A New Clue Could Finally Solve The Mysterious Delphi Murders Case

Things were meant to be just another day back in February 2017 when Abby Williams and Libby German spent the day together. Little did anyone know how their entire lives would change in an instant and just how far things would stretch.

For years, the police have had little to work on, and the public has had even fewer updates about the case - until now. A new lead could finally solve the previously cold Delphi case, a crime that has gripped the nation ever since the news of the two girls spread.

Abby Williams and Libby German were two best friends in 2017

Like many other girls their age, it seemed that Abigail Williams, Abby, and Liberty German, Libby, were almost inseparable. They were both about halfway through the eighth grade, with Libby only slightly older at 14 years old compared to Abby being just 13 in 2017. That’s why they wanted to spend their school break together.

The girls both lived in a small town called Delphi in Indiana and were enjoying a few days of freedom in February 2017 when they decided to head outside and spend the afternoon together. As usual, Abby and Libby had an afternoon of fun planned, and they quickly started documenting their entire day on various social medias.

Libby German’s older sister dropped the pair off to enjoy an afternoon hike

Abby Williams and Libby German opted for a walk to pass the day on February 13, 2017. Living in Indiana meant they were surrounded by plenty of trails, with one track, in particular, being a favorite among the local wildlife spotters and photographers. It wasn’t long before they were ready to head into the woods for a day of fun.

The two girls piled into the car with Libby’s older sister, Kelsi German, who dropped them just east of the Hoosier Heartland Highway. Here, the pair planned to hike along the Monon High Bridge that would take them over Deer Creek. It was a remote part of Deer Creek Township and was mostly filled with woodland and hiking trails.

Stepping onto an abandoned railroad bridge revealed that Abby and Libby weren’t alone

It’s reported that Abby and Libby said goodbye to Kelsi at 1.35 pm before they made their way along the historic trails and into the woods. It wasn’t long before Abby and Libby made their way along the east side of Delphi and stepped onto the old Monon High railroad bridge along the trail.

It was an abandoned railroad, but it was common to see other people in the area during the warmer months as it attracted a lot of wildlife and was a great place to get some impressive photographs. Sadly, it wasn’t long before Abby and Libby noticed something strange. They weren’t the only ones on the bridge.

An unknown man approached the girls, with Libby German capturing him on film

Abby Williams and Libby German were just teenagers when they made their way along the hiking trail. Like so many others their age, they were taking plenty of photos and sharing them all over social media with their friends, but something felt off about this man. It wasn’t long before Abby and Libby both seemingly felt uneasy on the bridge.

The man started walking toward the two girls with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a hoodie, coat, and a pair of jeans, but something just felt off about his demeanor. In fact, something made Libby so uneasy that she grabbed her phone and started to secretly record the man as he got closer to the pair.

Abby Williams and Libby German had no idea this would be the last thing they ever did

Libby German had yet to learn just how much taking a video of that man would change everything. That’s because it was the last thing she ever did before both Abby and Libby would be gone for good. The area was completely isolated from the rest of Delphi, meaning no one had any idea about what was taking place.

All the world knew was they needed to find the mysterious man in the video to try and uncover what really happened to Abby and Libby on February 13, 2017. The problem? The public would get little in the way of clues about what was happening in the case once authorities finally learned that the girls were gone.

The girls failed to reappear, prompting their families to call the authorities

The last the world heard from either of the girls was when Libby German posted a photo of Abby Williams walking over the Monon High railroad bridge at 2.07 pm. Still, people weren’t initially worried about the pair. Instead, Libby’s dad arrived at 3.15 pm to collect Abby and Libby as promised, but they never came.

Rather than panic, the families searched the area to look for the teens. Perhaps they had just gotten lost or lost track of time? It wasn’t until there was no sign of either of them that they called the police and reported Abby and Libby missing at 5.30 pm. Initially, the authorities thought it was just a simple misunderstanding.

The police found Abby and Libby’s bodies the following day 

Being teenagers meant there was a good chance that Abby Williams and Libby German were just pushing the rules or would join the long list of teen runaways. At least, that’s what the police thought when they first arrived on the scene. There were no signs of a struggle and nothing to suggest either of the girls was in danger.

Unfortunately, that all changed the following day, February 14, 2017. The police continued to search the area and found the bodies of Abby and Libby at around noon. They were half a mile from where they had last been seen on the Monon High railroad bridge, with some claiming they had been posed on the north bank of Deer Creek.

The social media posts were the only clues the police had to go on

Posting photos all over social media was enough to give authorities an idea about where the girls had been before they lost their lives. They knew that Abby and Libby had walked through the countryside, with their final photos coming from the abandoned railway bridge. The problem? That’s where their clues started to run out.

There was seemingly little evidence in the area of anything that happened, and being open to the public meant that so many people had come and gone from the trails in the days surrounding the Delphi case. The only strong lead the police had was the blurry video of the strange man, but even that was barely hanging on.

Authorities immediately conducted autopsies, but the results have never been released

Finding Abby and Libby’s bodies so quickly meant the authorities were a lot luckier than plenty of other cases. While it was a tragic outcome and one that no one wanted to be a reality, their bodies hadn’t been damaged by the environment or local animals. It also meant they could quickly get on with their investigation.

Abby and Libby were sent for an autopsy the following day, something that ended up taking a few days. However, that was the last the public ever got to hear about it all. The results were immediately sealed, something that remains the case today, as the investigators say they want to protect the ongoing investigation.

The police quickly named a grainy image of a man as their prime suspect

It took just two days for the police to start looking for help from the public. The strange blurry figure of a man was their only clue, and they had to see if they could find him as quickly as possible. On February 15, 2017, investigators began sharing the short clip around town to see if anyone recognized the man.

After all, the man was likely the last person to see Abby and Libby alive, even if he wasn’t involved with the ending of their lives. Despite a lack of clues or leads as to who he was, the police named the unknown man as their prime suspect. They just needed a break in the case to uncover his identity.

A muffled recording seemed to show Libby German knew she was in trouble

The case was going nowhere, and the investigators knew that the first few days after any crime are always the most important when it comes to catching the criminal. That’s why on February 22, they decided to release more clues about the man in the video. This time, it was a muffled recording taken on one of the girls’ phones.

Listening closely revealed the man saying “Down the hill,” but it was still grasping at straws. It wasn’t until a later press conference that the police announced it was Libby German who had taken the recording. The officers added she was a hero for making the secret recording, giving them their only real clues about what happened.

Authorities confirmed additional details from the cell phone would remain sealed

It wasn’t long before the public got what would become a theme of the Delphi case: the police wouldn’t be releasing any more information. Many in the area worried for their safety, knowing there was a chance that a maniac could be on the loose and they could be next. They wanted all the answers they could get.

However, the police admitted they didn’t want to “compromise any future trial” and would be keeping other critical evidence from Libby German’s call phone under lock and key. That didn’t stop them from prompting anyone with information to come forward, with officers offering $41,999 as a reward for any information that led to an arrest.

A thorough search of the area was conducted to look for clues from the strange man

Being such a highly populated area was always going to cause issues for investigators working on the Delphi case. Just because the trail was seemingly in the middle of nowhere didn’t mean it was abandoned. In fact, that was far from the case. Still, the investigators set about searching the area as thoroughly as possible.

Sargent Kim Riley, who worked with the Indiana State Police, admitted they had no idea “how far this person or persons might have walked through that area,” confirming a fear many had: the strange man might not have acted alone. Still, the Sargent admitted they “might have dropped something,” and they would find it if they did.

Investigators released a composite sketch of the man, which remained in place for years

The video was one thing, but being so blurry and such a short clip meant no one really got the chance to see the man behind the mask. That’s why officers worked with a sketch artist to come up with a composite drawing that could be distributed around town. Still, this moment came five months after the initial crime.

Investigators theorized the man likely had reddish-brown hair and was probably middle-aged. They also thought the man was between 180 and 200 pounds and was somewhere between 5-foot-6 to five-foot-ten. The picture was plastered everywhere around town as the man was the sole suspect and stayed in place for years as officers worked the case.

DNA found at the scene may or may not belong to the person behind the Delphi case

It turns out the police might have had more to work with from the scene of the crime than they initially let on. They found DNA from the scene but decided not to share this with the public initially. This meant the world had no idea if this belonged to the suspect or if it would run cold again.

However, a later change to Indiana law would help to change everything. It was ruled that anyone convicted of a felony charge would have to provide DNA in case they were linked to later crimes. It could also help to find family links between criminals and those accused instead of only collecting DNA from those prosecuted.

A Colorado resident was named as a person of interest in the Delphi case

The first break in the case came when the police interviewed a promising suspect: Daniel Nations. Although he was from Colorado, Daniel had lived in Indiana for a time and was already facing charges for threatening people with a weapon. The incident took place in Colorado in September 2017, but it sounded eerily similar to Abby and Libby.

Just because it appeared the police had their man didn’t mean things were to last. Daniel was released as the police had no further evidence, and he was free to go once again - almost. At the time, he was also in jail for failing to register in his area and for missing court, but Daniel was removed as a suspect.

A new sketch saw the police urge people to look closer at their potential suspect

The years continued to pass, and there were few leads in the Delphi case. That was until April 22, 2019, when Indiana State Police announced they had a “new direction” in the case that they hoped would solve the ever-growing cold leads they already had. After all, it had been two years since Abby and Libby were found.

This time, the police released a new sketch, this time clean-shaven, to see if it could jog anyone’s memory. The investigators also urged people to watch how the man walked in the video, listen to the audio, and look closely at the sketch. They believed he was hiding in plain sight and had to be in the Delphi area.

New clues saw investigators ask for help with an unusual car

Even if they didn’t live in the area, the police were convinced the man in the video had a reason to be in Delphi, even if it was just for work or another unknown reason. That wasn’t all. It turned out something else weird happened the day Abby and Libby lost their lives on February 13, 2017.

This time, it was a nearby abandoned car. Investigators confirmed a strange vehicle had been left off the Hoosier Heartland Highway near a former Child Services office. It’s thought it was abandoned sometime between noon and 5 pm - the time Abby and Libby were on the trail - and they had no idea who was driving.

Another photo seemingly showed a blurry figure hiding behind a tree near Abby and Libby

As the years have passed, more and more images of the tragic day have been released to the world. One photo shows the girls on the abandoned railway bridge, but some think there is something unusual about the background. Being taken while moving means things are pretty blurry in the image. However, there could be someone else there.

Some people claim that it looks as though a man is hiding behind one of the trees while Abby Williams walks along the railroad. The tree is just off the side of the trail, and it’s tough to see, but it seemingly looks like someone in a dark jacket. However, the police have refused to comment on the theory.

Several suspects have been questioned, but nothing ever led to an arrest

It seemed as though 2019 was a major year for investigators working on the ending of Abby and Libby. On July 23, there was another break in the case when police named another suspect after two long years of waiting for answers. This time, they came in the form of someone who was already wanted in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.

Apparently, they were one of multiple suspects and were already wanted for assault and kidnapping. However, the person had taken their life the month before. Sadly, this led nowhere once again. This wasn’t the only cold lead, as several other suspects were named and interviewed, only for all of them to be cleared from the case.

Several true crime sleuths have tried to uncover clues of their own about the Delphi case

The case of Abby Williams and Libby German was already unusual enough without the strange silence from those working on the case making things even more out of the ordinary. That wasn’t enough to stop people from coming to their own conclusions about what could have happened, especially true crime sleuths coming together on social media.

They’re not alone. Former investigators and FBI agents have been open about their thoughts on the Delphi case, helping to keep Abby and Libby’s names in the headlines over the years. As if that wasn’t enough, the podcast ‘Down the Hill’ hit streaming services in 2020 and quickly got people talking about the case more than ever before.

A retired detective has his own thoughts about why the police have been so secretive

Retired cold case and criminal investigator Paul Holes is one of many who has spoken about the Delphi case. He has a lot of experience in the field, having been one of the people to bring down the Golden State criminal after decades on the run. Apparently, Paul has his own thoughts about why the police are so quiet.

Paul told Oxygen there is likely a good reason, and it’s not to keep the public in the dark. Instead, he said usually, “it really is to help benefit the case.” According to Paul, he briefly spoke to one of the investigators on the case, who said they “have a tough investigation ahead” but were “doing everything they can.”

A former detective on the case wanted to see the Delphi case solved before he left

By 2021, Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby had been working to find justice for Abby Williams and Libby German for four years. While he was still without a break that gave him a name, the sheriff was confident he would get the answers that everyone needed. The problem? There was a self-imposed time limit in place on the case.

Tobe admitted to ABC that his term was coming to an end in 2022, and he was worried that he would walk away from his job without getting answers for Abby and Libby’s parents. In fact, Tobe added he “would love nothing more than to see someone convinced of this crime.” It was a huge amount of pressure.

Investigators have received over 50,000 tips but remain tight-lipped about it all

It seems everyone has been trying their hardest to find answers to who ended Abby and Libby’s lives, especially those in the local area. Like most other major crimes, the police set up tiplines and emails to gather any information people had about the crime. So far, they have received more than 50,000 tips.

Tobe Leazenby has constantly been asked about his opinions on them all, but he told The Carroll County Comet that he had to decline most of them because the “integrity of the investigation” was his prime concern. To Tobe, “preservation of said integrity” surrounding the case was his only concern, even if it meant the public knew less.

25 CrimeDoor created an eerie recreation of Abby and Libby’s final moments on the bridge

Although the crime scene was initially closed so that police could search the area, the trail has since been reopened to the public, with plenty leaving their respects for Abby and Libby throughout the years. However, not everyone has had the chance to see the area for themselves to understand more about the crime scene.

That was until January 2021, when the creators behind the smartphone app CrimeDoor took things to a new level. Here, they recreated an eerie scene of Abby and Libby’s final moments as they realized they were being followed by a strange man. Sadly, this is one of the only updates the world has gotten on the case.

Those involved in the Delphi case are hopeful the app could change crime scenes in the future

While the recreation might not have given investigators any more answers about what happened to Abby and Libby on the railroad bridge, it did help to bring the scene back to life once again. Libby’s sister, Kelsi, was the one to drop the girls off that day and admitted she’s hopeful the app will help future cases, too.

Retired investigator Paul Holes also told the Indy Star that CrimeDoor could change the way that people help when it comes to solving cold cases. According to Paul, he always wants to go to the scene of a crime before commenting, but now he can do that “without having to go visit locations” in person.

Investigators are aware it could take one phone call to solve the case

Sometimes, it takes just one thing to see something turn entirely upside down. For years, investigators were hopeful that would be the case in the Delphi case. Doug Carter, the State Police Superintendent, knew this all too well and spent a lot of the years hopeful that would one day happen with Abby and Libby.

Doug admitted that someone out there “knows who this person is,” and he didn’t believe there were “multiple pieces of the puzzle.” Instead, Doug knows that it often takes someone “with the strength to say” the person they’re looking for is “my brother,” “my dad,” “my cousin,” “my neighbor,” or “my co-worker” to break the case.

Unsealed evidence in 2022 revealed a new prime suspect in the Delphi case

For years, it looked as though we were never going to get an answer about what really happened to Abby Williams and Libby German. That was until late November 2022, when a break in the case finally led to a new suspect. This time, Richard Allen was the one linked to the crime scene after so many years.

The news came as a part of several court documents that were unsealed as a part of the probable cause affidavit, aka a summary of evidence and events that led to someone being arrested in a case. Still, plenty of people were left with more questions than ever, including how long it took to find Richard Allen.

Richard Allen previously admitted to being on the trail and has now been charged

One of the most surprising things to come from the unsealed documents is the fact that Richard Allen had already admitted to being in the area at the time that Abby and Libby disappeared and lost their lives. The 50-year-old was arrested in November 2022 and was quickly charged with taking both the girls’ lives.

However, the admission Richard was in the area actually came back in 2017, when he admitted to the police that he was on the same hiking trail at the same time. By October 13, 2022, Richard confessed again that he saw teenage girls near the Monon High Bridge during his walk, the same bridge where Abby and Libby disappeared.

The suspect claims he had nothing to do with Abby and Libby’s disappearance

In 2022, documents revealed that Richard Allen had “again admitted” to investigators that he was on the trail at the same time as Abby and Libby, but he denied knowing either of them and said he had nothing to do with either of them listing their lives. Still, not everyone was buying his story, including former FBI agent Brad Garrett.

According to Brad, Richard “has been consistent” in all of his interviews with the police, always putting himself at the scene of the crime. Brad added that the crime took place in a “small town,” meaning few people could have been on the bridge and that “your suspect pool is fairly small” in a case like this.

The probable cause affidavit revealed one of the girls talking about a “gun”

The videos from Libby German’s phone are some of the only clues the police have ever had, with the probable cause affidavit revealing there was more evidence that something terrible happened. While no one is entirely sure if Abby or Libby was the one to say it, one of the firms can be heard mentioning a “gun.”

The moment happens when the strange man is approaching them, with an unspent bullet being found just two feet away from where the girls were eventually found the following day. According to Brad Garrett, unspent ammunition occurs when someone uses a faulty bullet or a weapon jams, which he believes is a fairly common thing.

New tests revealed the unspent bullet passed through Richard Allen’s gun

It wasn’t until the officers searched Richard Allen’s house on October 13, 2022, that they uncovered more evidence that he was linked with the crime. In fact, they found a weapon that matched the unspent bullet, adding that later tests revealed the ammunition near Abby and Libby had been through the same weapon in Richard’s home.

However, Richard didn’t have an explanation as to how it could have been at the scene of the crime. Instead, the documents state Richard later told officers that he had owned the weapon since 2001 and would never allow anyone to use it. The admission added more layers to the story, but it was all circumstantial.

Brad Garrett doesn't understand how it took so long to make an arrest

One question that people can't get out of their heads is how it took the investigators so long to match the ammunition to Richard Allen and charge him with the crimes. While he hasn't been found guilty - and has actually entered a not-guilty plea - many believe that all the signs are pointing to the prime suspect.

Former FBI officer Brad Garrett is on that list, adding that he hopes investigators would have been to local weapons stores to see who was purchasing similar ammunition. According to Brad, this has helped him to solve many cases. Although it's not mentioned in the unsealed documents, Brad doesn't believe local weapons stores were checked.

The affidavit doesn’t say how Abby and Libby lost their lives but reveals disturbing new details

Even though a gun and ammunition have been mentioned in the unsealed documents, it’s still unclear if this was how Abby and Libby lost their lives in 2017, as the police haven’t released the autopsy result or announced an official cause of passing. However, there were more disturbing details about what happened the day they lost their lives.

The report claims that the clothes worn by both girls were found in a creek south of where their bodies were uncovered. Brad Garrett adds that how the teens lost their lives has always bothered him, especially now we know their clothes weren’t at the direct scene. Instead, he theorizes that another weapon might have been used.

The former FBI agent theorizes the cause of passing is too gruesome to reveal

One part of the unsealed documents that stood out to many was how a witness supposedly saw Richard Allen the day that Abby and Libby lost their lives, stating he was seen with “clothes that were muddy and bloody.” If this is true, it could be one of the stronger pieces of evidence in the case, next to the ammunition.

Brad Allen used this to back up his claim that it’s unlikely Richard used the gun if he ended their lives, claiming he wouldn’t have had blood on his clothes. Instead, he theorizes the gun might have jammed, meaning he needed another weapon. Brad now believes a gruesome end is why the girls’ cause of passing has never been revealed.

Investigators now believe Richard Allen is the one in Libby German’s video

The blurry image of a man might have been the only clue in the Delphi case for years, but the police now believe that Richard Allen is the one they have been looking for all this time. However, this isn’t just because he fits the description and was in the same place as Abby and Libby at the same time.

Instead, Richard admitted to the police on October 13, 2022, that he was wearing a black or blue Carhartt jacket and a pair of jeans the day he headed to the trail. This was later backed up by Richard’s wife, with her stating to the police that he owned clothes similar to those of the man in the video.

There is still no definitive timeline of how Abby and Libby lost their lives

The unsealed documents have offered a lot of answers, but one still looming over the entire case is how Abby Williams and Libby German went from having fun together on their walk to losing their lives at the hands of someone else. In the documents, it’s claimed Richard Allen forced the pair down the hill.

This would make sense with the audio recordings, and it could explain why they went if one of the girls spoke about Richard supposedly having a weapon. However, many wonder if he could have overpowered the teenagers on their own. Instead, some ponder the idea that Richard wasn’t working alone on that fateful day in February 2017.

Kegan Kline might still be a person of interest in the Delphi case

While Richard Allen is the only one to be named by investigators, there have been plenty of other suspects. Now, there is another who has been linked to the case and will soon have his day in court. Kegan Kline was caught pretending to be someone else and talking to young people before he was arrested.

To top things off, Kegan was actually talking with Libby German through a fake Snapchat account in the days before she disappeared. He has never been named as an official suspect. However, Kegan has been charged with 25 counts of having indecent images of minors and is set to start his trial on May 10, 2023.

The suspect was meant to meet Libby German but claims she “never showed”

It wasn’t until 2020 that officers learned about Kegan Kline’s involvement with Libby German as he admitted to the police that he was talking to the teenager but adamantly denied having any involvement with either of the teenagers losing their lives. However, there was more evidence linking him to that day than what first appeared on the surface.

Kegan was also talking to other minors at the time and admitted to someone else that he had been planning to meet Libby on the Monon High Bridge. The admission came the day after Kegan learned she had lost her life, but he told the other person Libby “never showed,” presumably because she had already lost her life.

An extensive witness list and strange searches could add more layers to Kegan Kline’s involvement

An extensive witness list has been released for Kegan Kline’s upcoming trial, including the model he was using in his photos, his dad, former friends, and even other alleged victims. The twist? Kegan’s phone shows strange searches after Abby and Libby’s lives were taken, including looking at cases like JonBenét Ramsey and OJ Simpson, and “how long does DNA last.”

The search into Kegan’s life and search history lasted for several weeks, with police never stating what they were looking for, but Richard Allen was charged shortly after their investigation. Before the affidavit was released, prosecutors argued it should remain sealed, stating they have “good reason” to think Richard wasn’t working alone when he ended Abby and Libby’s lives.