Fascinating story of how volunteer receptionist 'cracked' cold case Delphi murders

The Delphi murders fishy whitethorn ne'er person been prosecuted if it wasn't for a unpaid receptionist who made a awesome breakthrough successful nan acold case. 

Murder-accused Richard Allen's proceedings started this month, bringing caller grounds to ray on pinch nan backstories of nan group progressive successful his October 2022 arrest. 

On Thursday, Kathy Shank, a unpaid tasked pinch organizing nan filing strategy for tens of thousands of extremity and leads, explained her pivotal domiciled successful nan case. 

She described uncovering nan archive relating to 'Rick Allen Whitehead' among nan trove, aft his extremity 'fell done nan cracks' leaving him 'hiding successful plain sight' for years. 

Allen, now 52, had been interviewed by constabulary arsenic a imaginable witnesser aft he contacted them to opportunity he had been connected nan Indiana way wherever victims Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14 went missing connected February 13, 2017. 

In September 2022, Shank revenge Allen's extremity successful an online database - and realized nan clip he said he was connected nan Monon High Bridge Trail matched nan clip nan girls were thought to person disappeared. 

She checked nan filings and recovered that Allen's question and reply had been mislabeled pinch nan sanction Whitehead, and marked 'cleared' meaning nary follow-up was ever conducted. 

It was her probing into nan evident correlations successful timings which prompted constabulary to refresh nan lawsuit pinch a attraction connected Allen, starring to his ongoing proceedings successful Indiana. He has pleaded not blameworthy to nan charges. 

The tribunal besides heard from nan Department of Natural Resources officer, Danial Dulin who carried retired nan first little question and reply pinch Allen successful a market shop parking batch connected February 18, 2017.

He recalled that he though it ‘odd’ that Allen would not travel into nan agency aliases let officers to spell to his location and that Allen told him he was connected nan way betwixt 1.30 and 3.30pm.

Dulin recalled thing peculiarly different astir his brushwood pinch Allen backmost then. But, years later, erstwhile brought successful for a much charismatic question and reply by past Chief of Police Steve Mullins and workfellow Tony Liggett, now Sheriff, some his communicative and his demeanor had changed.

Mullins took nan guidelines to callback really Allen went willingly pinch him and Liggett for a much general question and reply connected October 13, 2022.

By past nan officers had pulled surveillance camera from nan roadworthy to nan way caput and identified a conveyance they believed to beryllium Allen’s arriving astir 1.27pm February 13, 2017.

But erstwhile questioned successful 2022 Allen, who told officers he had travel guardant connected his woman Kathy’s suggestion, said he had gone to nan way astir noon.

He claims he did truthful aft visiting his mother than greeting and having gone location to prime up a jacket. 

Allen insisted said he stayed for only an hour.

He said he had walked towards nan bridge, seeing 3 girls leaving nan way arsenic he entered.

The alleged slayer past walked retired onto nan span arsenic acold arsenic nan first level wherever he stood and looked for food earlier returning home, he claimed. 

By past nan officers had pulled surveillance camera from nan roadworthy to nan way caput and identified a conveyance they believed to beryllium Allen’s arriving astir 1.27pm February 13, 2017.

But erstwhile questioned successful 2022 Allen, who told officers he had travel guardant connected his woman Kathy’s suggestion, said he had gone to nan way astir noon aft visiting his mother than greeting and having gone location to prime up a jacket. He said he stayed for only an hour.

He said he had walked towards nan bridge, seeing 3 girls leaving nan way arsenic he entered, and walked retired onto nan span arsenic acold arsenic nan first level wherever he stood and looked for food earlier returning home.

Asked what he was wearing that time Allen said a bluish aliases achromatic Carhartt jacket, bluish jeans, a skull headdress and subject boots aliases tennis shoes.

Allen initially said officers could analyse his telephone earlier changing his mind.

Then, Mullins told nan court, ‘We showed Mr. Allen a image of Bridge Guy and nan measurement we framed nan mobility was we needed to activity retired if nan personification was him and his reply was odd.

‘He said, “If nan image was taken pinch nan girls’ camera location was nary measurement it could beryllium him”.’

The question and reply ended erstwhile Allen became agitated and walked out.

Allen was arrested successful October 2022 and charged pinch murdering German and Williams. 

His attorneys person claimed that he is guiltless and nan girls were killed arsenic portion of a 'ritualistic sacrifice' by a group of Odinists - though they person been banned from mentioning nan cult successful court.