Delphi, IN — Emotional testimony gripped an Indiana courtroom on Saturday as Pat Brown recounted the grim discovery of two teenage girls’ bodies near a Delphi creek, marking a poignant moment in the trial of 52-year-old Richard Allen. Charged with the 2017 murders of Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13, the case has baffled investigators and haunted the small community for years.
The girls, best friends, vanished on February 13, 2017, during a hike near the Monon High Bridge, an abandoned railroad bridge. Their disappearance triggered an extensive search. Brown, a friend of Libby’s grandfather and part of the search team, discovered the bodies the following day and his initial shock led him to mistake the scene for mannequins.
During his testimony, Brown requested a moment to compose himself before detailing how he alerted the other searchers. His emotional account added a deeply personal layer to the unfolding courtroom drama.
The investigation into the girls’ tragic end remained unresolved until 2022 when Allen was arrested. Notably, before her death, Libby managed to film a grainy video capturing a man believed to be the assailant instructing them to “go down the hill.” This clue was critical in linking Allen to the crime scene, as he was identified wearing similar attire to that of the man in the video.
Additionally, search party member Jake Johns testified about discovering signs of disturbance near the bridge and spotting Libby’s tie-dyed shirt intermingled with the brush along the creek just moments before the bodies were found.
In an emotionally charged beginning to the trial, Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland argued that Allen, armed with a gun, had forced the girls from the bridge before killing them, a theory supported by the finding of an unspent bullet at the scene. McLeland presented harrowing details, noting that Libby’s body was found nude and blood-covered while Abby was found wearing some of Libby’s clothes.
Allen, who insists on his innocence, has maintained that he was merely hiking on the bridge trail on the day the girls disappeared. Notably, his residence is a mere five-minute drive from where the tragic discovery of Libby and Abby was made.
Allen’s defense team, led by attorney Andrew Baldwin, argues that the evidence against him is plagued with reasonable doubt. In a controversial claim, Baldwin suggested that the girls fell victim to a brutal ritual killing by a white nationalist pagan cult, alleging that pagan symbols arranged at the crime scene pointed to the involvement of Odinists. However, this theory was dismissed by Special Judge Frances Gull, citing insufficient evidence.
As the trial continues in Carroll County, the community anxiously awaits further revelations. Testimonies are set to resume on Monday, promising more insights into this complex and heart-wrenching case.
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