Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Im glad that it was, in fact, a song lyric. "I remember making sure they had their sweatshirts," Kelsi reflected, "I told her I loved her and she said it back, just like any other time we were leaving each other.". turned on her video and taped this phantom of a man, then placed the phone, still recording into her pocket, and captured his voice. I stop to take a picture of the sign as my sister passes me headed straight to our destination I smile at the thought of the police or rangers being called. ", Kelsi said she believes her sister was so charismatic that she doesn't think she "knew a stranger. "I'm tremendously proud of her," Kelsi told The Sun. She says her younger sister lets her presence be known to "tell me that it's going to be okay, and she continues to do that.". Both wanted to be here today as much as the experts. ", The statement continued: "We know there is enormous interest in the 'WHY' of everything we do, but we cannot and will not speculate. Remembering Feb. 13 2017 as a warm day, she said she believes the pair "wanted to go out and do something, rather than being stuck in the house all day.". "So I think it was just something fun to do on a nice day. Kelsi German, 21, told The Sun that despite nearly five years having passed since her sister Libby, 14, was killed in Indiana alongside her best friend Abby Williams, 13, she still feels her sibling's presence around her often. The new sketch has given the sister of Libby German renewed hope that there will be justice in this case. "So I think it was just something fun to do on a nice day. We are at a disadvantage looking at this outside in. or 'Have you guys tried that?' "He could be right there in front of us and we have no idea. There are two Amandas, so not related. "I don't think she imagined at the time it would be such a big thing. You dont want to lose that [awareness] because you dont want them [law enforcement] to take on other cases they find more important and in the process forget about yours. The killer crossed paths with the girls on the Monon Bridge. After an extensive search of their area, their bodies were found the following day on a steep embankment around half a mile upstream from theMonon High Bridge Trail where Libby had uploaded her final Snapchat post a day earlier. We connected because of her experience and that kind of helped me to break out of the shell and start advocating for my sister., I just tried to tell her that she needed to do more, Michelle told Oxygen. I think thats what really stuck with me and helped me to continue on even when I felt like the case is taking way too long and he [the killer] is already gone. Her brother went to prison for drugs when Cody was 12 years old, so Becky and her husband Mike Patty adopted and raised him. That was the last time Kelsi would see her sister alive. Kids have been going there since 1962. Sharlene looks at me and says, This makes me sick to my stomach. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Kelsi German, 21, was among one of the last people to see her 14-year-old sister Libby alive, She drove Libby and her best friend Abby Williams (pictured) to the Delphi Historic Trails on Feb. 13, 2017, where they were killed, The teens never offered a reason for why they wanted to visit the park, Kelsi believes the killer may be living, or once lived, in Delphi, Kelsi and Libby shared a close bond before her death, Kelsi said she believes police are getting closer each day to obtaining justice for Abby and Libby, Kegan Kline has been identified as the culprit behind a catfish account potential linked to the case, A composite sketch of the suspect is shown, Police release sketch of man accused of murdering Delphi teens Liberty German and Abigail Williams, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The bridge is 853 feet across. Detective Dawn Higgins said. "I thought that over time people would forget or they'd stop talking about it or stop looking, but that hasn't been the case at all. I can't get over what loving people Becky and Mike are. - No one refused a lie detector test. "I see it all over, every day. "I don't think she imagined at the time it would be such a big thing. - In Renner video is sounds like she said 20 kids there when she dropped them off. The girls were dropped off by Kelsi at around 1:30 p.m. A sign reads it takes 501 steps to reach the bridge. There is no way a stranger to these parts found this bridge. "I think she was just taking a video to show us later and say, 'Hey, look at this really weird guy that was at the bridge earlier and this is what he looked like'. This crime was one high risk. [] If you keep it in the spotlight they cant not work on it.. "Directly to the killer, who may be in this room: We believe youre hiding in plain sight," Carter said. Police have never formally named a suspect in themurders of Libby and Abby, though several people have been questioned in regards to the killing. However, they did say the culprit behind it used stolen images of a known male model and projected a contrived flashy lifestyle to groom underage girls and "solicit nude images, obtain their addresses, and attempt to meet them.". Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "We've likely interviewed you or someone close to you. He said, No, I dont think so. Liberty, 14, and her friend Abigail Williams, 13, were killed in what has come to be known as the Delphi Murders. She DROVE them there. There is a bench on the trail in memory of the 1962 high school graduating class.. He has no fear of height or disrepair. She will help and advocate for thousands. Thats one of the biggest things Ive had to cope with is learning how not to feel guilty about something you couldnt have changed even if you wanted to.. Dexter Guy from Twitter needs to be deleted. Michelle immediately began sharing the knowledge she gained while seeking justice for her sister, which includedencouraging Kelsi to speak to the media about her sister. Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting Girl, 9, Might Have Ties to Unsolved Delphi Killings: Police, Arrest Made in Beloved Mother's Cold Case Murder and Prosecutor Credits 'People Magazine Investigates', 'People Magazine Investigates' : Inside Decades-Old Disappearances of 5 People Along the Snake River, were abducted and murdered while hiking a trail in Delphi, Days after Libby and Abby's deaths, authorities released photos, People Magazine Investigates: The Delphi Killer. The culprit behind their killings is also yet to be identified. Detective Dawn Higgins, Sheryl McCollum, and Kelsi German [Photo courtesy of Sheryl McCollum]I told her our friend Nancy Grace did the same thing after her fianc was murdered. "It's amazing how many people are still there supporting us. Every time something new happens [in the case] I have to relive those moments, Kelsi said. Phone records indicate Kelsi's boyfriend calls her at 1: 38 PM. The outpour of support its just so encouraging.. She wants to go exactly where they went. Other members of her family have reportedly suffered from a similar trauma-induced mental block regarding the months and weeks after Libby's death. At this point, we were on ice and Kaleb helped all of us navigate the steep grade around the fence. I see my sister standing as close as she can and is contemplating stepping onto the bridge. It's a frightening thought.". Says they are only asking for funds to build the ball park. But the fact that she did take that video and she thought something wasnt right and she had to take it it just amazes me. I'll just be scrolling through my social media and people will post it back to me and I'll watch it again every time," Kelsi said. As we traverse the path toward the bridge Im struck by the homes, barns, and sheds we are passing. It was about a friend who had been through something traumatic. Ive always thought that he has to know the area somehow, she said. That to me means he has navigated this bridge many times. He couldnt do anything because he is scared of spiders. Weve always said, goodbye, I love you and Ill see you later. For as long as she could remember, Kelsi German wanted to be a news reporter. Kelsi has literally changed the course of her whole life. The trail is narrow where the path has been worn down in the snow. I stood next to my sister and looked out where the girls were murdered, and I could not fathom what Kelsi must be feeling in this place. Remembering Feb. 13 2017 as a warm day, she said she believes the pair "wanted to go out and do something, rather than being stuck in the house all day.". [16] Standing on the bridges edge, I factor in the height of the bridge, condition of the bridge, broad daylight, cell service, others in the vicinity, and visibility of the killer from the bridge and from the ground and rough terrain. "When I look back on it I just now try not to feel guilty about what happened, or what I could've done differently. Snow covers the ground and the bright blue bridge towering over the roadway. He's not that tough. Just four words, Guys.Down the hill! Ill just be scrolling through my social media and people will post it back to me and Ill watch it again every time, Kelsi said. "And that just always amazes me and brightens my day that she would she got to be there for so many people," Kelsi said. "And it's so sad that we just know the voice, but we don't know the face and we don't have any answers yet. The hours, days, weeks, and even months after the death of her sister are a blur for Kelsi, she said. "He could be right there in front of us and we have no idea. It's really like one of the only things you can do in Delphi other than getting food.". "It was just so humbling knowing that all of those people were there for you at one of the hardest times of your life, suffering unimaginable grief.". Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. After CrimeCon 2018, Kelsi set up a Twitter account dedicated to maintaining awareness ofher sisters case. My cousin had been Snapchatting me from the bathroom as he was brushing his teeth. It's really like one of the only things you can do in Delphi other than getting food.". The anthony_shots profile on IG appears to be the same "model"/catfish, and the tone of the bio is young, or at least young passing. ", Kelsi said she believes her sister was so charismatic that she doesn't think she "knew a stranger. I'll just be scrolling through my social media and people will post it back to me and I'll watch it again every time," Kelsi said. "I always remember one story just after her death. "I could've walked past him on my college campus, or in the grocery store, or he could be sitting next to me in psych class. "Every time something new happens [in the case] I have to relive those moments," Kelsi said. Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact law enforcement by emailing abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or calling 844-459-5786. Through her efforts and the efforts of others, the case received more attention attention that helped lead to the arrest last April of a suspect in that case, It makes sense that Michelle found a fast friend in Kelsi German, who has been on her own quest for justice for her murdered sister, Liberty German. "I think she was just taking a video to show us later and say, 'Hey, look at this really weird guy that was at the bridge earlier and this is what he looked like'. - Libby wasn't pregnant. The recently-engaged German is now at Purdue University, studying forensic science but she isn't planning on using her education to bring her sister's killer to justice. Kelsi said she cannot remember Libby nor Abby specifying while they wanted to visit the Delphi Historic Trails that day. "I remember her telling me once that she just felt like she was everybody's therapist, but that's because everybody was just so open to coming to her and talking to her about whatever they were feeling and she was always so good at making you feel like you were worth it. I asked him straight out could there have been two killers. But there is hope. Kelsi's belief the killer lives - or may have once lived - locally stems from the idea that the trail near to where the two girls' bodies were found is difficult to simply stumble across, she said. "She was the funniest person ever," Kelsi remembered of her 14-year-old sibling. - The Renner video was first video she did alone and says she would have done the interview a lot differently. And now, that's what I'm planning on doing.". To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Truth and logic don't mean much of anything to that group. - Some of the rumors involving Cody were really gross and weird so she isn't discussing them. Did he have items there to help facilitate the crimes? I secretly wished he had been there at the end of the trail at the bridge. - Her grandfather is the strongest man she has ever met. Yes that was a great recap! ", "She had so many friends, and as time goes on, I still have people who went to school with her come to me and say, 'Hey, I don't think I ever told you the story, but your sister was there for me when I felt like I had no one else.'. Libby and Abby failed to meet her father at a pre-arranged pick-up location later that afternoon. So thats something Ive also bought into, Kelsi continued, that hes either from Delphi or that hes spent a lot of time here.. In a statement released last week, the department said such questions are "certainly relevant" but declined to comment further. She was home alone in Irvine, California while her family was vacationing in Mexico when she became one of the killers numerousmurder and rape victims. Kelsi had plans to meet up with her boyfriend later that afternoon before going to work and initially told Libby no. Everyone in our group is hopeful. Those poor girls were just out having fun. After an extensive search of their area, their bodies were found the following day on a steep embankment around half a mile upstream from theMonon High Bridge Trailwhere Libby had uploaded her final Snapchat post a day earlier. Every time something happens and we get put back out in the media it just brightens our hope it gives us so much faith in all the people that are out there," Kelsi said. Libby's oldest sister Kelsi German, 21 . Shes right. "And that just always amazes me and brightens my day that she would she got to be there for so many people," Kelsi said. Kelsi had plans to meet up with her boyfriend later that afternoon before going to work and initially told Libby no. From the moment Libby and Abby's bodies were identified, Kelsi said it's difficult for her to recall anything that happened in the weeks that followed. Missing Nevada Woman Stopped Contact with Family, Police Seek Tips, Unknown Man Seen Using Missing Georgia Mans Credit Card in Baton Rouge, WATCH LIVE: Murdaugh Family Murders Day 25: Closing Arguments. After lunch, we head to the bridge just as they did on that fateful day. Sex was nothing Libby was interested in. She has done a remarkable job reaching a national audience at CrimeCon, talk shows, and podcasts. One thing the German family will never forget, however, is the outpouring in our community of just so many people who were there for us, Kelsi said. "I've always thought that he has to know the area somehow," she said. This is not our case officially. "I dont know where the case would be if we didn't have that video," she added. While this case is perplexing, it is absolutely solvable, Ret. Literally the day I was born I had four best friends. She said she's terrified by the idea that she may have encountered the culprit on the street or served him as a customer at her work. "I just keep listening, and every time I do, I just know that's the person that did such awful things - or a thing - to my sister. Hes not out of balance. "I remember her telling me once that she just felt like she was everybody's therapist, but that's because everybody was just so open to coming to her and talking to her about whatever they were feeling and she was always so good at making you feel like you were worth it. Just give them the outline of a cynical story and they'll not only accept it, they'll branch it out to unimaginable proportions. Cody is Becky German Patty's nephew; her brother's son. I dont know where the case would be if we didnt have that video, she added. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Kelsi then made the short drive to the trails with Abby and Libby, dropping them off just after 1.35pm. I wonder if he might have walked up to me during the search and talked to me. "I think that track is very hard to find if you don't know it's there already. Repressed memories from that time will sometimes present themselves in fragments, she said. "So that's something I've also bought into," Kelsi continued, "that he's either from Delphi or that he's spent a lot of time here.". - Dexter Guy from Twitter needs to be deleted. Their bodies were found the following day alongside a creek about a mile from where they were last seen. Ives went on to say there were at least three different signatures. Police, like Kelsi, have previously suggested that Libby and Abby's killer may live locally. - and that's still a big obstacle for me. Michelle met Kelsi at CrimeCon 2018. The outpour of support - it's just so encouraging.". Chillingly, she captured her killer gruffly instructing the pair to go "down the hill.". "People still continue to come and support us and share this information and it's just amazing. The next day, the girls. Kelsi German has called Richard Allen, accused of murdering her sister and her friend in Delphi in 2017, a 'monster' who 'doesn't deserve' attention after he was charged with double homicide. She and Michelle speak on a regular basis. The video shows a white male, dressed in faded jeans, a hoodie and a blue jacket, with his hands in his pockets, walking towards the eighth graders on a bridge. "I've always thought that he has to know the area somehow," she said. December 27 marked what would have been Libby's 19th birthday. View our online Press Pack. (An exclusive clip is shown below.). Other signs sent by Libby, Kelsi says, include sending cardinals to family members - a bird regarded by some to be a symbol of safety and happiness sent from a passed loved one - or leaving dimes on the ground for them to find. - Kelsi's Uncle Cody is about a post he made. Part of the reason the case is still alive and active today, Kelsi believes, is because of the bravery shown by Libby in her final moments of life, when the teen mustered the courage to record a short clip of the man that police believe killed her. Libby then turned her back and walked away with Abby. Investigators didn't specify why they believe the account may be linked to the girls' deaths, nor disclosed whether either Libby or Abby had interacted with the account. Every one of us knows that bond of having a built-in best friend. I wanted to come on this date because that the date the killer selected. He bound her, raped her, and bludgeoned her beyond recognition, her sister Michelle Cruz said at CrimeCon in 2017. Ive never ever heard that rumor. Man in Photos Now 'Main Suspect' In Murders of Indiana Teen Girls, Family of Slain Indiana Teen Struggling with 'New Normal' 5 Months After Unsolved Killings of Her and Friend, Sister of Delphi Murder Victim Is Studying Criminal Justice to Help Homicide Victims' Families, Sister of Delphi Murder Victim Now Studying Forensics in Hopes of Finding the 2 Girls' Killer, Man Found Guilty of 1982 Ax Murder of His Wife After the Case Went Unsolved for Nearly 40 Years, Killing of LSU Student Allison Rice Appears to Be 'Isolated and Random Act': Police, Delphi Murders: 5 Years Later, Victim's Sister Clinging to Hope That Killer Will Be Caught, Police Seek New Information About Social Media Account Named in Delphi Murder Investigation, Interview Transcripts from Delphi Murder Case Reveal Man Admitted to Communicating with Libby German, Calif. I asked Kelsi at lunch what advice she would give to rookie police officers or new detectives and she said without hesitation and a haunting sadness, Dont call off the search.. Valentine's Day 2022 will mark five years since 14-year-old Libby German and her best friend Abby Williams, 13, were found dead in the woods of Delphi . "He could be working with people that I know or walking past me when I'm looking at Christmas lights. The killer could have watched from the bridge or the ground. In a statement released last week, the department said such questions are "certainly relevant" but declined to comment further. Its also extended beyond the local community, with restless true crime fanatics and justice seekers keeping the story alive through podcasts, blog posts, and discussion boards. "I pray every day that today is the day. For more on this story, watch The Delphi Killer on People Magazine Investigates, on Monday, April 12, at 10 ET/9 CT on Investigation Discovery and streaming on discovery+. Its up to all of us to find him. On February 14, 2017, the bodies of Abigail "Abby" Williams and Liberty "Libby" German were discovered off a hiking trail in Delphi, Indiana, United States, after the young girls had disappeared from the same trail the previous day. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. There havealso been some developments in the case. "We also believe this person is from Delphi currently or has previously lived here, visits Delphi on a regular basis, or works here," he added. Have you done podcasts? And she said No and Im like You need to go on Twitter and friend every podcast person and true crime person.. The man who set up that account has since been identified as Kegan Anthony Kline, a 27-year-old from Peru, Indiana, who last year was arrested for 30 felonies, including possession of child porn, exploitation of children, and soliciting minors for sex. I told Kaleb that it was Valentines Day and for the rest of the trip he would be my boyfriend and had to hold me up. Coping She drove Libby and her best friend Abby Williams (pictured) to the Delphi Historic Trails on Feb. 13, 2017, where they were killed Credit: Facebook/Snapchat. Kelsi then made the short drive to the trails with Abby and Libby, dropping them off just after 1.35pm. "It's a pretty normal place to do and take pictures, hang out, or talk to each other. On February 14, 2017, Libby and Abby's bodies were found in Delphi, Indiana, next to a closed down railroad. It's also extended beyond the local community, with restless true crime fanatics and justice seekers keeping the story alive through podcasts, blog posts, and on discussion boards. After we are seated and exchange pleasantries for a moment, I ask Kelsi how she walks around every day knowing the killer could be right here. That coikdnt have been easy to be so young and to be exposed to that. However, they did say the culprit behind it used stolen images of a known male model and projected a contrived flashy lifestyle to groom underage girls and "solicit nude images, obtain their addresses, and attempt to meet them.". Their bodies were found about a half mile away from the hiking trail. They seem to have open arms and open doors to anyone having difficulty. Posted at 6:47 PM, Apr 29, 2019. Then 17, Kelsi had been at home on the morning of February 13, 2017, when Libby, who had the day off from school, asked her if she could drive both her and her friend Abigail Williams, 13, to the Delphi Historic Trails. - and that's still a big obstacle for me. or 'What if I never dropped them off?' Shes considering pursuing a masters degree in social work so she can help others for the rest of her adult life. The hours, days, weeks, and even months after the death of her sister are a "blur" for Kelsi, she said. Libby and Abby were close friends. I did not call him until after I had been to the scene because I wanted my thoughts and feeling to be mine and not influenced by an expert locals point of view. Kelsi had plans to meet up with her boyfriend later that afternoon before going to work and initially told Libby no. In a rare update issued earlier this month, Indiana State Police said they were seeking information about a bogus social media profile, called anthony_shots, that may be linked to the case. It was amazing, she recounted. "During the last nearly five years, we have conducted dozens of secondary investigations based on information we received.