VERDICT WATCH Abby & Libby - The Delphi Murders - Richard Allen Arrested - #213

[MiniMoo]

Now that the evidence is in, I really do not have a firm opinion about whether Richard Allen is the killer. I was hoping for more convincing proof from the State, but they did not deliver IMO

Here are just some of the problems/questions I have about the State’s case:

1. Many of their witnesses seemed to tailor their testimony for trial, changing testimony from what they had said previously.
2. There were problems with the testimony of most, if not all, of their experts.
3. They did not firm up the timeline, but actually cast more doubt about it. If the HH video ~1:30 was Richard Allen’s Ford Focus, it was driving in the wrong direction for RA to be entering the trails, but would have been more consistent with RA leaving the trails and heading home.
4. All of the witness descriptions of BG or whoever they saw do not even remotely describe RA, and importantly no one identified him in court.
5. Since all the interview recordings for the first couple of weeks were lost, I’m not sure I believe that RA initially said he was on the trials from 1:30-3:30.
6. I think the State unethically tried to enter the “confessions” as truthful when they knew they were unreliable and while RA was psychotic.
7. The bullet expert couldn’t get consistent marks by cycling the bullet through RA’s gun.
8. It was never verified where RA parked or at what time or what time he left.
9. And importantly I do not think this was a fair trial. I think the defense should have been permitted to put in their defense, and I think the judge’s evidentiary rulings in the trial were very biased from the reporting I’ve read.
10. While not related to the trial specifically, the behavior of the prosecutors pre-trial was abominable IMO Trying to disqualify RA’s attorneys, not turning over evidence timely, opposing motions to transfer RA to better conditions, etc.

With all that in mind, I do not trust much of the State’s evidence and I think they have failed to prove RA was the killer.

Well said and articulately put!

 

[CCJD]

I thought I heard 2 weeks.

The big question was why didn't they take the sticks and branches originally from the crime scene that were found on Abby and Libby's bodies.

This is after Dautzman testified to coming back to the crime scene in March to retrieve the branches they had moved off the bodies of Abby and Libby.
-------------
Baldwin continued to ask about why sticks weren't tested for DNA or removed from the crime scene originally.

"We can't go picking up every stick and every leaf that is in the forest there just because they might have a drop of blood on it," Dautzman said.

BBM

Delphi Murders Trial: Day 3 | Jury sees graphic crime scene photos

Jurors were shown graphic crime scene photos in an emotional third day of testimony in the Delphi murders trial.

www.wrtv.com

 

[Spartygirl]

It wasn’t exactly the Amazon-not sure how crossing a few feet of creek suddenly calmed his nerves

No chance of anyone driving on private drive to "Interrupt" his assault again.
More obscure location, hidden on other side of creek.

Further away from the trails and the bridge, that is why.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

What would the comparison of sticks tell anyone? There are similar trees in Indiana? Maybe an expert forensic arborist was needed on the case.

jmo

The victims' blood was on the sticks, there could also have been evidence, fibers, hair, suspect DNA. Whether there was or not, doesn't change the unbelievable neglect of not taking the sticks/branches from the crime scene at the time it was processed. Leaving them in the elements, in a now unsecured crime scene, destroys evidence and the lack of a chain of custody of evidence makes it not usable for court. Disgraceful and embarassing.

 

[Cyber sleuth]

No chance of anyone driving on private drive to "Interrupt" his assault again.
More obscure location, hidden on other side of creek.

Further away from the trails and the bridge, that is why.

Yes it was desolate to spend an hour or so with them and not be spotted assaulting them. It was desolate for them not to be found until almost 22 hours later.
If they had stayed on the south side they probably would have been spotted by the bridge walkers after 2:15pm and by the officer that visited BW’s property at 5:30 pm.
RA moved them to the north side so he would not be seen committing the crime. And he was seen leaving that side of the creek at 3:57pm (looking like he committed the crime).
Thats almost 90 minutes later.
I’m not saying he spent the majority of time arranging sticks but to the pattern of the sticks IMO don’t hold some secret code for the crime, but if they do- then RA knows it.
Jmo

 

[Warwick7]

The big question was why didn't they take the sticks and branches originally from the crime scene that were found on Abby and Libby's bodies.

This is after Dautzman testified to coming back to the crime scene in March to retrieve the branches they had moved off the bodies of Abby and Libby.
-------------
Baldwin continued to ask about why sticks weren't tested for DNA or removed from the crime scene originally.

"We can't go picking up every stick and every leaf that is in the forest there just because they might have a drop of blood on it," Dautzman said.

BBM

Delphi Murders Trial: Day 3 | Jury sees graphic crime scene photos

Jurors were shown graphic crime scene photos in an emotional third day of testimony in the Delphi murders trial.

www.wrtv.com

However, to be fair, right before that statement he said:
"For the most part, those branches were a very rough texture and they were crumbly. I am not confident DNA would've transferred well."

This is the reason they weren't taken for blood analysis at first. And in moo I believe nothing did come from them.

 

[Boxer]

There were no headphones.

jmo

Agree 100% there were no headphones, there a was port issue.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

However, to be fair, right before that statement he said:
"For the most part, those branches were a very rough texture and they were crumbly. I am not confident DNA would've transferred well."

This is the reason they weren't taken for blood analysis at first. And in moo I believe nothing did come from them.

In my opinion, as a member of LE, and to be fair, the reason they weren't taken in the first place was due to inexperience, neglect and ignorance. Hair and fibers are easily caught in bark or any rough surface. Anything with blood on it, skin, cloth, weapons, branches bark, etc, can potentially yield DNA.

 

[Boxer]

In my opinion, as a member of LE, and to be fair, the reason they weren't taken in the first place was due to inexperience, neglect and ignorance. Hair and fibers are easily caught in bark or any rough surface. Anything with blood on it, skin, cloth, weapons, branches bark, etc, can potentially yield DNA.

Agree. Delphi has to be the case example all police forces need to study and avoid.
I have followed this case since the evening they were missing and was incensed the official search was called off.

 

[katydid23]

And all that trial eve hoopla about the hair in Abby's hand didn't match RA!

Then turned out to be hair from a female.

And the D knew that but purposely 'dropped a fake bombshell' to get all the headlines to go with their 'poor,innocent Ricki' narrative. They milked that for all it's worth, having Motta and his minions throwing it out all over SM, hyping it like they found 'the real killer.'

I am hoping the jurors watched that playout too. They were in court when the defense was breathlessly telling them that there was a clump of hair in Abby's clenched hand which does not match the defendant. I'm sure they all perked up at that and thought this might be an innocent man being railroaded.

Then they eventually found out that it was tested and came back to a female family member of Libby. They may have been annoyed at the D for that stupid stunt, imo.

 

[katydid23]

I also like to think that by LE investigating Libby’s contact with the a_shots account, that led to nailing KAK, and maybe others. She did help solve a crime, unintentionally.

jmo

And she took that boatload of vile snakes off the streets. well done, Libby!

 

[Spartygirl]

And the D knew that but purposely 'dropped a fake bombshell' to get all the headlines to go with their 'poor,innocent Ricki' narrative. They milked that for all it's worth, having Motta and his minions throwing it out all over SM, hyping it unlike thy found 'the real killer.'

YES !!!
Just as they did the FM's # 1,2,3,4,5, etc

All the SM hype flown out there by Motta and their Minions are totally Unethical, Unprofessional and Untruthful.

They have nothing else,

They cannot take RA=BG=Killer OFF THE BRIDGE

 

[MiniMoo]

EXACTLY. It seems he began confessing from the jump.

" only call that did come in about Richard Allen was from Richard Allen himself - just to let them know he had been to the trail that day."

So, if you called in about being somewhere, if a crime was committed, does that mean you did it as well 100%?

Therein lies a serious problem if all it takes is a simple phone call or volunteering information like that with the willingness to assist or cooperate.

JMO MOO JMT

 

[MiniMoo]

He didn’t say he would tell them what he did.

He said he would tell them what they wanted to hear.

It is an important difference.

True!

Tell them what they want to hear is different to tell them what they want to know.

Think about it...

JMO MOO JMT

 

[Woodberry]

SBM
Yes! Exactly.

We also know Libby reset her phone a few days prior to her death. Her grandmother reported she had told her that the phone had been “glitching.” Maybe the headphone mode was part of the glitch, so she reset it?

MOO

Thank you for bringing this up, I had forgotten that Libby’s phone had been reset and there was a lot of speculation as to why it was done when that information came out, even though it was stated it was due to issues she was having with the phone. Libby had an iPhone 6, as did I. Having the phone insist there was something, i.e. headphones plugged into the headphone jack was an issue some owners had. Googling this brings up people posting they have this problem and seeking suggestions on how to fix it.

Perhaps the information regarding the headphone jack having something pugged into it was a phone issue since we know she’d been having problems to the point the phone was factory reset. Maybe this also explains a sudden burst of activity as well.

 

[MiniMoo]

That's what I was just thinking.
It doesn't matter anyway, I think before Abby's throat was slit she was scared and crying.
I do think he got on top of her and straddled her (or put his knees into her chest) and put his hand over her mouth when he slit her throat. This could be why there was a mark on her face.
I think all of it happened rather quickly. Libby went to run and he sliced the back of her neck then he dropped down on top of Abby slit her neck jumped up and went after Libby. All in a rage.....
M00

Definitely something the killer would know without a doubt!

JMO MOO JMT

 

[katydid23]

State makes its case​

McLeland went first, delivering closing arguments that lasted a little more than an hour.

He described how Abby and Libby went to the trails on Feb. 13, 2017, and never came back. He described it as a “day this community will never forget.”

He said Libby’s older sister drove them to the trails and dropped them off at 1:48 p.m. When Libby German’s father arrived to pick them up around 3 p.m., they didn’t show up at the prearranged meeting spot. More alarmingly, no one could contact them.

He went looking for the girls but didn’t find them. He called Libby’s grandmother, Becky Patty, at 3:30 p.m., leading to additional family searches. Still, no one could find or contact the girls.

The search grew throughout the day and lasted until 2 a.m., when it became too dark and too dangerous.

“No one thought anything bad had happened to Abby and Libby,” McLeland said. “That doesn’t happen around here.”

Searcher Pat Brown found the bodies on Feb. 14, 2017, and said they “looked like mannequins.”

‘Bridge Guy’ and a bullet​

Next, McLeland showed crime scene photos, telling the court that “these next pictures are hard to see.” While processing the crime scene, investigators found Libby’s phone and the bullet that became central to the state’s case.

McLeland mentioned the “Bridge Guy” video found on Libby’s phone and played it for the jury. The video was taken at 2:13 p.m. and, in McLeland’s estimation, showed the “moment Abby and Libby were kidnapped.”


He said “Bridge Guy” ordered them down the hill and used a gun to intimidate them. He played an “enhanced” version of the video with the “down the hill” part amplified.

He recounted numerous witnesses who saw someone on the high bridge and mentioned Sarah Carbaugh, who told investigators she saw a man who was “muddy and bloody” walking along the road around 4 p.m.

McLeland noted that descriptions from the witnesses varied somewhat, but all were “adamant” they’d encountered “Bridge Guy.”

McLeland mentioned Steve Mullin, the former Delphi police chief and investigator for the prosecutor’s office, who looked at video from the nearby Hoosier Harvest Store. Forensic experts analyzed Libby’s phone, which indicated the girls arrived on the trails at 1:48 p.m. and walked to the Monon High Bridge.


At 2:32 p.m., the analysis found, Libby’s phone stopped moving and stayed where it was.

McLeland then brought up a map and reviewed the timeline of events. One witness and her friends encountered “Bridge Guy” at 1:26 p.m. Another witness saw “Bridge Guy” and passed the previous witnesses, he said.

“If we determine who ‘Bridge Guy’ is, we can find out who killed them,” McLeland said.

Suspicion falls on Allen​

He recounted how in September 2022 Kathy Shank, a volunteer who helped police organize tips related to the Delphi murders, came across a “tip sheet” from 2017 that indicated a person told a DNR investigator he’d been on the bridge between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017.

The man’s name was Richard Allen. It appeared no one had followed up on him.

Further investigation found Allen owned a black 2016 Ford Focus SE. McLeland said, only one such model of that car was registered in Carroll County in February 2017. Investigators believe the car matched video from the Hoosier Harvest Store.


Police called Allen for an interview. He said he was wearing clothes similar to “Bridge Guy.” The interview started out polite but soon turned hostile, with Allen refusing to let investigators look at his phone or search his house.

Police obtained a search warrant. The search turned up knives, box cutters and a blue Carhartt jacket.

“Surprise, surprise,” McLeland said, “Same as ‘Bridge Guy’ was wearing.”

The search turned up a .40 caliber round kept in a “hope box” and a Sig Sauer P226 handgun. McLeland described it as the “‘Bridge Guy’ starter kit.”

Investigators recovered numerous electronic devices from Allen’s home, but they didn’t find the phone he had in 2017.

An Indiana State Police crime lab technician determined that the bullet found at the crime scene was cycled through Allen’s Sig Sauer.

“Oh, and her results were verified,” McLeland said of the analysis from Melissa Oberg.

During a follow-up interview with police, Allen said he never loaned his gun to anyone and had no explanation for how a bullet matched to his gun ended up at the scene of one of Indiana’s most infamous murder cases.

Police suggested that Allen racked his gun to intimidate the girls into doing what he told them. Allen grew angrier during the interview.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/midwest/delphi-murders-trial-closing-arguments/

Did the defense ever explain what that bullet was doing in the keepsake box on RA's dresser? I don't remember it ever being mentioned.

 

[charminglane]

As I've read along through this trial trying to keep up, now that we are near the end I found myself wondering why no one has mentioned Homicide Lasagna?
And then I figured it must be because there are no cameras in the courtroom, so the entire day is not spent riveted to screens watching every minute of the case - hence no need to feed the family when the trial takes precedence.

 

[MiniMoo]

This is why IMO it was broken-I remember everyone reporting how clean Abby was, including her hands. She could have instantly died as well, which would cause the heart to no longer pump blood and I believe this is another reason as to why so little of her blood was found at the scene

I feel Abby fainted.

There was no mention of blunt trauma to her head.

Whether it was one perpetrator or five someone can still faint, be cut to bleed out and therefore have no signs (minor) of other visible injuries or marks including clean hands and no blood except in one saturated area.

JMO MOO JMT

 

[MiniMoo]

Or the ability to hear the court proceedings ourselves

1000% on the nail!!!

JMO MOO JMT