After years of hard work to find the culprit, the Delphi double murder trial is finally about to unfold as the jury has been selected for the case in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Richard Allen, the Delphi murderer, killed two girls, Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, in 2017. The girls were best friends enjoying their day off school on a hiking trail but little did they know, this was their last time enjoying a hike together.
The Delphi Double Murder
On February 13, 2017, a relative dropped the girls at a hiking trail near their hometown, Delphi, Indiana. When the girls didn’t make it to the agreed-upon pickup location, that is when their families reported them missing, and their bodies were found the next day. Police have never released how the girls were murdered, however, a video recovered from German’s phone shows a man approaching them and one of the girls said “Gun.” In addition, according to a probable cause affidavit, a .40 caliber unspent round was found near one of the bodies, and court documents mention that a knife was involved in the Delphi double murder.
A Cold Case Getting Hot Again
The Delphi double murder shook the nation and the authorities were very keen on solving it. They released a video from German’s phone with the suspect approaching them from the bridge and saying, “Down the hill.” Furthermore, they released composite sketches of the suspect in 2017 and again in 2019. When the case went cold, they decided to go through “prior tips.” The police interviewed Allen in 2017 and he told the officer that he had been on the trail where the girls had been and he saw three “females” but on another bridge. He said that he hadn’t talked to them and he was distracted by a stock ticker on his phone.
Allen was interviewed again on October 13, 2022, and he still stuck to his story that he saw three “juvenile girls” walking down the trail. Investigators then searched his home and seized a .40-caliber pistol. Tests were done and it was determined that an unspent bullet found between the girls’ bodies “had been cycled through” Allen’s gun. Allen was a 50-year-old husband and father at the time who worked at the local CVS in Delphi. Allen denied his involvement with the murders but he was caught confessing to committing the Delphi double murder several times in jail phone calls with his wife in April 2023.
The Jury and The Trial
Jury selection for the Delphi double murder began on Monday from Allen County residents, to allow for an impartial, fair trial. Then, the trial will be held at Delphi’s Carroll County courthouse. Jury selection proved to be a task as on Tuesday, three previously selected jurors were dismissed which brought the number of jurors down to 11. The first had childcare issues, the second had health issues, and no reasons were given for the third’s dismissal. Later on that day, five new jurors were selected and the court was recessed with jury selection completed.
The prosecution and the defense were going back and forth during the Delphi double murder jury selection as the prosecution asked to bar the defense from using the 2017 and 2019 sketches and the defense claimed that a hair found in Williams’ hand didn’t belong to Allen. The prosecution is still waiting for a ruling on the admissibility of the composite sketches, which will be decided on Thursday. Allen County Judge Frances Gull has banned cameras from the courtroom during the trial and barred reporters from taking electronic devices inside the courthouse. Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Friday in Carroll County. Allen faces up to 130 years in prison if convicted.
Final Thoughts
The Delphi double murder should never have happened. No one should ever suffer the loss of their young ones. Williams will no longer be able to pursue a career in forensic science, nor will German be able to achieve her dream of being with the FBI and solving crimes. All of that is because of a merciless killer who decided to take their lives before their time. Yes, justice delayed is justice denied but then again, better late than never.
