Unsealed documents reveal shocking new details in 2017 Delphi murders

DELPHI, Ind. - Sealed documents in the 2017 killings of two young girls in Delphi, Indiana were made public Wednesday afternoon.

Richard Allen, 50, of Delphi was charged in the disappearance and deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German on Oct. 31, 2022.

Allen was arrested on Oct. 28 after police secured a warrant for probable cause. His bond was set at $20 million shortly after.

Allen has been held at The Westville Correctional Facility, which is a maximum-security prison, as he awaits trial. Allen's council says the facility does not routinely house offenders awaiting trial. 

According to the newly unsealed documents, Allen allegedly confessed to killing the girls in a phone call to his wife on April 3, 2023.

"On April 3, 2023, Richard Allen made a phone call to his wife Kathy Allen. In that phone call, Richard Allen admits several times that he killed Abby and Libby. Investigators had the phone call transcribed and the transcription confirms that Richard Allen admits that he committed the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German. He admits several times within the phone call that he committed the offense as charged. His wife, Kathy Allen, ends the phone call abruptly," court documents say.

However, his attorneys say those statements cannot be trusted due to his mental state. Allen's attorney claimed in an "emergency motion to modify safekeeping order" filed on April 5, 2023, that the defendant has been detained in "conditions akin to those of a prisoner of war." 

They claimed in the order that Allen's physical condition was "deteriorating rapidly." 

Allen's attorneys also say that while being housed in the facility, Allen was wetting down paperwork he had gotten from his attorneys and eating it. He would also go days on end without sleeping and broke a tablet that he used for text messages and phone calls.

SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 32 CHICAGO ON YOUTUBE 

Additionally, the newly unsealed documents indicate that Williams and German suffered wounds that were caused by a sharp object.

Articles of clothing from the girls were also missing from the scene including a pair of underwear and a sock.

Probable Cause Affidavit and Affidavit for Search Warrant

The Allen Superior Court released 118 documents Wednesday. Judge Frances Gull’s order, 19 of the original 137 documents, in this case, remain under seal. One of those documents was the probable cause affidavit and affidavit for a search warrant, which are summarized below: 

Detectives believe that on Feb. 13, 2017, Williams and German were dropped off across from the Mears Farm at 1:49 p.m. by a family member.

The Mears Farm is located on the north side of County Road 300 North near an entrance to the trails.

At 2:13 p.m. that day, a video taken by German shows Williams walking southeast on the Monon High Bridge while a male subject wearing a dark jacket and jeans walked behind her. As the male subject approaches the two girls, one of the girls mentions "gun." Near the end of the video, a male is seen and heard telling the girls, "Guys down the hill."

The girls then walk down the hill and the video ends. A still photograph taken from the video and the "Guys Down the Hill" audio was subsequently released to the public to try and identify the male.

No witnesses saw them after this time and no outgoing communications were found on the girl's phone after this time, the affidavit states.

On Feb. 14, 2017, Williams and German were found dead in the woods about 0.2 miles northeast of the Monon High Bridge in Carroll County. Their bodies were located on the north side of Deer Creek. Their deaths were ruled a homicide. Their wounds were caused by a sharp object.

Clothes were found in Deer Creek belonging to the victims, south of where their bodies were located, according to the affidavit. A pair of underwear and a sock were missing.

A .40 caliber unspent round was also found between the two girls’ bodies.

The round was unspent and had extraction marks on it.

Following the murders, interviews were conducted with three juveniles who said they were also on the Monon High Bridge Trail on Feb. 13, 2017. They said they were walking on the trail toward Freedom Bridge to come home when they encountered a male walking from Freedom Bridge toward the Monon High Bridge.

One described the male as "kind of creepy" and said he was wearing blue jeans, a light blue jacket and gray hair with maybe some brown in it. The male did not show his face. The witness also said the jacket was a duck canvas-type jacket.

Another juvenile said she said "Hi" to the male, but according to her, he just ‘glared at them.' She recalled him being in all black and something was covering his mouth, the affidavit said. She described him as "not very tall"  with a bigger build. She advised that he was not bigger than 5’10."  The witness said he was wearing a black hoodie, black jeans and black boots and had his hands in his pockets.

Another juvenile took photos that day, which included a photo of the Monon High Bridge taken at 12:43 p.m. and another one taken at 1:26 p.m. of the bench east of the Freedom Bridge.

The juvenile said after she took the photo of the bench, they started walking back toward Freedom Bridge. At that time, they encountered the male, who matched the description of the photograph taken from the video taken on German's phone.

She described the man she encountered on the trail as wearing a blue or black windbreaker jacket, and the jacket had a collar. She said he was wearing baggy jeans and was taller than her and came up to approximately his shoulder.

The witness said the male looked as if he was walking with purpose — like he knew where he was going. She stated he had his hands in his pockets and kept his head down and believed that he was a white male.

Another witness told investigators that she was also on the trails on Feb. 13, 2017. Video from a nearby business captured her vehicle traveling eastbound at 1:46 p.m. toward the entrance across from the Mears Farm. She said she saw four juvenile girls walking on the bridge over Old State Road 25 as she was driving underneath on her way to park her vehicle.

She said there were no other cars parked across from the Mears Farm where she parked. She walked to the Monon High Bridge and observed a male matching the one from German's video. She said the male was white, wearing blue jeans and a blue jean jacket. She said she was standing on the first platform of the Monon High Bridge about 50 feet from her. She said she turned around at the bridge and continued to walk.

About halfway between the bridge and the parking area across from Mears Farm, she passed two girls, who she believed were Williams and German, walking toward Monon High Bridge.

She said she finished her walk and saw no other adults other than the male on the bridge. Her vehicle is seen on video at 2:14 p.m. leaving westbound from the trails.

The witness said when she was leaving she saw a vehicle parked at the old Child Protectives Services building parked in an odd manner.

She said it was not odd for the vehicle to be parked there, but it was odd because of the manner it was parked — backed in near the building.

Another witness said she was traveling East on 300 North on Feb. 13, 2017, and observed a male subject walking west, on the North side of 300 North, away from the Monon High Bridge, court documents said. She advised that the male subject was wearing a blue colored jacket and blue jeans and was muddy and bloody. She said it appeared he had gotten into a fight. 

Investigators received another tip from a witness who said he was on his way to Delphi on State Road 25 around 2:10 p.m. on Feb. 14 and observed a purple PT cruiser or small SUV vehicle parked on the south side of the old CPD building. He said it appeared thought it was backed in as to conceal the license plate of the vehicle.

Allen was on the trail between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13. 2017, the affidavit said. He said that he parked at the old Farm Bureau building and walked to the new Freedom Bridge and saw three females. 

Investigators believe Allen was referring to the former Child Protectives Services building as the place where he parked, as there was not a Farm Bureau building in the area nor had there been.

Investigators discovered Allen owned two vehicles in 2017 — a 2016 black Ford Focus and a 2006 gray Ford 500.

Investigators observed a vehicle that resembled Allan’s 2016 Ford Focus on a nearby business surveillance video at 1:27 p.m. traveling westbound on CR 300 North in front of the business, which coincided with his statement that he arrived around 1:30 p.m., the affidavit said.

Investigators say witnesses described the vehicle parked at the former Child Protective Services Building as a PT Cruiser, small SUV or "Smart" car and believe those descriptions are similar in nature to the 2016 Ford Focus.

On Oct. 13, 2022, Allen was interviewed again by investigators. He said that he was on the trails on Feb. 13, 2017, and that he saw juvenile girls on the trails east of Freedom Bridge that he went onto the Monon High Bridge.

Allen further stated that he went onto the Monon High Bridge to watch the fish. Later, he said he walked out to the first platform on the bridge and said he talked back, sat on a bench on the trail and then left.

He said he parked his car on the side of an old building. He said he was wearing blue jeans and a blue or black Carhart jacket with a hood. He said he may have been wearing a head covering. He said he didn't see anyone else except for the juvenile girls east of the Freedom Bridge. He also told investigators he owned firearms.

His wife confirmed that he had knives and guns in the residence and that he still owns a blue Carhartt jacket.

On Oct. 14, a search warrant was executed for Allen’s residence, and they located jackets, boots, knives and firearms, including a Sig Sauer Model P226, .40 caliber pistol with serial number 625 627.

The Indiana State Police Laboratory performed an analysis on Allan's Sig Sauer Model P226 and determined the unspent round located between the victims' bodies had been cycled through Allen's firearm.

The firearm was purchased by Allen in 2001, and he told investigators that he never allowed anyone to use or borrow that firearm.

He also said he had no explanation as to why the bullet was found near the victims.

According to the affidavit, investigators believe Allen was not seen on the trail after 2:13 p.m. by witnesses because he was in the woods with the two girls. Investigators believe that after the victims were murdered, Allen returned to his vehicle by walking down 300 North and was seen by a witness wearing clothes that were muddy and bloody.

All material related to the case is available to the public on the court's website. 

Jury selection is set for Jan. 8, and the trial is expected to last three weeks.