Shadow of the Bridge: The Delphi Murders and the Dark Side of the American Heartland

by Áine Cain, Kevin Greenlee

The haunting account of the Delphi Murders, a double-murder case that has held its unrelenting grip on the American heartland for over six years.

On February 13, 2017, two teenage friends went for a walk in the woods just outside the small city of Delphi, Indiana. They should have been safe — but Liberty German and Abigail Williams never made it home. The next day, searchers found their bodies in a clearing. The two girls had been brutally murdered. Incredibly, in the final moments of her life, Liberty somehow managed to capture a video of the man who would soon murder her and her friend. This blurry recording showed a man lumbering toward the girls and then gruffly commanding them to go “down the hill.” A fascinated public obsessed over those clues. Speculation about the killer’s identity ran rampant on social media. Meanwhile, a sprawling law enforcement investigation led to some of the darkest corners of the heartland. Still, the case remained unsolved for years. 

Everything changed in October 2022 when authorities announced the arrest of Delphi resident Richard Allen. But as the case began to make its way through the justice system, many began to question whether the small community had what it took to prosecute the case. They also wondered whether or not the police had even arrested the right man. Investigators, officials, prosecutors, and the defense attorneys found themselves stuck in an unprecedented firestorm of online controversy and subterfuge, with so-called internet sleuths hyping up conspiracy theories and trading leaks.

Now, Áine Caine and Kevin Greenlee, the investigative team behind a series of bombshell reports on the case have put forth the only definitive account of the entire investigation. Shadow of the The Delphi Murders and the Dark Side of the American Heartland goes deeper and offers more detail than what was shared on the popular Murder Sheet podcast, answering many of the questions that have haunted so many since the deaths of Libby and Abby. Most importantly, in working closely with the German and Williams families, Caine and Greenlee tell the stories of who these two warm, bright, and promising girls were to all who cared for them. With rigorous research and capitivating prose, Shadow of the Bridge is a powerful narrative of a complicated, twisting story of tragedy and a community determination to see justice.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery, Adult

432 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Emily Brownback · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible, honest, and factual retelling of a conspiracy-ridden case. The actual victims were grossly lost in this case, and created serious concern of the ability of a defense team to try a case within social media. The internet cranks that turned this case into a media circus, directly touting lies to ensure their clicks were satisfactory, should be ashamed of themselves.

My only feedback for this book (I refuse to call it a negative review) is that I would have loved to have seen more details that were listed in your podcasts, regarding the horrific group texts/facebook group that included the defense and how horrifically they schemed to perpetuate and encourage these social media attorneys to falsely report happenings in the case, all the way until the trial.

My most horrid feedback goes to Judge Francis Gull, in that all of this “media circus” she was so determined to avoid, could have been eradicated of the trial would have been visible to the public. I’m trying to protect this case, she managed to give these arm-chair sleuths the fuel needed to sustain this conspiracy fire that spread throughout this case.

Thank you to Áine and Kevin for your fierce determination to uphold the truth.

[Jim Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Thoroughly researched. The authors were in the courtroom and heard the actual testimony, viewed the evidence as it was presented and have personally interviewed the majority of the individuals involved in this investigation and prosecution, Other versions of what occurred the day of the girls death is nothing than more than mere speculation based not in fact.

[Leslye❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* ... I thought this was an excellent look into the Delphi murder case. I followed the case closely, but not so close that I knew every single detail. This gave an insightful look into the friends and family of Abby and Libby but also into those who knew their convicted killer, Richard Allen. I did learn a lot about Allen that I didn't already know. It was also interesting to hear what was going on behind the scenes and the dynamics of everyone working to solve the case. The book was definitely respectful of everyone involved which is so important when it comes to true crime. The authors told the story of the girls with care, and I could feel the depth of respect in the ways their lives were portrayed. My only quibble- and it's not with the authors themselves- is that the sheer number of witnesses, suspects, and investigators made it a bit of a challenge to follow. Honestly, I found myself having to skim over a lot of the names and minutiae.

This book also clears up much of the misinformation and rumors that flooded the public space during the early stages of the investigation. It doesn't sensationalize. It just informs. It tells the truth, even when its painful. Not an easy read, but it was an important one. My heart breaks for Libby, Abby and their families. It's so sad these young girls didn't have a chance. I think this book honors their memory.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so captivating and well-written that it was really hard to put down. It was obviously very well researched and so compassionate to the victims, their families, and all of those who worked to bring them justice. A lot of people are getting this story wrong so I'm so happy that they took the time to write this book! It is definitely worth a read if you're interested in true crime.

[Lisa Hardcastle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sad topic
Very good read
The murderer is where he belongs

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and thoughtfully written, Shadow of the Bridge offers a compelling and respectful account of the Delphi murders. Cain and Greenlee balance rigorous reporting with compassion, making this one of the most definitive and important true crime books in recent years.

[JFN · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up on the recommendation of a few FBI profilers I listen to whose work I admire, and having just finished it, I'm like "What?" This case is awful in every way, so anyone following it needs to be prepared for its intrinsic sadness, but I wasn't prepared for a highly recommended book to be so messy. It started out strong enough but really started to fall apart once you get to the recounting of Richard Allen's trial, which is the second half of the book. It reads like rough, almost unedited notes of the authors' daily observations of the investigative and court proceedings from the gallery. There's potential there for good reading, and some of it was, but come on, edit your work. Missing words, misspellings, many, many irrelevant tangents. (Why do we need two pages dedicated to the technical details of why one of the prosecutor's cars died one morning and she couldn't get to court, only to find out it didn't matter because she had no witnesses to question that day?) So many weird blind alleys. So many. Also, this case has a huge cast of characters. HUGE. Maybe every person and their uncle didn't need to make their way into the final draft, and for any of the dozens who did, maybe sometimes use their full name to refresh the reader's memory on someone who was mentioned once a hundred pages ago.

I'm going to assume there was pressure to get this published, but this book reads like a first draft. I know making a book is hard work, but Jesus, take the time to do it right.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a controversial case that was not televised which lead to an information vacuum and clickbait content creators dream. What this case needs is coverage that cares about the victims and the truth, enter the authors of this book. They meticulously cover this case and time has shown them to be truthful and accurate. Even those who followed this case through trial will be surprised at some of the details revealed in this thoughtful, well researched, victim centered and accurate telling of a disgusting crime.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee take on the Delphi murders with a mix of sharp reporting and genuine care in Shadow of the Bridge. Rather than chasing headlines or amplifying the louder corners of the internet, they step back and show the case in full: the investigation, the courtroom battles, the social media circus, and, most importantly, the lives of Libby German and Abby Williams.

The book doesn’t read like a typical true crime retelling. It’s measured, compassionate, and unafraid to show just how complicated and messy this case has become. Cain and Greenlee make space for the families’ voices, give weight to different perspectives, and resist the easy temptation of neat narratives. That honesty makes the story all the more powerful.

For readers who only know the basics of the Delphi murders—or for those who’ve followed every twist—this account manages to be both deeply informative and deeply human. It’s clear the authors poured years of work into getting this right, and it shows on every page.

[Sheree Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a factual accounting of the true crime tragic horrific murders of Abby and Libby, including securing the murderer, who was convicted by a jury of his peers, Richard Allen. Cain and Greenlee are masterful authors, using each of their respective professions, to appropriately analyze and capture the facts only an attorney and journalist to do. This true crime book is smart, sensitive and thorough. Thank you for taking time to cover this case, I am looking forward to your next book.
Sincerely
SS

[Debbie Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considerate, thoughtful account that put the victims and the family first.

[Mallory Bitterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow of the Bridge is a thorough guide to everything-every piece- of the tragic Delphi murders in Delphi, Indiana in 2017. Kevin and Áine do a wonderful job of recounting the story in such detail that you feel like you’re in the woods with the investigators looking for the girls. Thorough research and due diligence went in to this book and it is evident in the way the book is written to reflect actual true events of the murders, the investigation, and the trial of Richard Allen.

For years to come, this will be the book at the top of the reference list when discussing the Delphi Murders. Kudos to Kevin Greenlee and Áine Cain.

[Tammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a HUGE fan of The Murder Sheet and followed every bit of their coverage of the Delphi case. I was very excited to hear they were writing a book and even more excited when I found out Kevin was going to do the audiobook! Overall, the book is good. I learned some particulars that I had not previously known about the case and trial. Kevin's narration was great. I was slightly disappointed in how wordy the book was...too many unnecessary details about things that just weren't pertinent to the case. This was a 14 hour audiobook that could have been much shorter had some of the fluff been cut. (Also, the over use of the words "bespectacled" and "bombastic" about drove me nuts!)

[Rachael Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research done on this book by authors who actually care and respect the victims of this heinous crime. As someone who lives in Indiana and whose area was rocked by this crime, I know first hand the care and respect these authors gave to this community. The research was accurate, complete, and done from a neutral stance. The facts of the case are presented, not biased or twisted to represent a false narrative, like so many others tried to do. Excellent read, to such a heartbreaking situation.

[Kimberly Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching Capturing Their Killer: The Girls On The High Bridge, I was more than intrigued. The three episode series left me believing that there’s more to this tragic tale, and I found everything I was looking for in this novel written by two podcasters. With actual reports and interviews with investigators, the ending to the story finally made sense! Read this in four days! Hands down the best Labor Day weekend I’ve had in years.

[Sandy Reenders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for book club. I really liked the beginning- learning the process law enforcement uses to investigate. I got lost in all the characters, and using only last names didn’t help. Overall interesting, especially living in Indiana, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I morbidly wanted actual details of how the crime was committed, which we didn’t get. Perhaps for the best. I was struck by how totally boring a court case must be.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intelligent, respectful, and extremely well researched telling of this tragic crime. You will come out of it with a factual understanding of the investigation and trial, and remembering the most important part, Abby and Libby.

[Lauren Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the level of excruciating detail here, as well as how they try to be respectful instead of sensationalist with some of the details about the victims and their families, but so much of it is so unbelievably boring. SHOW, DON'T TELL! Also, the authors insert themselves into the story a couple of times which is so cringe, especially when they're like "how DARE we not get press passes, the judge intentionally wanted to keep us out." It's thankfully not in an insufferable Mandy Matney way at least, where she makes the entire story about herself. And sometimes it's necessary, like when they were leaked crime scene photos and had to notify investigators, which kickstarted a whole legal drama. But I fear all I could think about was John Beard in "Arrested Development."

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best true crime books i have read. it covered the entire progression of the case from the crime to the jury verdict, yet did not drag at all. i did not know much about this case beforehand, but i suggest that any true crime fan read this book, regardless of whether you are familiar with the crime or not.

[Kayci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book encapsulates not only the Delphi case, but the surrounding circus. With their front row seat, Greenlee and Cain were able to truthfully report- with no agenda. To be able to hear the whole story end-to-end, in the voice of Greenlee, brings this case full circle. Heartbreakingly the outcome never changes, but at least reality has been acknowledged.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throw away the thesaurus!
Hire an editor instead. If you are writing a true crime book, the subject matter should be interesting enough that you don’t need to rely on every adjective in your junior high school thesaurus.

[Creston Mapes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written true crime story about two girls who were killed on some trails in Indiana. The case was cold for years until a bright legal assistant found a file suggesting detectives passed over a man who could be the killer. Interesting read.

[Angela Stinnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want an honest detailed account of the Delphi case, this is the book to read. It was well written and put together in a chronological order so the reader can follow the case from beginning to end. It’s not an easy read, as it details the murder of 2 children. What Abby and Libby went through is gut wrenching but Anie and Kevin worked so hard to interview those involved from all sides and corroborate the information before putting in the book or on their podcast. It takes you through the thoughts and emotions of the families, the detectives, the prosecutors and the jury. It explains how and why the case stalled for so long, and the dogged determination of those tasked with solving it. The inspiration of the families and community to support one another and the process. It keeps Abby and Libby at the forefront of the story and showcases how they helped solve their own murder and the heroism of those girls to stick together. Expect to cry and occasionally laugh. I want to thank the authors for their hardwork, honesty, fair reporting, and giving everyone a chance to say their piece once the gag order was lifted.

[Cuideachd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dusted off the old account to write this because this book made me so angry. This review will be divided into two parts: the book itself, and the authors.

Its hard to construct a flowing narrative with missing pieces, as is often the case when writing a true crime book. These authors tried to gussy it up with flowering description but really just made it bloated. With the timing of developments in this particular case, there will obviously be facts that were unknown to the authors at the time of writing. In other words, I expected at least some of the content to be a tad outdated. Not a deal breaker and wouldn't make the book bad on its own, just the nature of the beast.

That does not excuse the juvenile way the facts were rendered. This feels less like a factual recounting of events as could be constructed at the time, but rather a floundering attempt at writing a fictional, prose crime novel. Instead of creating a new story based on the real-life crime, they instead worked backwards and inserted their projection of what the real-life 'characters' would have said or thought or did in those circumstances, presenting their made-up tidbits as if it were true. It was entirely unprofessional, and once you realize that the authors have flagrantly deviated from fact in no small manner, it feels disrespectful to those involved. Dead children deserve better than to be your mouthpiece for what you daydream would have happened.

In between the fanfiction, they listed the same factoids anyone could find with a basic Google search. Not even a deep dive. Some things they mention with no addendum or scrutiny had been debunked months/years ago. The narrative is flagrantly biased and never even attempts to question itself. Even the facts they do present as-is are dubious, with subpar reasoning to back them up or poor explanation about what those facts actually mean. If you, at any point, dare to wonder or disagree with what the authors present, then you are spoken down to by the book itself. All in all, it is a very poorly written account of the Delphi case.

This leads into what I have to say about the authors. I live near where this crime took place-obviously, books about it tend to be somewhat popular around here. For the past few months, one of our local bookstores has had a table for this book up front, promoting it and a book signing with the authors. I went to that book signing. You want to know what the authors did with this opportunity? Tell people not to buy books from the store, and to order it from Amazon instead, presumably so that they'd get a bigger cut from the book. What a slap in the face to the people who have been promoting your work. Not to mention, a slap in the face to people like me, who went out of our way to see you personally, being treated as nothing but faceless dollar signs. I was flabbergasted they had the gall to say this to me and others.

They also complained about doing book signings, as it 'wasted their weekend.' THEN WHY DID YOU BOTHER SETTING UP THE EVENT? Book signings don't just happen to authors! No one is forcing you to do one! This attitude, combined with the way their book was written, paints a clear but unpleasant picture of these authors and what they really think of this case and the people who are interested in reading about it. Its a sandbox they can profit off of, nothing more.

I was originally going to give this book a 2 star rating, as I have no doubt that writing a true crime book is difficult and I typically try to be generous. But having met the authors, its clear that they do not care about the case or the victims of the crime. They don't even care about the readers, as presenting the truth was not their priority. They did not put forth more than the bare minimum of what it would take to qualify as a book, and the only people who would be taken in by their meager efforts are people with no knowledge of the case who are hearing about any of it for the first time. Those people should just do a Google search, as it would be more professional and less sensationalized, or pick up any other book about the Delphi Murders. This book provides nothing of value to anyone.

I would tell them to stick to their podcast, but I doubt they put more effort into researching those than this book. Before I read it, I actually had high hopes for this, as I'd heard the authors were investigative journalists. Horribly disappointing.

[Jeanna Mattison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a true crime book! I mean it is not the author telling their story of following the crime, but them telling the actual story of the crime. It is hard to read what happened to the two girls but it answers tons of questions and puts to rest the mistruths. Our book club had the pleasure of meeting the author's.

[Judith]

This case has always captured my interest so I was excited to read this book. It became a struggle to keep up with the ever-changing cast of characters involved in this case. Also felt overly wordy and dragged out. Made it 47% but couldn’t continue.

[Jordan Theune · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

I appreciate the lengths that the authors went to in order to get this story. I followed this case closely for years, so I can’t say anything in this book was new to me, but it was still worthwhile.

If I could make one giant suggestion it would be to STOP DRAGGING OTHER CONTENT CREATORS. It just makes you look bad, guys. I don’t subscribe to any of the BM/Defense Gang’s beliefs, but there is a way to talk about them without showing your bias so strongly. I heard plenty of it on the MS podcast, and I had hoped it wouldn’t be so blatant in the book. I would have really appreciated it if this all felt a little more balanced.

[Jamie Benedict · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with endless amounts of unneeded info and bias

This was an interesting look in the case but very biased. The author portrayed the defense negatively every chance she got while skimming over the prosecutions similar flaws, even swear words weren't immune. One side cursed out of frustration while the other was called profane. Both sides failed at many things but only one side was truly criticized for it. It is full of unneeded information and was a hard book to finish. It does deliver on the most important info though, which is why I gave it 3 stars. If you want to know about the case, and a ton of extra side issues this will be a great book for you.

[Bonnilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many names, too many unnecessary details. I tried to listen to the audiobook to get me over the halfway mark, but the narrator sounded like he had marbles in his mouth and was difficult to understand. I think this is my least favorite true crime book to date.

[Lauren Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 80%