Witnesses testifying at the trial of the man accused of killing two teenage girls in Delphi, Ind., were questioned about the so-called “Bridge Guy,” seen walking on the hiking trail where the girls were murdered.
Richard Allen was charged with four counts of murder in connection with the 2017 deaths of Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14, who were found dead near a creek in Delphi, Ind.
In court on Tuesday, Oct. 22, prosecutors showed video taken by Libby shortly before her death, showing Abby walking on the Monon High Bridge, and in the distance a man, who has been referred to as “Bridge Guy,” walking behind her, according to the Journal & Courier, Fox 59 and WNDU.
Previously, a grainy image of “Bridge Guy” was circulated publicly and the man, whose face is obscured in the image, was considered a suspect in the murders.
Prosecutors have alleged that Allen, who was identified as a suspect and arrested in 2022, is the “Bridge Guy,” a claim disputed by his attorneys.
During proceedings on Tuesday, witnesses who reported seeing “Bridge Guy” on the trail on the day of the murders were asked about what they saw, the Journal & Courier and WTTV report.
Railly Voorhies, one of the witnesses, testified that she had seen the man on the trail and waved to him but he did not wave back, the Journal & Courier reported. Voorhies reportedly said that after learning about the murders, she thought of the “unsettling man” she saw and later gave a statement to police, according to the paper.
Allen’s attorneys attempted to cast doubt on the idea that Allen is the “Bridge Guy,” by claiming that the witnesses’ descriptions of the man they saw on the trail did not match Allen, according to the Journal & Courier.
Allen’s trial began on Friday, Oct. 18. In opening statements, according to the Associated Press, Fox 59 and the Indianapolis Star, prosecutors said the girls were found with their throats cut.
Allen was arrested in 2022 after police searched his home and said they found several knives and a gun allegedly linked to a bullet found at the scene, the AP reported.
Prosecutors previously claimed Allen confessed to the murders during a jailhouse call with his wife, according reports from the AP, CNN and Fox 59. The defense, however, has attempted to have the confession tossed, saying that he was in a declining mental state at the time, according to Fox 59.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Previous defense motions have claimed that the murders were actually ritual sacrifices committed by Odinists, members of a pagan religion linked with White nationalism, the AP and CNN reported.
During opening statements, defense attorney Andrew Baldwin said witness descriptions of the suspect were inconsistent, according to Fox 59. He further claimed a hair found on Abby’s hand was not a match for Allen, the Star reported.
Read the full article here