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The brutal double murder of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, one of the most covered murders in recent years, is set to be the subject of the latest episode of Dateline. This case dates back to February 2017 and remains perhaps the most shocking case in the history of Delphi, Indiana. It was also dubbed the Delphi Murders by the media.
The latest episode of Dateline, titled A Walk Through the Woods, will cover this case in detail when it airs on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 9 pm EST on NBC. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"The murders of teenagers Abby and Libby in their close-knit hometown of Delphi, Indiana spark worldwide headlines. The high-profile case takes a stunning twist after detectives reveal Libby captured a video of the killer shortly before her death — a crucial piece of evidence that helps police track down the murderer."
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Ahead of this episode's air time, let us go over the details of the murders.
Who were Abigail Williams and Liberty German, and what happened to them?
Abigail Williams and Liberty German were only 13 and 14 years old, respectively, at the time of this incident. They were both eighth graders at the Delphi Community Middle School and were very close friends.
Liberty German was described as a smart and outgoing child who dreamed of becoming a science teacher. Abigail was relatively shy and quiet and wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. They were both on their middle school volleyball team as well. However, their bright, promising lives were cut short abruptly in February 2017.
On February 13, 2017, at around 1:35 pm, Liberty's elder sister, Kelsie German, dropped the duo off at County Road 300 North, east of the Hoosier Heartland Highway. The plan was that Liberty and Abigail would go for a hike on the Monon High Bridge over Deer Creek, among woodland in remote Deer Creek Township. While on the Monon High Bridge, Kelsie posted a photo of Abigail on a social media platform. That was the last she was seen alive.
At around 5:30 pm that evening, they were reported missing after the duo failed to meet German's father at around 3 pm. The police initially did not suspect foul play, but they discovered the bodies of the two girls about 0.5 miles east of the abandoned Monon High Bridge the next noon.
The authorities kept the details of the murder under wraps initially, but it was later ascertained that the two girls were killed by slashing their throats. They were not assaulted before the murder.
Before they were killed, however, Liberty German managed to take a clip of the assailant. This helped the police circulate a grainy image as well as an audio recording of the perpetrator's voice. Still, it took a long, long time before this case was resolved.
Who killed Abigail Williams and Liberty German?
After years of investigation and many leads, the police ultimately narrowed down on Richard Matthew Allen, who owned a gun that matched a bullet that was found near the bodies.
He later confessed to the crime multiple times while being held in custody. He was sentenced to 65 years for each of the murders and currently remains incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Facility.
The upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC will cover this case in more detail.
