What are the charges against Richard Allen? Suspect pleads NOT GUILTY to 2017 Delphi murders
DELPHI, INDIANA: The man arrested in connection with the Delphi murders has finally been charged. Richard Allen, 50, of Delphi, Indiana, was arrested on Friday, October 28, for the murders of Abigail 'Abby' Williams, 13, and her friend Liberty 'Libby' German, 14, in 2017. He has now been charged with two counts of felony homicide.
Allen has reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is being held at White County Jail without bond and is due back in court on January 13, 2023. WISHTV reported that the suspect is not cooperating with authorities. "It's a step in the right direction," Nicholas McLeland, the Carroll County Prosecutor, said of Allen's arrest at a news conference, according to the Daily Mail. When asked whether anyone else may have had any involvement with the murders, he said, "We have not closed the door on this case."
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It is unclear what led the police to arrest Allen. The state police have decided not to release evidence in the case under a court order. A probable cause document has also been sealed. "The investigation is far from complete, and we will not jeopardize its integrity by releasing information before it's time," said Doug Carter, the superintendent of the Indiana State Police.
"If you choose to be critical of our silence, be critical of me, not the frontline," he added. "These are folks who have devoted their entire lives to a conclusion — in other words, a guilty verdict."
Williams and German had gone missing after they were dropped off near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi to walk on their own. Before their disappearance, German reportedly posted a photo on Snapchat of Abby walking along a railroad bridge. This marked the last time either of them was seen alive. The next day, their bloodied bodies were found in a wooded area approximately half a mile north from where they were dropped off, cops said.
During the investigation, police found an audio clip taken by German that afternoon in which a man can be heard saying "down the hill." Over the years, multiple suspects were pursued by police, including a man who was arrested for participating in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
How the girls died remains unknown to the public, and how the bodies were discovered also remains a mystery. However, details of a search warrant eventually revealed that their bodies were found covered in blood. It was also revealed that the killer had taken a souvenir from the spot of the murders, as per reports.
The warrant in question was obtained by the 'Murder Sheet' podcast and released to Indianapolis FOX59. It did not specify what the souvenir was but it did say that "the rest of [the girls'] clothing was recovered." This reportedly indicated the killer may have taken something the girls had been wearing.
The killer is also said to have "staged" the girls' bodies in a specific way after murdering them, but it is unclear exactly how. Investigators reportedly believe photos or videos of the disturbing set-up may have been taken by the killer to "memorialize" the crime scene.