Delphi murders - update: Richard Allen arrest makes ‘the world feel safer’, victim’s sister says
Follow live updates about the arrest of Richard Allen for the 2017 Delphi murders
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Police in Indiana have charged a 50-year-old local man with the 2017 Delphi murders – more than five years after the bodies of best friends Libby German and Abby Williams were found close to a wooded trail.
Richard Allen was charged with two counts of murder on Friday and has pleaded not guilty.
The investigation is “far from complete,” state police superintendent Doug Carter said at a news conference on Monday as he urged the community to come forward with more information.
After the arrest announcement, Libby’s family revealed that they had an encounter with the man now accused of her murder, as they accused him of “hiding in plain sight” the whole time.
Libby’s sister, Kelsi German, also took to Twitter to say “the world feels safer” following the arrest.
Libby, 14, and Abby, 13, were murdered after setting off on a hike on the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi in February 2017. Their bodies were found around half a mile off the trail the next day.
The Delphi murders were a true crime obsession. Then came an unexpected press conference - Delphi murder victim’s family reveal chilling encounter with suspect Richard Allen: ‘Hiding in plain sight’
Delphi murders: Everything we know about suspect Richard Allen as he is pictured for first time since arrest- Delphi murders: Everything we know about deaths of Libby German and Abby Williams and arrest of Richard Allen
Who is suspect Richard Allen?
Married to his wife Kathy with whom he shares an adult daughter, Richard Allen, 50, is a trained pharmacy technician.
He received his most recent pharmaceutical licence in February 2018 – one year on from the murders and most recently worked at the local CVS store – coming into contact with members of the community as part of his job.
CVS offered its condolences to the victim’s families and said it would cooperate with the investigation in any way it can.
“As members of the Carroll County community, we remain devastated by these murders and our hearts go out to the German and Williams families,” the company said in a statement to local outlet WRTV.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn that one of our store employees was arrested as a suspect in these crimes. We stand ready to cooperate with the police investigation in any way we can.”
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:
Who is Richard Allen – the man arrested over the 2017 Delphi murders?
Delphi Indiana double murder timeline
Breakthrough arrest in Delphi murders case
ICYMI: Richard Allen, 50, has been charged with two felony murders in the Delphi murders.
Officials would not rule out the possibility that other individuals were also involved in the teenagers’ brutal murders and, if so, vowed that they will also face charges.
The probable cause affidavit is currently under seal and officials declined to provide additional details about the investigation.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has everything we know about the case:
Who is Richard Allen – the man arrested over the 2017 Delphi murders?
Delphi Indiana double murder timeline
Suspect’s wife posted chilling selfie of him with police sketch
In a chilling photo, posted by Mr Allen’s wife Kathy on Facebook in December 2021, Mr Allen is seen smiling alongside his wife in a local bar in Delphi.
On the wall behind him is the 2019 police sketch. Mr Allen bears some likeness to the drawing.
The selfie was posted on social media the same month investigators issued a fresh appeal urging members of the public to come forward with information about an online catfishing account thought to be tied to the murders.
Prior to his arrest on suspicion of the double homicide, Mr Allen appears to have no prior criminal record.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Who is Richard Allen – the man arrested over the 2017 Delphi murders?
Delphi Indiana double murder timeline
What happened to Libby and Abby?
The girls went missing on 13 February 2017 after they set off on a hike along the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana.
Their bodies were discovered the next day in a wooded area around half a mile off the trail.
For years, police have refused to say how the girls died and have revealed few details about the crime scene.
However, shocking new details about the murders came to light in a search warrant application obtained by podcast The Murder Sheet and shared with The Independent back in May.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Everything we know about the Delphi murders and arrest of Richard Allen
How did Libby German and Abby Williams die?
What’s next in the Delphi murders’ investigation?
Following the breakthrough arrest of suspect Richard Allen in the infamous Delphi murders, officials cautioned that the case is far from over.
Mr Allen, a 50-year-old living in Delphi, was arrested on 26 October in connection with the 2017 slayings in the Indiana town with a population of just 3,000.
He was charged with two counts of murder on Friday, more than five years on from the double slayings of teenage best friends Libby German and Abby Williams.
Andrea Blanco and Rachel Sharp have the story:
What’s next in the Delphi murders case after Richard Allen arrest?
Among the few concrete details shared during a press conference Monday, authorities confirmed that a trial date was scheduled for 20 March.
Who is Richard Allen?
Among the few concrete details shared during a press conference on Monday, authorities confirmed that they had arrested Richard Allen in connection with the Delphi murders.
As the high-profile case continues to unfold, more details are expected to be revealed in the case that has captured international attention for years.
Mr Allen, a married man and worker at a local CVS, was initially booked into Carroll County Jail following his arrest.
He was eventually moved to a state facility, reportedly for his own safety.
Mr Allen, 50, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is said to be refusing to cooperate with the investigation.
Here’s everything we know about him:
Who is Richard Allen – the man arrested over the 2017 Delphi murders?
Delphi Indiana double murder timeline
For years, police refused to say how the girls died and have revealed few details about the crime scene.
However, shocking new details about the murders came to light in a search warrant application obtained by podcast The Murder Sheet and shared with The Independent back in May.
The warrant, filed by an FBI agent investigating the murders back in 2017 and partly redacted, was to carry out a search on the home of a local man Ronald Logan.
In it, the agent revealed that the girls had lost “a lot” of blood during their deaths and that their killer is believed to have moved and staged their bodies, before taking some sort of souvenir from the scene.
The warrant also revealed that the teenagers had been killed by some type of weapon, which was redacted in the document.
The murderer would have been covered in the victims’ blood in the aftermath of the slayings due to the “large amount of blood was lost by the victims at the crime scene”, it reads.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Who is Richard Allen – the man arrested over the 2017 Delphi murders?
Delphi Indiana double murder timeline
Libby and Abby’s final picture
On the day the girls went missing, Libby had posted photos on Snapchat of her and Abby walking along the trail.
The happy image of the two best friends is believed to be the last photo of them before they died.
Their bodies were found on 14 February 2017 in a wooded area around half a mile off the trail.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:
Everything we know about the Delphi murders and arrest of Richard Allen
How did Libby German and Abby Williams die?
Chilling footage of suspect
In a move that propelled the investigation forward, Libby also captured a grainy video on her phone of a man dressed in blue jeans, a blue jacket and a cap walking along the abandoned railroad bridge.
Investigators had previously released a grainy image from the video and a chilling audio of the man telling the two girls: “Go down the hill.”
Investigators have long suspected that this man is the girls’ killer and have praised the girls for documenting the video as evidence.
Up until now, the man has never been identified.
Suspect arrested was ‘hiding in plain sight'
His family home is less than a five-minute drive away from where the bodies of Libby and Abby were found, residing in a neighbourhood southwest of the Monon High Bridge.
According to online records, Mr Allen has lived in Delphi there since at least 2006, and in Indiana his whole adult life.
Married to his wife Kathy with whom he shares an adult daughter, Mr Allen is a trained pharmacy technician, receiving his most recent pharmaceutical licence in February 2018 – one year on from the murders.
He most recently worked at the local CVS store – coming into contact with members of the community as part of his job.
Rachel Sharp has the story:
Delphi man charged with murders of Libby German and Abby Williams
Law enforcement refused to reveal what led to arrest 2,086 days on from the murders – but would not rule out the possibility that other people were also involved in the deaths of Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.