Murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German

On February 13, 2017, 13-year-old Abigail "Abby" Williams and 14-year-old Liberty "Libby" German were dropped off on County Road 300 North near Delphi, Indiana, to hike the Monon High Bridge Trail over Deer Creek. German posted a photo to social media at 2:07 p.m. showing Williams on the bridge; the girls were not heard from again. When they failed to meet German's father as planned, families searched before calling police, and the girls were reported missing that evening. Their bodies were found the next day on the north bank of Deer Creek, about half a mile east of the abandoned Monon High Bridge.

Investigators did not initially disclose the manner of death. Within days, Indiana State Police circulated a grainy still image of a man on the bridge trail, dubbed "Bridge Guy," identified as the prime suspect. On February 22, 2017, police released an audio recording, recovered from German's phone, in which a muffled voice says "Down the hill." Composite sketches were issued in July 2017 and again in April 2019, when police described the suspect as likely familiar with the Delphi area.

The case remained unsolved until September 2022, when a volunteer file clerk identified a misfiled tip: Richard Allen had self-reported, three days after the murders, being on the trail that day and seeing three girls. Allen was taken into custody on October 26, 2022, and charged on October 31, 2022, with two counts of murder; he pleaded not guilty. A probable cause affidavit, unsealed in November 2022, described video from German's phone showing a man in a dark jacket and jeans ordering the girls "down the hill," and a .40-caliber unspent round found near the bodies that was later linked to a gun owned by Allen. Witness accounts described a muddy, bloody man near the bridge and a vehicle parked to conceal its license plate, matching a vehicle Allen owned in 2017.

Allen, of Delphi, had worked as a Walmart store manager and later as a CVS pharmacy technician. Pretrial proceedings included a gag order and the removal and later reinstatement (by the Indiana Supreme Court) of his defense attorneys after crime-scene photos were leaked from their office.

At trial, which began October 18, 2024, prosecutors said both victims' throats had been cut and that Allen had confessed more than 60 times while incarcerated, including to family members, prison staff, and other inmates. A State Police trooper testified he believed the "Bridge Guy" voice matched Allen's. The defense presented testimony that Allen suffered serious mental illness. On November 11, 2024, Allen was convicted on all counts. On December 20, 2024, Judge Frances Gull sentenced him to consecutive 65-year terms for each murder, totaling 130 years. Allen was later transferred to a correctional facility in Oklahoma under an interstate compact agreement. In April 2025, videos of his interrogation and recorded prison confessions were publicly released. <parameter name="timeline">[ {"date": "2017-02-13", "event": "Abigail Williams and Liberty German are dropped off to hike the Monon High Bridge Trail near Delphi, Indiana, and go missing."}, {"date": "2017-02-14", "event": "The bodies of the two girls are found near Deer Creek, east of the Monon High Bridge."}, {"date": "2017-02-15", "event": "Indiana State Police begin circulating a still image of a man seen on the trail, later dubbed 'Bridge Guy.'"}, {"date": "2017-02-22", "event": "Police release an audio recording from German's phone featuring a muffled voice saying 'Down the hill.'"}, {"date": "2017-07-17", "event": "Police distribute a composite sketch of a person of interest."}, {"date": "2019-04-22", "event": "Indiana State Police announce a 'new direction' and release an updated sketch."}, {"date": "2022-09", "event": "A misfiled tip regarding Richard Allen is discovered and reviewed by investigators."}, {"date": "2022-10-26", "event": "Richard Allen is taken into custody."}, {"date": "2022-10-31", "event": "Allen is charged with two counts of murder; he pleads not guilty."}, {"date": "2022-11-29", "event": "Judge Frances Gull orders the probable cause affidavit unsealed."}, {"date": "2023-10", "event": "Judge Gull removes Allen's defense attorneys, citing gross negligence; the ruling is later appealed."}, {"date": "2024-10-18", "event": "Allen's trial begins in Delphi, Indiana."}, {"date": "2024-11-11", "event": "Allen is convicted on all counts."}, {"date": "2024-12-20", "event": "Allen is sentenced to 130 years in prison."}, {"date": "2025-04-09", "event": "Videos of Allen's interrogation and prison confessions are publicly released."}, {"date": "2025-07-18", "event": "Allen is transferred to a correctional facility in Lexington, Oklahoma."} ]