Additional Coverage:
- Delphi murders trial: A volunteer assisting police helped identify the man charged with killing 2 teens (nbcnews.com)
Five years ago, Richard Allen contacted authorities about the murder of two Indiana middle school students near a trail. He claimed to have been in the area when the girls went missing.
This information was initially marked as cleared, but in 2022, a volunteer discovered it and alerted authorities, leading to Allen’s arrest.
Allen’s lawyers maintain his innocence and claim the murders may have been a ritual sacrifice. They have challenged the prosecution’s timeline and witness accounts.
In court, a clerk testified that Allen had attempted to assist the investigation in 2017. A conservation officer stated that Allen had provided information about his whereabouts on the day of the murders.
Witnesses recalled encountering a suspicious man on the trail that day, and one identified him as the person seen in a Snapchat video found on one of the victim’s phones.
Investigators believe Allen is the “bridge guy” from the video, a suspect they had been searching for.
Allen initially provided a similar account to authorities, but later denied being in the area when the photo was taken. A search of his home uncovered a handgun matching the bullet found near the victims’ bodies, leading to his arrest.