Delphi murders: How bullet found near victims' bodies could link Richard Allen to crime scene
DELPHI, INDIANA: A bullet found at the crime scene of the Delphi murder case has been linked to the gun owned by the suspect Richard M Allen, as per newly released documents. An analysis done on a .40-caliber unspent round found by the bodies of the victims, Abigail "Abby" Williams, 13, and Liberty "Libby" German, 14, determined that it was allegedly fired from a .40-caliber weapon owned by Allen, 50. The weapon, which is Sig Sauer Model P226, was found by authorities at Allen's home last month.
Investigators think Abby and Libby were abandoned on February 13, 2017, at about 1:49 pm, close to a Delphi Historic Trail access. According to a video that was discovered on one of the victims' phones, the group came across a man around 2:13 pm on the southeast side of Monon High Bridge. Investigators were able to identify the man in a dark jacket and jeans going behind one of the victims from the video, NBC News reported.
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Delphi murders: Prosecutors say Richard Allen may not have acted alone, defense says 'wrong guy'
"As the male subject approaches Victim 1 and Victim 2, one of the victims mentions 'gun,'" according to the document. "Near the end of the video a male is seen and heard telling the girls, 'Guys, down the hill.' The girls then begin to proceed down the hill and the video ends." The affidavit claims that the man is thought to have forced the victims down the hill to the spot where they were slain.
Prosecutors requested the document remain confidential until Tuesday, November 29 because they didn't think Allen was "the only actor involved" in the terrible 2017 murders. The affidavit doesn't suggest anyone else was involved in the deaths, but Judge Frances Gull authorized its distribution with redactions on Tuesday, November 29, as per reported by NY Post.
The girls were discovered on February 14, 2017, in the woods close to the trail, with a .40-caliber bullet between each of their bodies and feet apart, according to the report. Just south of where they were recovered, in Deer Creek, clothing related to the victims was also uncovered.
Richard Allen PC pages 1-4 #Delphi pic.twitter.com/lUsUU3fAaS
— Max Lewis (@MaxLewisTV) November 29, 2022
Allen denied knowing the girls or being involved in their deaths, although he did admit to trekking on the same trail the day they disappeared, according to the affidavit. On that day, witnesses claimed to have seen a man who fit Allen's basic description on the route; one girl described him as "kind of creepy." According to a witness, the man was moving "with a purpose like he knew where he was going." A witness claimed to have been out with companions when they said "hello" to a man who they believed to be Allen, but the man simply responded by giving them a wordless "glare." Police discovered that Allen's 2016 Ford Focus, which was parked at the trailhead when the killings occurred, matched witness descriptions of a tiny SUV or "smart car."
In an interview, Allen claimed that on February 13 starting at 1:30 pm, he was out on the trails until 3:30 pm. The document claims that before he went onto Monon High Bridge to see the fish, he saw three young females. Later, he returned to the route and took a seat on a bench there before departing.
The probable cause affidavit's release was welcomed by Allen's legal team as well as they believed that the information would help in their client's defense. The "extensive media attention" on their client and the issue, in general, led them to file a request asking to have his trial transferred from Carroll County to another place.