a jury is finally hearing details about the deaths of 13 year old abigail williams and her best friend, 14 year old liberty german, as richard allen, the man charged with killing them stands trial. the families of the girls, hearing gut wrenching details about how liberty and abigail were killed. liberty was naked and covered in blood. the throats of both girls were slit. abigail was wearing her own undershirt, but liberty's sweatshirt, one of liberty's shoes, and her cell phone were found beneath abigail's body. >> i believe liberty didn't take that video. i wonder if he would ever be caught. we knew nothing. not the cause of death. not any more details. >> veteran journalist susan hendricks has written a book titled down the hill, and has been inside the courtroom every day covering the trial. >> when they were brutally murdered. we always heard that right. even though we didn't know the cause of death. >> investigators have held details about this brutal murder close to the vest, releasing very little about the case in seven years. this photograph of abigail williams was taken from

it's opening statements that are beginning today after seven years since 2017, when abigail williams, liberty german had an afternoon three no schools. so a relative drop them off at the maanen trails and delphi, indiana. delphi, indiana is a very small town they don't know what crime is. less than 3,000 people, everybody knows, everybody. but the girls were on a bridge. and we want to show a picture because the cell phone from one of the girls captured a man who appeared to be on the bridge with them and is believed a short time later that they were murdered. there's audio that was released on this picture that says the man says guys down the hill, there's much more to this video and that jury should be shown that that but their bodies were found down the hill the next day. they had been stabbed, but was richard allen's dna the person charged now on or near the bodies? i spoke to a detective very close after this happened, before a gag order, and i assumed there was a sexual assault and he said to me at the time, don't make assumptions. there was a sexual assault. so that is a big qu

abigail williams in what moment? in one moment will run into a fireplace with a raging fire and try to crawl up the chimney as there's a roaring fire going. truly frightening behavior for a young child. they also don't name names of any witches as this begins. those that they claim to be hurt by, because they don't see it as witchcraft. this is seen as a medical issue. they're unwell. it's an illness sick. and they'll call doctors. we quite honestly don't know how many. we just know one of the records says the word is at the end of the word. doctors. so we know it's plural. we don't know how many. and one of them eventually will say that they are under, quote, an evil hand. it's the doctor who says it's witchcraft. you trust your doctor. hopefully and with them being seen as an expert that's seen as an expert, they had ruled out things we know specifically like epilepsy that could lead to seizures or something maybe slightly similar. and at the time they would have known about things you could eat that could cause er

a grainy image that detectives hoped would solve the brutal murders of 13 year old abigail williams and 14 year old liberty german. an image captured by one of the victims. and these three words heard on a video captured on liberty's phone before her death. listen again. the recording was released early on by police in their search for answers. >> young lady is a hero to have a presence of mind to make sure she's activating a video system on this phone in order to capture that voice of liberty and abigail were hiking along this trail about halfway between chicago and indianapolis. >> it runs along deer creek, leading to an old railroad bridge. i'm her bestie. i am the eighth grade best friends were dropped off for their hike, and this photo liberty took of abigail on the monon high bridge is the last image of her alive. just before police say they ran into the man in the grainy phot. but did he kill them? >> at the very least, the evidence indicates that the person in the photograph has participated. but we don't know if there were more people. >> the answers wouldn't come for over five

so this story starts back seven years ago, and this is when two young girls abby abby, abigail williams, and liberty german, were dropped off at the trail in delphi, indiana. this is a large wooded area. everybody goes there. delphi has less than 3,000 people. everybody knows, everybody. they don't have crime like this. but here is a pivotal piece of evidence that prosecutors talked about an openings today that they say is going to show who did this to the girls. we want to show you one of the girls cell phones captured this video is believed very short in time before they were murdered. a law enforcement found the video. they took it to the public years ago. to try to find out who did this. it's a man that was on the bridge, right with the girls, listened to what he says prosecutors, they say that's richard allen. that's the man that was charged with these crimes and it was the next day that the girls bodies was found down the hill. and we've learned today in opening statements, we never knew the exact cause of death, but today, prosecutor said those girls throats we're slit and that i

one of the biggest trials in indiana's history and it was on that day that two young girls, abigail williams liberty german, they were dropped off by their family at the maanen trails in del hi delphi, indiana will they never saw while them again, and they were found their bodies were found the next day, but everybody was saying would happen to them who would do this to them once forensics found their phones? they found the phone of liberty german. she had actually recorded a man that was on the bridge. it's believed it's minutes before they were murdered. i want you to listen to the picture in the audio that law enforcement released nationwide to try to find doubt who did this watch enforcement had to work on. it took quite a few years. they have had other suspects. they released two are artistic graphics, but they finally arrested this man, richard allen. now, the girls were found their throats slit according to a defense expert who testified at a hearing, they were not sexually assaulted that we know the defense has come in saying that this was a ritualistic killing from the oldest nordic

abigail's brother, william smith jr abandoned. his family, which was one of the worst thing you could do back then, especially to john adams, abandoned his family, became an alcoholic. he died in 1787. and abigail, of course, we talked lost two baby girl, susanna and elizabeth. so their tragedies were involved in everybody's life. and that's why what made abigail so optimistic, you have to treasure those moments while you can. they retired and came back to and abigail bought this house for john to retire and they they deserved it. teso many decades of public service it's called both the old house and peace field. and here's what it looks like now for really quick stories about things that are going on today. sexual harassment, neighborhood, racial discrimination, illegal squatter and a declaration of independence versus, smallpox. abigail sexual harassment was in 1777 to 1781. i know it's ha to believe, but she is being sexuarass by united states. congressman, i know. a guy name massachusetts caro and named james lovell, a well kno

abigail's brother, william smith jr abandoned. his family, which was one of the worst thing you could do back then, especially to john adams, abandoned his family, became an alcoholic. he died in 1787. and abigail, of course, we talked lost two baby girl, susanna and elizabeth. so their tragedies were involved in everybody's life. and that's why what made abigail so optimistic, you have to treasure those moments while you can. they retired and came back to and abigail bought this house for john trere and they they deserved it. after so many decas of bl service it's called both the old house and peace field. and h's what it looks like now for really quick stories about things that are going on today. sexual harassment, neighborhood, racial discrimination, illegal squatter and a declaration of independence versus, smallpox. abigail sexual hart w in 1777 to 1781. i know it's hard to believe, but she is being sexually harassed by united states. congressman, i know. auy ne massachusetts caro and named james lovell, a well known womanize