In a significant development in the 2017 Delphi murder case, newly unsealed court documents revealed that suspected killer Richard Allen allegedly confessed to the crime during a phone conversation with his wife from prison. The conversation took place on April 3, 2023, Your Content is learning.
Allen County Judge Frances Gull unsealed nearly 120 documents on Wednesday that delve into the horrific details of the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German. According to the documents, the state believes the girls were killed using a knife, marking the first time such information has been disclosed publicly.
Furthermore, the documents included a search warrant revealing the police’s quest for firearms, knives, electronic devices, clothing, and a specific cell phone. These items were purportedly sought from Allen’s Delphi residence, its outbuildings, a shed, and his car.
Investigators recovered an assortment of items from the property, including boots, multiple knives, sweatshirts, a Sig Sauer P226, cell phones, an iPod, a hard drive, and a laptop. Prosecutors believe some of these items link Allen directly to the murders.
One of the documents specifically mentions Allen’s alleged confession during a call with his wife. This confession was later transcribed by investigators, verifying Allen’s admission to the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
Allen’s defense attorneys, however, contested the reliability of the confession, arguing that Allen is under significant physical and mental stress due to his time in captivity. Yet, prosecutors have noted a significant change in Allen’s behavior following the April 3 admission, including cessation of phone calls and a necessity for a psychiatric evaluation.
Allen initially became a person of interest in 2017 when he informed a conservation officer that he had been on the trail on the day of the murders. The police conducted a search of his home in October 2022, following his admittance of owning firearms, knives, and clothing similar to that worn by the so-called “Bridge Guy.”
Eyewitnesses’ statements and the confirmation from Allen’s wife about his possession of various guns and knives, as well as a blue Carhartt jacket similar to the one worn by “Bridge Guy,” led to the issuance of a search warrant.
Contested evidence includes a bullet found next to the victims, which, according to an analysis from the Indiana State Police Laboratory, had been cycled through Allen’s gun. The defense attorneys are currently challenging the credibility of this evidence.