DELPHI, INDIANA: In an eyebrow-raising development, recently unsealed court documents reveal that the suspect in the infamous Delphi double murder case, Richard Allen, confessed to the killings of 14-year-old Libby German and 13-year-old Abby Williams on at least five separate occasions since his arrest. The newly released information also disclosed that the victims were killed with a sharp object.
Prosecutors allege that Allen, 50, committed the heinous act while the two girls were hiking through Indiana's Delphi Historic Trails on February 13, 2017. According to the court documents, Allen made several incriminating phone calls to his wife Kathy and his mother while in custody at the Indiana Department of Corrections, confessing to the murder of the two young girls. The filings further revealed that both victims had sustained wounds caused by a sharp object and some articles of clothing were missing from the crime scene, including a pair of underwear and a sock. The discovery of Libby's iPhone under her body was crucial in helping investigators piece the case together as it contained a 43-second video allegedly incriminating Allen.
Search warrants yield potential evidence
Allen County Judge Frances Gull released a total of 118 documents related to the case, with only 19 remaining sealed. One of the released documents sheds light on an occasion when Allen confessed to the murders during a phone call with his wife on April 3 of this year. The call abruptly ended when Kathy Allen seemingly reacted to the shocking admission. However, details regarding his other confessions have not been disclosed. It was also revealed that Allen broke the tablet he had been using to communicate via text and phone calls and had not used it to contact anyone for months.
Search warrants executed by law enforcement officials provide further insight into the investigation. Allen's residence in Delphi, along with outbuildings, a shed, and his car, were thoroughly searched for firearms and knives. Authorities also scoured the premises for electronic devices, clothing, and a specific cell phone. The search yielded numerous items, including boots, multiple knives and sweatshirts, multiple cell phones, an iPod, a hard drive, a laptop, and other electronic devices.
Firearm forensics link Allen to crime
An affidavit released in November 2022 revealed that an unspent .40 caliber round was found between the bodies of the victims. Forensic evidence later connected the round to Allen's Sig Sauer Model P226 firearm. Prosecutors argue that this evidence directly links Allen to the crime, as the bullet discovered near the victims had cycled through his gun. However, Allen's defense attorneys have contested the validity of the evidence from the Indiana State Police Laboratory. They argue that their client, under great physical and mental duress due to his incarceration, may have provided an unreliable admission of guilt. This was in response to the prosecutors' claims that Allen had made "multiple confessions to multiple people" since he had been arrested.
Prosecutors have since refuted these claims, pointing to significant changes in Allen's behavior following his April 3 confession. According to court documents, Allen has not made any phone calls since his admission and has undergone a psychiatric evaluation. By April 14, Allen's behavior reportedly began to stabilize, with regular eating and sleeping patterns, suggesting a return to normalcy.
During the initial investigation in 2017, Allen claimed that he had been present at the scene of the murders to "watch the fish" in the river. Subsequently, authorities conducted a follow-up interview with Allen in October 2022, during which he admitted to owning clothing similar to that worn by the individual captured in the notorious 43-second clip known as the "Bridge Guy."
Kathy Allen corroborated her husband's possession of multiple guns and knives, as well as a blue Carhartt jacket resembling the one worn by the "Bridge Guy." Richard Allen has pleaded not guilty to both counts of murder. His defense attorney, Andrew Baldwin, has maintained that Allen is the "wrong guy" and criticized the sealed probable cause affidavit as "flimsy," arguing that it falls short of expectations.
Prosecutors Suggest Involvement of Other Actors
Currently held without bail at the Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana, Allen is scheduled to face trial on January 8, 2024. Prosecutors have not named any potential accomplices, although Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland has publicly stated his belief that "Allen is not the only actor involved in this." Furthermore, prosecutors have alleged that Allen attempted a kidnapping, although he has not been formally charged with this offense. Sources close to the investigation have claimed that Allen was acting in concert with at least two other individuals. Notably, pedophile Kegan Kline, 28, of Peru, Indiana, who awaits trial on multiple child pornography charges, was also implicated through a fake social media profile that he used to communicate with Libby German prior to her untimely death, the Daily Mail reported.
