Indiana Murder Trial: Prosecutor Says Allen Forced Teens Off Trail \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Prosecutors in Indiana’s Delphi murder trial revealed chilling new details, alleging Richard Allen forced two teenage girls off a hiking trail before killing them. Evidence presented includes audio and video from one of the victim’s phones, capturing Allen’s image and voice. Allen, charged with two counts of murder, maintains his innocence, with his defense citing reasonable doubt.
Delphi Murder Trial – Quick Looks:
- Victims: Abigail Williams (13) and Liberty German (14) were found dead in 2017 near Delphi, Indiana.
- Prosecution claims: Richard Allen forced the teens off the trail before killing them. His image and voice were recorded on one of the girl’s phones.
- Evidence: A bullet from Allen’s gun was found at the scene; incriminating statements to law enforcement and his wife are also part of the evidence.
- Defense strategy: Allen’s attorney argues the statements were made under duress and points to inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case.
- Trial setting: The jury, selected from Fort Wayne due to media attention, will be sequestered throughout the trial.
Deep Look:
In the first day of court proceedings, Carroll County prosecutor Nicholas McLeland presented the chilling account of how Allen allegedly forced the two teenage girls off the Monon High Bridge Trail near Delphi before cutting their throats. According to McLeland, the most damning evidence includes audio and video found on Liberty’s phone, which captured the final moments of their lives.
“The last thing the girls saw was Richard Allen’s face,” McLeland told the jury. He further detailed the recorded audio, in which Allen is allegedly heard commanding the girls with the words: “Girls, down the hill.”
McLeland explained that the two 13- and 14-year-old girls complied out of fear, and tragically, they were murdered shortly after. This haunting audio is expected to play a central role in the trial, alongside additional pieces of evidence linking Allen to the crime scene.
Critical Evidence: Phone Footage and Forensic Links
Among the crucial pieces of evidence presented was a bullet discovered at the crime scene. The prosecutor noted that this unused bullet matched a gun owned by Allen, a local pharmacy technician who lived in the small town of Delphi, with a population of just 3,000. Furthermore, a grainy video on Liberty’s phone reportedly shows a man, whom investigators believe is Allen, walking behind her on the trail.
In addition to the video and bullet, McLeland told the jury they would hear incriminating statements Allen allegedly made to correctional officers, fellow inmates, law enforcement, and even his wife. These statements reportedly included information only the killer could have known. “Richard Allen is the man on the bridge,” McLeland asserted, referencing the widely circulated footage of a suspect walking on the bridge near where the girls were found.
Defense Argues Reasonable Doubt
Richard Allen, 52, appeared to shake his head during the prosecutor’s opening statements, as did his wife, seated in the gallery, when the prosecutor claimed her husband had confessed to her. Allen’s defense attorney, Andrew Baldwin, took the stand afterward to outline his client’s case, focusing on what he described as significant gaps and inconsistencies in the prosecution’s evidence.
Baldwin acknowledged that Allen made statements about the crime, but he argued these were given under duress. Allen had been held in solitary confinement in a tiny cell, under constant observation following his arrest. The defense emphasized that Allen mentioned shooting the girls, though this was not how they died. Baldwin also noted that, early in the investigation, law enforcement officials speculated that one person alone might not have been capable of committing the crime, further casting doubt on the theory that Allen acted alone.
“Richard Allen is innocent. He is truly innocent,” Baldwin told the jury, urging them to keep an open mind as they hear the evidence.
A Long Road to Trial
The case, which has captivated public attention for years, went unsolved for five years before Allen’s arrest in 2022. Abigail Williams and Liberty German were last seen on February 13, 2017, when they went hiking on the Monon High Bridge Trail. Their bodies were discovered the following day, and Libby’s phone—containing images, audio, and video—became a central piece of evidence early in the investigation.
Police released some of the footage from Libby’s phone to the public in the days following the murders, including images of the suspect walking on the bridge. The case soon drew national attention and sparked widespread speculation among true-crime enthusiasts. Despite releasing two different sketches of a suspect, the case remained unsolved for years.
Investigators later revisited earlier tips, leading them back to Allen, who had been interviewed by police in 2017. At that time, Allen told police he had been on the trail the day the girls disappeared and had seen three “females” at a different bridge nearby, but said he had not spoken to them.
Media Restrictions and Trial Logistics
Due to the intense media scrutiny the case has received, a specially appointed judge selected jurors from Fort Wayne, a city nearly 100 miles away from Delphi, to ensure a fair trial. The jury will be sequestered throughout the proceedings, expected to last up to a month. They will be barred from watching the news and will only have limited phone access to contact their families while under the supervision of bailiffs.
The judge has also imposed strict restrictions on media coverage within the courtroom, barring journalists from using electronic devices inside. Outside the courthouse, police confiscated cameras from several reporters, including those from The Associated Press, ahead of the trial’s start on Friday.
Previous Defense Claims
As the trial progresses, jurors will weigh the evidence, including the phone footage, forensic links, and Allen’s statements, as they determine whether Richard Allen is guilty of the murder of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, or if reasonable doubt remains.
Indiana Murder Indiana Murder
