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next week case file we'll be releasing the second episode of our companion podcast from the files special guest
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journalist Tim Clark joins us to discuss a notorious cold case from our back catalogue
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there's not many events that would basically stop a newsroom in its tracks but when news first started to filter
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through on the Thursday evening that someone has been arrested that was stunning enough but then on the Friday
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morning when when the confirmation officially came through via first by email and then W a police it's called a
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sort of hasty press conference and for about nine o'clock that morning when the then police commissioner Carlo Callahan
00:00:46
basically stood up and said the words and gave the news to the city that they'd been waiting for for more than 20
00:00:53
years that someone had been not only been arrested but been charged download and subscribe by searching for
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case file [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
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anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
00:01:32
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website February 2017 presented a nun seasonably
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warm winter for the residents of del Fire a small Midwestern city in the American state of Indiana the season was
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typically marked with freezing cold weather with the snowy period beginning in early January that could last for
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several months local schools were required to schedule a set amount of days off in anticipation of the snowfall
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but the uncharacteristically high temperatures in Delphi that year meant the predetermined snow days had had gone
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unused as it was compulsory for administrators to close schools down for the accumulated time off regardless of
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the weather Delphi as students gained an extra long weekend to that month beginning on Thursday February 9 with
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classes set to resume on Tuesday the 14th on the second-to-last day of the short winter break thirteen-year-old
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Abigail Williams packed her belongings in preparation for a sleepover at the home of her best friend 14 year old
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Liberty German the two girls had established a close friendship from a young age and now attended eighth grade
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together at Delphi community middle school with a bond described as stronger than most the pair were inseparable
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they played alto sax together in the school band competed on the same volleyball team enter Liberty had
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recently convinced that a gal to join her on their school's softball team they both had a love for the outdoors
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and shared many other interests too including camping fishing riding all-terrain vehicles and hiking
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despite their numerous similarities Center mutual hobbies the girls had their own unique qualities abigail known
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by friends as Abby was the quieter of the two but was still very sociable an avid reader with a creative flair her
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mother Anna remarked that Abigail had more crafts than she knew what to do with and there wasn't a form of art that
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she hadn't tried she spent most of her time making an assortment of creations including rubber band bracelets and
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beaded jewelry which he often gifted to her friends she had also recently begun meeting tiny colorful hats for newborn
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babies at the local hospital Liberty better known as Libby was the Moriya going of the pair with the
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reputation for being a joker the honor roll student dreamed of becoming a science teacher and had already laid the
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foundation to achieve her goal by attending several classes at a local university an enthusiastic athlete
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Liberty also participated in many sports including volleyball soccer swimming and
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softball Liberty lived at the home of her grandparents Mike and Becky Pattie along with her older sister 17 year old
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Kelsey and to their father Derek she often baked batches of cookies for her family ensuring there were always some
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left over for her grandfather when he returned home from work on Sunday February 12 Abigail and to Liberty spent
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the afternoon in the Paddy's backyard practicing their swing in preparation for the upcoming softball season that
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night the pair emptied Abigail's craft box onto Liberty's bedroom floor and stayed up late painting pitches
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when they woke up the following morning of Monday February 13 Liberty's father Derek made the girls a pancake breakfast
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the warm weather had persisted in DeBerg a land of liberty decided to make the most of it by spending the afternoon
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hiking along one of their favorite walking tracks the moanin high bridge trail they both shared an interest in
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photography and aimed to capture some scenic nature shots along the secluded wooded track Liberty's sister Kelsey
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offered to drive the teens to their hiking destination and at 1:45 p.m. she dropped Abigail and a Liberty off at
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the large wooden sign that marked the beginning of the Monon hybrid trail [Music]
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[Music] in the early 1980s the development of a half mile track known as the fenders
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towpath trail paved the way for what would eventually become the Delphi historic trails ten miles of groomed
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hiking trails that stretch throughout the town the trails take visitors pass the various architectural landmarks with
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two miles winding through the town itself while the remainder curl through the wooded outskirts forming an
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important element of Delphi identity the trails provide a popular spot for campers fishermen trail bike riders and
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hikers boaters and kayakers also take to the waterways that line some of the paths the Monon high bridge trail is one
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of the longest trails in their network spanning over one and a half miles located on the eastern cusp of town near
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the Delphi cemetery its trailhead sits alongside a parking area at a dead-end driveway as 0.85 mile south easterly
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hike leads to an eight hundred and fifty three-foot long historical railroad trestle bridge that towers 63 feet above
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the shallow waters of Deer Creek it is being out of commission since 1987 with the train tracks and guardrails since
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removed so that just the wooden railroad planks remain despite its remote rural setting the Monon high bridge trail is
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frequently traversed by hikers dog walkers and tourists as the bridge also provides a picturesque backdrop for
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wedding photos and high school senior pitches it's not unusual to encounter other people visiting it at any time of
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year from the drop-off point at the trailhead Abigail Williams into Liberty Germans set out down the wired crushed
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stone path that led to the bridge framed by dry fallen leaves and tall thin trees stripped bare by the winter
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season the flat spacious path was easy to track making for a leisurely hike eventually the pair reached the Monon
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High Bridge where Liberty stopped for a moment to hold up her smartphone and take a photo of the old splintered of
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railroad overpass ahead wanting to share their adventure with her friends and family via social media
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Liberty uploaded the image to her account with picture messaging app snapchat the girls continued on with
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Liberty leading the way as Abigail followed close behind after walking roughly 90 feet Liberty turned around
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and took a second photo this time capturing Abigail in mid-step on the bridge the candid photo displayed the
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teenager in her billowy burgundy top blue jeans and black sneakers with her hands tucked into the pockets of the
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grey sweatshirt she had borrowed from liberty with her head slightly lowered she was positioned in the right
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foreground of the image with the bridge stretching behind her against the dense background of barren trees at 2:07 p.m.
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Liberty also posted this picture to her snapchat account less than one hour later Liberty's father Derick German was
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returning from an afternoon of running errands in the nearby city of Frankfurt and planned on picking the girls up from
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the Monon hybrid trail on his way home although they hadn't organized the specific meetings on the trail didn't
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take long to navigate and it was presumed - the girls would be finished by the time he arrived
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as he approached Derrick sent his daughter a text message to let her know he was on his way at 3:14 p.m. Derrick
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pulled up at the trailhead parking lot to find that neither of the girls were there he sent to Liberty several
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follow-up text messages but received no response and his calls went unanswered going straight through to her voicemail
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Derrick set off in search of the girls presuming he would intercept them along the trail having failed to cross paths
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with the girls by 3:30 p.m. Derrick considered the possibility that the girls had just wandered too far or
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lost track of time he contacted his mother to explain the situation and word quickly spread that
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the girls were missing as further attempts to establish contact with the teens were met with silence
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concerns began to shift to more serious scenarios including that the girls had fallen from the bridge or otherwise
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sustained a severe injury a search party was quickly established with the group on the lookout for Abigail who was far
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foot 4 with long blond hair and hazel eyes and to Liberty who was of similar height with shoulder-length blond hair
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and blue eyes she had left home wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt with fringing at the hem grey sweatpants and black Nike
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sneakers by 5:00 p.m. there was still no sign of either of the girls and as daylight was
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starting to fade the families decided it was time to report them as missing Delphi police reacted immediately and
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officers arrived at the trail within minutes soon joined by members of the Delphi fire department Carroll County
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Sheriff's Department the natural resources department and two local volunteers hundreds of people armed with
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flashlights scowl at the site while others marched the local streets looking for any sign of the missing girls
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at 6:30 p.m. volunteers visited a 40 acre property on Carroll County Road that backed onto Deer Creek which
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belonged to longtime Delphi resident 77 year old Ronald a Logan who would have lived on the property for over 50 years
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Logan was informed of the incident and granted the search party access to comb his massive property when night fell the
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search was formally postponed as the rugged surroundings were deemed far too dangerous to navigate in the dark but
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several members of the girls families remained too distraught to sleep and continued to looking throughout the
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night in a statement released to the community Carroll County Sheriff Tove lesson be maintained there was nothing
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to indicate that the girls were in imminent danger and stated the police had no reason to suspect foul play
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the search resumed at dawn the following morning of Tuesday February 14 members of the local community turned up in
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droves joined by concerned citizens from surrounding towns who wanted to lend a hand after seeing the social media posts
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circulating about the missing teens the hundreds of volunteers were divided into
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groups of ten to twelve with each equipped with maps and instructed to cover designated areas ranging from 20
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to 25 miles volunteers trekked through muddy fields and roadsides checking barns and
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adjacent plots of land for any indication the girls may have been there they looked for clothing discarded drink
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bottles or any other belongings the pair might have dropped back at police headquarters
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investigators said about scrutinizing CCTV footage pulled from local businesses and security cameras
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positioned too near the trails but failed to discover anything of note at 2:00 p.m. a press conference was called
00:14:52
at Delphia City Hall with law enforcement present from dill fires local Police Department the Carroll
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County Sheriff's Department and the Indiana State Police officers revealed that at 12:15 p.m. search crews had
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found two bodies at the bottom of a hill in a wooded area of a privately owned property 50 feet north of the banks of
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Deer Creek the discovery was made one mile upstream from the Monon High Bridge an area characterized by rough sloped
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terrain only accessible on foot they refused to disclose the exact location the identities of the deceased or the
00:15:35
cause of their death with Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullen simply stating based on the way the bodies were found foul
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play is suspected as to whether or not local residents should be concerned for their safety
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chief Mullen said he would leave it to the community to decide how they should react but advised them to avoid the
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Monon hybrid trail and to maintain awareness of their surroundings the following day Wednesday February 15
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police held a second press conference to confirm that the two bodies found were indeed to those the babba Gail Williams
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sent a Liberty German the pair had been located at the rear of the Carrol County
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Road property belonging to Ronald Logan roughly half a mile east of the Delphi cemetery police announced they were
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treating the case as a double homicide the first in Delphi in more than 20 years though they declined to comment on
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the cause of death crime-scene findings or whether the murders had been a random
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or targeted attack Indiana State Police Sergeant Kim Riley stated there is somebody out there who did this and two
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we're going to track them down police released two small pixelated images they believed could aid their investigation
00:17:06
the pictures depicted a lone Caucasian male wearing a brown cap a scarf a hooded sweatshirt and a zipped up navy
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blue windbreaker he was walking along with his head tilted downwards and his left hand
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tucked into the front pocket of his baggy blue jeans the image had been captured on the Monon High Bridge at the
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time that Abigail and to Liberty were hiking in the area but the police refused to comment on who took the photo
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they didn't name the men in the photo as a suspect but stated they wish to speak
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with him regarding the investigation efforts to identify the unknown man were hindered by the fact the blurred photo
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was taken from a considerable distance and his face was obstructed by his posture and attire the image was widely
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circulated on social media resulting in hundreds of tips to police but none led to his identification nor did the man
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himself contact authorities that evening 700 people gathered at the Delphi United
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Methodist Church to attend a prayer vigil held for Abigail Liberty and their grieving families a low crime rate had
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once cemented the small towns communal sense of trust but near suspicions anxiety and panic were pervading dull
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fire local high school student Katie told a newspaper I just look at everyone I know now and wonder what if it was
00:18:45
them there is only around three thousands of people here so there's an extremely good
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chance it is someone a lot of people know who did it the moon on Highbridge trail had long
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been considered a safe place to track but one of its developers Den McCain believed this sense of safety would
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change as a result of the murders stating I know people will be afraid now I just know that and for that
00:19:18
I'm devastated two classes had resumed at Delphi community middle school but all after-school activities were
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canceled for the remainder of the week a therapy dog and two counselors were brought in to assist students struggling
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to cope with the loss of their classmates as school administrators implemented tougher restrictions to
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limit who was permitted to enter the campus and have contact with students the following night of Thursday February
00:19:51
16 police executed a search warrant for a residential property on west bicycle bridge road a long rural road on the
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western outskirts of Delphi the male homeowner was interviewed his premises searched and some items seized the
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police left without placing anyone under arrest nevertheless the investigative spotlight
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caught the attention of the local community compelling some justice-seeking towns folk to flock to
00:20:22
the address while others made threats against the man online in order to quell the harassment police publicly announced
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that the men had been cleared before warning the public to leave the investigation to law enforcement
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professionals on Saturday February 18 a fundraiser benefit riot held in support of Abigail and de Liberty's families saw
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an anticipated crowd of several hundred people grow to more than 3,000 cars and motorcycles packed to downtown
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Delphi with traffic pouring in from nearby towns and counties raffle draws and the
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bake sales also took place while bracelets were sold baring Abigail and to Liberty's names along with the
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message hashtag pray for dull fire at four pm thousands of mourners gathered at the Delphi Community High School
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gymnasium to pay their respects during a memorial service for the girls video footage of Abigail and the Liberty
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played on a screen inside and tables were covered in memorabilia paying homage to their short yet impactful
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lives at 8 p.m. the crowds grouped together outside to release dozens of golden lanterns into Dell fires night sky
00:21:51
the next day of Sunday February 19 the Delphi United Methodist Church clergy invited the town's residents to come in
00:22:00
to write their anxieties down on colorful post-it notes and stick them to two large crosses on display inside some
00:22:10
notes featured a single word such as sympathy fear or disbelief while others contain two longer messages expressing
00:22:18
the writers anger and grief that same morning separate funerals were held for Abigail Williams into Liberty German
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with traffic in downtown Delphi coming to a standstill as the processions rolled through 45 minutes apart on the
00:22:37
day of the funerals police held another press conference in which they officially named the male who was
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photographed on Monon High Bridge as a suspect in Abigail and de Liberty's murders they refused to comment on the
00:22:51
origin of the pitcher that explained that it's poor quality was due to it having been cropped from a larger image
00:22:59
this update prompted a flood of tips but none that immediately identified the suspect leading police to believe he may
00:23:08
have been a loner or a drifter who left their fire following the crime some witnesses reported seeing a hitchhiker
00:23:16
passing through Delphi on the day of the murders via the four-lane Hoosier Heartland highway which connects the
00:23:23
cities of Lafayette and Fort Wayne and to pastors directly by the Monon hybrid trail following these reports police
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appealed for information about any strangers seen walking out of town the day the girls went missing up until this
00:23:45
point law enforcement had taken a cautious approach in their efforts to publicize the case and find the killer
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endeavoring to share crucial information without compromising the integrity of their investigation the public were kept
00:24:00
in the dark about how Abigail Linda Liberty had been killed and what evidence if any had been obtained at the
00:24:07
crime scene although the absence of information led to public speculation and rumors
00:24:14
withholding these details was a strategic move by police to ensure that only the killer knew the specifics of
00:24:21
the crime that way if a confession was ever obtained they could easily determine its legitimacy Wednesday
00:24:31
February 22 marked nine days since Abigail and two Lebanese bodies were found crowds packed into the Delphi
00:24:40
United Methodist Church in anticipation of a police press conference which promised to unveil additional details of
00:24:48
the investigation Indiana State Police Sergeant Tony slogan began the conference by thanking the community and
00:24:56
media for their patience and support despite having been kept in the dark stating this investigation is too
00:25:05
important to make any mistakes and give out the wrong information the large group of investigators flanking
00:25:14
sergeant Slocum provided an indication of the massive amount of local county state and federal resources dedicated to
00:25:23
solving the case police provided two key revelations the first was that the blurred images released of the suspect
00:25:32
crossing moanin high bridge had been obtained from Liberty German smartphone it was not established whether the
00:25:40
police had recovered the device itself or if they had accessed its contents of via the cloud as she and Abigail crossed
00:25:49
the bridge On February 13 Liberty had turned on her phone's video camera to film the man as he was
00:25:56
following them although police did not reveal the full extent of the footage or how long it
00:26:03
went for the second revelation was that Liberty had also managed to record audio
00:26:10
of the suspects voice police played a segment of the audio for those present in which a man with a gruff
00:26:18
authoritative tone could be heard saying down the hill you can tell you can tell
00:26:27
you can tell according to investigators additional footage had been obtained from Liberty's
00:26:37
mobile phone along with other undisclosed evidence but would remain classified sergeant Tony Slocum praised the Liberty
00:26:46
for her quick thinking and courage quote Liberty German is a hero there's no doubt to have enough presence of mind to
00:26:56
activate that video system on her cell phone to record what we believe is criminal behavior
00:27:02
that's about to occur an extended version of the audio was played exclusively to Liberty and Abigail's
00:27:10
families according to State Police the longer recording included the girls talking about quote stuff girls talk
00:27:19
about but the pair also mentioned the men walking behind them what transpired between this interaction and the
00:27:28
publicly released audio segment of the suspect making the demand down the hill remained undisclosed the community were
00:27:39
urged to report anyone they knew who had abruptly missed work or canceled plans on February 13 or had changed their
00:27:47
appearance behavior travel plans sleep patterns or substance use in the days following the murders in addition to
00:27:57
studying the suspects clothing investigators encouraged the public to consider his posture and mannerisms such
00:28:04
as the way his hand was placed in his pants pocket as these minor habits may appear familiar to those
00:28:11
you knew him police reiterated that no detail was too small and implored citizens to name all possible persons of
00:28:20
interest even if they believed that individual was incapable of committing such crimes a $41,000 award was launched
00:28:30
for information leading to an arrest with FBI Special Agent Greg Messer firmly stating he was confident that the
00:28:38
case will be solved Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter said we must keep our resolve for Libby and
00:28:48
Abbie for this community and frankly to ensure the good Trump's evil he ended the conference with a message to the
00:28:58
perpetrator warning if you are watching we'll find you by March detectives from two dozen agencies were diligently
00:29:13
making their way through nearly 8,000 tips provided via the cases phone hotline and email account in an effort
00:29:22
to better support the large number of officers actively working on the case the investigation headquarters were
00:29:28
relocated from the Delphi Municipal Building to the REMC building in downtown Carroll County messages of
00:29:36
support were hung up inside to motivate detectives with one reading when you feel like quitting think about why you
00:29:45
started a framed photograph of Abigail and to Liberty featured the statement some people come into our lives and
00:29:55
quickly go some stay for a while leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same a nationwide
00:30:06
campaign saw 6000 electronic billboards crop up across 48 states featuring photographs of Abigail and the Liberty
00:30:15
alongside the image of their suspected killer with a call to action from the FBI meanwhile the disturbing audio
00:30:24
clip of the suspects voice was broadcast extensively over national radio stations
00:30:30
the notoriety of the unsolved case coupled with its many unanswered questions provoked rampant rumors and
00:30:38
speculation among citizens Lu's who used social media to wrongfully accused men across the country of being the unknown
00:30:46
suspect this behavior prompted police to issue a warning that individuals who made such accusations were participating
00:30:56
in defamation and opening themselves up to a potential lawsuit others spread online fear but theorizing that the
00:31:05
murders were the work of a serial killer and attempted to establish connections to other unsolved crimes or recent
00:31:12
deaths in Indiana police asserted the murders did not share any link to other known homicides and to request that
00:31:21
members of the public to avoid buying into any news that wasn't official information provided by law enforcement
00:31:27
agencies the Delphi community remained too vigilant with many believing the suspect who lived amongst them local
00:31:38
women and children signed up for self-defense classes to better protect themselves while the task force was
00:31:45
established to field recommendations from the public as the health safety could be improved on Dell fires historic
00:31:51
trail system Abigail and de Liberty's families were inundated with ongoing support with businesses and
00:31:59
organizations holding fundraisers to provide them with financial assistance and to increase the amount of the reward
00:32:06
pool a sign placed on the door of one participating restaurant Delphi Peter King read in our community when bad
00:32:17
happens we been together [Music] twenty-four days after his granddaughter's murder Mike paddy
00:32:28
appeared at the Carroll County Courthouse in Del Fire to speak publicly about the case
00:32:33
for the first time supported by his wife Mike delivered a statement on behalf of
00:32:39
Liberty and Abigail's families which read this horrible crime has thrown a hole in our families that will never
00:32:47
heal it's the small things that seem to hurt the most it's just natural to holler for them to come to dinner or in
00:32:57
the morning to get up and get ready for school then expect them to come through the door after school the silence when
00:33:06
we don't hear their voice Mike explained that there was a running joke within their household that whenever Liberty
00:33:15
was asked to do something her response would be in a minute he implored the public to follow his granddaughter's
00:33:23
sentiment in catching her killer stating I believe if she were able to speak she
00:33:30
would ask people to please give her the one-minute she always asked for to really study the picture of the suspect
00:33:37
and to listen to the audio clip Mike candidly defined the unshakeable bond between Abigail and Liberty quote both
00:33:49
the girls are heroes they stuck together I don't know exactly what happened out there that day but I imagine there was
00:33:59
probably an opportunity for one or both to separate and try to make a break in different ways but those girls loved
00:34:07
each other they were good friends neither one of them left each other's side following Mike Patti's emotional
00:34:18
plea tips to police increased to hundred percent with the total number provided now exceeding 11,000
00:34:27
despite the number of tips and hundreds of subsequent interviews the lack of major breakthroughs led to several
00:34:34
police departments scaling back their involvement in the investigation pledging to return when their resources
00:34:41
were required Indiana State Police Sergeant John P Rhine explained this is emotional for all of us I can tell you
00:34:52
that it's not easy and a lot of people are putting a lot of work into this we're hoping that the tips there and
00:35:00
we're going to find it on Saturday March 1815 law enforcement officers executed a
00:35:09
search warrant at the Carroll County Road property where Abigail Linton Liberty's bodies were found a little
00:35:15
over a month earlier at the time the search warrant was carried out the landowner 77 year-old Ronald Logan had
00:35:24
been in custody for a week after admitting to violating probation for an unrelated drunk driving conviction from
00:35:31
2014 court mandated conditions forbade Logan from operating a vehicle and to when required to provide an alibi for
00:35:41
the key date of February 13 2017 he admitted to driving two miles south to the Carroll County waste transfer
00:35:51
station to discard some garbage he had fully cooperated with search efforts allowing volunteers and police to
00:35:59
inspect his property for the missing teens later describing the grim outcome as Locke being hit with a bolt of
00:36:06
lightning two weeks later he further violated the terms of his probation when he was spotted drinking a beer at a
00:36:15
pizza restaurant and was placed into custody the inspection of Ronald O Logan's home
00:36:23
was just one of approximately a dozen search warrants that had been executed so far in the investigation detectives
00:36:31
ultimately ruled a legend out as a suspect in the murders that he nevertheless found himself under the
00:36:37
harsh scrutiny of internet sleuths whose efforts to link him to the murders made
00:36:42
a profound impact on his reputation as he awaited trial for his probation violations Logan had to be transferred
00:36:51
to a different County Jail he fears for his safety his attorney issued a press release that
00:36:58
read I have known Ronald Logan for several years and have represented him in unrelated legal matters stated simply
00:37:08
he had no involvement in this heinous crime I would like to caution the public to
00:37:14
avoid jumping to conclusions before law enforcement has completed the ongoing investigation Logan was subsequently
00:37:24
sentenced to three and a half years in prison for being a habitual traffic offender but his sentence was later
00:37:30
reduced to home detention four and a half months after the murders Abigail's mother Anna Williams posted a video
00:37:42
tribute to her daughter online featuring photos of her from infancy through childhood with the caption tomorrow June
00:37:51
23rd 2017 Abigail Joyce Williams would be turning 14 it is still unbelievable to me that I won't be making a cake and
00:38:02
planning her party not this year not next year please remember her tomorrow and every day to honor raba gales
00:38:16
birthday family and friends gathered at the Delphi United Methodist Church to release dozens of colorful lanterns into
00:38:24
the sky after five months of dedicated investigation with no arrests tips from the public had slowly dwindled to less
00:38:34
than 10 per day on Monday July 17 in an effort to reignite the case police released the composite sketch of the
00:38:44
suspected killer the sketch had been created using descriptions provided by witnesses who traversed on or near the
00:38:52
Monon hybrid trail on the day of the murders the sketch had taken months to construct due to the gradual pace at
00:39:00
which these witnesses came forward coupled with the time it took for investigators to verify and collate
00:39:07
details between their statements the male suspect was described as Caucasian between 5 foot 6 and 5 foot 10 inches
00:39:16
tall weighing 180 to 220 pounds with reddish brown hair and an unknown eye color the sketch depicted him as
00:39:27
middle-aged with a square face short hair small wide-set eyes and a large nose with a neatly trimmed go t in the
00:39:38
drawing he wore a flat cap but investigators established this detail might not be accurate as multiple
00:39:45
witnesses were unable to agree on it they advised the sketch should only be viewed as a guide and not as a 100%
00:39:54
accurate representation of the suspect Indiana State Police Sergeant Kim Riley stated we're going to get to the bottom
00:40:04
of this sooner or later if the composite sketch helps us get there sooner that's what we're hoping
00:40:10
for following the release of the sketch investigators were inundated with information from the public with 1,000
00:40:20
tips coming through in the first 24 hours alone the new inquiries led to over 20 arrests
00:40:28
for unrelated crimes including a decade-long unsolved murder case but none that pertained to Abigail into
00:40:35
Liberty the sketch also fueled internet sleuths as users began sharing the image
00:40:43
alongside photos or mug shots of men they believed matched its description police issued yet another plea in an
00:40:51
effort to curtail the speculation explaining that unfounded rumors and gossip offered no value in their
00:40:58
investigation and only served to waste everyone's time as the six-month anniversary of Abigail and Deliver Dee's
00:41:08
deaths drew near the case was starting to languish the 6000 electronic billboards that at once broadcast the
00:41:17
suspects image across the country were no longer active and although the total number of tips from the public had
00:41:24
reached 24,000 the team of investigators actively working on the case through endured regardless Carroll County
00:41:34
Sheriff Tobler Zumbi remained optimistic that the killer would be caught telling
00:41:39
a local news reporter I still operate on the theory that good outweighs evil when
00:41:48
Liberty's grandparents Mike and Becky patty met some Indiana residents who had never heard of the case or seen the
00:41:55
suspects image before they decided to front their own awareness campaign they said to work distributing wanted posters
00:42:03
depicting the suspect and too soon thousands were on display all over the country
00:42:09
Becky patty told Indiana newspaper journal and courier we are asking everyone all over the United States to
00:42:18
help us we want to cover the entire US with this picture so he cannot go into a town where there is not a flier staring
00:42:27
him in the face her husband Mike added police are not giving up and to neither away I will spend every day of my life
00:42:37
trying to catch this guy I still believe someone out there knows something on Monday September 25 2017
00:42:50
roughly 1,000 miles west of Delphi in the state of Colorado 31 year-old Daniel Nations and his wife Caitlin were pulled
00:43:00
over by police the red Chevrolet prism they were driving matched descriptions of a vehicle that had been involved in a
00:43:09
recent incident according to witnesses a couple in a red car had been threatening
00:43:15
passers-by with a hatchet along a trail near the Colorado town of Monument Nations denied being involved but a
00:43:24
subsequent search of his car yielded a hatchet in the trunk along with a 22 caliber semi-automatic rifle officers
00:43:34
ran Daniel nations name through the police database and discovered he had a criminal history spanning a decade which
00:43:41
included convictions for public indecency driving violations and domestic battery in the presence of a
00:43:48
child as a convicted felon he was prohibited from owning a firearm and police took him into custody
00:43:58
Daniel nation's arrest caught the attention of internet sleuth who speculated whether he could also be
00:44:04
responsible for the murder of local cyclist Tim Watkins who had been shot and killed on Monument trail ten days
00:44:12
earlier on September 15 they also noticed that nations bore a resemblance to the composite sketch of the
00:44:20
unidentified suspect wanted in the double homicide of Abigail Williams and a liberty German like the sketch nations
00:44:28
had a goatee short hair and similar facial features including a thin mouth broad nose and a wide-set eyes
00:44:38
this likeness combined with his violent criminal record and the fact he had been
00:44:44
living in Indiana at the time of Abigail and Liberty's murders led many to cast the suspicious eye towards Daniel
00:44:52
Nations on Thursday September 28 investigators from Indiana flew to Colorado to interview nations announcing
00:45:03
he was the first named person of interest in the case but the breakthrough many were hoping
00:45:09
for never came as he was soon ruled out as a suspect in November the same year 53 year old
00:45:18
former pastor Thomas Bruce was arrested after sexually assaulting two women and murdering a third in a Catholic supply
00:45:26
store in Baldwin Missouri like the suspect being sought for Abigail into Liberty's murders Bruce was between five
00:45:35
foot seven and five foot nine inches tall and wore a flat cap and a navy blue jacket during the bore when attack
00:45:43
investigators looked into the possible connection but it led to another dead end
00:45:50
similarly 46 year-old sex offender Charles Eldridge was also compared to the sketch of Abigail and Liberty
00:45:58
suspected killer after being arrested in Union City Indiana on charges of child molestation and solicitation but he too
00:46:08
was promptly ruled out of the investigation as Indiana State Police continue to review and exclude persons
00:46:17
of interest they were forced to release a statement via social media discouraging the public from sharing
00:46:23
unsubstantiated theories or naming hypothetical suspects explaining quote by doing so you take away from the
00:46:33
investigation by slandering and possibly hurting those people and their families
00:46:39
everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law if you feel someone may be the suspect
00:46:46
please notify the tipline Liberty's grandfather Mike paddy echo to these sentiments in a news follow up
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one-year anniversary of Abigail and to Liberty's murders at the entrance point of the Monon hybrid trail flowers were
00:50:36
placed at the site as Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter fronted attending media praising
00:50:43
citizens across the city state into country for the support they had provided over the past year saying it
00:50:50
showed the very best in humanity in the worst of times since the investigation had commenced thirty thousand tips had
00:51:00
been passed on to detectives who worked to exhaust all leads in their cue if they failed to find the answer their
00:51:08
plan was to start all over again Superintendent Carter said our world is completely out of balance and we cannot
00:51:18
allow evil to prevail I refused to accept evil as a standard-bearer in American society not here these two
00:51:28
young girls were everybody's daughters he went on to explain that this was the first case where his department had both
00:51:37
an image and a voice recording of the unknown killer before claiming I believe we're one piece of the puzzle away from
00:51:46
figuring out who this individual is that evening a candlelit vigil was held in Memorial of the slain teens with
00:51:56
Abigail's mother Anna stating I know people are frustrated nobody ever believed it would take this long and it
00:52:05
has and we don't understand why we're not happy about it it would be nice but this part to be
00:52:13
over but it's not yet and we will wait as long as it takes two months later in May 2000 18 Ana traveled to Nashville
00:52:26
Tennessee with Liberty's grandparents Mike and Becky to attend the true-crime Convention crying :
00:52:32
the trio spent the weekend speaking with the thousands of attendees and made an onstage appearance to discuss the case
00:52:40
alongside Indiana State Police Sergeant Jerry Holman various matters that at surfaced over the course of the
00:52:48
investigation were raised including the prevalence of internet sleuthing although acknowledging these people
00:52:56
mostly meant well the group spoke of having been accosted by strangers intent on divulging their wild theories and of
00:53:04
experiencing the torment of social media accusations firsthand when police initially released the sketch of the
00:53:13
suspect online trolls claimed it looked like Mike Pattie and accused him of being his granddaughter's killer Mike
00:53:22
had a proven alibi for the time of the murders but it didn't stop the hateful messages or allegations leveled against
00:53:29
him an experience he described as heartbreaking the panel also discussed the Internet's habit of latching on to
00:53:38
suspects who had already been cleared by investigators stating such behavior gave
00:53:43
the false impression that the case was solved and harmed at law reinforcements ability to find the real perpetrator
00:53:51
Becki encouraged the audience to join a Facebook page created by the girls families titled brainstorming Farabi and
00:53:59
Libby which instead of discussing the murders provided a space to come up with ideas to assist the progression of the
00:54:06
investigation and to bring attention to the case sergeant Gerry Holman would neither confirm nor deny the existence
00:54:15
of DNA evidence but remarked in a crime like this very rarely do we not come up with DNA he made it clear that despite
00:54:27
police keeping details of the murders close to their chest it was still a very active and high-priority investigation
00:54:35
like Abigail into Liberty's families they were unwilling to give up and mark the crime as a cold case as to what
00:54:44
motivated the families to carry on mike patty explained quote the anger of the fact that Liberty's gone that somebody's
00:54:54
taken our girls from us that's what drives me I have to find this guy I'll do whatever it takes
00:55:03
go to whatever place I have to go to I'm not going to stop until we catch this guy or I've exhausted every effort I
00:55:12
humanly possibly can we owe it to our girls our community our state our nation somebody out there knows this guy
00:55:27
by 2019 the second anniversary of the case came and went with no major breakthroughs two months later on Monday
00:55:36
April 22 superintendent Douglas Carter fronted a packed press conference delivering an emotional address to the
00:55:44
crowd quote I've got to say to the Delphi community how grateful I am you inspire people and you don't even
00:55:54
understand why you did everything you could to support us but most importantly you surrounded the family of these two
00:56:02
little girls I will never forget it he announced that police were now seeking the public's help to identify any
00:56:13
vehicles witnessed in the parking lot of the former Department of Child Protective Services headquarters on 6
00:56:20
931 West 300 North in L fire between noon and 5:00 p.m. on Monday February 13 2017 the time Abigail and her Liberty
00:56:32
were hiking the Monon hybrid trail superintendent Carter expressed the opinion of police that the unidentified
00:56:41
suspect either currently or previously lived or worked in Delphi or visited the area on a regular basis in addition he
00:56:52
was likely aged between 18 and 40 years old but may appear younger than his true
00:56:58
age he then addressed the killer directly stating we believe you are hiding in plain sight for more than two
00:57:10
years you never thought we would shift ears to a different investigative strategy but we have we likely have
00:57:18
interviewed you or someone close to you we know that this is about power to you and you want to know what we know and
00:57:27
one day you will a question to you what will those closest to you think when they find out
00:57:36
that you brutally murdered two little girls two children only a coward would do such a thing we are confident that
00:57:46
you have told someone what you have done or at the very least they know because how different you are since the murders
00:57:54
I believe you have just a little bit of conscience left following this statement
00:58:03
police unveiled a new composite sketch of the prime suspect which looked significantly different to the original
00:58:11
it depicted a much younger clean-shaven Caucasian man with narrow facial features and short neat wavy hair unlike
00:58:22
the original sketch which was reportedly generated by an assortment of eyewitness
00:58:27
descriptions the new sketch was based on the person filmed by Liberty German it was accompanied by the release of a
00:58:35
silent two-second video excerpt of the footage showing the suspect in motion as he walked along the bridge with his head
00:58:43
down and hands in his pockets an updated audio clip of him speaking was also released in the extended audio file he
00:58:53
can be heard saying the word a guys at the outset of the previously released - snippet down the hill some members of
00:59:15
defiers community were rattled by the possibility the murderer may be among them others were not as surprised
00:59:23
having long concluded the killer must have some level of familiarity with the area as the Monon high bridge was not a
00:59:31
location an outsider could easily stumble across as with the release of the first sketch
00:59:38
the second also led to an influx of amateur sleuthing on Tuesday April 30 the Carroll County Sheriff's Office
00:59:46
posted a message on their Facebook page which read please stop posting site-by-site pictures of people you
00:59:55
think did this you are ruining innocent people's lives before posting a side-by-side imagine that is your son
01:00:04
brother or father by the end of May 2019 police had received four thousand two new tips with superintendent Douglas
01:00:15
Carter telling ABC news reporters that they needed just one final piece of information to solve the case and were
01:00:24
quote one tip away from success he believed there was someone acquainted with the killer or who knew a crucial
01:00:34
detail but was too afraid to come forward in the two-and-a-half years since Abigail Williams into Liberty
01:00:44
German were murdered the reward for information that leads to an arrest has increased to two hundred and forty
01:00:51
thousand dollars the loss continues to impact the Delphi community with small things serving as a constant reminder of
01:01:00
the tragedy posters of the two best friends are still displayed in the windows of local businesses who vow to
01:01:08
keep them there until the suspect is apprehended in response to a request from the teens family's porch lights
01:01:17
throughout town now glisten orange and the lampposts that bordered the Carroll County Courthouse Square are still tied
01:01:24
with ribbons in the girls favorite colors teal and purple to remind the townspeople that justice is yet to be
01:01:32
served when Abigail and de Liberty's families first started receiving donations from
01:01:39
supporters around the country they considered using the money to purchase new equipment for the softball field
01:01:45
where the girls had played together but as the funds steadily increased the families set their sights higher and by
01:01:54
mid 2019 construction had begun on the Abbey and to Libby Memorial Park an outdoor recreation area for Delphi
01:02:03
residents to appreciate nature are in sport for generations to come built on a conspicuous 21 acre lot at
01:02:12
the southeast corner of the Hoosier Heartland highway and Indiana State Road to 1/8 upon its completion
01:02:20
Diaby and the Libya Memorial Park will incorporate three softball fields an amphitheater two playgrounds and a
01:02:28
walking trail in preparation for construction Liberty's grandfather Mike paddy used a backhoe to begin clearing
01:02:36
the land himself telling a local newspaper it will be a tribute to those girls long long after our God I'm not
01:02:47
resting until that happens in addition to assisting with the memorial parks development Anna Williams has taken up a
01:02:57
cause that was close to her daughter's heart now the girl had been passionate about helping those less fortunate and
01:03:04
one of her favorite projects was putting together care packages for children in need she would fill shoeboxes with
01:03:13
school supplies and personal hygiene products then sent them to charities that worked with disadvantaged overseas
01:03:20
communities Anna has since created Abbey's angels to carry on her daughter's tradition each year in the
01:03:30
lead-up to Christmas she bands together with students from Delphi community middle school and other
01:03:35
members of the community to organize parcels to sent to charities in Abigail's name and I told a reporter
01:03:44
that she feels her daughter's presence with her as she so quote this was something that was
01:03:51
really important to Abby she loved this project it was something we looked forward to doing together and I'm glad
01:03:59
that we're still doing it in her honor Liberty's older sister Kelsey German does anything to keep her sisters story
01:04:09
in the public consciousness speaking candidly to reporters and podcasters often while making appearances the true
01:04:17
crime conventions and campaigning via her Twitter account at Liberty gee underscore sister a tattoo of Liberty's
01:04:27
name etched onto her back pays tribute to her younger sister and is accompanied by the words I can't see you but I can
01:04:36
feel you Liberty's brave decision to record the suspect on her smartphone has since helped others facing their own
01:04:45
threats during the family's 2018 crime con appearance an audience member informed the panel that his niece was
01:04:54
attacked in a park and because she was aware of Liberty Germans actions had the foresight to record evidence on her
01:05:01
phone which ultimately led to the capture and prosecution of her perpetrator Liberty's grandparents run
01:05:11
an official news information website titled Abby and to Libby org where you can find up-to-date
01:05:18
credible information on the case anyone with information regarding the unsolved murders of Abigail Williams
01:05:26
into Liberty German in Delphi Indiana on Monday February 13 2017 is encouraged to
01:05:34
send an email to the Carroll County Sheriff's Department using Abby and Libby tip at CAC oh Sh
01:05:44
RF calm or to call the FBI phone tip line on eight double four four five nine five seven eighty-six an inscription on
01:05:58
Liberty's gravestone reads the Lord took you when a February day to a wonderful place so far away not a day goes by we
01:06:11
don't cry for you although we know you would not want us to our hearts will heal our thoughts will clear but in our
01:06:22
hearts we'll keep you near for God has welcomed you with open arms with his love and
01:06:29
without any more harm will keep your memories in our minds but happiness without you is awful hard to find you
01:06:42
will always be a blessing no one can replace our love for you but living without you is the hardest thing we do
01:06:52
we'll wipe our tears for your in a better place and to keep you our memories of you that no one can erase
01:07:12
[Music] you