A visibly emotional Carter also delivered a powerful message to the killer, a man he believes is still living and working among the people of Delphi. Police for years have said they do not want to jeopardize the investigation by releasing details surrounding the killings. Novella Nedeff, a clinical associate professor at Indiana Universitys McKinney School of Law, said sealing court records after a defendant is in custody is unprecedented to her, and speculated the decision may be due to the possibility of others involved, or to avoid a piece of evidence from becoming widely known. State police also didnt name Kline as the creator of the account; that detail was found in documents discovered by News 8 a day later. Somewhere on that hike, a man ordered the girls 14-year-old Libby German and her best friend, 13-year-old Abby Williams off the trail, telling them to go "down the hill," based on a recording Libby made unbeknownst to her killer. Kline is still in custody awaiting trial for these charges. Do not slander the family of either of the girls. The next day Valentines Day 2017 their bodies were discovered in a wooded area less than half a mile off the trail along the side of Deer Creek. He died in 2020. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Back home in Delphi, everyone had lived through the brutal news and constant reminders about how Libby German and Abby Williams, a pair of eighth-graders had been found murdered on Feb. 14, 2017, a day after they spent a school holiday on a popular hiking trail on the outskirts of town, about 20 miles northeast of Lafayette. Are they local or are they not? 12-year-old kidney transplant recipient goes to 'medical school', How Lisa Marie Presley's weight-loss surgery contributed to her death, Abortion in Iowa is legal again, after judge blocks new restrictions. Phil Show, Abby Williams and Libby German's Feb. 13 killings, Delphi homicide investigation HQ moves back to city hall, 'Horrible to live like this,' a year after Abby and Libby were killed, Vigil set for teens Abby and Libby on one-year anniversary, Libbys sister, at Ball State now, does anything to keep the story alive, Unanswered questions 2 years after the slayings of Abby and Libby, How Abby Williams and Libby German's families want you to honor their memory, Abby & Libbys families brace for 2nd anniversary, pray 'today is the day', Investigation update, Abby and Libby memorial planned on 2nd anniversary, Police to Delphi killer: 'We're coming for you', Dirt moves on Abby & Libby Park, their families hands-on, $1M dream, Police take new direction in Delphi murder investigation, ISP shares new sketch, video, audio in Delphi double homicide investigation. The person inthe sketchis described as a white male between 5-foot-6and5-foot-10-inches tall, weighing 180 to 220 pounds, with reddish brown hair and an unknown eye color. Evidence in the Delphi, Indiana, double murder case was unsealed by a county court on Tuesday, revealing key new details, including that suspect Richard Allen's gun was linked to the crime scene. Ageneration of Delphi teens lost their innocence on Valentine's Dayas people in thiswestern Carroll County hamlet learnedpolice recovered two bodies likely missing 13-year-olds Liberty German and Abigail Williams. The picture was based on the description of a person who saw something that the person felt needed to be reported,according to the sketch artist. In the footage, the man tells the two girls: Guys, down the hill.. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. However, she says she will continue to live in fear for her own safety until their killer is finally brought to justice. For the second time since family members of Abby Williams and Libby German came up with the idea for a community park, the state announced a contribution for a portion of a $1 million project pieced together largely through the in-kind donations of those moved by the unsolved crime. However, investigators in Delphi said they have reason to believeAllenwas allegedly "not the only actor involved" in the girls' deaths and are currently looking into other potential suspects. Here's a closer look at the case. Riley and Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby had no words of comfort to offer the community. DELPHI, Ind. A common thread runs through Delphi these days, echoed most mornings in Facebook posts by Liberty Libby Germans grandmother, Becky Patty: Today is the day.. "In a fit of rage, yes.". McLeland presented multiple exhibits to the court, including a letter from Libby German's guardian and grandmother, Becky Patty, and an online petition that garnered 40,000 signatures asking to keep probable cause confidential. New developments were released Wednesday in the murder mystery of the two girls, who went for a hike on Valentine's Day in 2017 on the popular Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi when they went missing. Police said they believed the killer is familiar with Delphi and might live there or lived there in the past. "It's been a struggle and it doesn't get easier. Delphi murder documents released, new evidence revealed. That doesn't mean the investigation is scaling back or being shelved, according to an Indiana State Police news release. If you know anyone who fits any of these behavioral changes the FBI wants to know. Investigators recoveredDNA evidenceinside the Stephensons' home that they're still working to identify almost 12 years later. Were going to keep pushing all the way.". "However small it may seem, it's extremely vital that we get every tip we can get. Their bodies were found near a hiking trail in Delphi in 2017. Carroll County SheriffTobe Leazenby filed a motion requesting that Richard Allen be transferred from the county jail to a state prison "for safekeeping.". "It was somewhat overwhelming to see all the hard work over the last few years come to an umpire yelling, 'Play ball!'". Most everyone takes for granted teenage rites of passage drivers licenses, proms, high school graduations but for Anna Williams, these coming-of-age momentsremind her of herloss. Bringingrenewedattention to a shocking case, IndianaStatePolice on Monday unveiled an updated sketchof theman they believe killed teensAbigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi in February 2017. Mike Patty, Libbys grandfather, said he hadnt heard from law enforcement whether to expect new bits of information or clues about a suspect. Two years after two Delphi teenagers were murdered while hiking on the Delphi Historic Trails, their families honored their memory. "If you think it could be, but then say, 'No, he's not like that,' go with your initial instinct," he said. ISP says yes, A timeline of the search for Abby and Libby's killer, Investigators have had newly released suspect sketch in Delphi homicides for 2 years, Police on Monday unveiled an updated sketch, Review all of the evidence in the Delphi murders case that's been publicly released. Multiple Journal & Courier and IndyStar reporters and editors contributed to this report. 2 hours ago. Since then, police have analyzed tens of thousands of tipsand conducted multiplenews conferences. He said if any was recovered from the girls, it would have been run through the FBI. Monday marked five years since the girls bodies were found on a trail. However, if the person responsible was never arrested before, they would not be in the FBIs system. "I want to set the precedenton what a trail securitysystem and what safety looks like on the trail," said Adams, director of Delphi's community development department. Two girls, out for an afternoon hike the day before, were found. Before posting a side by side, imagine that is your son, brother, or father. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Kim Riley said. The online profile on social media platforms such as, but not limited to, Snapchat and Instagram, used images of a male model portraying himself as wealthy and owning several cars,the Indiana State Policeannounced. According to a notice posted at the Carroll County Courthouse, the hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22. German, 14, and Williams, 13, were reported missing Feb. 13, 2017, after they were dropped off at the Delphi . The transcript revealed that he had exchanged photos with the teenage girl and that Libby had communicated with the fake profile on the very day that she and Abby were murdered. I can appreciate while the case is being investigated keeping a lot of those details out of the public realm, so that if somebody gets accused, somebody makes a statement, nobody says well they just repeated what they read in the press, she remarked. Butmore than two years later, after well over 38,000 tips had come in,no arrests had been made in the case. Five years after Liberty German and Abigail Williams were killed in Delphi, Indiana, 50-year-old Richard Allen has been charged with their murders. The hearing had been set aside as a bail hearing but was converted to a suppression hearing earliler this month. His daughter can be seen smiling on what looks like the same bridge that Libby documented on Snapchat the day she and Abby disappeared. "I don't think it will ever go away until they get some answers; until somebody is arrested or behind bars, I don't think it will ever go away.". "I hope something comes out of it," she said, "we've got our hopes up before and nothing has come out of it, but we've got to keep positive. The goal for the volunteers: Detach 10, 65-foot poles and lighting rigs from their concrete bases at Purdues former Intermural Black Fields, put them on a trailer and deliver them to Delphi, the next pieces to the puzzle for Abby and Libby Memorial Park. Libby German posted a Snapchat as the girls walked along the trail. Last month, he told The Murder Sheet podcast in a jailhouse interview that he has information about the murders but that police dont want to hear anything I have to say. Detectives with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office and Indiana State Police investigating the unsolved murders of two Delphi, Ind., teenage girls uncovered an online profile usedto communicatewith young girls. "I cannot think of anything that would cause someone to do harm to them. Even after the long-awaited newsof an arrest in the killings of teens Abigail Williams and Liberty German more than five years ago in Delphi, some of the most pressing questions in the high-profile case remain. Lots of attitude," Abby's mother, Anna Williams, said when asked what she'd missed over the past four years. During a 2017 interview with police, Mr Allen confessed to being on the Monon High Bridge Trail that afternoon but denied any involvement in the murders and insisted he had never seen the two girls that day. By April, 2021, there was $325,000 for anyone who could provide police with abreak in the 2017 Delphi killings of teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams. "My client had nothing to do with the unexpected, untimely and unfortunate passing of the girls in Delphi," Achey said. On a gray, damp morning on the western edge of Purdues campus, the banks of lights, half-hidden and about to come down, might have come in handy for four Duke Energy employees spending a day off busting stubborn nuts and bolts. Their bodies were found the day after they went missing along Deer Creek, about a quarter of a mile east of the Monon High Bridge. That signified Deputy Durms end of watch. In a police interview on 13 October, Mr Allen told investigators he had no explanation as to how the spent bullet ended up near the bodies of the two teenage victims, the document states. Doug Carter, Indiana State Police superintendent, didnt answer questions after delivering the first bits of evidence released to the public since the initial months after Abby Williams and Libby German, two Delphi eighth-graders, were killed on one of the towns popular trails. In the two weeks since Indiana State Police revealed new evidence in investigation into the February 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Liberty German, investigators received more than 2,700 tips in the case, ISP reported. Beth continued: "Its a question Ive struggled with, definitely. Like the Stephenson case, few details have been shared by investigators, but the girls' bodies are understood to have been "posed" and both had lost a lot of blood, leaked documents stated. "This is considered a double homicide investigation, and no further information will be released at this time," Indiana State Police Sgt. Court documents show that there is now video shot by one of . He played pool at the now-closed JC's Bar and Grill. The sudden arrest of the local man almost six years on from the murders marked a major break in the case. Everyone in a town of 2,877 people seemed to have a connection, in some way. A news release from the channel said those tips "will be vetted by the appropriate authorities to help bring a killer to justice.". Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? "Possibly," his wife, Katelyn Nations, 30, told The Gazette. In 2021, Libby German and Abby Williams shouldhave been preparing for graduation and life after high school in their sleepy, little cityalong theWabash River in northwestern Indiana. "I've definitely changed the way I do things because of it," she added. Evidence in the Delphi, Indiana, double murder case was unsealed by a county court on Tuesday, revealing key new details, including that suspect Richard Allen's gun was linked to the crime scene. Several of these piecesbuilt off of earlier bits of information. "The paranoia hasn't stopped, it doesn't go away," said Beth, 59. State police didnt share the anthony_shots profile with the public until almost five years after the girls murders. Chardwell's attorneys argued that thesereports combined with reports of his jail-house brawl and that he was being investigated to see if he might be tied to the killings of Libby German and Abby WilliamsmeantChadwell, 42, couldn't receive a fair trial in Tippecanoe County. When asked about the family's reaction to the news of Allen's arrest, Carter said: "It was a very sad yet a very humbling experience.". The posting was the last time the girls were seen. Officials only divulged that the girls' bodies were "posed" and that the suspect took undisclosed trophies from each victim. While Indiana State Police asked the public for any information regarding interactions with "anthony_shots," Kline had not been charged in any crimes related to the murdered teens from Delphi. After an anxious weekend of waiting and more than five years after their killings multiple law enforcement agencies announced an arrest in the murders of Libby German and Abby Williams. While I know you are all expecting final details today concerning this arrest today is not that day," Carter said. "There wasno electricity two weeks ago; no running water a week ago. Thesame profilewas cited inan investigationinto the unsolved murders of two Delphi teenagers. They also released video footage and extended audio recordings of a man investigators say they believe was involved the day Abby and Libby, to Delphi Community Middle School eighth-graders, went missing on an afternoon hike on the citys Monon High Bridge Trail. Teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams walked the historic trails here on a mild winter day six months ago. HLN reporter Barbara MacDonald reported she spoke with Kline after the Indiana State Police indicated Kline's social media profile "anthony_shots" was of interest in the Feb. 13, 2017, killings of Libby and Abby. As well as the ballistics evidence, Mr Allen was also tied to the killings after his vehicle was spotted parked close to the trail in an odd manner as if to conceal the license plate, the documents state. They weren't alone. (WLS) -- A judge said Tuesday she will take time to consider two important decisions in the case of two girls murdered in Delphi, Indiana. The conditions havent been the best.. Delphi became the face of national grief and tragedy whentwo teenage girls were murderedwhilewalking along one of the city's secluded hiking trails. Hundreds of officers have worked on the case. Kline, 27, faced30 counts of child solicitation, child exploitation and possession of child porn. But even before his arrest, court records were sealed at the request of a Carroll County prosecutor. Liberty "Libby" German, 14, left, and Abigail "Abby" Williams, 13, were found dead on Feb. 14, 2017, in a wooded area near their homes in Delphi. Now his life is under a law enforcement microscope. For a lot of it, we were spinning our wheels, Cochran, general superintendent with Milestone, said. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Friends Abigail Williams and Libby German were found dead in 2017, Richard Allen, 50, has been charged with two counts of murder, A makeshift memorial has grown near where the girls were last seen in 2017, arrested and charged with two counts of murder, it has been confirmed that he works as a pharmacy technician, chilling photos ofAllen and his family have come to light. A judge ordered the . Chadwell was accused of attempted murder, kidnapping and child molesting in Lafayette. In an interview . Indiana State Police say they are still actively investigating more than 500 people from those tips. "I don't know anyone who they had cross words with or anything - it just doesn't make sense. A suspect can be heard saying down the hill in an audio clip taken from a video file found on the phone. Libby was heralded a hero by state police for having the presence of mind to begin recording. Throughout the course of the investigation, authorities released pieces of information in hopes that a tip leads them to a suspect. Had it been an accident like carbon monoxide poisoning or something that may have been a little easier to deal with, but this has been so difficult," Beth said. His court appointed public defender, Andrew Achey, issued a statement to 13News denying his involvement. Michael Tabman, a retired FBI special agent in charge, talked Monday with News 8 about the possible connection between the deaths, a child porn case, and a social media account. The mild temperatures beckoned to two spirited teenagers who ventured onto Delphi's Historic Trails for a hike to enjoy the last day of their winter break in 2017. The families of Abby Williams and Libby German held a food drive at Delphi United Methodist Church on Feb. 13, the anniversary of the day the girls went missing in 2017. "Only until three years ago I didn't open the blinds of the windows at the front of my house. This comes as the suspect is asking for the court to either reduce his bail or release him on his own recognizance, claiming prosecutors don't have enough evidence to prove his guilt. "We're gonna keep doing what we've been doing until it is done," Carter said of the possibility of the involvement of others. "I don't really know," Katelyn said, thinking back over his increasingly aggressive behavior in the months before his arrest on the hatchet charge. McLeland said a hearing in front of a judge would determine whether the records will continue to be sealed. bodies were found Tuesdaynear Deer Creek, Two bodies found near Delphi shocks residents, Police: 'This is a double homicide investigation', 'Down the hill' audio clip released in Delphi double homicide, High-publicity investigation means keeping a low profile, 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams' deaths or their injurie, Delphi property owner sentenced in probation case, Delphi launches crowdfunding campaign for trail safety improvements, Police unveil composite sketch of Delphi double homicide suspect, Police investigate Colorado link to Delphi homicides, Community hopes for answers in Delphi double homicide, who is currently a "person of interest" in Delphi's recent double homicide, Delphi's person of interest faces five felonies in Colorado, 1 in Indiana, Nervous and afraid, wife doubts Nations involved in Delphi homicides, 'Dr. Chadwell testifiedhe did not have a clear recollection of what happened in his house on April 19, but he did not dispute the girl's account of his attacks on her. "I have faith that it will eventually be resolved. WHILE an arrest has been made in the Delphi murders case, several mysteries and unanswered questions remain. Their bodies were found posed in separate rooms and the crime scene was elaborately staged. The bodies of Libby, 14,and Abby, 13, were found on Valentine's Day Feb. 14, 2017 a day after they went for a walk in the woods on theDelphi Historic Trails in Carroll County, Indiana. The suspect forced the two victims down the hill and led them to the location where they were murdered, according to his probable cause affidavit. Indiana State Police investigators, who declined to take questions after releasing the first public clues in more than a year in the February 2017 homicides of Delphi teens Abby Williams and Libby German, found themselves issuing another clarification two days later. The Carroll County Sheriffs Office posted this Tuesday morning on Facebook: Please STOP posting side-by-side pictures of people you think did this. And not just the handwritten note, an IOU done up in gold Sharpie on a 3-by-5 index card and stuck with a magnet among dozens of family photos to the refrigerator, dictated by a couple of sisters, one in eighth-grade and the other a high school junior, who had somewhere else to be in February 2017: We will clean the house when we get home. Signed: Liberty German and her older sister, Kelsi German, the granddaughters the Pattys raised. According to ISP and McLeland, the probable cause affidavit for Allens arrest and subsequent charges is temporarily sealed.". DELPHI, Ind. Since February 2017, residents of Delphi, Indiana, have struggled with grief and uncertainty over the murders of teens Liberty German and Abigail Williams. I have not a clue," Kline told HLN. For the first time, investigators have released evidence to implicate Richard Allen in the murders of Libby German and Abby Williams during a kidnapping near the Monon High Bridge . All Rights Reserved. There will be a hearing on November 22, 2022 at 9 am in Carroll County Circuit Court regarding the sealed records of Richard Allen. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. "It shocked the hell out of me," 74-year-old Tom Brower recalled while having a beer in the Office Tavern off Delphi's Main Street. Richard Allen's arrest:Petition seeks to 'Keep Abby and Libby arrest evidence sealed' in Delphi murders
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