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Delphi murders trial: Jury reaches verdict for suspect Richard Allen after deliberating for 4 days

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Delphi murders trial: Jury reaches verdict for suspect Richard Allen after deliberating for 4 days

An Indiana jury on Monday afternoon found double-murder suspect Richard Allen guilty on all charges in the February 2017 killings of two teen girls who had been walking on a hiking trial in Delphi, known as the Delphi murders.

The case had been more than seven years in the making since Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14, disappeared during their walk on Feb. 13, 2017, and investigators found them both brutally murdered the next day with sticks covering their bodies in a wooded area near the High Monon Trail.

Allen was convicted of two counts of murder and two counts of felony murder. He will be sentenced on Dec. 20, according to media pool reporting, and faces up to 130 years in prison.

Prosecutors pointed to various evidence that placed Allen at the scene at the time of the crime, including an unspent bullet at the crime 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.

Allen’s defense leaned largely on expert analysis showing Allen’s unhealthy mental state after his 2022 arrest, which took the Delphi community as a 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.

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

Officers escort Richard Allen out of the Carroll County courthouse after  a hearing, Nov. 22, 2022, in Delphi, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Near the conclusion of Allen’s trial, the defense presented testimony from a former FBI forensic expert who said it appeared as though someone plugged headphones into Libby’s phone, which was discovered near the girls’ bodies on Feb. 14, at 5:45 p.m on Feb. 13., hours after they were last seen. 

The headphones were then removed from the phone at 10:32, Stacey Eldridge testified, presenting a possible challenge to the prosecution’s timeline that they were killed around 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, according to FOX 59.

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

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Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter gives an update on the Delphi murders investigation, April 22, 2019, at the Canal Center in Delphi. (Nikos Frazier/Journal & Courier/USA TODAY NETWORK)

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.

Other articles of clothing were mismatched or thrown into the nearby Deer Creek, McLeland said. Abby was wearing her own undershirt but Libby’s sweatshirt. She was also wearing jeans and shoes, but her socks were missing. One of Libby’s shoes and Libby’s cellphone were found under Abby’s body.

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Snow covers the water of Deer Creek below the Monon High Bridge, Feb. 9, 2022, in Delphi, Ind. (Nikos Frazier/Journal & Courier/USA TODAY NETWORK)

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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.

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

For the first time since the girls were reported missing, jurors got to watch 43 seconds of the crucial video in court on Oct. 22. The video shows Libby and Abby walking with an unknown man wearing a hat and blue utility jacket who has become 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.

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In this courtroom sketch, Richard Allen, left, is seated next to one of his defense attorneys, Andrew Baldwin, inside the Carroll County Courthouse in Delphi, Ind., on Nov. 2, 2024. (Li Buszka via AP/Pool)

Allen admitted in one jailhouse confession that he did order the girls “down the hill.” He also 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.

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

DELPHI MURDERS TRIAL: SUSPECT RICHARD ALLEN’S ATTORNEYS MAKE STUNNING REVELATION ABOUT HAIR AT CRIME SCENE

Delphi police recovered Libby’s cellphone under her body on Feb. 14, 2017. (FOX Nation)

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Also, witnesses who testified during Allen’s trial said they saw Allen on or around the High Monon Trail on Feb. 13, around the time the girls disappeared. 

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.

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The defense previously argued in court documents that members of an Odinist cult had killed the girls in a ritualistic sacrifice, but a judge ultimately decided not to allow evidence pertaining to that theory in court during the trial. It is possible that they may get to argue the Odinist theory on appeal, according to attorneys who spoke to Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Patrick McGovern and Kailey Schuyler contributed to this report.



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Milwaukee, WI

MPD officer accused of using Flock cameras to monitor dating partner resigns

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MPD officer accused of using Flock cameras to monitor dating partner resigns


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Josue Ayala has resigned from the Milwaukee Police Department days after he was charged with a crime over his alleged misuse of license plate-reading Flock technology.

Ayala, 33, pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted misconduct in public office during his initial court appearance on March 4.

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The charge is a misdemeanor that carries a potential maximum penalty of nine months in jail and $10,000 fine.

Milwaukee is one in a growing number of communities nationally that have started using Flock cameras to help locate stolen vehicles, identify vehicles used in violent crimes, and track vehicles associated with missing persons. The technology is controversial and been criticized by civil rights and privacy advocates.

Conducting searches for personal reasons is a violation of department policies.

Prosecutors say Ayala used the Flock camera system while on duty more than 120 times to look up the license plate of someone he was dating. They believe Flock technology also was used on a second license plate, one belonging to that person’s ex, 55 times, according to a criminal complaint, filed Feb. 24 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

Ayala joined the Milwaukee Police Department in 2017, and his total gross pay was about $120,000 in 2024, according to the most recent city salary data available. 

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Milwaukee police confirmed in a March 4 email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Ayala has resigned from the department.

Ayala and his attorney Michael J. Steinle, of Milwaukee, would not speak to reporters as they left the courtroom.

Prosecutors say the department became aware of the allegations against Ayala after a driver saw that they were the subject of searches through the website, www.haveibeenflocked.com, which collects and publishes “audit logs” of searches of the Flock system by police agencies.

The driver saw that Ayala had searched the plate numerous times, which prompted the driver to file a complaint with the Milwaukee Police Department.

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Detectives then audited Ayala’s searches in the Flock system from March 26, 2025, through May 26, 2025.

Ayala is at least the second Wisconsin officer to face criminal charges for misuse of the Flock system. A Menasha police officer was charged in January for tracking an ex-girlfriend’s car. 

Milwaukee police began using Flock cameras in 2022. MPD has a $182,900 contract with Flock for the use of the technology. That contract is active through January 2027.

Court Commissioner Dewey B. Martin released Ayala on a $2,500 signature bond March 4.

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Signature bonds, sometimes referred to as a personal recognizance bond, allow a defendant to leave custody without paying cash as long as they sign a promise to appear for their upcoming court dates.

Martin also ordered Ayala not to contact the two victims in the case.

Ayala also must report to the Milwaukee County Jail to be booked on March 9. If he doesn’t show up, a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest.

Ayala is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial conference on April 17. 

David Clarey of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this story.

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Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.



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Minneapolis, MN

What is a data center?

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What is a data center?


What exactly is a data center and why are so many being proposed across Minnesota? Professor Manjeet Rege, chair of Software Engineering and Data Science and director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas, joins us to explain how these massive facilities store and process the world’s data and what the economic, environmental, and infrastructure questions are as Minnesota considers hosting more of them.



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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis Colts’ Best and Worst Free-Agent Signings of Last Decade

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Indianapolis Colts’ Best and Worst Free-Agent Signings of Last Decade


The Indianapolis Colts under general manager Chris Ballard have generally been extremely cautious in free agency. They rarely bring in outside playmakers, a strategy that hasn’t paid off over the past decade.

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Still, since 2017, Indianapolis has made several impactful outside additions. Some have paid off handsomely, and others have fallen flat. Let’s take a look at Indy’s best and worst signings over the past decade.

Best Signings

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DE Justin Houston

Houston signed with the Colts as a free agent in March 2019 on a two-year, $24 million contract after eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he established himself as one of the league’s premier pass rushers.

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Houston is the last Colts pass rusher to record double-digit sacks, doing so in 2019 (11 sacks).

QB Daniel Jones

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Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) looks to throw downfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Daniel Jones played better football than any Colts quarterback since Philip Rivers in 2020. He certainly was worth his $17 million price tag, and it’s fair to say he was one of the best Colts free agent signings of the Chris Ballard era.

Jones was transition tagged by the Colts earlier this week, becoming the second quarterback in NFL history to be placed under the transition tag.

QB Philip Rivers

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Speaking of Rivers, he deserves a spot on this list. In his 2020 campaign, Rivers threw for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He led the Colts to their last playoff appearance and nearly upset the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

TE Eric Ebron

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron (85) celebrates and offensive play during the third quarter of their game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. Miami won, 16-12.

Miami Dolphins At Indianapolis Colts In Nfl Week 10 At Lucas Oil Stadium In Indianapolis Sunday Nov 10 2019 | Jenna Watson/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Ebron struggled with drops throughout his career, but his one season paired with Andrew Luck was special. In 2018, Ebron hauled in 66 receptions for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns. Each of those numbers was a career high.

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In 2019, Ebron’s production fell off a cliff. He only caught 31 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns from Jacoby Brissett and Brian Hoyer. Still, Ebron deserves recognition for his one decent year in Indy.

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Worst Signings

CB Xavien Howard

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Howard was brought in weeks before the 2025 season, and after a month in Indy, he abruptly retired. The former All-Pro corner struggled mightily during his brief Colts tenure. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a 139.2 passer rating and 16 receptions while earning a 36.1 overall grade.

Once Puka Nacua went for 13 receptions and 170 yards while matched up against Howard, the 10-year veteran knew it was time to hang up the cleats for good.

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K Matt Gay

Jan 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts place kicker Matt Gay (7) kicks a field goal in overtime during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Ballard rarely gives out money, but in 2023, he thought it would be wise to sign Matt Gay to the largest free-agent kicker contract of all time (four years, $22.5 million). Gay stayed for two seasons before the team cut him last spring.

During his time in Indianapolis, Gay converted 82.1% of his field goal attempts (64 of 78). When kicking from 50 yards and beyond, Gay had a 50% success rate (11 of 22).

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DT Raekwon Davis

The Colts signed Davis as a cheap depth piece at defensive tackle, but he never truly became anything special. He appeared in 17 games in 2024, recording 15 total tackles.

The Colts gave Davis a two-year, $14 million deal only to cut him before his second season in Indy.

WR Devin Funchess

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Sep 8, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) can t hang onto the ball on a pass I the end zone in the closing minute of regulation against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park. Defending on the play is Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Brandon Facyson (28). Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Ballard signed Funchess to a one-year deal worth up to $13 million back in 2019, months before Luck retired. Funchess missed most of the season with a broken collarbone that he suffered in Week 1 after hauling in three receptions for 32 yards.

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Funchess’s lack of success in Indy wasn’t his fault, but it was another signing down the drain for Ballard’s front office.



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