Indiana Cops to Girls' Killer: We Think You're Nearby

Police release new video, sketch of suspect in 2017 murders of 8th-graders in Delphi
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 22, 2019 1:49 PM CDT

Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, went for a hike on a trail near their small community of Delphi, Indiana, on Feb. 13, 2017, and never returned. The girls' bodies were found the following day near the trail, but no arrests have been made. At one point, police released chilling audio of the suspected killer instructing the girls to go "down the hill," audio recovered from Libby's smartphone. Now, police are releasing more audio and video, along with a new sketch, in the hope that someone will recognize the man—because they think he lives in the Delphi area. The details on Monday's developments:

  • New video: See a brief video of the suspect walking on the bridge where the girls were last seen here. Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter asked people to examine the man's gait and mannerisms. The video came from Libby's phone.
  • More audio: Listen to the new audio of the suspect here. It's a slightly expanded version of the previously released "down the hill" clip.

  • A local? Carter addressed the girls' murderer directly in his comments, suggesting the killer was either a local or someone who regularly frequented the area, reports ABC News. "To the killer, who may be in this room. We believe you are hiding in plain sight," Carter said, per Indy Star. "We've likely interviewed you or someone close to you," he added, per the Lafayette Journal & Courier.
  • State Police: Here is the link to their page about the killings. They say tips can be sent to abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.
  • New sketch: Police released a new sketch of the suspect, which can be seen in the photo gallery. They think he is a white male between 18 and 40, weighs between 180 and 200 pounds, is between 5-6 and 5-8.
  • Elaborating: "In more than two years, you never thought we would shift gears to a different investigative strategy, but we have," said Carter. "We know this is about power to you. You want to know what we know. And one day, you will." He added that the killer might have told someone about what he did, or is at least acting differently.
  • Mother hopeful: “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her, miss her, cry about it,” said Carrie Timmons, Libby’s mother, tells CBS 4. She said it was "mind boggling" the case remains unsolved but expressed hope before the police news conference (without knowing what police would reveal) that a break could come soon. "It's been long enough," she said.
(Police had racked up nearly 40,000 tips as of February.)

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