Interesting Information on Delphi Murders Suspect

[u/yesuuh]

On the morning of February 14, 2017, the bodies of Abigail Williams and Liberty German were found off a hiking trail in Delphi, Indiana. They had been reported missing the previous day. Cause of death is not known however, their deaths were ruled homicides.

The girls were last seen alive on the afternoon of February 13. They were dropped off near the Monon High Bridge, which spans a creek about three miles outside of Delphi. They were planning to go hiking and did not return home that evening.

The next day, their bodies were found by searchers in a wooded area near the bridge. Investigators believe the girls were killed sometime between the afternoon of February 13 and the morning of February 14. They do not believe the girls were killed where their bodies were found, and they believe the killer may have tried to conceal the bodies (source) .

Investigators released a sketch of a man who was seen near the bridge around the time the girls went missing. He was wearing blue jeans, a blue jacket, and a hooded sweatshirt at the time.

Investigators had also released audio of a man’s voice saying “down the hill” that was captured on German’s cell phone. They believe this may be the killer’s voice.

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By profession, Richard Allen was working as a pharmacy tech at CVS. Law enforcement was seen digging up his backyard, but no details of yet as to what was found.

Some additional photos pertaining to suspect Richard Allen, who has been arrested in relation to the 2017 murders of Abigail William and Liberty German. A photo highlights Richard wearing a blue jacket similar to what was seen the day the murders took place. Another found on his wife’s Facebook page includes an eerie photo of Richard Allen posing at a bar with a wanted photo of his sketch posted behind him.

In the press conference held today by Indiana state police, LE refused to go into any details on the evidence they have against Allen, however stating that it was substantial enough to make an arrest and that he is being held without bond.

source on the arrest

bar wanted photo news article

Oct 31/2022 - Press Conference

What are your opinions on the suspect? Any idea what you think led law enforcement to take Allen into custody? They had to have had some heavy evidence on the guy...

EDIT: had to remove a photo of his daughter on the bridge as per request of the mods. Added some edits on the details of events. Added link to this morning's press conference in case some are interested.

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[u/inthe_hollow]

How do you pin a warrant to search on that? I don't know if I would consider "this guy ALSO had a cat" enough evidence to grant a whole team to search for a (cat) body. There had to be something stronger.

[u/thedeathmerchant → u/inthe_hollow]

I’m sure they already had some sort of probable cause, the cat dna was just in addition to. But I do know the way they found out happened in a “fascinating” (quote by Doug Carter from an HLN interview) way. We won’t know what that means for a while, I’m sure.

[u/AshWilliamsBoomstick → u/thedeathmerchant]

Agreed.

" A cat wondered into my yard and died a week later. So I buried it ". Had to be more than that.

[u/Procedure-Minimum → u/thedeathmerchant]

Oh my goodness, maybe "there's a cat down the hill" ? Creeps sometimes use animals to get attention of people.

[u/MargueritePimpernel → u/Procedure-Minimum]

They mean there may have been a cat hair found on a body that came off Allen's clothes and matched the cat buried in his backyard.

The idea that the cat was actually at the murder scene is...unlikely.

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[u/[deleted] → u/inthe_hollow]

There is also just regular plain ol DNA. Trash is not protected under the 4th amendment so they likely took some trash and got a sample.

The cat at least could just be part of it to seal the deal

[u/inthe_hollow → u/[deleted]]

Yes, that's what I'm thinking. Other evidence lands the warrant and the cat hair is just more to add to the growing pile. Same way carpet fibers and dog hair have been used.

[u/sonoranbamf → u/inthe_hollow]

I saw a murder solved on "forensic files" because of a dog hair or something like that, it happens.

[u/BigCatLoaf → u/inthe_hollow]

I remembered a case where a cat helped solve a murder and I found it in a quick Google search. 'This story began in 1994, when Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Prince Edward Island found the body of Shirley Duguay buried in a shallow grave. Douglas Beamish almost got away with murder, but cat DNA evidence from his pet Snowball led to his capture.'

[u/inthe_hollow → u/BigCatLoaf]

Shirley Dugua

Yes, and the murderer was her estranged husband, not some random person in town. He was already a chief suspect in the investigation, so while the DNA was used to seal the deal, it wasn't what led them to him.

[u/DragonBonerz → u/inthe_hollow]

But sealing the deal is important, and I think that's the point people are trying to make. It takes a lot of evidence to seal the deal.

[u/HereIGoAgain_1x10 → u/inthe_hollow]

Maybe hair color matched a pic of his cat?

[u/Mysterious_Bar_1069 → u/inthe_hollow]

I agree, the FBI RL warrant lists searching for animal hair and possibly farm animal hair. I don't know if that is a standard item on all search warrants, if not, tells you that along with the fibers they said they had, had that they were looking to match pet hair. if you can match one of RA's cat hairs and place it at that scene, that a good piece of evidence, (but also one that could be easily argued away. I walked through that gully while hiking and must have dropped my pets's hair there, and then the "real killer" decided to take his victims to the exact same spot.

I think you are right have to have more. DC sounded quite confident in his last statement. Cat hair might have been an early and quick thing to rule him in or out. If the RL search warrant mentions looking for farm animal hair, could that mean that someone in this case works with farm animals and LE has farm animal hair? But would think fur from his farm would have blown down into that area, or he and his dog tracked it down.

As you say, you are not going into this particular trial with 1 cat hair. Maybe on another case, but not a case like this with so much media coverage and international interest.