🇺🇸 United StatesThe Delphi Murders
The Story
On February 13, 2017, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, were dropped off at the Monon High Bridge trail in Delphi. Liberty recorded video and audio of a man approaching on the bridge. Their bodies were found the next day. Richard Allen was convicted in 2024, but appeals and public doubt keep the case contested.
Images
Timeline
Abigail and Liberty are dropped off at the Monon High Bridge trail.
Their bodies are discovered near the trail; Liberty's phone evidence is recovered.
Richard Allen is convicted of both murders after a jury trial.
Known Evidence
How well-documented and physically verified the case evidence is.
- Liberty German's phone video and audio recording of the suspect saying 'down the hill.'
- Suspect sketch and photograph released by Indiana State Police.
- Richard Allen's 2024 conviction based on circumstantial and forensic evidence.
- Ongoing appeals questioning the conviction's evidence base.
Unresolved
What We Still Don't Know
- Whether the convicted suspect acted alone.
- The full chain of events on the bridge and crime scene.
- Why appeals courts may overturn or sustain the conviction.
Hypotheses
Theories
Ranked by plausibility — highest first.
Lone Perpetrator (Allen)
Richard Allen encountered the girls on the trail and murdered them alone.
Additional Accomplice
One or more other individuals participated; the recorded man may not be the sole killer.
Nearby on the map