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The man charged with the 2017 Delphi murders has been tied to a bullet found at the bloody crime scene and is believed to be the so-called “bridge guy” captured on camera by his victims, according to the newly-released affidavit.
A redacted version of the probable cause affidavit was released on Tuesday, finally revealing what led to the arrest and charging of local man Richard Allen almost five years on from the murders of Libby German and Abby Williams.
The document had been under lock and key since Mr Allen’s arrest last month as prosecutors asked a judge to keep it sealed.
Prosecutors said that sealing the affidavit was important to protecting the investigation as they believe that the suspect may not be the sole person involved in the killings.
Following a court hearing last week, a judge agreed that a partially-redacted version could be released to the public.
On 13 February 2017, best friends Libby, 14, and Abby, 13, set off on a hike along the Monon High Bridge Trail in their hometown of Delphi.
During the walk, Libby posted a photo of her best friend walking along the Monon High Bridge. It was the last known photo of Abby before she was killed.
Later that day, the teenagers were reported missing when they failed to return to a spot where a family member was picking them up.
The next day – Valentine’s Day 2017 – their bodies were discovered in a wooded area around half a mile off the trail. Their cause of death has never been released.
Investigators have long been searching for a man captured on Libby’s cellphone before she died.
A grainy video shows a man dressed in blue jeans, a blue jacket and a cap walking along the abandoned railroad bridge.
Investigators released a still image from the video and a chilling audio of the man telling the two girls: “Go down the hill.”
