Shadow of the Bridge - by Áine Cain & Kevin Greenlee (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The haunting account of the Delphi Murders, a double-murder case that has held an 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 Cain 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 Bridge: 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, Cain 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 captivating prose, Shadow of the Bridge is a powerful narrative of a complicated, twisting story of tragedy and a community's determination to see justice.

Review Quotes

"Aine Cain and Kevin Greenlee, two journalists who have extensively investigated the Delphi murders, have written a closely detailed, absorbing account that will stand for many years as the definitive account of this sad episode."--Simon Baatz, author of For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder that Shocked Jazz Age Chicago

"Aine Cain and Kevin Greenlee have delivered a true-crime classic, bringing an empathetic heart and an unflinching eye to the haunting story of brutal heartland murders. It's the rare investigative piece that both sheds new light on a notorious crime and never fails to find the human stories that matter most. Shadow of the Bridge is a rigorous, captivating, and compassionate story of an American tragedy."--Michael Koryta, New York Times-bestselling author of An Honest Man and Those Who Wish Me Dead

"Aine Cain and Kevin Greenlee host the superb Murder Sheet podcast, so it comes as no surprise that they are equally adept at crafting an exceptional True Crime work of nonfiction. Shadow of the Bridge chronicles the brutal murder of two young girls in rural Indiana and the tension-wracked efforts of law enforcement to first track down, then convict, the killer. Cain and Greenlee magnificently capture the horror, confusion, and dogged determination of investigators, prosecutors, and the families of the victims in what must be described as a new classic in the True Crime genre. Be warned: You're going to read nonstop until the last page is turned."--Jeff Guinn, New York Times bestselling author of Manson, The Road to Jonestown and Waco

I didn't grow up in Delphi, Indiana. I've never walked the Monon High Bridge, never squinted into the gray wash of winter sky, or felt the wind rip through the bare trees. But after reading this book, I feel like I have. And I'll never shake it. Shadow of the Bridge is not just a true crime book--it's a reckoning. It tells the story of Abby and Libby, two adventurous girls who crossed an abandoned railroad bridge and never came back. It's about small-town innocence shattered, the seductive pull of social media, and the long, messy, bureaucratic slog for justice that often leaves families gasping for air. Cain and Greenlee take us inside the case--through the raw panic of the search, the horror of discovery, and the quiet fury of a community that suspects the killer might be one of their own. This is not tidy or sanitized. It's a gut-wrenching story you'll never forget."--Deb Miller Landau, author of A Devil Went Down to Georgia, Edgar Award Finalist

About the Author

Áine Cain is a journalist who previously worked as a senior reporter for Insider, where her beat included business-related crimes. Cain is from New York's Westchester County and studied history at the College of William & Mary. She and her husband, Kevin Greenlee founded The Murder Sheet, an investigative true crime podcast, which has repeatedly broke national news in a series of dramatic reports on the Delphi case.

Kevin Greenlee is an attorney who received his bachelor's degree and J.D. from Indiana University. His professional foray into true crime began in 2016, when he began investigating the Burger Chef murders and he came to represent a victim's relative pro bono. He and his wife, Áine Cain, founded The Murder Sheet, an investigative true crime podcast, which has repeatedly broke national news in a series of dramatic reports on the Delphi case.