The Delphi Murders: Justice for Libby and Abby

The Delphi Murders: Justice for Libby and Abby

Delphi, Indiana, is a town forever changed. On February 13, 2017, best friends Liberty “Libby” German and Abigail “Abby” Williams set off on what should have been a carefree afternoon hike along the Monon High Bridge Trail. By the next day, their tragic deaths would set the stage for one of the most infamous cases in recent history. In this episode, we dive into the evidence that rocked a nation: the haunting audio clip recorded by Libby, the relentless search for “Bridge Guy,” and the unyielding quest for justice that spanned nearly seven years. As the trial of Richard Allen brings closure to some and raises questions for others, we reflect on the bravery of two young girls, the persistence of investigators, and the scars left on a community grappling with unthinkable loss.

#DelphiMurders #LibbyAndAbby #BridgeGuy #TrueCrimePodcast #RichardAllenTrial #JusticeForLibbyAndAbby #UnsolvedToSolved

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Delphi, Indiana, a quiet little town where nothing ever happens
until it does. In February twenty seventeen, two best friends,
Libby German and Abby Williams set off on a hike
on the Monan high Bridge Trail. It was the kind
of carefree afternoon you'd expect in a small town in America.
By the next day, though, their families and the entire

(00:51):
town were plunged into a nightmare. What followed was a
case that gripped the nation. A grainy video, a disembodied
voice saying the hill, and a manhunt that dragged on
for years. The killer wasn't some shadowy figure from a
crime novel. He turned out to be much closer than
anyone could have imagined. This is a story of bravery, heartbreak,

(01:13):
and a seven year pursuit of justice that hinged on
a single piece of evidence. But before we get into
that story, if you like your true crime brief and bingeable,
you have found the right podcast. I give you at
least two episodes per week, So hit that follow button
now and welcome to ten minute murder. On an unseasonably

(01:45):
warm February afternoon in twenty seventeen, best friends Liberty. Libby
Jerman and Abigail Abby Williams set out to explore the
Monon high Bridge trailed in Delphi, Indiana. It was the
kind of spot that embodied small town charm, quiet, picturesque
and seemingly safe, But by the next morning that illusion

(02:06):
was destroyed. Their bodies were discovered not far from the trail,
and the small town of Delphi would soon find itself
at the heart of one of the most chilling unsolved
cases in modern true crime. What made this case stand
out almost immediately was a haunting piece of video left
behind by Libby's quick thinking authorities released an audio clip

(02:28):
and a short video from her phone, sending a collective
shiver down the spine of anyone who listened. The voice
of an unidentified man could be heard saying, guys down
the hill. This grainy video captured him walking towards the
girls with unsettling confidence. It wasn't the stuff of horror
movies because it was much worse. It was real, and

(02:51):
it was irreversible. The case quickly became a national obsession.
Armchair detectives scrutinized every frame of the video and dissected
each each syllable of the chilling phrase. Guys down the
Hill podcasts, YouTube channels, and Reddit threads dedicated themselves to
unraveling the mystery of a man infamously known as Bridge Guy.

(03:13):
Despite the relentless efforts of law enforcement and the public,
years passed without an arrest, Delphi remained trapped in a nightmare,
its close knit community burdened by unanswered questions and profound grief.
For years, it seemed like the case might remain unsolved,
But after what felt like an eternity of silence and speculation,

(03:33):
a breakthrough finally arrived, a development so significant it shocked
even the most seasoned true crime followers. Justice was on
the horizon and the case had taken a dramatic and
long awaited turn. Libby fourteen and Abby thirteen were the
kind of best friends who seemed inseparable, embodying the spirit

(03:55):
of a small town childhood. Libby enjoyed photography and softball,
while Abby had a natural talent for art and a
big imagination. Together, they filled their world with laughter, inside jokes,
and boundless energy. They were simply put two bright lights
on the brink of a future that was stolen far
too soon. On February thirteenth, twenty seventeen, the girls had

(04:19):
a day off from school and decided to make the
most of it. They persuaded Libby's older sister to drop
them off at the Monon High Bridge Trail, a local
hiking spot famous for its scenic views and the towering,
weathered railroad bridge stretching over Deer Creek. It was the
kind of place where two teenagers could take pictures, explore,

(04:40):
and enjoy a little bit of freedom. At two seven pm,
Libby posted a snapchat photo of Abby walking along the bridge,
a quiet snapshot of a care free afternoon. But sometime
after that moment, everything went terribly wrong. When the girls
didn't show up at the designated pickup spot later that afternoon,
the the families knew something was off. Concern quickly turned

(05:03):
to alarm, and by nightfall, search teams were combing the
woods with flashlights. Despite their efforts, there was no sign
of the girls that evening. What makes this case particularly
haunting is Libby's remarkable quick thinking. In a moment of
unimaginable terror, she took out her phone and recorded both
video and audio of the man believed to be their killer.

(05:27):
It was an active bravery that defies her age, one
that preserved vital evidence of the man infamously known as
Bridge Guy. Her actions would become the foundation of the investigation,
ensuring that his voice and image would not only haunt Delphi,
but the entire world. The search for Libby and Abbey
ended in heartbreak on Valentine's Day twenty seventeen. Their bodies

(05:51):
were discovered near Deer Creek, just off the High Bridge Trail.
They weren't far from where they'd last been seen, less
than a half a mile, was still remote, overgrown, and
easy to miss. What started as a frantic search ended
in the kind of nightmare that forever changes of family,
a small town, and anyone paying attention. For years, the

(06:14):
details of what actually happened remained locked away, fueling the
frustration and mystery of an already devastating case. It wasn't
until the trial of Richard Allen in twenty twenty four
that some of the truth came to light, and it
was much worse than anyone could have imagined. Both girls
had their throats cut and what can only be described

(06:35):
as brutal and senseless. Libby's body was found unclothed, while
Abby was wearing Libby's clothes. Why no one knows. Maybe
it was part of the killer's depraved plan, or maybe
it was something even more twisted. Whatever the reason, it's
a detail that sticks with you, whether you want it
to or not. And then there was the bullet, a

(06:59):
single un spent forty caliber round found near their bodies.
At first glance, it seemed like a random clue, but
that lone piece of evidence turned out to be a
game changer. It linked a firearm owned by Richard Allen
directly to the crime scene and gave investigators the lead
they desperately needed after years of frustration and false starts.

(07:21):
It's impossible to comprehend what Libby and Abbey endured in
their final moments, and honestly, it's something that the people
in Delphi and beyond are still struggling to wrap their
heads around. The details are as horrifying as they come,
but they're a painful reminder of why justice for these
two remarkable girls was never optional. It was a fight

(07:42):
that had to be won, no matter how long it took.
The investigation into Libby and Abbey's murders began with one
of the most haunting clues in modern true crime police
released that audio clip from Libby's phone, a man saying,
guys down the hill. Hearing it made your stomach drop.
Those these were some of the last words that girls

(08:02):
ever heard. Alongside the audio was a grainy video of
the suspect walking across the bridge, hands in his pockets,
stride steady. It was chilling and frustratingly vague enough to
terrify but not enough to identify him. Then came the sketches,
first one, then another, then a revision. Each update felt

(08:23):
like a breakthrough, just waiting to happen, but the tips
led nowhere. As years passed, the case became an obsession
for the public and a relentless pursuit for law enforcement.
Yet the trail only grew colder. Out of nowhere a breakthrough.
In October twenty twenty two, police arrested Richard Allen, a

(08:44):
local who had been hiding in plain Sight and Delphi
the entire time. He wasn't a drifter or an outsider.
He blended seamlessly into the community. The key to his
arrest that unspent forty caliber bullet found at the crime scene.
It linked to God that Allan owned. After years of
heartbreak and dead ends, investigators finally had a tangible connection.

(09:07):
The arrest was a turning point, but left lingering questions.
How it'd he gone unnoticed for so long? Why did
it take years to make the connection. Relief was tempered
by the bitter realization that justice had been so close
yet so far away. Alan's trial was a roller coaster,
equal parts shocking and heartbreaking. The prosecution's case centered on

(09:31):
that bullet, arguing it was the literal, smoking gun that
tied Alan to the murders. They also presented Alan's alleged confessions,
made multiple times to his wife, his mother, and even
the prison staff. It was damning and the combined and
combined with the horrific details of the crime, the picture
was painted grim. But Allan's defense fought back. They challenged

(09:53):
the confessions, citing his mental health and solitary confinement as factors,
and pointed to the lack of deals in nate evidence
directly linking him to the scene. No fingerprints, no fibers,
just that bullet, and they didn't let the jury forget it.
Deliberations stretched over nineteen hours across several days, and excruciating
weights for the families, the community, and everyone invested in

(10:17):
the case. Finally, on November eleventh, twenty twenty four, nearly
seven years after the tragedy, the jury delivered their verdict.
Richard Allen was found guilty on all counts. The court
room erupted with a mix of relief, grief, and bittersweet closure,
just as at last had been served. Sentencing is scheduled

(10:40):
for December twentieth, twenty twenty four, with Alan facing up
to one hundred thirty years in prison. It won't erase
the pain or bring Libby an Abbey back, but it
ensures he will never walk free again. Libby and Abbey's
legacy is one of courage, strength, and a community united
by their memory. Their loss is an unhealable wound on Delphi,

(11:03):
but their bravery, especially Libby's quick thinking to capture crucial evidence,
helped bring justice. While the verdict offers some peace, their
names will always symbolize the fight for justice and the
power of perseverance. That's ten minute Murder for Today, brief

(11:34):
and bingeable true crime. I'm Joe, I'm the host, and
thank you for taking the time to listen. If you're
a brand new listener, become a subscriber if you're a
new subscriber, make sure you catch up on all the
back episodes of ten Minute Murder. And if you've done that,
you can do one of two things. You can do
what some people have reached out to me and told
me that they have done, which is go back to

(11:55):
the beginning and re listen to the episodes, which I mean,
that's you can do that if you want to. That's
a whole bunch of episodes. It's nearly five hundred at
this point. You can listen to all the old ones.
Or there's a brand new ten minute podcast. It's called
ten Minute Mystery. There aren't murders, per se. That's not
the focus of this podcast. It's more about things that

(12:16):
are just mysterious in nature. And what does that include, Joe.
I'd love to tell you anything and everything that's mysterious.
I know that's vague, but that's but that's it. If
it's mysterious, I'm probably going to include it in the
podcast at some time. Now. The vibes of that podcast
and this one are essentially the same. It's just me
talking about things and what. I feel a little bit

(12:39):
of pressure to be more serious on this one because
we're talking about murder. We're talking about people's lives being
ruined and ultimately ending in many of the cases. But
I feel a little weird if I make a joke
here and there, because I feel like it could be
taken as disrespect. And if you've been listening for a
long time, you know that there's no way I would
ever do that. I don't mean any disres respect. I

(13:00):
don't ever clown on the victims in any of these cases.
The perpetrator, absolutely, but never the victims. But in this
ten minute Mystery podcast, it's just mystery that I'm talking about,
so I can say whatever I really want to, and
so in that way it'll be different. I'm not talking
about only murder, and it's a little more loosey goosey,

(13:20):
And since it's so new, I'm still feeling my way
through it, so you'll have to bear with me a
little bit as I work out the kinks. But anyway,
it's called ten minute Mystery, and I'd love for you
to search it up and subscribe there as well, And
that's going to do it. That is your episode for today.
Thank you so much for listening to ten Minute Murder.