Delphi Murders: The Monon High Bridge, ‘Down the Hill’ Audio & The Richard Allen Trial Dossier

On the warm unseasonable afternoon of Monday, February 13, 2017, thirteen-year-old Abigail Williams and fourteen-year-old Liberty German were hiking along the historic Monon High Bridge Trail outside the small town of Delphi, Indiana. At 2:13 PM, Libby captured a chilling video on her iPhone showing a man in a blue jacket, jeans, and a hoodie walking toward them across the high railway trestle, along with an audio recording of his voice ordering them: ‘Guys… Down the hill.’ The following day, both girls’ bodies were discovered in the woods on the north bank of Deer Creek. The Delphi Murders became one of the most visible and intensely investigated true crime cases in modern history. In October 2022, Indiana State Police arrested local pharmacy technician Richard Matthew Allen, linking him through an unspent .40 caliber cartridge found between the victims’ bodies, culminating in a historic guilty verdict in November 2024.

The Monon High Bridge Abduction & The iPhone Audio Recording

At approximately 1:35 PM on February 13, 2017, Abby Williams and Libby German were dropped off at the Monon High Bridge trailhead. At 2:07 PM, Libby posted a Snapchat photograph of Abby walking across the towering 63-foot-high railroad trestle.

Moments later, recognizing an approaching threat, Libby surreptitiously activated the video recording on her iPhone. The recording captured a man in a blue jacket with his head down stepping across the wooden railway ties before commanding them ‘Guys… Down the hill.’ When family members arrived to pick up the girls at 3:15 PM, neither answered calls.

The Deer Creek Crime Scene & The Unspent .40 Caliber Cartridge

On February 14, 2017, search volunteers discovered the bodies of Abby and Libby in a secluded wooded clearing 0.5 miles upstream from the bridge on the north side of Deer Creek. Both girls had suffered catastrophic sharp-force wounds.

Indiana State Police crime scene criminalists processed the scene, recovering an unspent .40 caliber Smith & Wesson cartridge lying in the dirt between the victims’ bodies. Microscopic examination revealed distinct extractor and ejector tool marks, indicating the live round had been cycled through a handgun chamber and manually ejected at the crime scene.

The 2022 Richard Allen Discovery & Ballistics Matching

In September 2022, a cold case clerk reviewing early 2017 tip files discovered an overlooked interview with 50-year-old Richard Allen, a local Delphi resident and pharmacy tech who had voluntarily contacted police days after the murders admitting he was on the bridge between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM wearing a blue jacket.

On October 13, 2022, Indiana State Police executed a search warrant at Allen’s home on Whiteman Drive, seizing a Sig Sauer P226 .40 caliber handgun. Comparison microscope analysis conducted by state ballistics examiners confirmed that the unique tool marks on the unspent crime scene cartridge were produced by Allen’s specific Sig Sauer pistol.

The 2024 Historic Murder Trial & Conviction

In October and November 2024, the trial of Richard Allen commenced in Carroll County Circuit Court before Special Judge Frances Gull. Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland introduced over thirty recorded custodial confessions made by Allen to corrections officers, prison staff, and family members, alongside incontrovertible ballistics and timeline evidence.

On November 11, 2024, the jury found Richard Allen guilty on all four counts of murder and felony murder. The Delphi conviction brought emotional finality to the families of Abby and Libby, demonstrating the triumph of forensic science, ballistics tool-mark matching, and investigative perseverance.

The Monon High Bridge iPhone Audio & The Unspent .40 Caliber Bullet

On February 13, 2017, Abby Williams and Libby German were abducted on the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana. Libby recorded a chilling video of the suspect and his voice ordering them ‘Down the hill’ before both girls were murdered near Deer Creek.

Indiana State Police criminalists recovered an unspent .40 caliber Smith & Wesson cartridge between the victims’ bodies. In 2022, state ballistics examiners matched the unique extractor tool marks on the live round to a Sig Sauer P226 pistol owned by local resident Richard Allen.

The Historic 2024 Murder Trial & Conviction

In November 2024, following an exhaustive trial in Carroll County Circuit Court featuring recorded custodial confessions, ballistics tool-mark matching, and eyewitness timelines, a jury found Richard Allen guilty on all counts of murder.

The conviction brought profound emotional closure to the Delphi community and demonstrated the unyielding power of objective ballistics science and investigative tenacity.

Indiana State Police Ballistics Tool Mark Science

The conviction of Richard Allen in November 2024 established an important legal precedent in Indiana regarding the admissibility and reliability of microscopic firearm tool-mark comparisons on unspent cycling cartridges. State ballistics experts demonstrated that the extractor marks on the live .40 caliber round were uniquely produced by Allen’s Sig Sauer pistol.

The trial record permanently closed one of the most visible and emotionally charged true crime investigations in American history.

The Enduring Memorial Park for Abby & Libby

The community of Delphi, Indiana, created the ‘Abby and Libby Memorial Park,’ featuring state-of-the-art youth softball fields, walking trails, and an amphitheater. The park stands as a permanent tribute to the two girls whose courage and quick thinking captured the critical evidence needed to convict their killer.

The Monon High Bridge Scene, Libby German’s Video & ‘Down The Hill’ Audio

On February 13, 2017, teenagers Abigail Williams (13) and Liberty German (14) were abducted and murdered after walking along the historic Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana. Before her death, Libby German captured a chilling video and audio recording on her smartphone depicting an adult male walking across the railroad ties toward them, uttering the phrase ‘Guys, down the hill.’ The girls’ bodies were discovered the following afternoon in a wooded ravine along Deer Creek.

Forensic examination revealed that the victims suffered fatal sharp-force neck injuries. Investigators recovered an unspent .40-caliber bullet between the bodies, which became a pivotal ballistic artifact in the ongoing investigation.

The Ballistics Breakthrough, Richard Allen’s Arrest & 2024 Murder Trial

In October 2022, Indiana State Police arrested local Delphi resident Richard Allen. Forensic firearm examiners at the state crime lab determined that toolmarks on the unspent .40-caliber casing matched extraction marks from Allen’s Sig Sauer P226 pistol. Following an intense, nationally publicized criminal trial in late 2024, Allen was prosecuted for four counts of felony and intentional murder, capping a grueling multi-year forensic effort to achieve justice for Abby and Libby.

Forensic Evidence Preservation, Bioinformatic Filtering & Cold Case Methodology

The physical and digital evidence collected in the Delphi investigation includes Libby German’s smartphone, digital video extractions, clothing items recovered from Deer Creek, and the unspent .40-caliber cartridge. Forensic firearm examiners conducted high-resolution 3D microscopic comparison of extraction and ejector toolmarks, establishing physical correlation with Richard Allen’s firearm.

Digital forensic analysts utilized advanced noise reduction and audio stabilization to preserve and clarify the ‘Down the hill’ audio snippet, while state crime lab criminalists cataloged touch biological trace evidence under strict chain-of-custody protocols for presentation during judicial trial proceedings.

Chronological Case Timeline & Key Forensic Milestones

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Case Analysis