DELPHI MURDERS: CASE HINGES ON FINAL MESSAGES ON GIRLS’ PHONES IN LAST MOMENTS

CRIME Stories with Nancy Grace

On day five of Richard Allen’s murder trial, jurors heard testimony from the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsies of Abby Williams and Libby German, as well as from a witness who saw the ‘Bridge Guy’ on the day of the murders.

Dr. Ronald Kohr, who previously reported that he believed two knives were used in the killings, testified that he now believes the ‘serration’ seen in some of Libby’s wounds was likely caused by an element on the handle of the blade.

Using photos of the injuries displayed on a large projection screen, Kohr suggested that a box cutter with an extra thumb grip could have been the sole murder weapon.

This testimony surprised Allen’s defense team and directly contradicted Andrew Baldwin’s opening statement, aligning instead with the state’s claim that Allen used a box cutter to slash the girls’ necks. Family members wept as the photos were shown in court, and many jurors briefly averted their eyes to maintain composure.

Allen and his defense team closely followed Dr. Kohr’s testimony.

Sarah Carbaugh, a lifelong Delphi resident who was walking her dogs on the afternoon of February 13, 2017, also testified about her sighting of the ‘Bridge Guy.’ She said she saw a man walking west on Country Road 300, covered in blood and mud, as if he had fallen on the trail.

Carbaugh later recognized him from the video clip released from Libby’s phone, but waited three weeks to report the sighting due to anxiety.

Allen’s defense questioned Carbaugh about discrepancies in her description during cross-examination, noting that her recorded interview mentioned blood only once. Baldwin also pointed out unusual details in her description, including her remark about the man’s “effeminate eyes.” Carbaugh pushed back, reminding Baldwin that over an hour of her interview video had been accidentally destroyed.

Joining Nancy Grace today: 

Philip Dubé  – Court-Appointed Counsel, Los Angeles County Public Defenders: Criminal & Constitutional Law; Forensics & Mental Health Advocacy
Dr. Bethany Marshall – Psychoanalyst, Author – “Deal Breaker,”  featured in hit show: “Paris in Love” on Peacock;, Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive
Bill Daly – Former FBI Investigator and Forensic Photography, Security Expert
Joe Scott Morgan
Joe Scott Morgan – Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, “Blood Beneath My Feet,” and Host: “Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;” Twitter/X: @JoScottForensic

Additional Guest

  • Barbara MacDonald – Court TV Documentary Producer, Co-Host/Producer of HLN’s “Down The Hill Podcast” and Documentary, X: @NewsyBarbara

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” on Fox Nation is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.

[Featured image: FILE – A makeshift memorial to Liberty German and Abigail Williams near where they were last seen and where the bodies were discovered stands along the Monon Trail leading to the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Ind., Oct. 31, 2022. Jurors for the trial of Richard Matthew Allen, an Indiana man accused of killing the two teenage girls, will be brought from Allen County, which includes the city of Fort Wayne, a judge in the case decided Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)]