Cops Finally Reveal How They Nabbed Local Dad in Delphi Teen Murders - The Daily Beast

An unspent .40-caliber circular discovered betwixt the bodies of 2 young girls recovered dormant connected an Indiana hiking way successful 2017 led investigators to their alleged slayer fractional a decennary later, according to a probable origin affidavit unsealed Tuesday.

A forensic introspection showed the still-live slug had been “cycled through” a Sig Sauer P226 owned by Richard Matthew Allen, who was charged past period with execution successful the deaths of Delphi teens Libby German and Abby Williams.

Allen, a 50-year-old begetter of 2 who worked arsenic a pharmacy technician astatine a section CVS successful Delphi and was well-known astir town, “did not person an mentation of wherefore the slug was recovered betwixt the bodies of [German] and [Williams],” states the 12-page affidavit, which was ordered unsealed by Superior Court Judge Frances C. Gull.

Allen purchased the weapon successful 2001 and told investigators helium “never allowed anyone to usage oregon get it,” according to the affidavit.

German, 14, and Williams, 13, went retired for a locomotion the time earlier Valentine’s Day 2017 and ne'er returned home. Their remains were recovered the adjacent time adjacent a creek. Police said a mates of years aboriginal that they believed the perpetrator was idiosyncratic who either lived oregon worked successful the area, oregon visited frequently. After sifting done countless tips and interviewing aggregate persons of interest, Allen was arrested successful precocious October—although prosecutors person not ruled retired the anticipation that others were involved.

“I conscionable couldn’t judge it erstwhile they said they arrested him,” barroom proprietor Bob Matlock, a adjacent person of Allen’s, told The Daily Beast aft Allen’s apprehension was announced. “I said, ‘Well, that can’t beryllium the Rick we know.’ And past we travel to find retired it was… There wouldn’t person been immoderate inkling to anyone that knew him that would expect him to bash thing similar that. He conscionable didn’t look that benignant of person. But… you ne'er know.”

In summation to the ballistics evidence, the affidavit unsealed Tuesday reveals different antecedently chartless details surrounding the shocking treble murder, which continues to haunt the tiny municipality of Delphi.

Investigators judge German and Williams were dropped disconnected soon earlier 2 p.m. adjacent an entranceway to the Monon High Bridge Trail, wherever they planned to hike connected Feb. 13, 2017, according to the affidavit.

A little video aboriginal recovered connected German’s cellphone captured a achromatic antheral successful a bluish overgarment walking connected an abandoned railroad span astatine 2:13 p.m.. In audio aboriginal released by police, the antheral tin beryllium heard saying, “Guys, down the hill.”

But the recently unsealed affidavit reveals 1 of the girls could besides beryllium heard saying, “Gun,” arsenic the antheral approached them, anterior to ordering them down the hill.

“[German] and [Williams’] deaths were ruled arsenic homicides,” the affidavit states. “Clothes were recovered successful the Deer Creek belonging to [German] and [Williams], southbound of wherever their bodies were located. There was besides a .40 caliber unspent circular … betwixt [German] and [Williams’] bodies. The circular was unspent and had extraction marks connected it.”

Investigators besides interviewed 3 young girls who said they encountered a “kind of creepy” antheral successful a bluish overgarment connected the aforesaid way that day. One of the radical said she said hullo to the man, who glared astatine her and kept walking, according to the affidavit.

The man, who the affidavit says matched the antheral successful the cellphone video, “was walking with a intent similar helium knew wherever helium was going,” 1 of the witnesses said.

A antheral was captured connected a little video connected German’s cellphone wearing a bluish overgarment and walking connected an abandoned railroad span astatine 2:13 p.m. connected Feb. 13, 2017.

FBI

A pistillate who was connected the way that time arsenic good besides told constabulary she remembered encountering a antheral wearing a bluish overgarment who matched the antheral successful the video. The unnamed pistillate said she recalled seeing “no different adults” connected her locomotion too the man, who had parked his car successful an “odd” mode astatine an aged Child Protective Services (CPS) gathering adjacent the way entrance.

“She stated it was not unusual for vehicles to beryllium parked determination but she noticed it was unusual due to the fact that of the mode [in which] it was parked, backed successful adjacent the building,” the affidavit says.

Another extremity came successful from a antheral who said helium had been driving by the CPS gathering that time and spotted a “Purple PT Cruiser oregon a tiny SUV benignant vehicle” parked determination that “appeared arsenic though it was backed successful [so] arsenic to conceal the licence plate.” Someone other described the conveyance arsenic possibly a “Smart car.”

And a motorist informed detectives that she had seen a antheral successful a bluish overgarment walking on a roadworthy adjacent the way entranceway connected Feb. 13, and that helium appeared “muddy and bloody,” according to the affidavit.

The antheral investigators judge was Allen was not seen again connected the way aft 2:13 p.m., “because helium was successful the woods with [German] and [Williams],” it continues, adding helium past walked backmost to his car on County Road 300 North.

Investigators besides reviewed past tips, and homed successful connected an interrogation different serviceman had conducted with Allen successful 2017.

Allen claimed helium had been connected the way betwixt 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. connected Feb. 13, and that helium had seen “three females” portion walking the Freedom Bridge connected his mode to the High Bridge. He said helium hadn’t interacted with them astatine all, and said helium was “watching a banal ticker connected his telephone arsenic helium walked,” the affidavit states.

Investigators dug into Allen’s idiosyncratic history, and recovered helium owned a 2016 Ford Focus, which tin look “similar successful nature” to a PT Cruiser, tiny SUV, oregon Smart, according to the affidavit.

On Oct. 13, 2022, investigators questioned Allen, who stuck to his story. He insisted helium hadn’t seen anyone connected the way that time backmost successful 2017 different than “the juvenile girls” adjacent the Freedom Bridge. Allen said helium owned guns, and that helium kept them astatine home.

That aforesaid day, investigators executed a hunt warrant astatine his location and located “jackets, boots, knives and firearms, including a Sig Sauer, Model P226, .40 caliber pistol with serial fig U 625 627,” the affidavit states.

Over the adjacent 5 days, the Indiana State Police transgression laboratory tested the weapon, and “determined the unspent circular located wrong 2 feet of [the girls’ bodies] had been cycled done Richard M. Allen’s Sig Sauer Model P226.”

Allen was astatine a full nonaccomplishment to explicate however an unused slug from that precise weapon coiled up beside 2 dormant bodies.

“He again admitted that helium was connected the way but denied knowing [German] oregon [Williams] and denied immoderate engagement successful their murders,” says the affidavit.

Prosecutors successful Carroll County, wherever Allen lives and the transgression occurred, had asked for the probable origin affidavit to stay sealed.

In a Nov. 22 unsealing hearing, defense lawyer Andrew Baldwin argued that releasing the affidavit would rise “more questions than answers.” At the aforesaid time, Baldwin called the details contained wrong “nothing for america to interest about.”

“The Court finds that the nationalist involvement is not served by prohibiting access, and that the extortion and information of witnesses tin beryllium ensured by redacting their names from the Affidavit, and that the defendant's idiosyncratic accusation tin beryllium removed from the Charging Informations,” Gull wrote successful her unsealing order.

Baldwin and co-counsel Brad Rozzi person asked the tribunal to move Allen’s proceedings astatine slightest 150 miles retired of town.

In a question filed Monday, they argued, “It is communal consciousness to presume that residents from counties further distant from Carroll County volition not person the aforesaid level of concern successful the lawsuit and truthful volition beryllium capable to much reasonably determine the substance without interest astir however their verdict whitethorn impact their relationships with different Carroll County residents.”

Allen is owed backmost successful tribunal Feb. 17.