Libby's Phone Data
The prosecution praised Abby Williams for potentially hiding Libby’s phone, preserving critical evidence like the video, audio, and location data that captured the suspect’s voice saying, “Guys, down the hill.” They argued this data directly implicated Allen, with prosecutor Nick McLeland asserting it showed the “final moments” of the victims’ lives. The state leaned heavily on the video’s timestamp and GPS data, alongside subjective voice identification by ISP Trooper Brian Harshman, to claim Allen was the “Bridge Guy” seen on the Monon High Bridge trail.
The Defense Argument:
Contradictory Health Data
The defense cited Libby’s iPhone 6 Health Data, specifically its step-count and elevation records, to challenge the prosecution’s theory about the victims’ movements post-attack. The limited stair-count data logged on February 13, 2017, did not align with the state’s narrative of how and where Abby and Libby were moved, pointing to inconsistencies in the timeline presented to the jury. This discrepancy suggests the prosecution’s account of the crime’s sequence may be inaccurate, weakening their case against Allen.
Unexplained Late Activity
More troubling, the defense highlighted headphone jack activity on Libby’s phone at 5:44 PM and 10:32 PM on February 14, 2017, hours after the estimated time of death and long after the phone was supposedly undisturbed under Abby’s body. This activity, logged as aux input insertion and removal, is inexplicable if the phone remained untouched at the crime scene. The defense argued that it points to potential evidence tampering or uninvestigated activity, raising the possibility that someone accessed the scene post-mortem, which could implicate alternative suspects or reveal investigative failures.
Libby’s phone data is a double-edged sword in the Delphi case. The prosecution used it to anchor their claim that Allen was the killer, relying on emotional weight and subjective interpretations like Harshman’s voice identification. Yet, the defense’s findings - particularly the contradictory health data and unexplained late activity - cast significant doubt on the state’s narrative. The absence of Allen’s DNA or fingerprints on the phone, combined with these anomalies, suggests the evidence does not conclusively tie him to the crime. If the phone was disturbed after the murders, as the aux input logs imply, it could indicate mishandling by law enforcement or the presence of others at the scene, fundamentally undermining the case against Allen and pointing to a broader failure to pursue the true perpetrator.
New Information Since The Trial
Since Allen’s conviction, new insights into Libby’s phone data have emerged, further challenging the integrity of the investigation. In a March 20, 2025, interview with the Defense Diaries podcast, digital forensic expert Stacy Eldridge, who analyzed the phone for the defense, revealed critical details about its handling and the state’s analysis.
Eldridge disclosed that the Indiana State Police performed multiple extractions on Libby’s iPhone 6, requiring the phone to be powered on and off three separate times, which erased vital power logs tracking the last power-off time and other settings. This mishandling destroyed potentially exculpatory data, violating forensic best practices that prioritize preserving a device’s found state.
She also highlighted the absence of the bridge photo of Abby in the phone’s files, noting it was sourced from the internet rather than the device itself, raising questions about the prosecution’s reliance on Snapchat data. Most strikingly, Eldridge confirmed the aux input logs at 5:44 PM and 10:32 PM on February 14, 2017, were in “plain English” in the database, directly contradicting the state’s claim that the phone remained undisturbed. She suggested the state’s expert, Mr. Cecil, may have overlooked this data by searching the wrong database column, and she was shocked to hear Cecil admit to Googling answers during the trial, undermining his credibility.
These revelations amplify concerns about evidence integrity and suggest the state’s handling of the phone obscured the truth, bolstering the case for Allen’s innocence.
Watch Stacy Eldridge's full interview with the Defense Diaries podcast here »