Hidden True Crime - DELPHI MURDERS: Week 1 Trial Recap & Updates - Indiana vs. Richard Allen

Episode Date: November 10, 2024

DELPHI: Richard Allen Trial, Day 3 CRIME SCENE PICS REVEALED 10/21/24 https://www.youtube.com/live/LrURN6xgCGM?si=zfimZ3ckfWmLvJDv DELPHI: Richard Allen Trial, Day 4 Tuesday 10/22/24 - Down The Hill Video Shown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avMqJ4dl1YY DELPHI: Richard Allen Trial, Day 5 Inside the Courtroom: Autopsy Photos Shown 10/23/24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3tuaXXo0zw DELPHI: Richard Allen Trial, Day 6 Thursday 10/24/24 Seized Items from Richard Allen's House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jjMzFwUW5M DELPHI: Richard Allen Trial, Day 7 Friday 10/25/24 "Magic Bullet" & Gun Analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EEJQwF_MTI DELPHI: Richard Allen Trial, Day 8 Lead Detective Holeman Testifies About Interrogation 10/26/24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DZqUWad-xo State of Indiana vs. Richard M Allen Indy Archive https://www.youtube.com/@indyarchive NewsNation Court TV WISH-TV WTHR FOX 59 About Hidden True Crime: Lauren Matthias, a former television reporter, and her husband Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, started Hidden True Crime in 2020 with their Season, 'Beyond the Veil,' a psychological deep dive into the doomsday murders and prophet. What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a forensic psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime Our Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Armoire and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.armoire.style* Check out Effecty and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.effecty.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hidden-a-true-crime-podcast1836/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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we believe you are hiding in plain sight i am currently in delphi indiana covering the murder trial of two best friends 13-year-old abigail williams and 14-year-old liberty german abbey and and Libby were found murdered near Deer Creek after spending the afternoon on the Monon High Bridge Trail on February 13th, 2017. The case went unsolved for years until 2022 when an unsuspecting individual was arrested, Richard Allen, a Delphi local. Richard Allen is accused of their murders and is currently facing four counts of murder, including two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder. Since his arrest, Allen has pleaded not guilty. There is no video nor audio available in the courtroom, and Hidden True Crime is covering the trial to bring the public daily facts.

But this episode is a rundown of the entire last week. Opening statements began on Friday, October 18, 2024. In the prosecution's opening statement, prosecutor Nick McLeeland told the jury that Richard Allen is the bridge guy, captured on Libby German's phone that tragic day. McCleeland laid out the prosecution's theory as follows that Alan stalked Abby and Libby and ultimately took their lives. According to McLeeland, the girls were out walking the Monon High Bridge, a local ride

of passage for young people sharing photos on Snapchat when they noticed someone following them on February 13, 2017. He says that February 13th was an unseasonably warm day, which we late. later learned through testimony was about 47 degrees. Libby had her phone out and began filming Abby walking towards her to the south end of the Monon High Bridge. That was when Libby captured Bridge Guy and Bridge Guy's ominous and chilling command. Right before Libby's phone was locked for the very last time. The following day on February 14th, the girls' bodies were discovered. McLeeland told the jury that they would see graphic photos for

from the scene showing the unimaginable violence inflicted on both girls. Libby was found nude, covered in blood, while Abby's throat was also cut, wearing some of Libby's clothes. The girls' remaining items were found scattered in Deer Creek. McLean claimed an unspent round found at the crime scene could be linked to a gun found in Richard Allen's home. He also stated that Allen later confessed details of the crime that only the perpetrator could have known, allegedly confessing, on his own accord to his wife and mother. He also said that multiple witnesses would testify that they saw a man

matching Allen's description on the bridge that day, wearing muddy and bloody clothing. Now, as you can imagine, the defense has a much different version of events. In their opening statement, defense attorney Andrew Baldwin refuted the prosecution's claims of Allen's guilt and characterized the entire investigation as flawed from the start. He argues that witness statements not only, varied widely, but were also highly contradictory. He also suggested that Allen's so-called confessions stemmed from a mental health crisis. Baldwin dismissed the bullet evidence as inconclusive casting doubt on the state's theory of Allen's alleged guilt. And that's not all.

Baldwin went further. He suggested police mishandled and even lost evidence throughout the investigation and described conflicts with the FBI over investigative approaches. He also highlighted evidence the state allegedly ignored, a hair found in Abby's hand that did not match his client. The defense contends that the girls could have been taken in another vehicle to a separate location with their bodies brought back to the area near Deer Creek later. They believe that Allen's alleged timeline on February 13th, 2017 did not align with video evidence that placed his car leaving the bridge area before the murders would have occurred. The defense also questioned the state's narrative.

and suggested the possibility of multiple perpetrators. They asked the jury to question how one man, Richard Allen, who his 5 foot four to five foot five, give or take, could have even carried this out alone and why Libby's phone received several text messages at 4.43 a.m. on February 14th, long after the prosecution believes the girls were killed. Ultimately, it is the defense's position

that Richard Allen is innocent, saying that there is no DNA, social media, or forensic evidence that links him to the crime scene. After opening statements, emotional testimony began with Libby German's grandmother, Becky Patty, her sister Kelsey German Siebert, and father Derek German. Later in the day, the jury heard from Anna Williams, Abby's mother, and Carol County Sheriff's deputy Mitchell Katron. These witnesses told the jury the story of what happened. leading up to Abby and Libby being on the trails to begin with when they realized the girls

were missing and law enforcement's initial response. Becky said that on Monday, February 13th, the girls didn't have school because of a bad weather snow day makeup day that was never used. It was a perfect day for an adventure. She told the jury how Libby and Abby were close friends like sisters and how Abby even went on vacations with their family. Abby spent the night, the night before on Sunday. The next morning, Derek, Libby's dad, made breakfast. Later that day, Libby wanted to go do something, and Becky suggested that the girls could help her file stuff,

and then she would take them shopping. Later that day, Libby came and sat on the floor in Becky's office. Kelsey came into the office and said that she would be leaving shortly. That's when Libby jumped up and asked if Kelsey could take her and Abby to the trails. Becky said that that was fine as long. as they came back home at a decent time. The last time that Becky saw Libby was when she came to Becky's office door to say goodbye.

And Becky told Libby to grab a jacket, and Libby responded back saying, Grandma will be okay. Her final words to her grandmother. Becky said that the trails were a safe area and that she didn't have any concerns whatsoever with letting the girls go out to the trails. In fact, Kelsey and Libby had been to the trails a lot.

both girls liked photography. So again, nothing in Becky's mind stood out to her as it being somewhere dangerous to go. Becky said Libby was always respectful, always asked permission to go places and always had her with her. Becky wasn't shocked at all that Libby wanted to go on the high bridge saying that Libby wanted to do everything. She wanted to try everything at least once and even had a parasailing trip planned because that's just who Livy was, a fearless, and adventurous spirit. One of her things, her grandfather, Becky's husband and Mike Patty, instilled in Libby, was to always be aware of her surroundings. And to know where exits are, Becky stated that Libby always had good interactions with adults,

looked at things in life differently, but was always calm. She actually loved crime shows, always wanted to help others and had great intuition. Becky also said that Libby hoped to help solve crimes one day. Becky remembered Kelsey leaving around 1.30 to take the girls to the trails and the plan was for Libby's dad, Derek, to pick Abby and Libby up around 3.30. Kelsey recalled how she dropped Abby and Libby off at the Mears trail entrance and later that day when the time came for Derek Libby and Kelsey's dad to pick up the girls, he didn't see them. So he called Libby. No answer. Shortly after, Becky and Libby's aunt began calling and texting Libby. And again, no answer. Finally, Becky called Mike and told him what was going on and how unlike Libby and this whole situation was. She was always responsible, always communicative, and about where she was going, what she

was doing, and none of this made any sense. After Becky called Mike, Libby's family came to the trail to figure out what was going on and to hopefully find the girls. As it began to get darker outside and with no luck so far in finding the girls, Becky told Mike to call the police. As she recounted this part of the day, Becky's voice began to break, and she started crying. She said she called Libby a few more times, called AT&T to see if it was possible to ping Libby's phone to find her location. And then she called Anna Williams Abbey's mom and told her to meet her at the police station.

Started around 5.30. All upset, confused, obviously very distraunt. Just worried. All I want to do is have the girls get home safe. Missing, abducted, we don't know for sure. There's a cell phone tower, but the ping was last noted about five or six hours ago. They say the phone's now dead. Moving on to day two of the trial on Saturday, October 19th,

the prosecution called Steve Mullen, Delphi's police chief in 2017, Jake Johns, the search team member who found Libby's tie-dye shirt, and Patrick or Pat Brown, who discovered the girl's bodies. So far in the trial, Richard Allen's wife and mother have been present every day in trial, but this Saturday, Richard Allen's sister was present. Before court began, defense attorney Andrew Baldwin, came up to them and said, quote, he looks so good, as good as I've seen him since the first time, if only he would have stayed where he is right now, end quote.

And, quote, only took them a year and a half to do the right thing, end quote. I'm assuming he's alluding to Richard Allen's stay in Westville, correctional center prison in isolation compared to where he has been held for the final weeks leading up to the trial. Steve Mullins testified how he learned the girls were missing and the Delphi police's response. Mullins said that he did not search for the girls himself, but instead spoke with people searching, saying he stayed at the sheriff's department for the entire day until 2 a.m. when the search concluded for the night. He detailed how he thought one of the girls may have been injured and never for a second thought that something this nefarious happened.

The next day, around 7.30 a.m. Mullen said that he met with search volunteers at the Delphi Fire Department, took down volunteer names, and distributed maps and directed areas for volunteers to search. He indicated that because one thought early on that the girls could have been injured, some of the searches were conducted downstream from where the Monon High Bridge is. The jury was shown an interactive satellite map of Delphi, and Mullen pointed out to the jury where certain landmarks were, including 300 North. That road, 300 North, runs parallel to the trail, accesses the Mears Trail entrance, as well as the Hoosier Harvest Store. Later on, Mullen learned that the Hoosier Harvest Store had a surveillance camera that overlooked a portion

of 300 North, and he reviewed security footage of cars that passed that road from 8 until 6 p.m. on February 13th. He also showed the jury where the Freedom Bridge is and where the Monon High Bridge starts and ends. The jury was then shown drone footage of the path that began on the trail head by Freedom Bridge all the way through to the Monon High Bridge. Now, it's important to note that the footage that the jury saw was captured on February. February 13th, 2024. Mullen said that this was to represent how the trees and foliage would have been in February of 2017 and said that the only differences to the trail were the improvements made, which you can

see on the video version of this episode. During this part of the testimony, I noted that Richard Allen was attentive to what was going on and that he frequently turned around to look at his wife, Kathy. Here were the jury questions for Steve Mullen. Number one, what was the thought process for looking downstream? The answer, we were looking downstream in case one of the girls fell off the bridge. The next question, the jury asked, were the bodies found along the north side of Deer Creek or the creek reservoir or ravine that runs north and south of the Morning Heights Cemetery? Mullins indicated that he did not go to the scene and said, quote, I'm not familiar with the creek or reservoir, end quote.

As a side note, this question was odd to me and others sitting next to me because of how specific it was. And also at this point, the jury hadn't heard anything about a reservoir. Third question, was the drone footage at walking pace? The answer, Mullin said that walking pace was hard to replicate, but that the video was put in double speed, two times speed. This is important because the total length of video was nine minutes in full. The next question, would it take nine minutes to walk from Freedom Bridge to the Monon High Bridge? Yes was the answer. And so I think Mullins might have been confused or meant to say no because when I walk the Freedom Bridge to the Monon High Bridge, my maps indicated it was approximately a 17-minute walk.

Jacob Johns testified next. He is a Delphi local. His wife worked with Becky, but he did not know Abby or Libby. His wife told him that they were missing when he went to work on Tuesday. His boss actually told him and another man named Shane Haygood to leave work and go assist with the search. He said that they followed the riverbed starting from Riley Park to the Monon Highbridge Trail, which he ended up taking them almost four hours. Eventually, just past the moment on Highbridge,

he and Shane spotted what appeared to be clothing in the river and was later identified to be Libby's tie-dye t-shirt that she was wearing that day, as well as Libby's black Nike shoe. Next, Patrick Brown testified. Many people call him Pat. He is a lifelong Delphi resident who lives about 1.5 to 2 miles away

from the Highbridge, he said that he had known Mike Patty since high school, and that one of his daughters is close to Kelsey's age, who, again, Kelsey is Libby's sister. He said that he found out the girls were missing in the evening of the 13th. He wanted to help, but he said it was dark at that point. He said he called a neighbor, Tom Mears, and they plan to meet at the cemetery that backs up to part of Deer Creek and walk around. On the way there, they went by Ron Logan's house, house to ask if Ron Logan had seen the girls. Pat Brown said that Logan said no and that he hadn't seen anything unusual. When Pat and Tom got to the cemetery, he said it was very dark and the ravine area is extremely steep, saying, quote, in the dark, you could break a leg pretty easily. Then

they drove around and both went home. The next day, Pat Brown called off work to continue to assist in the search. He met Tom Mears at Stonehouse, a restaurant in downtown Delphi, got some coffee, and then walked to the fire department where Steve Mullen was directing and organizing the volunteer search effort. Mullen gave Pat Brown his phone number and said to call if he needed anything or found anything. He said he and Tom spent some time searching, but later picked up his daughter from school because she was feeling sick.

He took her home. They ate lunch, and then he received a call from Tom. Tom told him that he had heard from Shane Heygood and that they had found something in Deer Creek south of the cemetery. So Pat and Tom decided to go take a look. Once there, they began walking down from the cemetery. And now at this point, Pat began to choke up on stand as he told the jury what happened next. He said they kept walking down and all of a sudden saw something by the trees. It was the girls. He said, quote, at first, I thought they were mannequins. end quote. He became very emotional as he recalled how he began to turn around and yell.

We found them. And later called Steve Mullen to tell him that they had in fact found the girls. Following Pat's testimony, here were the jury questions. Number one, who was your phone provider in 2017? His answer, Verizon. Next question. How long did it take for police to arrive after you found the bodies? Five minutes, he says, but it felt like forever. Monday was a difficult day in court, as jurors heard from three officers who first documented the crime scene and viewed 42 graphic crime scene photos. The photos showed Abby and Libby's bodies and other crime scene evidence. Both families, along with Richard Allen's, showed visible emotion, holding hands or looking away. As far as reactions that day in court, it was a heart.

day. I saw tears from Libby's mother. At one point, Libby's mother actually put her hands in her face like this, but lower down. And she was consoled by her daughters who rubbed her back. I cannot imagine what they felt because it was a day I personally will never forget. It was so brutal what we saw. Witnesses that day included Deputy Darren Giacola. Indeatia. State Police Sergeant Jason Page, retired ISP Sergeant Dwayne Datesman, and ISP trooper Brian Oly. Jason Page was a crime scene investigator who documented the scene after the girls were found. He said that when he arrived at the scene, he parked at the cemetery and walked down to the crime scene barrier tape. He met with a few other crime scene investigators, came up with a plan to work

the area within the crime scene. Page estimated that the entire area was. about the size of a football field, but designated a smaller area that was about 30 feet in diameter of where the girls were found. They called this area ground zero. He detailed how the crime scene investigators use rope to help guide them on where to enter and exit the scene to not disturb other areas. He said he arrived around 2 p.m. on February 14th and left around 10.20 p.m. The photographs of the scene will be something that I never forget. And so if you are interested, in this testimony in more detail. A link to this live stream and podcast will be in the description of this episode.

But just to let you know, it showed both girls, these two best friends, laying close to one another. Libby was nude and covered with blood and had clearly multiple wounds to her neck. Even her hands were covered with blood. Abby was nearby and looked to have one wound to her neck and was clothed in Libby's clothing or what I could recognize as Libby's clothing. And again, during this time, Libby's biological mother, Carrie, was visibly crying, being comforted by Libby's half-sisters, and defense attorney Andrew Baldwin had his arm around Richard Allen. Jason Page also photographed the unspent bullet that was found near Libby's foot between her and Abby's bodies. He noted that Abby's

clothing was damp, but he didn't know exactly where. Later on in the day, through Page and other officers who testified after him, the jury was shown a lot of pictures of the Deer Creek Embankment, steep drop-offs, and the entire Ground Zero area. Dwayne Datesman, a former Indiana state police trooper, who is now retired, talked about how the branches and sticks placed on Abby and Libby were, quote, systematically removed one by one and put to the side, that nobody stepped on them." He said that the decision was made to leave the sticks because they, as in the officers on the scene that day and at that time, didn't see any blood on them, felt like the branches and

sticks were rough and crumbly and dry, and ultimately decided they were of no value for evidence because they never collected DNA from branches before. However, he also stated that he actually came back in the beginning of March 2017 to collect the sticks because he, quote, knew where Sergeant Page put them and knew what shapes the branches were and what to look for, end quote. Tuesday opened the continuation of Brian Oli's testimony who discussed numerous crime scene exhibits and items collected. I'm going to label, I'm going to list these items collected from Deer Creek one by one. One Nike shoe size 10, A Hollister blue jeans size 26.

Tie-eye shirt size XL. A gray no-brown-dries brand hooded sweatshirt, medium. A Sonoma brand pink underwear. Black and purple sock. Pink sock. Green headscarf. Black faded glory spaghetti strap, cammy and tank top. Collected from Ground Zero?

A converse tennis shoe. A right shoe. A converse shoe. shoe recovered from Abby, her left shoe, a 40 caliber Smith and Wesson cartridge, a strand of material from Abby's fingers, a strand of material from Abby's left arm, swabs from Libby's wrists, swabs from Libby's belly button, swabs from Libby's thighs above her knees, strands of fibrous material from Libby's right pinky finger, swab of tree, black Nike shoe under Abby, swab of presumed blood on the ground, swab of presumed blood on Libby's feet, swab from the ground under Libby's head, and swab from

ground near a tree with presumed blood, a swab of presumed blood near Abbey and tree, a swab of red stain on ground behind Abby's head, and a swab of tree with red stains, a swab of lower tree stain, a swab of Libby's left index finger, a swab of Libby's left pinky finger, a cell phone, which was Libby's iPhone, and a swab of cell phone taken before given to a technician who examined the phone. Now, here were the items collected from the autopsy on February 15th, a swab of Libby's left and right thigh, swab of Libby's left and right breast area, a rape kit for Abby, a rape kit for Libby, trace fiber from Abby's upper left arm, a black hooded sweatshirt, the gilden XX large that said Delphi swimming on the front, the back said German, blue jeans, Maurice Brand, extra large.

These jeans had red stains, fruit of a loom, cotton bra size 34 with red stains, a pink sleeveless shirt with red stains, a black bra size 34A with red stains. The pink shirt tank on Abby was wet and had a water line and the jeans were also wet. Olli noted he was unaware of any DNA at the scene linking Allen. Now Indiana State Police Lieutenant Brian Bunner was next. He's a state forensic examiner and he testified on cell phone data extraction, specifically Libby's bridge video that she recorded. He confirmed that only in certain frames was a man visible behind the girls known by the

public as bridge guy. Witnesses who claimed to have seen Bridge Guy on the Monon Trail that day testified, including Rayleigh Vorhees, Breanne, or Bree Welber, and Betsy Blair, also testified. Rayleigh and Bree were together on the trail that day. Rayleigh said it was 47 degrees and she was wearing a light jacket. She stated she didn't see anyone at the bridge, but did see someone walking a dog on the trail and she saw a man as she was walking back to the Freedom Bridge. She said that she stated hello to the man, but the man glared at her and did not say hi back

and said that the man seemed like an unhappy person. She said this man was overdressed for the weather. He had a hood on with a hat. He was Caucasian, had something covering his face, hands in pocket, heavy coat. She later told police that she believed the man she saw was Bridge Guy. On cross-exam, her previous statements and depositions were brought up in those previous statements. She said that the man she saw was wearing black pants, a black jacket, a black hood, had dirty blonde hair, hair long enough that it was sticking out, described him as being in

his 20s or 30s, muscular, bigger build, curly hair, brown eyes, wrinkly face, square jaw. The defense then said, quote, you're 5-7 and the man was taller than you. So 5-10, question mark. And Rayleigh said, quote, that seems to be accurate, end quote. Bree said she knew Libby because Kelsey was one of her best friends and that she was friends with Libby on Snapchat. Bree said that she saw Bridge Guy, quote, walking with purpose, end quote, and quote, he gave me weird vibes, end quote, when he didn't say hi back to Rayleigh as Rayleigh greeted him. Bree said that Libby messaged her on Snapchat, responding to a picture, Bree had

posted at the bridge and asked if she was still there. Bree responded, no, we left 10 minutes ago. Brie later told law enforcement that she did see one person walking with purpose covering their nose and mouth that had a blue or black jacket, blue pants on, and again, she believed that that person she saw was bridge guy. During cross-examination, Baldwin asked Bree, you stood up as tall as his forearm? Brie responded, yes, that's what I guessed.

Baldwin said, so he's a taller guy? Brie said, yes. Baldwin then asked Brie, muscular. Bree stated, not sure. She was then shown her previous deposition where she described him as muscular. Baldwin then said, and he was younger? Bree said, not sure.

She was then shown her previous deposition when she described him as younger. Baldwin then asked, did you see a guy in his 20s with poofy brown hair? Bree stated, I'm not sure. Betsy Blair was also on the trails that day. She said that she saw Abby and Libby

and that they were walking and talking closely. She said that after she saw Bridge Guy on the news, she contacted law enforcement and gave a statement because she believed she saw him that day. Betsy said that she saw Bridge Guy on one of the side platforms on the Monon High Bridge and said, quote, he just looked at me like he was expecting somebody or something, end quote. She could tell it was a white male and said she had never seen this person before.

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slash remove. Protect yourself now atora.com slash remove. During cross-examination, she was asked if she described the person she saw as having brown, poofy hair, and Betsy replied, no, I said that in the sketches, which the jury had no idea about the sketches because the judge ruled that the two different

police sketches could not be admitted in trial. She was then asked if he looked young and her answer was yes. More boyish? Answer, I don't remember. Youthful in appearance? Answer, yes. Average height, answer yes. Not wearing a hat? Answer, no, I didn't see. Since 2017, your mind hasn't changed about bridge guy? Answer, no. The final testimony was from Steve Mullen once again and he spoke about collecting the surveillance video from the Hoosier Harvest Store. And in this video, it was confirmed that he saw Kelsey's video, Betsy's vehicle, and the vehicle of another witness, Sarah Carbo, who had not testified at this point. What's one financial lesson you learned the hard way? I'll go first. It's not too late to start saving. Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns.

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that she saw a bridge guy covered in mud and blood the day the girls disappeared, although she did not notify police for three weeks out of fear. Sarah described driving past a man walking down a narrow country road after she had left the Monon High Trail near 4 p.m. When she noticed that he was covered in mud and blood and that she originally thought he might have fallen, although she didn't want to help him since she was a female and this was a male. Sarah was defiant towards some of the defense testimony and when the defense asked her if she'd like to read her own deposition to refresh her memory because she was saying things on the stand that were different than what she had said in the past, she responded by saying, no, I'm good. Now, Dr. Roland CORE was next and he performed the

autopsies. He described the girls' injuries and he also clarified that no obvious defense wounds or signs of sexual trauma were present. He explained that despite there being no visible sexual injury found, that doesn't mean a sexual assault didn't take place. He showed the visible difference in neck wounds between Abby and Libby, Libby having many more wounds on her neck than Abby. And I had a sketch artist in the court with me that day who drew some of the graphic photos that we witnessed. If you are interested in this testament, and in those sketches with more detail, which described the findings in this autopsy, a link to the live stream and episode will be in the description of this episode.

Christopher Cecil of the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force testified on Libby's phone activity. He explained that Libby's phone was last unlocked at 207 p.m. and that the video capturing Bridge Guy was taken shortly after at 2.13 p.m. with the last known movement at 2.32 p.m. Despite the phone being on until around 10.30 p.m., messages stopped arriving until early the next morning. When questioned, Cecil reported no connection between Allen's C's electronic devices and the girls, though Allen reportedly searched for information about the case. The prosecution noted Allen's 2017 phone was not among the seized devices,

while the defense countered that Allen no longer had that phone in 2022. Now on to day six, Thursday. October 24th, 2024. Day 6 of this trial, Libby's grandpa Dennis was in court, and he told me he was absent earlier in the week because he didn't want to remember his granddaughter through crime scene photographs or autopsy photographs. Thursday's court session opened with the testimony of Kathy Shank,

who described her administrative role in the Delphi investigation. Shank explained that her job was to record and log the names and details of those who provided tips, which she said were. over 14,000 at one point. She organized them all into a filing system using five filing cabinets, and in 2020, she was assigned the task of converting this massive collection into a digital database, a process that stretched over two years. It wasn't until September 2022 that she came across an intriguing handwritten tip.

The tip mentioned a, quote, Richard Allen Whiteman, end quote, who had reported seeing the girls and being seen by them on the trails. Shank quickly recognized a mislabeling in the name. It wasn't someone named Richard Allen Whiteman, but rather Richard Allen who lived on Whiteman Drive. When jurors asked how she identified the mistake, Shank pointed out her familiarity with local street names, and that was what helped her realize it was his street

rather than his last name. During cross-examination, she clarified that the error had occurred before her involvement in the case. Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin inquired if she had come across any other tips naming Allen and she replied to my knowledge, no.

Carol County Sheriff Tony Liggett took the stand next. The prosecution played a 43-second video of the individual known as Bridge Guy taken from Libby's phone, sharing his interpretation of what was said in the recording after listening to hundreds of times on multiple different devices using headphones. According to Liggett,

Abby says in the video, quote, is he right here? Don't leave me up here, end quote. And then Libby says, quote, see, there's a path. And then her voice changes to more softly saying, that be a gun, end quote. Abby then says, quote, there's no path here, end quote. And Bridge Guy then says, guys, and one of the girls responds with hi. And Bridge Guy is heard saying, down the hill. Liggett explains that it was Schenk who had originally raised concerns to him, which led him to reach out to former Delphi police chief Steve Mullen. Chief Mullen then took the stand for the third time to discuss what they uncovered in their investigation. He shared how he identified a Black Ford Focus, owned by Allen in security footage taken from the Hoosier Harvest Store on February 13, 2017.

Mullen also recounted how he and Ligget had visited Allen's residence, where Alan agreed to discuss the events of that day. Alan outlined his timeline explaining that he had been at his mothers in Peru, Indiana, stopped in Delphi for a jacket, and parked near the old DCS building. However, this timeline did present some inconsistencies, such as Alan saying when he arrived at the trails around noon, different from previous statements. Ellen also claimed he saw three girls on the bridge that day. When Mullen described a weird comment Alan made after Mullen showed him a photo of bridge guy, according to Mullen, Alan said that if the girls had taken that picture on their phone,

there was no way it could be him. In a tense cross-examination, Baldwin challenged Mullen, accusing him of twisting the facts for the jury by stating that Allen was headed west on 300 North. Baldwin contended that Allen would have been traveling east through town to reach the trails. Mullen ultimately agreed, admitting that the initial video evidence actually showed a vehicle heading east to west. Sheriff Liggett returned to the stand in the afternoon session. He recounted how he had followed up with Mullen about the Allen tip

and had even gone to CVS to photograph Allen's Ford Focus. Liggett also described conducting the October 2020 interview with Allen at the police station as well as the search of Allen's home. There investigators found items including guns, ammunitions, and a Carhart jacket. Alan had said he was wearing one on February 13, 2017, as well as over two dozen. and knives and box cutters. Despite these items being taken into evidence, look at emphasized that no physical or digital evidence directly linked Alan to the scene. Next, Indiana State Police Officer David Vito testified about his involvement in the 2022 search of Allen's

home five years after the murder. And he presented the jury with photos of the workbench where Alan kept various items like these numerous knives, box cutters, guns, and ammunition. Several of these items were taken to the state police post, but veto confirmed no link to the victims was found on these items. Now, if you're interested in this testimony in more detail, a link to that live stream will be in the description of this episode. Next, State Police Lieutenant Jerry Holman testified about his initial walkthrough of Allen's home, as well as a conversation he and Alan had while they sat in a car outside during the search. Holman shared that he offered Alan a form to report any damage caused by the search, and Alan reportedly declined saying, quote,

it doesn't matter. It's over. End quote. He also said that Alan asked if his wife was detained. And Holman said, no, she went up to her work because she had to use the restroom and then asked Richard Allen if he wanted Holman to take him to her. And Alan again said, quote, it doesn't matter. It's over.

Now, on day seven, again, this is Friday, October 25. 25th, 2024. The day started what the state calling their first witness, Melissa Oberg, an operations data analyst who previously worked as a forensic firearm analyst with the Indiana State Police. Oberg began by breaking down the steps in firearm analysis for the jury, explaining that the markings left on bullets and identifying varying parts of the gun. The state then introduced photos of an unspent 40-calibre bullet, often referred to as the magic bullet by the defense found between the bodies of Abby and Libby at the crime scene. Oberg identified this as a Winchester 40 caliber cartridge with no biological matter on it.

Melissa discussed the possible ejector marks on the bullet and compared them to those of a Glock 22, another 40 caliber firearm. Oberg presented a detailed slideshow to the jury, ultimately concluding that the cartridge found near the scene had, and her analysis, cycled through the gun collected from Richard Allen's home in 2022. By comparing tool marks on the unspent cartridge with those on a test cartridge, she noted several marks were in sufficient agreement and confirmed the cartridge found near the scene had not been fired.

She explained that tool marks are essentially the unique features of tools to impress upon an object when contact and pressure is applied. On cross-examination, defense attorney Brad Rosie questioned her about the term sufficient agreement and brought up ongoing studies by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, also known as PCAST, and the National Academy of Science, NAS, concerning scrutiny regarding the scientific reliability of tool mark analysis. She reiterated that certain marks on the cartridge supported her conclusion that it had matched Allen's gun. Rosie then said whether it was possible for an unspent round to be

cycled through multiple firearms, to which Oberg agreed it was possible. She also admitted that the other guns tested could not be excluded as a match. Ultimately, her analysis concluded that the unspent cartridge found between the girls could be matched with a fired round from Richard Allen's gun, but she couldn't get a match from just cycling the unspent round like the bullet found between the girls. She tried six times to cycle the rounds and four test fire rounds. Oberg wrapped up by stating that her test did not yield an exact match and that her testing was subjective.

And again, as always, if you are interested in this testimony in more detail, a link to this live stream will be in the description of this episode. Saturday was a half day, and it started with Lieutenant Holman on the stand, once again. Lieutenant Holman gave background on his education when it comes to interviewing suspects. And then he talked about what techniques he used, such as building rapport, presenting evidence, lying or over-exaggerating, and reading body language. He was asked about an October 26th, 20-22 interview with Richard Allen. And this is the first time any of us are hearing about this interview in court. And the irony isn't lost on me that this day in court was October 26, 2024, exactly two years to date of this

interview conducted by Lieutenant Holman. We learned the interview was recorded and that there is an 80-page transcript. Both Richard and Kathy Allen went to the ISP in Lafayette for the interview. Holman said he reminded Alan of his Miranda rights at the beginning of the interview and had told him he was free to leave at any time. The interview started with Holman building rapport with Richard Allen by discussing their time in the military, and it included talking about firearms and Holman and Richard Allen's usage of firearms. Holman stated that when the interview first started,

Alan had a calm demeanor, but Holman said that when he told Allen that there was a report that the bullet at the crime scene matched his gun, his demeanor changed. Holman asked Alan about a statement made outside his house on October 14th during that search warrant when Alan stated that, quote, it doesn't matter, it's over.

And Alan told Holman, that what he meant was that the damage was done because police had interviewed his neighbors and coworkers and everyone believed he was the killer. Holman told Alan that people had identified him as bridge guy, which was technically a lie said by Holman. And even with being told that information, plus the information of the gun and cartridge match,

Alan denied 20 to 25 times throughout the interview that he was the killer. Holman said that Alan spoke about his mental health, which included depression, and anxiety. And although Holman claimed that he did not pick up on any obvious signs of mental health issues during that interview, as Holman continued to pressure Allen, Alan got, quote, pissed off, according to Holman. And he said, quote, I didn't fucking do it, end quote. Richard Allen was raising his voice. So Holman said that he also raised his voice because he usually matches the energy given by the suspect. In regards to the bullet, Richard Allen also said,

quote, no way that round cycled through my gun. I don't know how it got there, end quote. Alan also said he didn't bring his gun to the bridge that day. After more questions, the testimony shifted to deception. Holman explains signs that he believes are signs of deception, which include people looking away, not making eye contact, repeatedly touching their face, etc. And he said that Alan showed signs of deception, including touching his face and other subtle signs. The interview ended with Holman stating, look, I know you're a good guy, and Alan allegedly responded, quote, what good guy kills two girls, end quote, as well as Richard Allen saying, quote, take all of your evidence and just arrest me, end quote. At that point, Holman consulted with other law enforcement members outside

the interview room, and they decided to detain Richard Allen. And then it was time for cross exam. Baldwin started with a mic drop moment. telling Holman that he was looking down quite a bit during his testimony and asked Holman if that was a sign of deception. Then we got into some heavy questioning. Apparently, that part of Holman reminding Richard of his rights and that he was free to leave at the beginning of the interview is missing from that recorded interview. But in the transcript from his deposition this past May, Holman specifically said that he went outside and got the camera working and saw it with his own eyes. When questioned about this, Holman responds by saying there was a delay in the recording,

which is why that part is missing. The defense then said, quote, so we just have to take your word for it, end quote. The day ended with the jury asking if there was a way for bridge guide to get to where the girls were going without crossing the bridge and then asking where Derek Libby's dad was when he was shouting for the girls. To see more of the details of this day and my live stream relaying all of the details. You can head to the description once again in this episode. Now, I am back in court this week. Thank you to all of you for your continued support. I feel it from those of you listening near and far. May Abby and Libby have justice. However that may look, they will never be forgotten. Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding group A. Please have your

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