Crime Junkie - CAPTURED: Killer on the High Bridge

Episode Date: October 31, 2022

Today, October 31, 2022, the Indiana State Police, in conjunction with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, and the Carroll County Prosecutors Office, held a press conference where they made the announcement thousands of people have been waiting to hear: an arrest had been made for the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German.  Here’s what we know:  A man named Richard M Allen, 50, was arrested on the morning of Friday, October 28, 2022.He has been charged with 2 counts of murder and has plead “not guilty” on both counts.Much of the evidence, timeline of events, and how they got to him has not been publicized, so we’ll have to wait until his trial in March 2023. Even though there has been an arrest, ISP is keeping the tip line and tip email open, so if you have any information about Richard Allen or anything to do with the Delphi case, you can call [phone], or email [e-mail].  You can listen to Libby German's sister Kelsi on Voices for Justice at www.voicesforjusticepodcast.com.To hear our episode about this case titled WANTED: Killer on the High Bridge from 2018, visit https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/wanted-killer-on-the-high-bridge/

Hi, crime junkies. I am jumping in your feeds today to bring you an important update. Today, Monday, October 31, 2022, our reporting team attended a press conference held in Carroll County. The Indiana State Police announced this press conference on Friday in relation to the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German from Delphi, Indiana. I know everyone was running wild all weekend with this, but listen, the families of the victims have continually asked over the years that people not spread information unless it comes directly from law enforcement. So, I want you to hear directly from Superintendent Doug Carter on this momentous day. Some do I have prepared remarks, but today is different. Today is not a day to celebrate,

but the arrest of Richard M. Allen of Delphi on two counts of murder is sure a major step and lead to a conclusion of this long-term and complex investigation. First, I'd like to speak directly to Anna Mike, Becky Kelsey, your extended families, along with the entire Delphi community that certainly has grown and now includes our nation in even many countries around the world. I am proud to report to you that today, actually last Friday, was the day and an arrest has been made to the entire law enforcement community, which includes all local, state, and federal agencies, which are far too many to specifically mention today. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We are going to continue a very methodical and

committed approach to ensure that if any other person had any involvement in these murders, in any way, that person or persons will be held accountable. While I know you are all expecting final details today concerning this arrest, today is not that day. Today is not that day. You all will have an innate desire to subjectively interpret and then report what you think. We in the law enforcement realm cannot, and you should never allow us to, talk about what we think concerning facts, but rather discuss and share at the right time what it is we know. The time will come when additional details can be released, but again, today is not that day. Abby and Libby go in death have had a profound effect

on so many of us, on how we live, and as importantly, who we all should be. This is a massive development, but like Superintendent Carter said, this isn't a celebration. This is just one more step forward, but by no means the end, because charging someone, knowing a name is not enough. No one has been found guilty of the murders yet. That is the real goal, to find someone guilty in a court of law, and there is a part that we all play in that. I mean, to put it frankly, our part is that we can't fuck it up. The stakes are too high. We all shared the pictures. We shared their story because he was still out there. That was our responsibility to the families and to the community to discuss, need to know information,

to help find the man pictured in that video. And now police believe that that's happened, but too much can go wrong between an arrest and a trial if we aren't careful with our words, with what we post and share and guess and tweet. This isn't a game. This isn't some kind of puzzle. Abby and Libby's stories have gotten so big, and I know it's because you all care so deeply, but now is the time to pause, to think of your own daughter or sister or best friend, and remember that these girls are more than how their lives ended. And just because we all followed their story and rooted for this day does not mean that we are owed every detail. We may get more information when there is a trial. We may never get more information. At least for now,

the documents around this arrest have been sealed to protect the investigation. And that is so important that we all know that because that means that anything coming out, not from police, may not be real or it might be skewed or misrepresented. So I think this is a good example of where true crime can be impactful and where it can turn harmful. He's been arrested. He is behind bars and the DA now is going to start building a case to make sure he pays for what he did. That's impactful. And so this is where we all have to give some breathing room so that we aren't harmful to the process. And it's not just to the investigators and the DA, but for the families who have never stopped processing the loss of their girls, but now have to do that in a whole new way

with a face. So give them time, give them some space, give them grace, honestly. And listen, I know a lot of people want to spiral on this specific statement made by Superintendent Carter. We are going to continue a very methodical and committed approach to ensure that if any other person had any involvement in these murders, in any way, that person or persons will be held accountable. They are working this case. They care about this case deeply. It is not our job to throw out names and make assumptions about other possible suspects or involvement. People have been making assumptions for years. And guess what? The name of the guy they arrested was never on anyone's lips. So please, like I said, we can't fuck this up for the families. Let police continue their investigation.

If you have relevant information that for any reason you were afraid to share until now, or you didn't think was important at the time, but now you do, the investigators are still wanting to hear from you. Here is the Carroll County Prosecutor, Nick McLeeland. This investigation is still very ongoing. We're keeping the tip line open, the tip email open. We encourage everybody to continue to call in tips not only about Richard Allen, but about any other person that you may have. Mr. Allen has had his initial hearing, his interprimary plea of not guilty. The matter has been set for a pretrial on January 13th at 9 a.m. 2023 at a trial date of March 20th, 2023 at 9 a.m. He is presumed innocent. We will have our opportunity and day in court when we present

the evidence that we have against him. But until that day, he's presumed innocent. If you're looking to hear Abbie and Libby's story in full, but you're not sure where to turn to make sure that you're supporting the families instead of harming them, Kelsey, who is Liberty German's sister, was recently featured on the Voices for Justice podcast telling her sister's story in her own words. Now, this was recorded a while ago before she ever knew about the arrest. So that information isn't in there. But when Kelsey or any of the family members are ready to talk about that part, they will. In fact, Kelsey tweeted this, quote, Thankful for everyone who has given me space and allowed me to process quietly for a couple of days.

I see your messages, replies, posts, etc. They haven't gone unnoticed. I appreciate all of you. If you want to see more directly from Kelsey, who again is Liberty German's sister, you can follow her on Twitter at libertyg underscore sister. If there are more updates from the police, we will try and bring you those. But you can also follow the Indiana State Police for any official announcements on this case. Thank you all for being so invested in Abbey and Libby. And thank you for being so dedicated to supporting their families.