The recent court proceedings regarding Richard Allen, accused of murdering two middle school students in Indiana, revealed critical developments in the investigation. Five years before his arrest, Allen had reached out to law enforcement, claiming he was in the vicinity on the day the girls were killed.
His information was recorded in a lead sheet but was mistakenly marked as “cleared.” This oversight went unnoticed until 2022 when a volunteer clerk sorting through tips stumbled upon this document, prompting a renewed focus on Allen and ultimately leading to his arrest.
The trial has been illuminating as various law enforcement officials and witnesses recounted their involvement in the February 13, 2017, murders of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13. Allen’s defense team argues for his innocence, suggesting alternative explanations for the killings, including the possibility of a ritual sacrifice.
They have also challenged the credibility of witness accounts that placed a man resembling Allen near the scene, including a specific description of a suspect who appeared “covered in mud and blood” shortly after the murders.
Key Developments Emerge in Richard Allen Murder Trial as Overlooked Evidence Resurfaces
Dan Dulin, a conservation officer at the time of the murders, provided significant testimony. He detailed a meeting with Allen on February 16, 2017, just three days after the girls’ deaths.
During this meeting, Allen claimed he had walked near the abandoned rail bridge where the girls had planned to spend their day off. Dulin’s notes from the conversation, however, did not receive further investigation at that time, contributing to the delays in identifying Allen as a suspect.
The case gained momentum when Kathy Shank, a retired clerk, discovered Allen’s overlooked lead sheet while reviewing thousands of tips. She flagged it for detectives, who were then investigating a person referred to as “the bridge guy,” linked to a Snapchat video taken by one of the victims.
Witness Railly Voorhies testified about her encounter with a suspicious man who matched the description of the individual in the Snapchat footage, further connecting Allen to the investigation.
As authorities re-interviewed Allen, his account remained largely unchanged, although he adjusted his timeline. When shown a photo of “the bridge guy,” he maintained that it could not be him.
The investigation culminated when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Allen’s home, uncovering a .40 caliber Sig Sauer handgun linked to a bullet found near the victims’ bodies. This evidence, alongside witness testimonies, solidified the case against Allen, leading to his arrest based on a combination of circumstantial evidence and forensic analysis.
