On February 13, 2017, Abigail “Abby” Williams and Liberty “Libby” German went for a walk at the Mary Gerard Nature Preserve in Delphi, IN. The next time they were seen was on February 14, when their bodies were found. 

On Monday, October 31, police announced that an arrest had finally been made. 50-year-old Richard Allen has been charged with two counts of murder in Libby and Abby’s case. 

Libby and Abby were hiking in an area of the forest preserve known as Deer Creek. At 2:07pm, Libby posted a photo of Abby on the Monon High Bridge. This was the last time anyone heard from either of the girls. 

At some point after that photo was taken, Libby and Abby were murdered. An official search, comprised of volunteers and law enforcement, began after Libby’s father was unable to reach her. After the sun had set, the police wanted to call off the search party. 

The search resumed early February 14 and the girls’ bodies were found at noon. At 2pm, a news conference was held. In this news conference, authorities brought up the potential of foul play. 

This case quickly gained national attention. It’s not every day that two teenage girls are randomly murdered. It’s also not common to have photos and audio of the killer and still not know who it is. 

As she was a teenager at the time of her murder, it’s not surprising that Libby had her phone on her. Her phone was recovered and gave law enforcement vital information in the case. 

It was discovered that Libby had recorded a video of a man following her and Abby on the Monon High Bridge. Videos and audio recordings of the man, who was identified as the killer, were released to the public. Now, almost 6 years later, these videos paid off. 

Police have said that “this investigation is far from over” but this arrest is a huge development. The families and friends of Libby and Abby finally have a chance at long awaited closure.