Will Monday be ‘the day’ in Delphi murder case?
Police promise more info into the 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Libby German, as reports spread of an arrest in connection to the case.
Thanks to Purdue University and the podcast, “This is Purdue,” for sponsoring today’s edition. In this episode of “This Is Purdue,” the official Purdue University podcast, we’re talking to chemistry teacher and TikTok superstar Phil Cook (BS chemistry education '00). Join the podcast team for a firsthand look at Phil’s viral Halloween experiments, including an exploding pumpkin, liquid nitrogen marshmallows and flaming candy corn. Subscribe here to never miss an episode.
MORE INFO COMING MONDAY IN ABBY AND LIBBY MURDER CASE, WITH REPORTS OF AN ARREST IN DELPHI
Becky Patty has been posting "Today is the day" regularly on Facebook for more than five years, since her granddaughter, Libby German, and friend Abby Williams were murdered along one of Delphi’s popular trails in February 2017, the killer avoiding arrest ever since.
As Mike Patty, Becky’s husband and Libby’s grandpa, said early on in the unsolved investigation: “And one day, she’ll be right.”
On Friday morning – as word started to filter out that police planned an announcement about the case after the weekend and assorted media outlets reported an arrest of a Delphi man tied to the investigation – Becky Patty added three exclamation points to her daily hope and mantra: “Today is the day!!!”
Indiana State Police set a Monday morning press conference in Delphi to release information connected to the murder of the pair of Delphi Community Middle School eighth-graders. The Indiana State Police, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County prosecutor and the U.S. Marshals Service were expected to be on hand.
Beyond that, there was no official reveal or hint about what they’d say.
Asked if she knew, Libby German’s sister, Kelsi, said Friday: “We have an idea.”
In a social media post Friday, she said the family “would say more” on Monday.
Eric Erskin, Abby Williams’ grandpa, said he had nothing he could report Friday.
“Will be a long weekend,” Erskin said.
ISP Superintendent Doug Carter offered this via reporting by Barbara MacDonald, part of the HLN team that produced the “Down the Hill – The Delphi Murders” podcast: “The good news is we’ve made progress, the bad news is we can’t tell you much about it.”
Several outlets, including Fox 59 in Indianapolis and WLFI in Lafayette, cited unnamed police sources identifying a 50-year-old Delphi man who had been arrested and booked into the Carroll County Jail and then moved to another facility Friday. (I wasn’t able to independently verify why the man was arrested – including whether he was the suspected killer, an accomplice or some other player in the case – so his name won’t appear here today.)
Police have been stingy about sharing additional evidence or clues tied to the case, other than a handful of times in the past five-plus years. That’s despite a massive presence of local, state and federal investigators posted in the Carroll County seat, less than 20 miles northeast of Lafayette, in the early days of the investigation.
But it’s worth noting that one of those times – in 2019, when police released a second sketch of a person of interest – Carter said: “We also believe this person is from Delphi — currently or has previously lived here, visits Delphi on a regular basis or works here.”
On Feb. 13, 2017, Liberty German and Abby Williams took advantage of a day off school and an unseasonably warm, winter afternoon to hike Delphi’s trails, taking off near the Freedom Bridge over Indiana 25/Hoosier Heartland Highway.
When the girls didn’t show up that evening to meet their ride home, family and friends combed Delphi’s popular trail system, crossed an abandoned rail trestle called Monon High Bridge and brought in people to walk the woods that lined Deer Creek. The next morning, Feb. 14, 2017, a group of volunteers in a search party found the girls’ bodies, about a half-mile upstream from the Monon High Bridge.
A team of investigators from dozens of local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI, descended on Delphi, tracking thousands of tips. Police have released two composite drawings of a suspect. Police offered grainy photos and snippets of video of a man crossing the Monon High Bridge – taken on Libby German’s phone – and audio of a man saying, “Guys … down the hill.”
In December 2021, the last time investigators offered a public clue, Indiana State Police said detectives were looking for anyone who communicated with, met or attempted to meet a person with the profile “anthony_shots.” Police said the fake profile, featuring photos of a male model and portraying itself as extremely wealthy, was used on Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms around the time Abby and Libby were killed while spending an afternoon on Delphi’s popular Monon High Bridge Trail.
That reference to “anthony_shots” led to Kegan Kline, 37, of Peru, who had been in the Miami County Jail since 2020 on multiple charges alleging child solicitation and related crimes. Court documents show Kline admitted to creating the “anthony_shots” profile. Court documents also show Kline had been investigated less than two weeks after Abby and Libby were killed, in connection with soliciting girls on Snapchat and Instagram using the fake profile. But nothing in the court documents specifically mention the Delphi case. And Kline has not been charged in connection with the murders. He has denied being at the scene the day Abby and Libby were killed.
FOR MORE ON THE INVESTIGATION: The Indiana State Police maintains a site with composite sketches, audio and video files, along with reward information, in the 2017 murders of Abby Williams and Libby German. Go to: https://www.in.gov/isp/delphi.htm
EARLY VOTING UPDATE: SO FAR, 3 TIMES AHEAD OF LAST MIDTERM ELECTION
In-person early voting in Tippecanoe County since the Oct. 12 election season started accounted for 4,850 ballots cast, as of Friday, election officials said.
That’s already roughly three times the total in-person voting ahead of the 2018 election, the most recent mid-term, with 10 days left before Election Day on Nov. 8, Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush said.
Another 1,351 mail-in ballots had been received in Tippecanoe County, Roush said. She said that was running about 2½ times ahead of the number in 2018’s non-presidential election.
Access to early voting ramps up today and into next week in Tippecanoe County, starting with remote sites Saturday, Oct. 29. Here’s a list, by day:
Saturday, Oct. 29:
8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St.
9 a.m.-1 p.m., Otterbein United Methodist Church, 405 E. Oxford St., Otterbein
9 a.m.- 1 p.m., West Point Fire Station, 4949 Indiana 25, West Point
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Clarks Hill Christian Church, 9510 Pearl St., Clarks Hill.
Monday, Oct. 31, through Friday, Nov. 4: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St.
Wednesday, Nov. 2, through Saturday, Nov.-5, noon-6 p.m.:
Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette
Eastside Assembly of God Church, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette
Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave., West Lafayette
Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette.
Saturday, Nov. 5: 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St.
Monday, Nov. 7: 8 a.m.-noon, Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St.
YOUR BALLOTS: Who will be on your ballot? Need to check your voter registration? That and more, available at Indiana’s voter portal, Indianavoters.in.gov.
WHERE TO VOTE: For a list of all early voting sites in Tippecanoe County ahead of the Nov. 8 election, here’s the schedule. And here’s a list of polling places on Election Day, Nov. 8.
FOR MORE ON CANDIDATES, ETC.: As campaign season rolls on: A guide, so far. A collection of candidate Q&As, ballot lookup tools and voting sites as you sort things out ahead of the Nov. 8 election
PAUL ‘SPIDER’ FIELDS, STATE CHAMP BASEBALL COACH AT LAFAYETTE JEFF, DIES: Funeral services for Paul “Spider” Fields, a legendary baseball coach at Lafayette Jefferson High School, will be Monday, with visitation from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at Soller-Baker Funeral Home, 400 Twyckenham Blvd. Fields died Tuesday at age 96. Fields was coach for two state championship teams at Lafayette Jeff, in 1969 and 1973. He remained a presence in Lafayette baseball, throwing out a first pitch for the 2021 dedication game at the new Loeb Stadium in Columbian Park.
Here’s a link to Fields’ obituary, with more.
And here’s an interview and feature the IHSAA produced in 2019, marking the 50th anniversary of Lafayette Jeff’s 1969 state championship season.
Tips or story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com. Also on Twitter and Instagram.