DELPHI, INDIANA — Richard Allen, a resident of Delphi, Indiana, was found guilty on all charges Monday in the 2017 double murder case of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14. The verdict came after four days of jury deliberations in a case that has captivated the nation for years.
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Allen remained expressionless in court as the verdict was read, while his mother and wife were visibly emotional, sobbing in the courtroom.
Allen was convicted on multiple counts, including felony murder for the deaths of both Abigail Williams and Liberty German while attempting to commit kidnapping, and two counts of murder for knowingly killing both girls.
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“Today is the day. It’s been a long time coming,” Delphi resident Sarah Ausbrook told ABC News. She commended the prosecution team, saying they “did an outstanding job at presenting the evidence they had.”
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“This is a day of healing for the community,” Ausbrook said. “I’m sure the families are reliving that pain, but also rejoicing that they finally have an answer.”
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A gag order prevents the families of the victims from commenting on the verdict until after sentencing. Allen’s sentencing has been scheduled for December 20.
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A Community Shaken by Tragedy
Abby and Libby were murdered on a hiking trail in Delphi on February 13, 2017. The two best friends were last seen walking along the Monon High Bridge, and Libby had posted a photo of Abby on Snapchat as they crossed. Soon after, the girls encountered a man, and Libby, sensing danger, began recording on her phone, capturing a male voice saying, “down the hill.”
The following day, their bodies were discovered in a wooded area near the trail. The gruesome nature of the crime shocked the quiet community, and the hunt for the girls’ killer became a national story.
Police released a voice clip of the suspect—later dubbed the “bridge guy”—alongside a grainy image taken from Libby’s phone in hopes of identifying the man. Years later, in 2022, authorities arrested Allen, who admitted to being on the trail that day but denied involvement in the killings.
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Confessions, Evidence, and Mental Health
Allen’s multiple jailhouse confessions to corrections officers, his wife, and a psychologist were a focal point of the trial. The defense argued that Allen was experiencing a psychotic episode when he made these statements, suggesting that his mental state compromised the reliability of his confessions.
The prosecution’s case rested heavily on a key piece of forensic evidence: a .40-caliber unspent round found near the girls’ bodies, which had been cycled through Allen’s Sig Sauer Model P226 handgun. However, the defense questioned the reliability of this evidence, arguing that comparing a cycled round to a fired bullet was an “apples to oranges” analysis.
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Despite extensive investigations, no DNA evidence was recovered from the crime scene to directly link Allen or any other individual, according to a forensic scientist who testified during the trial.
With Allen now awaiting sentencing, the Delphi community reflects on the long-awaited verdict, which brings closure to a tragedy that has cast a dark shadow over the town for nearly seven years.
