Episode 21: Delphi Murders and Media Portrayals
A Hulu Spotlight—and a Personal Disappointment
In August 2025, Hulu released its highly anticipated three-part documentary Down the Hill: The Delphi Murders. Forensic pathologist Dr. Roland Kohr, who performed the autopsies on the two teenage victims in 2017, was among those interviewed. State police had specifically requested Dr. Kohr’s expertise, despite Delphi being 100 miles from his Terre Haute base, an honor he has considered a professional compliment and recognition of his reputation by law enforcement.
But when the series aired, Dr. Kohr found his five-hour interview reduced to less than a minute of screen time. His comments focused narrowly on the emotional toll of working child homicide cases, while his detailed insights on forensic evidence and the murder weapon were omitted. “I was disappointed,” he admitted, “that my substantive findings never made it to air, while amateur internet sleuths were given extended credibility.”
Inside the Trial: A Forensic Pathologist’s Role
Dr. Kohr’s involvement extended far beyond the autopsy suite. He assisted the prosecution in trial preparation, sat for a defense deposition, and ultimately testified during the 2024 trial of Richard Allen. His credentials: medical training, decades of forensic work, and teaching roles at Indiana State University and the IU School of Medicine, made him a crucial expert witness.
He explained that courts recognize three categories of witnesses: eyewitnesses, fact witnesses, and expert witnesses. As an expert, Dr. Kohr could present opinions rooted in science and experience, not speculation. “Jurors need to know you’re not pulling things out of thin air,” he emphasized, contrasting his role with that of so-called experts whose qualifications stem only from online research or pop culture familiarity.
The Problem with “Expert” Theories
Dr. Kohr reserved particular criticism for Hulu’s decision to spotlight theories linking the crime to Norse mythology and alleged ritual killings. He questioned both the basis and consistency of such claims. Rituals, he explained, follow defined, repeated patterns. The differences in how the two victims were found, one clothed in the other’s clothing, different wound counts, and no consistent staging, contradict that definition.
Furthermore, Dr. Kohr said he could find no credible record of Norse-style ritual killings in the United States beyond references tied to the Delphi case itself. “It stretches belief to call someone an expert on something that doesn’t exist in the historical record,” he said.
The Box Knife Revelation
One of Dr. Kohr’s most significant forensic contributions came years after the murders. While reviewing case materials ahead of trial, he recalled puzzling over shallow wounds and a peculiar set of parallel marks on one victim’s neck. The pattern didn’t fit a typical serrated blade.
The answer came unexpectedly at his garage workbench: a utility box knife with ridged thumb grips identical to the wound pattern. “It was an aha moment,” Dr. Kohr recalled. He shared the finding with prosecutors, and photographs of the tool were ultimately introduced at trial.
The discovery aligned eerily with a jailhouse confession by Richard Allen, who told a warden he had discarded the murder weapon—a box knife—in a dumpster. That independent admission, Dr. Kohr argued, confirmed his suspicion and provided the jury with a compelling link.
Truth Versus Entertainment
For Dr. Kohr, the biggest frustration remains the gap between rigorous forensic science and the way crime stories are packaged for mass consumption. “A documentary claiming to expose the truth ignored critical evidence while elevating unqualified theories,” he said. His advice to viewers: always consider the credentials of those speaking, and question whether they would qualify as experts in a courtroom.
Looking Ahead
Though disappointed with Hulu’s treatment, Dr. Kohr views platforms like Kohroner Chronicles as an opportunity to provide the public with unfiltered context. He intends to revisit the Delphi case in future episodes, sharing details that were sidelined in mainstream coverage.
“This case will always stay with me,” he reflected. “Not only because of the tragedy of two young lives lost, but also because it highlights the importance of distinguishing fact from speculation—science from entertainment.”