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Murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German

SOLVED2017Monon High Bridge Trail, Delphi, Indiana3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · crimes against children — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On February 13, 2017, 13-year-old Abigail "Abby" Williams and 14-year-old Liberty "Libby" German were dropped off near the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana, to go hiking. German posted a photo to social media at 2:07 p.m. showing Williams walking on the bridge; the girls were not heard from again. They were reported missing that evening after failing to meet German's father as planned. Their bodies were found the next day about half a mile east of the abandoned Monon High Bridge, on the north bank of Deer Creek. Authorities did not initially release details of how the girls were killed.

Investigators circulated a still image of a man seen on the trail near where the girls were killed, dubbing him "Bridge Guy" and naming him the prime suspect. In February 2017, police released an audio recording, recovered from German's phone, in which a muffled voice says "Down the hill." Officials credited German with recording the evidence and described her actions as heroic. Composite sketches of the suspect were released in July 2017 and again in April 2019, with police stating the suspect was likely familiar with the Delphi area.

The case remained unresolved until September 2022, when a volunteer file clerk identified a misfiled tip that had wrongly been marked as cleared due to a misspelling of Richard Allen's name. The tip indicated Allen had self-reported being on the trails the day of the murders 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 ordering the girls "down the hill," an unspent .40-caliber round found near the bodies that was later linked to a gun owned by Allen, and witness accounts of a muddy, bloodied man and a suspiciously parked vehicle matching one Allen owned in 2017.

Allen's trial began on October 18, 2024, in Delphi. Prosecutors said both girls had their throats cut and stated Allen confessed more than 60 times while incarcerated, to family members, prison staff, and other inmates. A police trooper who reviewed more than 700 of Allen's prison phone calls testified that the "Bridge Guy" voice matched Allen's voice. The defense presented testimony from a clinical psychologist and a neuropsychologist describing Allen's mental health history, including testimony that Allen described an original intent to sexually assault the victims before fleeing and cutting their throats. On November 11, 2024, Allen was convicted on all counts. On December 20, 2024, he was sentenced to 65 years for each murder, served consecutively, for a total of 130 years. He was later transferred between Indiana correctional facilities and, in July 2025, to a facility in Oklahoma under an interstate compact agreement.

The case drew extensive national media attention and led to community memorials, including the installation of orange porch lights across central Indiana, the founding of the Abby and Libby Memorial Park, and the renaming of a school library in the girls' honor.

Key facts

Victims
Liberty German, Abigail Williams
Date
2017
Location
Monon High Bridge Trail, Delphi, Indiana
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2017-02-13

    Abigail Williams and Liberty German are dropped off near the Monon High Bridge Trail; German posts a photo of Williams on the bridge at 2:07 p.m. and the girls are not heard from again. They are reported missing that evening.

  2. 2017-02-14

    The bodies of Williams and German are found near Deer Creek, east of the abandoned Monon High Bridge.

  3. 2017-02-15

    Indiana State Police begin circulating a still image of a man seen on the trail, later dubbed 'Bridge Guy.'

  4. 2017-02-22

    Police release an audio recording from German's phone in which a suspect's voice says 'Down the hill.'

  5. 2017-07-17

    Police distribute a composite sketch of a person of interest based on eyewitness accounts.

  6. 2019-04-22

    Indiana State Police announce a 'new direction' in the case and release an updated sketch of the suspect.

  7. 2022-09

    A misfiled tip regarding Richard Allen is discovered by a volunteer file clerk and brought to investigators.

  8. 2022-10-26

    Richard Allen is taken into custody.

  9. 2022-10-31

    Indiana State Police announce Allen has been charged with two counts of murder; he pleads not guilty.

  10. 2022-11-29

    Judge Frances Gull orders the probable cause affidavit unsealed.

  11. 2023-10

    Judge Gull removes Allen's defense attorneys, citing gross negligence; the Indiana Supreme Court later reinstates them.

  12. 2024-10-18

    Allen's trial begins in Delphi, Indiana.

  13. 2024-11-11

    Allen is convicted on all counts.

  14. 2024-12-20

    Allen is sentenced to 130 years in prison, 65 years for each victim, served consecutively.

  15. 2025-04-09

    Videos of Allen's interrogation and prison confessions are released to the public.

  16. 2025-07-18

    Allen is transferred to a correctional facility in Lexington, Oklahoma.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Liberty German

    VICTIM

    14-year-old victim murdered on February 13, 2017, near the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana; her smartphone recorded video and audio of the suspect.

    citation on file

  • Richard M. Allen

    CONVICTED

    Arrested in October 2022 and charged with two counts of murder; convicted on all counts on November 11, 2024, and sentenced to 130 years in prison.

    citation on file

  • Frances Gull

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Judge who presided over pretrial proceedings, unsealed the probable cause affidavit, removed and saw reinstatement of defense counsel, and sentenced Allen.

    citation on file

  • Abigail Williams

    VICTIM

    13-year-old victim murdered on February 13, 2017, near the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana.

    citation on file

Places

Monon High Bridge Trail, Delphi, Indiana

40.5891, -86.6428

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Two teenage girls, Abigail Williams and Liberty German, were murdered on February 13, 2017, while hiking near the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana. The case remained unsolved for five years until Richard M. Allen was arrested in 2022; he was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 130 years in prison.
Where did the murders happen?
Monon High Bridge Trail, Delphi, Indiana.
Who was convicted?
Richard M. Allen (Arrested in October 2022 and charged with two counts of murder; convicted on all counts on November 11, 2024, and sentenced to 130 years in prison.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty Germanwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — CNNnews · CNN · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — Associated Pressnews · Associated Press · 2026-07-07
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