Episode 16 – Abby and Libby: The Delphi Murders
Welcome back to the Strange Woods! On this episode, we're diving into true crime with a big one: The Delphi Murders. Join us as we discuss the investigation, facts, and theories of this ongoing story.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses violence against children. Discretion is advised.
STOP! INSIDE JOKES AHEAD! If you haven’t gotten to listen to the episode yet, spoiler alert! This post contains lots of stuff that will make waaay more sense if you listen to the episode before or while reading. So if you haven’t already, pump the brakes and listen to the episode or just click above to play so that you can be in on all the shenanigans to follow!
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Produced by Peter Woodward
The Tragic Murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams
Best friends Libby, 14, and Abby, 13, decided to take advantage of a scheduled snow day off school on February 13, 2017 by going to a local spot in their hometown of Delphi, IN called the Monon High Bridge. It was an abandoned train track bridge that was now part of a system of walking trails popular with the kids in the area.
The old bridge itself was built in 1898 and hovers 63ft above Deer Creek. It’s a popular site to test your bravery and take pictures as you walk along, which is exactly what the girls wanted to do that day.
The girls got permission to go from Libby’s grandmother, Becky, as long as they could get rides to and from the trails. Libby’s older sister, Kelsi, agreed to drop them off, and Libby’s father, Derrick, agreed to pick them up provided that they could be done by 3:30pm.
- Kelsi dropped them off around 1:30pm that afternoon. The girls walked along the bridge, while Libby took pictures of Abby and posted them to social media with the last post at 2:07pm. After that, the girls were never heard from again.
- Derrick texted Libby on his way to pick them up, and she didn’t respond, which was not typical of her. When he showed up at the trailhead a little before 3:30, they weren’t there. He attempted calls and texts, but still got no answer.
- Derrick then called his mother, Becky (Libby’s grandmother) who informed him that she had not heard from the girls since they left. Both Becky and her husband Mike (Libby’s grandfather) tried calling and texting with no response.
- Mike drove to meet Derrick, and both men walked the trails looking for the girls until dark, but couldn’t find them.They then called the police and reported them missing. By 6pm, a massive search was underway.
- The next day, a little after noon, the bodies of both girls were found about half a mile from the Monon High Bridge near Deer Creek.
The Families
Derrick A. German, father of Libby (not pictured)
The Info Given to the Public Following the Discovery of the Girls
- Following the discovery of the girls’ bodies, police released information incrementally to aid in identifying a suspect and protect the integrity of the investigation. In February, police announced a description and released a still photo of a possible suspect captured in Libby’s phone as well as the now infamous recorded audio clip of a man saying “down the hill.”
The description of the man in the photo was between 5’6″-5’8″, 180-200lbs and wearing blue jeans and a blue jacket with hoodie. This description of a man seen that day would eventually be corroborated by several witnesses.
In July, a police sketch of a potential suspect was issued.
- It was also confirmed that the “down the hill” voice clip was associated with the man in the sketch.
The Persons of Interest
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- Ron Logan owned land where girls’ bodies were found. There are questions about the authenticity of his alibi for where he was at the time of the crime. There is suspicion that he asked a relative to lie about his whereabouts. Logan was arrested during the course of this investigation, however it was for violating his probation, and was not associated with this case. He was never formally called a suspect and died 1/24/22 of Covid.
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- James Brian Chadwell is a known pedophile that was looked into during this case. While police cited that there were “several factors” that contributed to their investigation into Chadwell’s potential connection to this case, he has also never been charged or formally listed as a suspect. He was arrested in 2021 for the abduction and sexual assault of a 9 year old girl in April of that year. He is currently serving a 90-year prison sentence for his crimes.
- Kegan Kline is a known pedophile who was jailed for charges of child pornography and is currently being looked into as another person of interest. His link to the case is a profile he created called anthony_shots that he used to catfish and communicate with underage girls on social media. He reportedly used this profile to solicit over 100 nude pictures from underage girls. It is reported that he was actively catfishing Libby and spoke with her via social media as recently as the day of the murder.Though he was never formally listed as a suspect, he continues to be a person of interest as the case is ongoing. He is currently incarcerated in Florida after pleading guilty to 25 felony child pornography charges. He is currently awaiting sentencing, which is set for May 18, 2023.
The Progress of the Case Over Time...
Beginning in February 2017 and over the next two years, despite tens of thousands of tips and countless hours of investigation, police did not have anyone in custody.
A second sketch based on eyewitness statements was released in April of 2019.
- To the frustration of police, family, and community of Delphi, this image ultimately yielded nothing.
- Some other pieces of information were incrementally released to the public:
- – one of the teens can be heard possibly saying “gun” in the video as the man approaches them
- – PT Cruiser vs SVU vs smart car (possibly Ford Focus) reported parked nearby by witnesses
- – one witness reported passing a man on the trail in jeans and blue jacket who was “muddy and bloody” and looked like he had been in a fight
- – another witness also reported same clothes
The investigation continued with the third and fourth anniversaries coming and going without new information. The family and police continued to try to keep the girls fresh in the public’s memory.
Abby and Libby Memorial Park was opened in their memory in 2021. It is a recreational park with sports fields, walking tracks, playgrounds, and a band shell. It was fully funded by donations and grants.
After 5 years in, police announced the anthony_shots profile and interest in Kegan Kline, who was in custody at that time for child pornography charges (approx 30 in total). The girls’ families continued to try to keep the case fresh in the mind of the public and media.
Then…in October 2022…
Finally...
The police announced the arrest of Richard Allen. He has been formally charged with two counts of the felony murders of Abby Williams and Libby German.
The Probable Cause Affidavit was released in November detailing a lot of information regarding some of his statements to police and some pretty damning weapon evidence and witness statements. More on that is listed in the timeline below.
Allen’s attorneys have made the request to have the trial in a different county, which has been denied. The trial date originally set up for March has been vacated due to the defense’s request for more time to prepare. At this time, the new trial date is going to be set June 15 or 16, 2023 at Allen’s scheduled bail hearing.
General Timeline of Case
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- Timeline:
- 2/13/17 Girls go missing
- 2/14/17 Bodies found near Deer Creek about 1/2 mile from Monon High Bridge
- 2/15/17 Confirmed identities of the bodies as Libby and Abby; double homicide investigation declared and two photos of potential suspect released
- 2/19/17 Police reveal man in photo is now a suspect, “down the hill” audio clip released
- 7/17/17 First suspect sketch released
- -description: between 5’6″-5’8″, 180-200lbs, reddish-brown hair; wearing blue jeans, blue jacket with hoodie
- -audio recording from Libby’s smartphone: “Guys…down the hill” is said to be this man’s voice
- 8/11/17 At 6-month mark, 20-30 officers and FBI continuing to sift through over 24,000 tips
- 2/8/18 At 1-yr mark, still investigating; town and family keep information circulating, still actively investigating and searching for answers; no suspects in custody at this time
- 2/11/19 At 2-yr mark, after 38,000 tips, still no suspects custody
- 4/22/19 New suspect sketch and video from Libby’s phone are released
- -thought to be between 18-40 and looks young for his age
- -sketch based on eyewitness account
- 2/7/20 At 3yr mark, no suspects in custody, no cause of death stated; two investigators and the FBI still following leads, but the police state, “There’s nothing new to report.”
- 2/11/21 At 4 yr mark, no suspects in custody, family continues to search
- 7/2021 Opening of Abby and Libby Memorial Park
- 2/14/22 At 5yr mark, Indiana State Police announce “anthony_shots” profile and request public help and info about profile and any communication with person of interest
- -belonged to Kegan Kline, a pedophile already in police custody; interviewed via jailhouse phone call
- -his profile was the last known communication with Libby
- -catfishing to solicit nude photos from underage girls
- -no charges filed against Kline at this time
- 10/31/22 Police announce the Oct 28 arrest of Richard Allen
- -charged with two counts of felony murder (kidnapping and murder)
- -affidavits and records remain sealed to protect the integrity of the investigation
- 11/29/22 Probable Cause Affidavit released:
- -Police announce 0.40 caliber unspent shell found at crime scene links Allen to the girls’ murders because it matches his personal gun: a Sig Sauer Model P226, which was found at his home. Allen admitted ownership of this gun and reported that he never lent it out.
- 12/2022 Temporary gag order issued by Judge Francis Gull to protect the integrity of case
- 1/13/23 Judge denies Allen’s attorneys’ request to move trial venue at least 150 miles from Delphi, gag order upheld
- 2/17/23 Allen’s attorneys requested trial to be pushed back, citing needing more time to receive all the evidence from the state and prepare a defense
- -March 20th trial date vacated per attorney’s request
- -new trial date to be set June 15/16 at bail hearing
- Timeline:
Other nuggets in the episode...
A quick Google search revealed:
We questioned how police were able to link the found unspent shell casing at the murder site to Richard Allen’s gun if there were no rifling patterns that typically result from a bullet being fired. They used the ejection mark matching method. Though the shell casing was not fired, microscopic markings left on the casing from being loaded and ejected from the pistol are unique to that weapon, and as such, were able to be matched to Allen’s gun.
3D Rendering of Crime Scene, Bridge, Paths…
Peter mentioned Gray Hughes Investigates and his 3D rendering video. Very interesting watch. Check it out.
Overhead Image of Area
Peter discussed this image on the podcast:
The car was parked in the circled area at the top. The dotted line is the path down the trail and Monon High Bridge. The X marks the body site, and the continuing dotted line across the field and along the road links to where the “muddy and bloody” man was seen. Richard Allen’s home is indicated by the lower circled area.
Resources and Outreach
We talked in this episode about bystander effect. It is defined as “the inhibiting influence of the presence of others on a person’s willingness to help someone in need. Research has shown that, even in an emergency, a bystander is less likely to extend help when he or she is in the real or imagined presence of others than when he or she is alone.”
Don’t be part of the bystander effect. If you see something, say something. We love to have a good time and a good laugh on this podcast, but we know there are some seriously scary things and some seriously sinister people in our world. Don’t ignore your gut. You may make the difference between someone living and dying.
Below are some resources for abuse, violence, sex trafficking, etc.
Master list of phone numbers and websites can be found here:
How Else Can You Help?
–Tips and information on the Delphi Murders case can be submitted here:
–Support the CrimeDoor app launched in partnership with Kelsi German, Libby’s older sister. It is an augmented reality app that recreates 3D crime scenes, allowing anyone to get fresh eyes on crime scenes, and hopefully leading to more information gleaned from the public on cold cases. Download the free app on your phone.
–Donations to the can be made to the Libby and Abby Softball Park Fund at abbyandlibby.org.
–Support the Cold Case Foundation at coldcasefoundation.org
Thanks so much for joining us again! Keep your eyes open, take care of one another, and as always…stay strange!
References, articles, and sources:
–https://abc7ny.com/delphi-murders-suspect-james-chadwell-indiana/10560168/
Peter’s wife. Registered nurse. Uber-fan of The Strange Woods Podcast.
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