The Delphi Murders

On 13 February 2017, best friends Abigail "Abby" Williams (13) and Liberty "Libby" German (14) were dropped off to hike the Monon High Bridge Trail near Delphi, Indiana. When they failed to meet Libby's father as planned that evening, a search began. Their bodies were found the next day about a mile from the trailhead. Before she died, Libby recorded a Snapchat video of a man on the bridge and captured audio of him saying "down the hill" — evidence police released publicly within days, hoping someone would recognise the voice or the man in the grainy image, who became known as "Bridge Guy."

The case went unsolved for more than five years despite the released video and a police sketch circulating nationally. Richard Allen, a local Delphi resident who worked at a nearby CVS pharmacy, had been interviewed by police within days of the murders and placed himself at the trailhead — a detail that was not flagged as significant until a task force review in 2022. He was arrested on 26 October 2022 after an unspent bullet found between the victims' bodies was matched to a pistol recovered from his home.

At trial, prosecutors presented more than 60 alleged confessions Allen made while in custody, including to his wife, his mother, and prison staff. A jury found him guilty on all four counts — two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder — on 11 November 2024. He was sentenced on 20 December 2024 to 130 years in prison, the maximum available under Indiana law for each of the two victims. Allen's attorneys have appealed, arguing the jury was wrongly prevented from hearing evidence pointing to alternative suspects; the Indiana Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments on 21 September 2026.