Heartbreaking Details About The Murders Of Liberty German And Abigail Williams, Who Recorded Their Killer Prior To Their Deaths
The 13- and 14-year-olds are being called heroes for leaving clues to help solve their crime.
Indiana Public Media In what has to be one of the most soul crushing news stories to date, two teenage girls went missing on February 13, 2017. Their bodies were found murdered the next day, on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2017.
Off from school and looking for some outdoor fun, Liberty "Libby" German, 14, and Abigail "Abby" Williams, 13, went hiking near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana after being dropped off by a family member. It was during this time police suspect they were approached by the killer(s).
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They were reported missing after both girls failed to show up to their predetermined pickup location later that day.
Not only is this case bone-chilling, but it's complicated.
Here's what we know so far:
1. Timeline of events in the murder of Abigail Williams and Liberty German that took place on February 13, 2017.
The two girls were dropped off at 1:00 p.m. by a family member at a trail by Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana. Delphi is a small community of just about 3,000 people and is mostly surrounded by scenic, nature trails. It wouldn't be uncommon for the girls, or anyone, to go for a hike there.
During their hike, Libby posted a Snapchat photo of Abby taken at 2:07 p.m., which was the last photo of either of them taken alive.
At 5:30 p.m., the girls were expected to meet a family member at a predetermined location. When they failed to do so, the family immediately called the police to report the girls missing.
Police and volunteers took to the trail in search of Libby and Abby, but ultimately called off the search around midnight due to darkness.
As a parent, this part concerns me greatly. If there was even the slightest chance of finding one or both girls alive, nothing would stop me, especially darkness.
However, the police initially thought foul play wasn't a factor. Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby stated that there was no reason to be believe the girls were in immediate danger.
2. Timeline of the search operations and law enforcement communication that took place on February 14, 2017.
K-9 units, dive teams, volunteers, and police officers continued the search in the morning, looking for the two girls.
At 12:00 p.m., about a half-mile away from the bridge, searchers found two bodies.
Authorities refused to identify the two girls as Liberty German and Abigail Williams at a press conference held a few hours later.
However, Delphi Community Schools Superintendent Gregory Briles released a statement confirming that the bodies found were those of the missing students and notified parents that all after school activities would be canceled for the rest of the week.
3. Details, information and press conference in the days after the murder of Abby and Libby.
On February 15, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley provided an update advising parents to keep a close eye on their children, despite a conflicting statement by the Carroll County Sheriff's Department that there was no immediate danger to the community.
In a news conference on the same day, police confirmed that the bodies found were Libby and Abby.
At the same conference, Indiana State Police (ISP) release an image of a man they wanted to speak to.
It was only on February 19th that police called the man in the photo a suspect in the double homicide.
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A hotline was set up for potential tips anyone may have, but police cautioned the community not to 'harass, bother or accuse' anyone.
Because of social media, and the onslaught of armchair detectives, pictures and information of people who may look like the man in the photo circulated, causing death threats and harassment.
4. Press conference.
In a press conference on February 22nd, officers were visibly shaken and upset when talking about the two girls and asked for the public's assistance in helping find the culprit. You can watch the full presser here:
Though the information police can offer the public is limited, they do have a full video, and quite possibly the entire murder recorded on Libby's phone.
“Just because we haven’t released information to the media doesn’t mean we don’t have more information,” explained Sgt. Tony Slocum of the Indiana State Police. “Some of the facts we don’t release are only known to the person who committed the crime."
5. Police release recording of suspect saying "down the hill" taken from a video from Liberty German's phone.
In the recording that police released hoping that someone might recognize the killer's voice, you can hear a male voice instructing the girls to go "down the hill." You can listen to the grim audio clip here:
6. Video showing the timeline of the crime, locations, and photo edits.
Professional crime scene animator, Gray Hughes (known for his work on the Jodi Arias case), uploaded a video to YouTube showing the locations and the crime scene flow.
Warning: The musical background along with the images can be considered disturbing to some. Though nothing graphic is shown, knowing what happened at these locations can be triggering.
7. The Delphi community comes together to help the families of Abigail Williams and Liberty German.
On Saturday, local pizzaria The Pizza King held a fundraiser to help the families of Liberty German and Abigail Williams.
Tracy Martin from The Pizza King said, "We know the families … It’s a small community. We just stick together, and this is for Abby and Libby and their families."
On a regular day, they sell between 75 and 80 pizzas, but by 1:00 it had already sold more than 300, according to the owner.
8. Information leading to the arrest of the killer is needed!
The FBI, who is currently handling all tips related to the case, is asking for our help. They are looking for anyone who's behavior changed on or after February 13th. Here are some things to look out for:
- Has a different sleep pattern now
- Started abusing drugs or alcohol when they wouldn't have beforehand
- Has become anxious or irritable
- Has followed this case and what the media is releasing with a sense that is "not normal"
- Has been having ongoing conversations about where they were on Feb. 13
The reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer is up to $50,000 (as of this writing).
Police urge anyone with tips to call in at 844-459-4786 or you can email at abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.
Our thoughts go out to the families affected by this senseless tragedy. We hope the killer is found and justice is swift and appropriate.
If you are interested in following the case and learning up-to-the-minute details and theories, there are two closed Facebook groups to follow (you just have to request to join):