Authorities on Monday announced an arrest in the unsolved murders of two teenage girls — one a pharmacy worker who lived in the same small northern Indiana community where their bodies were found after a hike nearly six years ago. Richard Matthew Allen, 50, was arrested Friday on two counts of murder in the slayings of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, in a case that has haunted the Indiana town of about 3,000. The investigation is far from over,” State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said at a news conference Monday. He encouraged the community to come forward with more information and said that if anyone else “had any involvement in these murders in any way, that person or persons will be held accountable.” Carroll County District Attorney Nicholas McLeland described Allen’s arrest as “a step in the right direction.” “It’s a concern that it’s a local guy,” McLeland said. Evidence against Allen, a licensed pharmacy technician who worked at a local CVS store, was temporarily sealed to avoid compromising the “integrity” of their investigation, authorities said. “While I know you all were expecting final details today regarding this arrest, today is not that day,” Carter said. The deaths of Libby and Abby have been ruled a double homicide, but police have never revealed how they died or described what evidence they gathered. A relative had left them on a hiking trail near the Monon High Bridge just outside their hometown of Delphi, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Indianapolis. Their bodies were found the next day, February 14, 2017, in a rugged, heavily wooded area near the trailhead. Libby’s grandmother, Becky Patty, told reporters that Allen once edited photos for the family at the CVS store in Delphi where Allen worked. He didn’t charge them for the photos, he added. The families always knew the suspect could be “living right among us, hiding in plain sight,” said Libby’s grandfather, Mike Patty. “That’s why we never stopped looking anywhere, because we didn’t know where he was.” The Pattys wore gray shirts that read, “Today is the day…Justice will be served for Abby and Libby,” at Monday’s news conference. A judge found probable cause to arrest Allen, who pleaded not guilty at his initial hearing Friday, authorities said. “All individuals arrested are presumed innocent,” Carter said. Sheriff Bill Brooks in neighboring White County, where Allen is being held without bond, said he did not know if Allen has an attorney. No homicide cases were filed Monday afternoon under his name in Indiana’s online court system. “We haven’t closed the door on the investigation,” McLelland said when asked if authorities were investigating others. “We are not assuming anything at this time.” No one answered the door Monday at Allen’s home, on a street of single-family homes where some posted “Keep Out” signs in their yards. Outside the CVS store just down Main Street from the plaza where wanted posters are still seeking information in the murder case, Ralph Barnaby, a Delphi resident who knows the girls’ families, told The Associated Press that “it would be more comfortable if he was accused”. Days after the murders, investigators released two grainy photos of a suspect walking on the abandoned railroad bridge the girls had visited and a recording of a man believed to be the suspect saying “down the hill.” Authorities released an initial sketch of the suspected killer in July 2017 and then another in April 2019 based on video released in April 2019 showing a suspect walking across the abandoned railroad bridge the girls had visited. The images and audio of the suspect came from Libby’s cell phone. Authorities hailed her as a hero for recording potentially critical evidence before she was killed. In December 2021, state police announced they were seeking information from people who had contact with someone who used a fictitious online profile to contact young girls. State police said investigators determined the profile “anthony–shots” was used from 2016 to 2017 on Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms. CVS said in a statement that the company is “shocked and saddened to learn that one of our store employees has been arrested on suspicion of these crimes. We stand ready to cooperate with the police investigation in any way we can.” “We remain devastated by these murders and our hearts go out to the German and Williams families,” the statement said. The case has been closely followed over the years by true crime enthusiasts who have offered many theories, but Carter urged people not to “subjectively interpret” the case as officers continue to gather information. “If you choose to be critical of our silence, be critical of me, not the front line,” he said. Sheryl McCollum, who has appeared on television as a cold case consultant, traveled to the news conference from Atlanta after meeting the Germans at a true crime convention. He praised the authorities for keeping the facts close to their vests. “I think the integrity of this case, and not saying all the things they know, I think is powerful,” Sherrill said. “If you start showing your hand, you know, you can mess things up and you can say too much… The investigation doesn’t stop at the arrest. It’s really just beginning. Now is when they’re really going to go to work.” —— Callahan reported from Indianapolis. —— Arleigh Rodgers is a member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative corps. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places reporters in local newsrooms to report on undercover issues.
