Fascinating story of how volunteer receptionist cracked cold case Delphi murders
The Delphi murders suspect may never have been prosecuted if it wasnt for a volunteer receptionist who made a major breakthrough in the cold case.
The Delphi murders suspect may never have been prosecuted if it wasnt for a volunteer receptionist who made a major breakthrough in the cold case.
Murder-accused Richard Allens trial started this month, bringing new evidence to light along with the backstories of the people involved in his October 2022 arrest.
On Thursday, Kathy Shank, a volunteer tasked with organizing the filing system for tens of thousands of tip and leads, explained her pivotal role in the case.
She described finding the document relating to Rick Allen Whitehead among the trove, after his tip fell through the cracks leaving him hiding in plain sight for years.
Allen, now 52, had been interviewed by police as a potential witness after he contacted them to say he had been on the Indiana trail where victims Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14 went missing on February 13, 2017.
The Delphi murders suspect may never have been prosecuted if it wasnt for a volunteer receptionist who made a major breakthrough in the cold case, leading to the arrest of key suspect Richard Allen (pictured) who is now on trial in Indiana
Libby and Abby who were abducted and murdered when they went on a hike on the Monon High Bridge trail outside Delphi, Indiana, February 13, 2017
In September 2022, Shank filed Allens tip in an online database - and realized the time he said he was on the Monon High Bridge Trail matched the time the girls were thought to have disappeared.
She checked the filings and found that Allens interview had been mislabeled with the name Whitehead, and marked cleared meaning no follow-up was ever conducted.
It was her probing into the apparent correlations in timings which prompted police to refresh the case with a focus on Allen, leading to his ongoing trial in Indiana. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court also heard from the Department of Natural Resources officer, Danial Dulin who carried out the first brief interview with Allen in a grocery store parking lot on February 18, 2017.
He recalled that he though it ‘odd’ that Allen would not come into the office or allow officers to go to his home and that Allen told him he was on the trail between 1.30 and 3.30pm.
Dulin recalled nothing particularly unusual about his encounter with Allen back then. But, years later, when brought in for a more official interview by then Chief of Police Steve Mullins and colleague Tony Liggett, now Sheriff, both his story and his demeanor had changed.
Mullins took the stand to recall how Allen went willingly with him and Liggett for a more formal interview on October 13, 2022.
Murder-accused Richard Allens trial started this month, bringing new evidence to light along with the backstories of the people involved in his October 2022 arrest
The so-called bridge guy filmed during the girls final moments who prosecutors say is Richard Allen
By then the officers had pulled surveillance camera from the road to the trail head and identified a vehicle they believed to be Allen’s arriving around 1.27pm February 13, 2017.
But when questioned in 2022 Allen, who told officers he had come forward on his wife Kathy’s suggestion, said he had gone to the trail around noon.
He claims he did so after visiting his mother than morning and having gone home to pick up a jacket.
Allen insisted said he stayed for only an hour.
He said he had walked towards the bridge, seeing three girls leaving the trail as he entered.
The alleged killer then walked out onto the bridge as far as the first platform where he stood and looked for fish before returning home, he claimed.
By then the officers had pulled surveillance camera from the road to the trail head and identified a vehicle they believed to be Allen’s arriving around 1.27pm February 13, 2017.
But when questioned in 2022 Allen, who told officers he had come forward on his wife Kathy’s suggestion, said he had gone to the trail around noon after visiting his mother than morning and having gone home to pick up a jacket. He said he stayed for only an hour.
He said he had walked towards the bridge, seeing three girls leaving the trail as he entered, and walked out onto the bridge as far as the first platform where he stood and looked for fish before returning home.
Asked what he was wearing that day Allen said a blue or black Carhartt jacket, blue jeans, a skull cap and military boots or tennis shoes.
Allen initially said officers could examine his phone before changing his mind.
Then, Mullins told the court, ‘We showed Mr. Allen a picture of Bridge Guy and the way we framed the question was we needed to work out if the person was him and his answer was odd.
Allen, now 52, had been interviewed by police as a potential witness after he contacted them to say he had been on the Indiana trail where victims Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14 went missing on February 13, 2017
‘He said, “If the picture was taken with the girls’ camera there was no way it could be him”.’
The interview ended when Allen became agitated and walked out.
Allen was arrested in October 2022 and charged with murdering German and Williams.
His attorneys have claimed that he is innocent and the girls were killed as part of a ritualistic sacrifice by a group of Odinists - though they have been banned from mentioning the cult in court.
