Man Charged In 2017 Killing Of 2 Girls Last Seen On Indiana Bridge

Richard Allen faces two counts of murder in the deaths of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14.
Richard Allen, 50, faces murder charges in the deaths of two teenage girls in 2017.
Richard Allen, 50, faces murder charges in the deaths of two teenage girls in 2017.
Indiana State Police

An Indiana man has been charged in the unsolved murders of two teenage girls whose bodies were found near an abandoned railroad bridge where they were last seen hiking five years ago, authorities said.

Richard Allen, 50, was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of murder in the 2017 deaths of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, outside their hometown of Delphi, state police and prosecutors said Monday.

The arrest follows years of perplexing leads, including a grainy photograph that police said shows a man walking on the Monon High Bridge near the girls before they disappeared.

Police also released audio of the man saying “Guys, down the hill.” The audio and photo were recovered from one of the girls’ cellphones, police said.

Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, were found dead near an abandoned railroad bridge that they had been hiking on in 2017.
Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, were found dead near an abandoned railroad bridge that they had been hiking on in 2017.
Indiana State Police

The girls’ bodies were found a day after they were reported missing. Authorities never disclosed how they were killed.

“It’s concerning that he’s a local guy,” Carroll County Prosecutor Nicholas McLeland said of Allen, who resides in Delphi, at a morning news conference. “This is bittersweet. It is a step in the right direction.”

Authorities released this grainy photo of a man who they said was walking on the bridge with the two girls before their deaths.
Authorities released this grainy photo of a man who they said was walking on the bridge with the two girls before their deaths.
Indiana State Police

Authorities declined to release details about what led to Allen’s arrest, saying the investigation remains ongoing.

“What I can say is that we do have probable cause, established by the court, for his arrest and he is in custody. He’s being held currently without bond,” said McLeland.

Allen entered a not-guilty plea at his initial court hearing, the prosecutor added.

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