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Delphi murders: Richard Allen sentenced for killing 2 teen girls on hiking trail

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Delphi murders: Richard Allen sentenced for killing 2 teen girls on hiking trail

An Indiana judge on Friday sentenced Richard Allen, who was recently convicted for the February 2017 killings of two teen girls who had been walking on a hiking trail in Delphi, known as the Delphi murders, to a maximum of 130 years behind bars.

The sentence includes 65 years for the felony murder of Abigal “Abby” Williams and 65 years for the felony murder of Liberty “Libby” German to be served consecutively.

Allen’s attorneys plan to appeal, saying in a memo filed earlier this week that Allen “maintains his innocence and his hopeful that the appellate process will provide him with an opportunity to present a full defense at a second trial.”

An Allen County jury in November found Allen guilty of murdering Abby, 13, and Libby, 14, who disappeared during their walk along the High Monon Trail on Feb. 13, 2017. Investigators found them both brutally murdered the next day with sticks covering their bodies in a wooded area near the trail.

DELPHI MURDERS TRIAL: JURY REACHES VERDICT FOR SUSPECT RICHARD ALLEN AFTER DELIBERATING FOR 4 DAYS

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Richard Allen, 50, was arrested in October 2022 for the 2017 murders of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams. (Indiana State Police)

Allen was convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder and faced up to 130 years in prison.

During his trial earlier this year, prosecutors placed Allen at the crime scene with evidence including an unspent bullet at the scene matching a firearm recovered from Allen’s home in 2022, as well as the dozens of confessions he made in prison, according to FOX 59 Indianapolis.

DELPHI MURDERS SUSPECT’S CONFESSIONS TO WIFE, MOTHER SOUNDED ‘CALM,’ EXPERT SAYS: ‘NOT WHAT I EXPECTED’

Superintendent Doug Carter of the Indiana State Police speaks during a press conference on an update on the Delphi murders investigation on Monday, April 22, 2019 at the Canal Center in Delphi, Indiana. (Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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Allen’s defense leaned largely on expert analysis showing Allen’s unhealthy mental state after his 2022 arrest, which took the Delphi community by surprise at the time. Allen had been a longtime CVS employee in the small Indiana town when police took him into custody five years after the murders.

Carroll County prosecutor Nick McLeland told jurors in his opening statement that when searchers found the two girls in a wooded area near the Monon High Bridge, Libby was naked and covered in blood. Both girls had their throats cut several times, FOX 59 reported.

DELPHI MURDERS TRIAL: ‘BRIDGE GUY’ EMERGES AS NEW CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE PRESENTED

One key piece of evidence presented during the trial was a video Libby recorded on her phone at some point before she and Abby were killed.

Jurors watched 43 seconds of the video, which showed Libby and Abby walking with an unknown man wearing a hat and blue utility jacket, in court on Oct. 22. The man in the video became known over the last five years as “Bridge Guy.” Libby captured the video at 2:13 p.m., less than 25 minutes after she and Abigail’s family members dropped them off at the trail.

“Guys, down the hill,” the man can be heard saying to the girls in the video.

Prosecutors argued that Allen is “Bridge Guy,” after witnesses who testified against Allen said they saw him on the trail around the same time the girls disappeared, and authorities recovered a similar blue utility jacket from Allen’s home in 2022.

DELPHI MURDERS SUSPECT CONFESSED TO KILLING 2 GIRLS ON HIKING TRAIL IN SMALL TOWN, PRISON DOC SAYS

Snow covers the water of Deer creek as the Monon High Bridge towers above on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 in Delphi, Indiana. Abby Williams and Libby German, both Delphi eighth-graders, were murdered while hiking a popular community trail near Delphi on Feb. 13, 2017. (Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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Allen also admitted in one jailhouse confession that he did order the girls “down the hill.” He repeatedly confessed to killing the girls, apparently saying he wanted to rape the girls but was spooked by a van driving nearby, at which point he decided to kill them.

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His attorneys said his declining mental stability led him to make false statements behind bars.

Grainy cellphone video footage and a sketch of a prime suspect in the murder of Delphi girls Abigail Williams and Liberty German, on the office wall of Tobe Leazenby, Sheriff of Carroll County. (Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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More than five years after their deaths, investigators executed a search warrant of Allen’s home in Delphi on Oct. 13, 2022, and they recovered a blue Carhartt jacket, a SIG Sauer P226 .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and a .40-caliber S&W cartridge in a “wooden keepsake box” from a dresser between two closets in Allen’s bedroom, according to authorities. 

The handgun recovered at Allen’s home was consistent with a .40-caliber unspent bullet police found at the site of the murders in 2017, police said.

Fox News’ Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.

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Detroit, MI

Approval poll: Do you approve of Lions GM Brad Holmes? (post-2026 draft)

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Approval poll: Do you approve of Lions GM Brad Holmes? (post-2026 draft)


It’s been quite some time since we checked in with Detroit Lions fans regarding their opinion of general manager Brad Holmes. The last time we polled our audience was almost exactly a year ago, following the team’s 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, those poll results were lost to time (and a migration to a new content management system at SB Nation).

But as you can see below, Holmes has been an extremely popular figure among Detroit sports fans for pretty much his entire career.

Although, if there was a time when Holmes’ popularity took a hit, it was likely during the 2025 NFL season, when the Lions took their first clear step back since he and Dan Campbell came to town.

Since last year’s data was lost to time, this is a good opportunity to check back in with Lions fans. While Holmes certainly deserves a ton of credit for getting the Lions back to relevancy and helping them produce four consecutive seasons with winning records, there are some serious blemishes on his resumé now. The 2024 NFL Draft class has not lived up to his high standards through two seasons, some of his riskiest picks over the last few years have all failed to pay off, and last year’s roster just wasn’t good enough to withstand the injuries.

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But Holmes is also coming off a very crowd-pleasing draft. Detroit addressed their two biggest needs with their first two selections, and there were no crazy head-scratching picks or expensive trade ups. Many have categorized his latest draft as “back to business as usual,” which could have some fans he lost back on his side.

However, that is all up to you. Vote on your thoughts about Holmes’ time in Detroit below, and share your extended thoughts in the comment section at the bottom of the page.



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Milwaukee, WI

Food trucks in Milwaukee brace for new curfew

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Food trucks in Milwaukee brace for new curfew


MILWAUKEE — Saturday is the start of the food truck curfew in downtown Milwaukee. That curfew was passed by the Common Council to address safety concerns after several violent incidents.


What You Need To Know

  • Alma Juarez is with Tacos Almita on Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Juarez said since the city passed the curfew, she’s had just over two weeks to adjust
  • She said that means she may also have to start building up a news customer base
  • Last week Ald. Robert Bauman told Spectrum News that he’s aware of the economic burden the truck operators are facing. However, he said safety concerns are a bigger priority
  • He said he’s willing to take a hit on food trucks and prioritize the concerns of larger businesses


Alma Juarez is with Tacos Almita on Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Juarez said since the city passed the curfew, she’s had just over two weeks to adjust.

“We’re trying to think what we’re going to do,” said Juarez. “Maybe we’re going to start in another place or move the food truck after 10 p.m., but that means we have to start over again.”

She said that means she may also have to start building up a news customer base.

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“Moving the truck means that… we have to struggle,” said Juarez.

Juarez is not alone in worrying about her financial future.

Last Thursday, a group of owners took their concerns to city hall. Jennifer Martinez, who’s with the food truck known as Tacos El Pastorcito Mixe, was at that demonstration. She said the late-night hours make up roughly 75% of her revenue.

“During the day, I’ve tried opening very early in the morning — 8 a.m. 9 a.m. — it doesn’t make a difference. There’s no… we don’t have much sales throughout the day,” said Martinez.

Ald. Robert Bauman represents downtown and was the sponsor of the ordinance.

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Last week he told Spectrum News that he’s aware of the economic burden the truck operators are facing. However, he said safety concerns are a bigger priority.

“And MPD (Milwaukee Police Department) has said on the record repeatedly that food trucks are a major contributing cause for the loitering and disorder that takes place on Water Street,” said Bauman, who represents District 4 in Milwaukee.

He said he’s willing to take a hit on food trucks and prioritize the concerns of larger businesses.

“If they feel that downtown is not safe anymore, they’ll either not come at all, or they’ll leave as soon as their event is over with and not spend any additional money in the downtown area,” said Bauman.

But Juarez said the city shouldn’t have to do that. She said she believes food trucks aren’t the cause of the problem.

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“You can see it in any places, but not here,” said Juarez. “It can happen here, but not in front of the food trucks cause they are saying that a lot of violence, a lot of the things that are going on is in front of the food truck. You can see that all the shooting happens after 1 a.m. or 3 a.m. Last shooting, it was after 1 a.m.”

Food truck owners said they hope to continue to turn a profit after the ordinance starts, but they said they face a potentially tough financial future.



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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis fire crews battle apartment blaze near Saint Anthony Park

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Minneapolis fire crews battle apartment blaze near Saint Anthony Park


Residents of a northeast Minneapolis apartment were seen evacuating the building after fire crews were called to the scene on Friday morning.

This all happened around 3 a.m. near 5th Street and 7th Avenue Northeast near Saint Anthony Park.

A 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crew says that multiple fire crews were on scene and several residents were seen evacuating.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has reached out to Minneapolis Fire for more information.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



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