Delphi trial jurors see 'Bridge Guy' video, hear from witnesses who said they saw him

DELPHI, Ind. ― Abigail "Abby" Williams , wearing a sweater, jeans, sneakers and a messy bun, walks along the Monon High Bridge. Her best friend, Liberty "Libby" German , had crossed ahead of her and records Abby with her phone.

In the background, not far behind Abby, is a man in a blue jacket and blue jeans who would later become widely known as the "Bridge Guy." After Abby reaches the end of the bridge, she pulls ahead of Libby, stepping on some gravel.

At one point in the 43-second video , one of the girls says, "There's no path so we have to go down here."

Jurors in the trial of Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen on Tuesday saw what prosecutors believe were some of the last moments of the two teenagers, who disappeared while traversing the Monon High Bridge trail on Feb. 13, 2017. As the video was played, Libby's mother, Carrie German Timmons, cried while a relative comforted her.

▶ Tuesday, Oct. 22: Delphi trial witness testifies seeing 'Bridge Guy' on trail: 'I remember I waved to him'

Allen, 52, is facing two counts of murder and two counts of murder while kidnapping the girls. His long-awaited trial comes more than seven years after the teens' deaths and almost exactly two years since his arrest.

The fourth day of testimonies began with a tedious recounting of dozens of pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene. The day ended with testimonies from eyewitnesses who reported seeing the "Bridge Guy" on the trail. But all gave varying physical descriptions of the man they saw, none of which fit Allen.

▶ Monday, Oct. 21: Gasps and tears as graphic images of Abby and Libby are shown to jurors at Delphi trial

Police witness: Bridge Guy says 'Down the hill'

For years, a grainy, zoomed-in photo from the video showing the "Bridge Guy" walking along the bridge has been one of the most recognizable pieces of evidence in the high-profile case. Tuesday's showing was the first time prosecutors revealed a much longer version of the video that showed the man ― who they allege is Allen ― following the girls.

Allen's defense team had previously sought to block testimony "as to the words and sounds allegedly contained in the video."

On Tuesday, the video with enhanced audio was played in court, and the defense attempted to keep a prosecution witness from saying what he believed the man said in the clip before jurors had heard the video. But the witness, an Indiana State Police system administrator, let the words "down the hill" slip prematurely during testimony.

After the audio was played, the state formally asked Chapman what he heard.

"My opinion," Jeremey Chapman testified, "is he says, 'Down the hill.'"

▶ Saturday, Oct. 19: 'I thought they were mannequins': Delphi murders trial testimony is emotional on day 2

▶ Friday, Oct. 18: 'Grandma, it will be OK': Relatives remember teens as attorneys offer dueling narratives in Delphi trial

Witnesses describe seeing 'Bridge Guy': 'I waved to him'

Three witnesses on the Monon High Bridge trail the day Abby and Libby disappeared testified seeing a man they later believed to be "Bridge Guy."

Railly Voorhies went to the Monon High Bridge trail with three friends to hike and take pictures. About 2:15 p.m., the friends walked past a man on the west end of the trail where it crosses U.S. 25. Voorhies testified that the man seemed overdressed for the weather. It was an unseasonably warm February day, but the man was dressed in a jacket and a hat. His nose and mouth were covered with what appeared to be a running mask, and he walked with both hands in his pockets.

"I remember I waved to him and said 'hi,' and he did not say 'hi' back, and he kind of glared at me a bit," Voorhies testified. "He did not seem to be a happy person."

After learning about what happened to Abby and Libby, she thought of the "unsettling man" she saw on the trail. She gave a statement to police on Feb. 15, 2017. After police released an image of the man who was later called "Bridge Guy," Voorhies said: "I realized that was the man that I had waved at on the trail that did not respond."

Breann Wilber, who walked with Voorhies, testified the man gave off "weird vibes" and was "walking with kind of a purpose, like he knew where he was going." Wilber was best friends with Kelsi Siebert, Libby's older sister.

Betsy Blair, who was also on the trail that day, said she saw a man on the wooden tracks standing about 50 feet away from her as she stood near a platform at the beginning of the bridge. When the man turned to look at her, Blair said, he looked as if he were expecting to see someone else.

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"He was sort of facing upstream," Blair said, meaning away from where she stood, "but when I was there he turned and it seemed like he was looking for someone."

Just before 2 p.m. that day, she saw Abby and Libby chatting quietly as they walked toward the bridge.

After police released the "Bridge Guy" photo, Blair said, "I immediately knew ... that was the guy I had seen on the bridge."

Defense tries to cast doubt on witnesses' testimonies

Defense attorneys sought to cast doubt on the testimonies of the witnesses, who described the man they saw as younger than 40, larger and rather tall. Blair had initially told police the man looked "boyish." Voorhies, who's 5 feet 7 inches tall, testified the man she saw was taller than her.

Allen, who would have been 44 when the girls were killed, has been described as being 5 feet 4 inches by his defense attorneys and 5 feet 5 inches in jail records.

Defense attorney Jennifer Auger, who cross-examined Voorhies, pointed to descriptions she gave police in 2017. Voorhies was able to tell police that the man had dirty blond hair, even though he was wearing a hat. She also initially told police the man she saw had brown eyes, a wrinkled face and a square jaw. On the stand, Voorhies said: "I don't know how I could have said that since his face was covered."

▶ Move on but not forget: Delphi residents speak ahead of Richard Allen's trial

She then acknowledged that her memory was "impacted" by the "Bridge Guy" photo and said she can't recall exactly what she saw that day.

Toward the end of the testimony, Voorhies said she was sure about her identification.

"I could say with confidence that the person I saw in the photo is the person I walked past," she said.

Defense attorney Andrew Baldwin noted that Wilber initially told police she "stood as high as his upper forearm." She said on Tuesday that "at the time, that's what I guessed at."

Baldwin also noted Blair's initial description of the man as "boyish-looking." Hammering home his point, Baldwin then alluded to Allen: The man on the bridge "didn't look like somebody who had been married over 25 years —"

The prosecution objected, saying Baldwin was asserting facts instead of questioning the witness. Special Judge Frances Gull sustained the objection, and Baldwin was forced to move on.

Allen appeared in court in a gray plaid shirt and dark pants, with his glasses perched on his head. He was not handcuffed or shackled.

Earlier on Tuesday, prosecutors introduced several dozen pieces of evidence, including swabs taken from the girls and clothes recovered from the crime scene. The girls were found lying close to each other on the edge of Deer Creek, just south of a graveyard. Libby was nude. Abby was fully clothed, although she appeared to have been dressed in Libby's clothes.

A highlight of the morning was a jury question on whether the undergrowth on the ground where Abby was lying appeared to have been disturbed, which would suggest she was dressed there.

Brian Olehy, an Indiana State Police crime scene investigator, said there was no indication the area was disturbed.

Testimony will resume Wednesday.

Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or at kphillips@indystar.com .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Delphi trial jurors see 'Bridge Guy' video, hear from witnesses who said they saw him