INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Wednesday is the fifth day of testimonies in the trial of Delphi Murders suspect Richard Allen at the Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi.

Allen, 52, is charged with murder and murder while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping in the deaths of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German. The girls’ bodies were found near the Monon High Bridge near Delphi on Feb. 14, 2017, a day after they went missing.

Allen was first investigated in 2017 and again in October 2022. After a second police interview, he was taken into custody.

The trial began Oct. 18 and was expected to continue through mid-November. Sixteen Allen County residents sit as the jury on the case.

Day 5 of the Delphi Murders trial was set to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

NOTE: The times listed in the blog headers are the times which the entries were added. Specific times for courtroom events will be listed in the entries if available.

For a brief summary of Day 4 in the Delphi Murders trial (Tuesday), scroll to the bottom of the page.

To view all of our previous trial coverage, click here.

Additional coverage on Wednesday from News 8

• Delphi Murders defense team again tries to introduce Odinism into trial
• Judge erases photos of Delphi Murders jurors from confiscated cameras

3:45 p.m.: Second afternoon session begins; more forensics from Libby’s iPhone and murders suspect Richard Allen’s phone

First Sgt. Christopher D. Cecil of Indiana State Police answered additional questions from the prosecution about the specific times on Feb. 13, 2017, that the photos from Abby and Libby were taken on Libby’s iPhone and then posted on Snapchat. He also answered questions about the iPhone’s movements that day.

Cecil is the commander of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Jennifer Auger asked about Cecil noting earlier in the afternoon that the phone sent 15 texts all at once to Libby’s phone at 4:34 a.m. Feb. 14, 2017. He reiterated that he didn’t know why that happened, but noted that if a phone doesn’t have service, texts once service is restored will all have the same time stamp.

Cecil also noted during cross-examination and the prosecutor’s redirect that he’d looked at 23 devices of suspect Richard Allen. Access to the devices was provided Nov. 8, 2022. Cecil said he found nothing to tie Allen to Abby and Libby, other than his searches for information about the missing girls.

The prosecution pointed out that Allen had a different phone in 2017 not included in the seize.

The jury asked questions of Cecil as well. One juror asked if Cecil had checked to see if AT&T had issues with cell towers on Feb. 13-14, 2017. Cecil said he didn’t check.

Jurors also asked several questions, including ones about how Snapchat works and what it records and saves.

3:36 p.m.: State police officer reviews forensics from Libby’s iPhone

The trial resumed at 2 p.m. and a break followed at 3:25 p.m.

First Sgt. Christopher D. Cecil of Indiana State Police, who said he’s been in law enforcement for 20 years, took the stand. He has a college degree in digital forensics, and, in 2019, became a computer forensics examiner for the state police. He joined the Delphi Murders investigation and volunteered to examine Libby’s phone.

Cecil analyzed the iPhone and the SIM card inside first in 2019 using a Grey Key “device” from state police. The device is capable of unlocking iPhones and other similar devices unlike previous software was able to.

In this analysis, Cecil produced a full data extraction of the phone’s content and reviewed that by putting it into a program called Cellabrite. This review lasted between late July 2019 and late August 2019.

His goal was to extract data and create a timeline of events of the phone’s use starting Feb. 13, 2017, the day that police believe Abby and Libby were murdered.

Cecil compiled a report in 2019 on what he found on Libby’s iPhone. Some highlights:

• Two people were using Libby’s phone.
• Many apps had logons for Abby and Libby.
• There were several fingerprints saved to the phone, including Abby’s.
• The Health app on the phone was working, in the background, and recorded steps taken, changes in elevation, and the distances traveled. Cecil outlined that information for the jurors.
• The phone also made two calls, was plugged into a power source, and posted photos to Snapchat on Feb. 13, 2017.
• The phone also recorded the “bridge guy” video, which jurors watched Tuesday.

This year, Cecil compiled a second report including more extensive information from the iPhone using a program new to state police called “KnowledgeC.” The software was able to provide a more detailed view of the day’s timeline. Analysis for the report happened between May 10 and Aug. 18 of this year.

Here’s a brief breakdown:

• At 1:41 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2017, a picture was posted from the phone to Libby’s Snapchat account.
• At 1:43 p.m. that same day, another picture was posted to Snapchat.
• At 2:05 p.m. on Feb. 13, a picture of the Monon High Bridge was posted to Snapchat.
• The phone last unlocked at 2:07 p.m. Feb. 13, 2017, although someone failed to unlock it with a fingerprint about 7 minutes later.
• At 2:13 p.m., the “Bridge Guy” video is recorded.
• At 2:14 p.m., someone attempts to unlock the phone, but fails.
• The last recorded movement of the phone was at 2:32 p.m. Feb. 13, 2017.
• The last signal from the phone came about 10:32 p.m., Feb. 13, 2017. Cecil reported he thought that the phone had died.

He found no indication the phone was turned off from 2:13 p.m. Feb. 13, 2017, to 4:33 a.m. Feb. 14, 2017. The phone received calls and texts late into the day on Feb. 13.

At 4:06 p.m. on Feb. 13, Libby’s grandmother texted, “you need to call me now!!!”

The phone stopped receiving notifications late Feb. 13, until 4:33 a.m. on Feb. 14, when about 20 SMS text message notifications came in.

When asked why the phone did not receive messages between them, Cecil said he did not know.

The phone did not have any more activity tracked until it was plugged in the next day by ISP investigator Brian Bunner.

Earlier on in his testimony he focused on the GPS capabilities of the iPhone.

He outlined that several apps — including the App Store, Camera, Maps, Photos and Snapchat — were limited to providing a location only when in use. The only app with location always on was Weather. Local services for the Walmart app were set to “never.”

Cecil explained how the GPS begins by tracking a general area and then quickly narrows it down.

Cecil told the jury, the “Bridge Guy” video’s metadata first shows the video as having been taken near Delphi High School, but within a few seconds, it quickly shows the location as near the Monon High Bridge.

3:29 p.m.: Three rulings from Judge Fran Gull revealed today

• Order on Motion in Limine Regarding Defense Witness. Judge Gull ruled against a request from the defense that a witness be allowed to testify regarding metallurgy and firearms. The state filed a motion to exclude his testimony, arguing that Dr. William Tobin is an expert in metallurgy, but not firearms. After review, Judge Gull ruled that Dr. Tobin is not an expert in firearms and has had no training in firearms identification and has never conducted a firearms examination. She ruled in the below document that his testimony is inadmissible.

• Decorum order regarding certain media entities. On the first day of trial, the court claimed that photographers from the Associated Press, NBC and Gannett took photos of the jury. According to the below document, the court erased images from the cameras and banned the media members from the rest of the proceedings.

• Order motion for leave to intervene and public access to court records. Judge Gull ruled that Indian Trial rules limits the availability of the audio recording of a proceeding to a party. She ruled that the YouTube personality who made the motion is not a party to the case and the court is not required to provide the recording. Judge Gull goes further in the below document and says the ‘balance of the motion to intervene is merely a complaint about how the court is conducting a trial.

1:45 p.m.: Court resumes for afternoon session

12:45 p.m.: Court breaks for lunch

11:45 a.m.: The doctor who performed girls’ autopsies testifies

Dr. Roland Kohr, a forensic pathologist based out of Terre Haute, was the state’s 20th witness in the trial. Kohr is semi-retired, and served as the Vigo County coroner for many years. He performed autopsies on Libby German and Abby Williams.

Kohr explained to the jury the steps of an autopsy, which begins with being contacted by investigators and learning about the case, then later performing examinations of the bodies.

The first autopsy was performed on Abby. Kohr noted Abby’s clothing, any physical injuries, and performed a rape kit. He said that Abby had a 1-inch deep, 3-inch long incision wound on her neck. She also had a faint mark under her mouth, which Kohr said could be from duct tape or cloth. Abby showed no signs of blunt force trauma or restraint wounds. He said that though the rape kit showed no “overt injury patterns,” it does not mean that sexual contact didn’t occur.

Libby German’s autopsy was performed second. Kohr also noted her clothing, physical injuries, and performed a rape kit. The autopsy report said Libby had anywhere from three to five incision wounds on the right side of her neck, the largest being around 3.5 inches long. She also showed no signs of overt sexual trauma or defensive wounds.

Kohr estimated that the girls died approximately 41 hours before the autopsy.

Defense attorney Brad Rozzi began his cross examination and discussed Kohr’s deposition from February 2024. Kohr’s deposition included information about the attack and speculations on the girls’ reactions after being attacked. He said in the February deposition that he couldn’t determine if the killer was left or right handed and that a serrated knife may have been used.

Kohr then said after his deposition that a box cutter may have been used instead of a serrated knife, but did not inform the defense. News 8’s Kyla Russell said Rozzi showed upset in the courtroom after Kohr admitted his uncertainty about the weapon used and did not file a new report.

11:15 a.m.: First witness testimony

The state’s first witness Wednesday morning was 35-year-old Sarah Carbaugh, a lifelong Delphi resident who lived near the trail. She told the jury she visited the trail every day with her dogs.

Carbaugh said she did not know Libby German and Abby Williams, but learned they were missing through an Amber Alert sent out on Feb. 13, 2017. She didn’t walk the trail that day, but drove by to see how busy it was. While there, she said she saw a group of people at the Mears entrance, including a girl wearing pink who appeared visibly stressed. She also saw a man covered in “mud” and “blood” walking along a country road. She said she drove past the man, who did not acknowledge her, but says she later recognized him as “Bridge Guy.” She waited three weeks to report who she saw to police, saying she was afraid.

Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin began his cross-examination, asking questions about discrepancies in her descriptions of “mud” and “blood” and her June 2017 interview with police that had an hour of it missing. Carbaugh responded that the details “were as simple as it is” and that “outside of this testimony, I want nothing to do with this.”

Baldwin asked further questions about Bridge Guy’s hair texture and eyes. “You’re romanticizing this,” Carbaugh said.

“You said he had very effeminate eyes,” Baldwin said.

“I did not say that,” Carbaugh said.

News 8’s Kyla Russell reported that the jury appeared “put off” by Carbaugh’s reactions. After her cross-examination, state prosecutor Stacy Diener asked about discrepancies in how Carbaugh described Bridge Guy’s hood and hat.

Carbaugh replied it “feels like a Tinder profile of hats” with how many hats she’s been shown. She continued by discussing her June 2017 interview and the portion that had been missing. She said that the part where she was asked to mark the Bridge Guy photo was a part of the missing interview block. She mentioned, though, that the Bridge Guy’s jacket was dark enough to where she wouldn’t have seen blood on it, and but his jeans were light enough to show the mud on them. The jury finished by asking how close she was to Bridge Guy when she saw him at the Mears entrance, to which she answered he was within three feet of the passenger side.

9:25 a.m.

Online court records show that Richard Allen’s defense has filed a motion to admit evidence in the court regarding Odinism and the theory the girls were murdered as a “ritualistic killing.”

The defense first presented evidence of Odinism in the Delphi Murders case in September 2023. The team filed a 136-page memorandum, claiming that “members of a pagan Norse religion, called Odinism, hijacked by white nationalists, ritualistically sacrificed Abigail Williams and Liberty German.”

The Odinism theory was one of many the state pushed to bar from the jury during the trial, along with references to Kegan Kline, geocaching, and other third-party suspects. Following the state’s motion, the defense retaliated, fighting for those arguments to be allowed in court.

The court struck down the Odinism theory in September, the order saying that evidence “must not be based on speculation, conjecture, rumors, or hearsay, rather than admissible evidence.”

It wasn’t clear how the court would rule on the motion or if it would be discussed during Wednesday’s session.

9 a.m.: Court is set to begin

Brief summary of Day 4 in the Delphi murders trial

Tuesday began with cross-examination of ISP Trooper Brian Olehy, who discussed a large exhibit of crime scene evidence, most contained in sealed, brown paper bags. During the exhibit, Olehy said he was not aware of any DNA found that was connected to Richard Allen.

According to News 8’s Kyla Russell, a tense back-and-forth between the defense, prosecution, and Olehy followed, prompting objections from the prosecution. He also discussed the unspent bullet found at the scene, a piece of evidence the defense referred to as the “magic bullet.”

After lunch, ISP Lt. Brian Bunner, a state forensic examiner, explained the process of cellphone data extraction and discussed the infamous “bridge video” found on Libby German’s phone. Bunner said in only some screenshots taken from the video can a man be seen behind the girls. The man in the video has been given the moniker “Bridge Guy” by many.

The defense asked about the GPS data from the video, to which Bunner answered that the coordinates were close to the bridge, but he did not look at the data. Following Bunner, audio-visual forensic expert Jeremey Chapman testified about enhancing audio in the bridge recording to pinpoint where the “Bridge Guy” was heard saying “Down the hill.”

Then, three witnesses who said they saw “Bridge Guy” on the High Monon Trail the day Libby German and Abby Williams went missing testified.

One witness, Railly Voorheis, said she saw “Bridge Guy” on the trail and told him “hi,” but he didn’t respond. When describing what “Bridge Guy” looked like, she noted he was taller than her. Voorheis told the jury she was 5 feet 7 inches tall. Richard Allen is 5 feet 4 inches tall.

The second witness, Breann Welber, said she made a post to Snapchat when she went to the bridge on Feb. 13, 2017. She said Libby had messaged her on Snapchat sometime before going missing. After the grainy photo of “Bridge Guy” was released to the public, Welber said, “First thing I thought was that is the person I saw on the trail.”

The third was Betsey Blair, who frequently visited the Monon Trail. She did several loops of the trail on Feb. 13, 2017, and said she saw “Bridge Guy,” and later saw two girls on the trail. She said she immediately recognized “Bridge Guy” as the man she saw on the trail.

The last witness to testify Tuesday afternoon was Steve Mullin, former chief of police for Delphi and an investigator for the Carroll County Prosecutor’s Office. He discussed collecting video from sources in the Delphi case and how he determined when and where the videos were taken.

To read their full testimonies, click here.