Charges announced in murder of 2 Indiana girls that’s vexed community for nearly six years

AP

Police in northern Indiana announced murder charges Monday in the February 2017 killings of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13.

Richard Allen, 50, of Delphi, Indiana, has been charged with two counts of murder, authorities announced. 

Allen is being held without bail and has entered a preliminary plea of not guilty, Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland said Monday at a news conference.

McLeland said all evidence in the case has been sealed by court order.

“Everybody wants to know more information. I know it’s frustrating, but my goal is to maintain the integrity of this case,” he said, noting the investigation is ongoing and investigators are still welcoming tips.

Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby and Supt. of Indiana State Police Doug Carter noted how emotional the investigation has been for all involved.

“I believe in a God of justice and righteousness. Today I believe that that same God has provided us with justice for Abby and Libby,” Leazenby said.

Carter, who took a moment to compose himself while speaking, said “Abby and Libby, though in death, have had a profound effect on so many of us, on how we live and as importantly who we all should be.”

A pretrial hearing in the murder case against Allen has been set for Jan. 13 and a trial date for March 20.

The bodies of German and Williams, who were best friends, were found in a rugged area near a hiking trail on Feb. 14, 2017, one day after they vanished while walking on that trail near the Monon High Bridge. That bridge is just outside their hometown of Delphi, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

Within days of the killings, investigators released two grainy photos of a suspect walking on the abandoned railroad bridge the girls had visited and an audio recording of a man believed to be the suspect saying “down the hill.”

Authorities have since released two sketches of the suspected killer, including one in April 2019 based on video from German’s cellphone that’s believed to be more accurate than a sketch released in July 2017.

Police also released video in April 2019 which shows the man suspected of killing the teens walking on the abandoned railroad bridge the girls had visited.

In December 2021, state police announced they were seeking information from people who had contact with someone who used a fictitious online profile to communicate with young girls.

State Police said at that time that investigators probing German and Williams’ deaths had uncovered a fictitious online profile named “anthony_shots” that was used from 2016 to 2017 on Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms.