

Shots exactly. With other young girls and using, you know what catfishing is? Using a picture that's clearly not him. This was a young guy, a model, who then became a cop who was interviewed years later after the girls were murdered and said, you know, I'm heartbroken that my picture was used.

[Colin Brown]

The man police say was behind the account, Keghan Klein from nearby Peru, Indiana.

[Richard Allen]

He had been messaging the girls on Snapchat. He was using a fake profile with the name Anthony Schatz, and he talked about meeting the girls on the bridge at one point. If you just look at the. It makes sense that Keg and Klein would have been in the crosshairs of police.

[Colin Brown]

Klein has never been named as a suspect or implicated in the murders of Abby and Libby. In a completely separate case, he did plead guilty to 25 counts of child exploitation and child pornography against at least 11 victims and is serving 40 years in prison. Klein spoke with HLN last year.

[Richard Allen]

Are you aware whether you may have.

[Susan Hendricks]

Talked to Libby on the 13th?

[Deborah Roberts]

That's what they said and that's what the police told me that you did, yeah. And do you have any recollection of that? No.

[Colin Brown]

He's denied any involvement in the Delphi killings.

[Deborah Roberts]

About five years after their brutal murders, authorities had more than 70,000 tips that they were investigating or had investigated, and yet there were no suspects and no arrests.

[Colin Brown]

In 2022, police are left without a break in the case, and Abby and Libby's families are left without hope for justice.

[Deborah Roberts]

Suddenly, we learned one of the people sifting through and organizing these tips realizes that there was one tip that had been misfiled. It turns out that tip was a lifeline that investigators had been looking for.

[Colin Brown]

The lead coming in the form of a wrongly documented file found by a volunteer clerk at the sheriff's department leading back to that name from five years earlier, Richard Allen. A cold case of five years, and it was solved due to, like, a volunteer file clerk who noticed a clerical error? Yes, that's it.

[Susan Hendricks]

That's it.

[Richard Allen]

When Richard Allen first called the tip line, he was recorded with the wrong name. His last name and his street name were transposed. Initially, it was filed away. Nobody thought anything of it until it was discovered five years later and brought to the attention of the sheriff when that investigation was still continuing.

[Colin Brown]

In 2022, police bring him in for questioning.

[Richard Allen]

They questioned him very extensively at the police department, and he repeatedly denied being involved with it. It got hostile, and over and over he denied being involved. Toward the end, he got exasperated and essentially told police, if you think I did this, arrest me. Almost as a dare. And shortly after they did, authorities raid.

[Colin Brown]

Allen's home, where they find a blue jacket which they say is similar to the one Bridge Guy was wearing.

[Richard Allen]

Richard Allen owns a navy blue Carhartt jacket similar to the one that appears to be what Bridge Guy is wearing. He also had some work boots and a stocking cap.

[Colin Brown]

And they find a Sig Sauer handgun which authorities say matched an unspent bullet. Round found at the scene of the crime.

[Richard Allen]

And that bullet was the same kind that would have been used in the gun found at Richard Allen's home. That was just another clue that police thought potentially could have connected him to the crime.

[Colin Brown]

And then a twist in a shocking crime story that's captivated so many for years. Police revealing today the arrest of a.

[Deborah Roberts]

50 year old suspect who seemed to.

[Colin Brown]

Be hiding in plain sight.

[Deborah Roberts]

There is a major break in a.

[Susan Hendricks]

Double homicide in Delphi.

[Deborah Roberts]

The man is now under arrest for.

[Susan Hendricks]

The murder of two teenage girls.

[Colin Brown]

Police arrest Richard Allen in October 2022 and charge him with the murders of Abby and Libby.

[Deborah Roberts]

God has provided us with justice for Abby and Libby.

[Colin Brown]

Good prevails. Evil never wins. I hope that the community sleeps better tonight. But who is Richard Allen?

[Richard Allen]

Richard Allen is a longtime resident of Delphi, so he was well known in the community. He has deep ties there and he was working at the local CVS store. So he did interact with a lot of people in town on a regular basis.

[Deborah Roberts]

How'd you miss this guy? What's the evidence that's connecting him to the murders? So many questions and the few answers that I got only gave me more questions as to why Richard Allen is a suspect in this case.

[Colin Brown]

The 52 year old who lived just a five minute drive from where Abby and Libby were found, is a husband, a father and known around town.

[Susan Hendricks]

And the day of the funeral, Tara, Libby's aunt, went into CVS to blow up pictures of Libby for the day of the funeral and is crying, gives it to Richard Allen. He said, it's on me. I got this.

[Richard Allen]

The fact that the police sketch was.

[Deborah Roberts]

Out there, right, and he wasn't arrested.

[Richard Allen]

For five years and he's someone who.

[Deborah Roberts]

Lived there and was an ingrained member of the community that no one put like two and two together.

[Richard Allen]

That period of time actually tells me.

[Deborah Roberts]

This is how much people actually didn't.

[Richard Allen]

Suspect him of being the killer.

[Deborah Roberts]

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[Colin Brown]

Now in 2024, more than seven years after the murders of Abby and Libby, Richard Allen faces trial for their deaths. In the eyes of the world. Feel like they're on the courthouse here in Delphi. As a local. What do you make of the frenzy? Man, this is a town of 3,000 people.

[Deborah Roberts]

It's overwhelming.

[Colin Brown]

But it's good to see people coming here to support members of the community. The judge, Francis Gull, keeping a tight wrap on everything.

[Richard Allen]

The judge in this case has been extremely strict about access to the courtroom and about media coverage. There are no laptops, there are no cell phones, there are no photos, there are no cameras. So we are really reporting this as we would have years ago, simply with a pen and paper.

[Colin Brown]

Behind closed doors, a whirlwind of a trial is unfolding and key details about the crime coming to light for the first time.

[Richard Allen]

We didn't know anything about the method of their murders until the trial. The jury saw the photos of the girls in the leaves where they had been found and both of their throats had been slit.

[Susan Hendricks]

Then you get to Abby. She was dressed in Libby's clothes. Libby's jeans, Libby's zip up jacket, Abby's shirt, her same shirt, Libby's bra, her bra. Dressed redressed, Libby, no clothes. She remained in a position with her sweatshirt like this, which was Libby's sweatshirt.

[Richard Allen]

There was palpable reaction in the courtroom to seeing those photos. And it was absolutely heartbreaking to see those girls at the crime scene and to watch their families have to go through that and to to see those images.

[Colin Brown]

Some evidence at trial raising more questions than answers. To start, Richard Allen pleaded not guilty to the murders. But the prosecution says they have over 60 confessions from Allen admitting to killing the girls.

[Deborah Roberts]

The large part of their argument is that Richard Allen confessed over 60 times to wardens, inmates, family members, almost anyone who would listen. Within this prison and jailhouse setting, that's more than I've ever heard of, dreamed of. Usually you get one confession, two confessions, maybe three, but 61, I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. Typically confess one time, right?

[Susan Hendricks]

They don't do.

[Deborah Roberts]

So over and over and over.

[Richard Allen]

One of the biggest days for the state was when they played the audio recordings of Richard Allen calling his wife and mother from jail, he talked in second about the crime and about the fact that he did it. And that was the first and only time we've heard from Richard Allen directly. So the jurors were hanging on every word of those calls. He had a conversation, for example, where he asks his wife, I did it, Kathy. I did it. Do you still love me?

[Susan Hendricks]

Richard Allen then says, I think maybe I've lost my mind. And his wife Kathy, says, are you sure you want to talk over the phone? Richard says, I need you to know I did this. And this was in a whisper. And Kathy says, no, you haven't. You're unwell.

[Colin Brown]

How did the courtroom react when that audio was played? How did you react?

[Susan Hendricks]

Everyone, of course, in the court was leaning forward to try to hear every single word of that. And those confessions are something that I believe if I was on the jury, I would take those into consideration because of the way he sounded.

[Colin Brown]

But Allen's defense trying to poke holes in the prosecution's case and focusing the jury's attention on those confessions and Richard Allen's mental health after being held in solitary confinement for months on end, the.

[Susan Hendricks]

Defense has an argument there saying, he shouldn't have been there. He wasn't in sound mind. He was in solitary for 30 days is the rule there. But for him, it was more than a year.

[Richard Allen]

We heard from his psychologist, who testified as to what a decline he had. And some of the behaviors that he displayed in prison were alarming. He was naked a lot. He was rolling around on the floor. He was eating paper. He was drinking from his toilet. All of these things, they say, were proof that he was really suffering mentally and entering psychosis, including at the time when he was admitting to these crimes and making numerous confessions to his wife and mother.

[Colin Brown]

Then there's that unfired bullet found on the ground near the bodies that investigators say matched to a gun found at Richard Allen's home. How important do you think that will actually end up becoming that unspent round from the Sig Sauer gun?

[Susan Hendricks]

I believe, depending on who you ask, those gun enthusiasts who I've spoken to say, it absolutely is like a fingerprint. That's the key piece of information. Other people I talk to say junk science. I don't know if you can really connect that unspent bullet with the markings to that particular gun. But that was a pivotal moment.

[Colin Brown]

Another point of strength for the defense. Investigators found no DNA evidence at the scene linking Richard Allen or anyone to.

[Deborah Roberts]

The crime having no biological evidence in a crime scene that is very bloody, grotesque, probably also very violent, is peculiar. And I think for either side, whether you're the defense or the prosecution, you've got to explain the science of how that could have occurred or how that could not have occurred.

[Colin Brown]

In an unusual filing which the judge ruled cannot be allowed into court, Allen's team was looking to take the case in an entirely different direction, pinning the double murder on a mysterious group, what they are calling a white supremacist cult of Odinism.

[Deborah Roberts]

One of the things his defense attorneys present in courts is this 136 page memorandum blaming the murders on cult followers on Odinism, a what the defense attorneys call a white supremacist cult that they believe were carrying out some sort of ritual when they killed the girls. And the defense attorneys in their memorandum pointing to certain things at the crime scene that they believe they say were signs of this cult. The way branches were laid around the bodies of the two girls. I thought this was probably one of the craziest offenses that I've ever heard of in my experience. My first response to that was I was sort of baffled by that.

[Susan Hendricks]

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[Richard Allen]

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[Susan Hendricks]

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[Richard Allen]

And its retailers will donate a minimum of $300 to charity support a great.

[Susan Hendricks]

Cause today at subaru.com share.

[Deborah Roberts]

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[Colin Brown]

Dr. Jefferson Calico studies pagan religions, including Odinism.

[Deborah Roberts]

It's not surprising that there are groups of Odinists proliferating sort of in that Midwest area. These are people who had worshiped the gods Odin and Thor, which most people know from the Marvel Universe. I would see Odinism more as a social political movement that is concerned with changing America into a nation controlled by white people and white supremacy.

[Colin Brown]

Central to their argument, the idea that the girls bodies were found in unusual positions with branches over them, which the defense argues were actually pagan runes, symbols that have mysterious significance.

[Deborah Roberts]

So runes are widely incorporated into Odinist culture as well. So if There were runes in the crime scene then that would be a reason to. To suspect pagan or Odinist involvement. So, for instance, the sticks over the body, possibly a rune mark on a tree. It's not convincing to me as someone who studied these religions, but it provides an interpretation of some of the details of the crime scene. At no point have we really seen the idea of ritual human sacrifice. This did not make any sense to me at all.

[Colin Brown]

Richard Allen's fate is about to be left in the hands of 12 jurors. If convicted, he faces 130 years in prison.

[Richard Allen]

There is a real sense of urgency and high stakes in that courtroom. It is tense. It is serious. There's so much interest in this case. The jury has a tough job ahead of them. It's really difficult to tell which way they're leaning.

[Colin Brown]

Susan, what do you believe?

[Susan Hendricks]

I believe Richard Allen, who says he's guilty. I believe that he was laying in wait. I believe he followed the girls on the bridge. I believe he led them down the hill. I believe his intent was to rape. I believe he was interrupted. I believe he forced them across the creek. I believe he slit their throats and murdered them. And I believe, as he said, he went on to live his life, his everyday life. I truly feel the evidence points to Richard Allen. But we'll see what the jury decides.

[Richard Allen]

Even once they arrested Richard Allen, there's been so much doubt across the board as to whether he's responsible. There are many people attending the trial and weighing in on social media that will say there is no way he did this. Whether he's convicted or not, I think there will always be that specific in Delphi as to who really is responsible for this crime.

[Deborah Roberts]

This is Deborah Roberts.

[Susan Hendricks]

In November of 2024, Richard Allen was found guilty on all charges for the kidnapping and murder of Abby Williams and Libby German. He's scheduled to be sentenced next month.

[Deborah Roberts]

Who is the Delphi Killer was produced.

[Susan Hendricks]

By Impact by Nightline and is streaming on Hulu. Be sure to tune in on Friday nights at 9 for all new episodes of 20 20. Thanks for listening.

[Colin Brown]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. It's Brad Milkey, host of ABC's Daily News podcast. Start Here. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.