DELPHI, Ind. – Jurors in the Delphi murders trial reviewed four key pieces of evidence while they deliberated the fate of Richard Allen.
The jury eventually found Allen guilty on all four counts of murder in the February 2017 deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge.
According to previous reports, jurors took a second look at evidence during their deliberations on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the presence of Allen and his attorneys. At the time, it wasn’t clear which exhibits they wanted to review.
But according to court orders entered into the record this week, the jury saw exhibits 207, 246, 290 and 291.
Exhibit 207 was enhanced audio taken from the infamous “Bridge Guy” video Libby German recorded on her phone on Feb. 13, 2017—the day of the murders. The video was a key piece of evidence from the very start of the investigation.
Jurors heard audio from the video multiple times during the trial. Exhibit 207 was an enhanced version played in court on Oct. 22 during testimony from Jeremey Chapman, an Indiana State Police system administrator tasked with analyzing the video and enhancing it.
Carroll County Prosecutor Nick McLeland asked Chapman what he believed the voice said.
“My opinion is he says, ‘Down the hill,’” Chapman answered.
Investigators released audio from “Bridge Guy” days after the girls were found dead. In a news conference on Feb. 22, 2017, Capt. Dave Bursten with ISP introduced the audio clip and said police were convinced the audio said, “Down the hill.”
Exhibit 246 was an enhanced version of the “Bridge Guy” video itself.
Tony Liggett, a lead Delphi murders investigator who went on to become Carroll County sheriff, told the court he’d watched the video “hundreds” of times and believed one of the girls mentioned a gun.
His comment was stricken from the court record, although the information also appeared in the probable cause affidavit.
The version played in court had been stabilized so it was easier to follow than the original.
Exhibit 290 was video of Allen’s October 13, 2022, interview with Liggett and Steve Mullin, the former Delphi police chief who now works as a criminal investigator for the Carroll County Prosecutor's Office.
During the interview, it dawned on Allen that police considered him a suspect in the case. Liggett and Mullin confronted him with evidence they’d gathered and asked him if he was “Bridge Guy.”
Allen eventually ended the interview and was taken home. But hours later, police showed up at his residence on Whiteman Drive to serve a search warrant. During that search, police recovered Allen’s Sig Sauer P226. A forensic examiner matched the gun to an unspent round found at the crime scene, key evidence the state said linked Allen to the crime.
Exhibit 291 was video of Allen’s October 26, 2022, interview with Jerry Holeman, an Indiana State Police investigator who worked on the case. Allen repeatedly denied any involvement in the murders during questioning.
At the end of the interview, Allen told Holeman to arrest him. Holeman obliged.
Jurors heard 17 days of testimony before the defense and prosecution delivered closing arguments on Nov. 7. They returned the guilty verdict on Nov. 11.
Allen’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20.