Delphi murders: Bullet found near girls' bodies tied back to Richard Allen, court documents show
DELPHI, Ind. -- A judge presiding over the Delphi, Indiana, double murder case issued an order Tuesday unsealing the probable cause affidavit related to suspect Richard Allen's arrest, ABC News reported.
Judge Frances Gull found that "public interest is not served by prohibiting access" to the evidence, adding that witness safety is ensured by redacting their names.
The newly released probable cause affidavit said, according to video recovered from one of the victim's phones, as a man approached the girls, one of the girls mentions, "gun."
WATCH: Police release video of Delphi murder suspect
A man is seen and heard telling the girls, "Guys, down the hill," and the girls go down the hill, according to the probable cause affidavit.
A .40-caliber unspent round was found less than 2 feet away from one of the girl's bodies, the probable cause affidavit shows.
Allen, a 50-year-old Delphi man, was arrested last month and charged with two counts of murder for the 2017 deaths of best friends Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14. The eighth graders were on a hiking trail in rural Delphi when they were killed.
Allen has entered a not guilty plea.
When interviewed by police in 2017, Allen said he was on the trail that afternoon, according to the affidavit.
When interviewed by police on Oct. 13, 2022, Allen said he saw juvenile girls on the trails east of Freedom Bridge and said he went onto the Monon High Bridge.
Allen confirmed to the police he owns guns, the document said.
A search warrant was executed at his home on Oct. 13, 2022, the document said. Officers found knives and guns, including a Sig Sauer, Model P226, .40-caliber pistol, the document said.
Indiana State Police's lab analysis of Allen's gun "determined the unspent round located within two feet" of one of the girl's bodies "had been cycled through Richard M. Allen's Sig Sauer Model P226," the probable cause affidavit said.
Allen voluntarily spoke to police on Oct. 26, 2022, and said he never allowed anyone to borrow that gun, the document said.
"When asked about the unspent bullet, he did not have an explanation of why the bullet was found between" the girls' bodies, the probable cause affidavit said.
"He again admitted that he was on the trail but denied knowing Victim 1 or Victim 2 and denied any involvement in their murders," according to the probable cause affidavit.
Prosecutors wanted to keep the probable cause affidavit sealed.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
