It was a Monday in February. Unseasonably warm for Indiana. Abigail Williams and Liberty German—just 13 and 14—headed out to the Monon High Bridge for a walk. They never came home.
For years, the Delphi murders were a black hole in the true crime community. We had a grainy video. We had that chilling "Down the hill" audio. But for over five years, we had no name. No face. Just a sketch that seemed to change every time we looked at it. Naturally, the internet filled the void. If you’ve spent any time listening to Delphi murders podcasts, you know exactly how deep that rabbit hole goes.
Now, Richard Allen is in custody. The trial has been a rollercoaster of leaked documents, "Odinism" theories, and intense legal bickering. But the podcasts aren't stopping. If anything, they're getting louder.
The Podcasts That Defined the Search for Justice
When the case went cold, creators stepped in. Honestly, some of them did better investigative work than the early press releases suggested.
The heavy hitter is definitely Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders from HLN. It’s polished. It feels like a high-budget documentary you can’t look away from. They spent years talking to the families, walking the trails, and trying to figure out how a killer could vanish in a town of 3,000 people. It’s the gold standard for anyone who wants the foundational facts without the wild speculation.
Then you’ve got The Murder Sheet. This one is polarizing. Hosted by Kevin Greenlee and Áine Cain, they transitioned from a restaurant-themed true crime pod to the unofficial record-keepers of the Delphi case. They’re the ones who broke the news about the search of the Wabash River and the "Kegan Kline" connection. They’re lawyers and journalists. They focus on the filings. It’s dry sometimes, but if you want the "why" behind a gag order, you go to them.
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Scene of the Crime: Delphi is another one that hits hard. It focuses heavily on the atmosphere of the town. You can almost feel the crunch of the leaves on the trail. It’s atmospheric and respectful, which is a rare combo in this genre.
Why we can't stop listening
True crime can be gross. Let's be real. There’s a fine line between seeking justice and exploitation. But with Abby and Libby, it felt different. The girls left us a clue. Libby had the presence of mind to hit record on her phone while a predator approached them. That’s heroic. It’s haunting.
Every podcast listener felt like they were one "share" away from identifying the guy in the blue jacket.
The Richard Allen Twist and the Podcasting Pivot
When Richard Allen was arrested in October 2022, the "who" was finally answered. Or was it?
Suddenly, the Delphi murders podcasts had to shift gears. It wasn’t a "whodunnit" anymore; it became a "how did they miss him?" Allen lived right there in Delphi. He worked at the local CVS. He allegedly processed photos for the families. He had even talked to a conservation officer back in 2017, admitting he was on the bridge that day.
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The podcasts exploded with new theories. The defense team started dropping "Odinite" ritual sacrifice claims in their filings. It sounds like a movie script. It’s weird. It’s complicated. And it’s exactly why the listenership for these shows skyrocketed even after an arrest was made.
The Docket and Defense Diaries have been providing a different lens recently. They look at the "Franks hearing" and the potential for a coerced confession. Bob Motta, a defense attorney, brings a perspective that many "pro-prosecution" pods lack. He questions the chain of evidence. He looks at the "lost" interview recordings from the early days of the investigation.
It turns out, the police might have lost some digital data. That’s a massive deal. It’s the kind of detail that keeps true crime junkies up at night.
The Ethics of the Echo Chamber
We have to talk about the dark side. Some podcasts went too far. They named local men who had nothing to do with the crime. They ruined reputations. In a small town like Delphi, a rumor on a podcast can be a life sentence.
I’ve listened to dozens of these episodes. The best ones are the ones that remember Abby and Libby were kids. They weren't characters in a thriller. They were daughters and sisters. When you listen to The Prosecutors podcast cover this, they bring a legal rigidity that helps ground the chaos. They remind us that "reasonable doubt" is a high bar for a reason.
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Navigating the Noise: How to Listen Now
If you’re just diving into the Delphi murders podcasts now, don’t just hit play on the first thing you see. The landscape has changed.
Early episodes of many shows are now outdated. They talk about "The Man in the Sketch" as if there are two different suspects. We now know the police were basically pivoting between different descriptions. If you listen to an episode from 2019, take it with a grain of salt.
- Start with the facts. Listen to the first season of Down the Hill. It gives you the layout of the bridge and the timeline.
- Follow the legal updates. The Murder Sheet is currently the most prolific with trial updates. They are in the courtroom. They see Richard Allen’s face.
- Question everything. The defense’s job is to create doubt. The prosecution’s job is to prove guilt. Podcasts often lean one way or the other based on their sources.
- Respect the gag order. There is a lot we don't know because the judge has locked it down. If a podcast claims to have "insider info" that sounds too wild to be true, it probably is.
The Delphi case changed how we consume true crime. It showed the power of a digital footprint. It showed how a community can stay vocal for years. But it also showed how easily we can get lost in the "theories" and forget the tragedy at the center.
The trial of Richard Allen will eventually conclude. The podcasts will record their final episodes. But the impact of this case on the world of independent investigative audio will last decades. It’s a case study in digital forensics, public interest, and the agonizingly slow wheels of the American justice system.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to stay informed without getting bogged down in conspiracy theories, focus on primary sources. Follow reputable journalists on the ground in Carroll County.
- Read the unsealed affidavits. Don't just take a podcaster's word for it. Read the probable cause affidavit for Richard Allen yourself. It’s available online.
- Check the Indiana court portal. Look for Case No. 08C01-2210-F6-000135 (or the updated murder charges). You can see the motions filed by both sides.
- Support the families. Look into the "Abby and Libby Memorial Park." That is the legacy the families actually want to leave behind—not a million hours of speculative audio.
The real story isn't just about a man in a blue jacket. It's about two girls who loved life, a town that refused to forget them, and a legal battle that is far from over. Stick to the creators who cite their sources and respect the judicial process. Everything else is just static.