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Who killed 2 teenage girls near Delphi, Indiana, in 2017? Police plan update in unsolved case.

Wyatte Grantham-Philips, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Capt. David Bursten of the Indiana State Police is joined by law enforcement officials from numerous departments to provide the latest details of the investigation into the deaths of Liberty German and Abigail Williams Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, at Delphi United Methodist Church in Delphi.
Capt. David Bursten of the Indiana State Police is joined by law enforcement officials from numerous departments to provide the latest details of the investigation into the deaths of Liberty German and Abigail Williams Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, at Delphi United Methodist Church in Delphi.

Police investigating the unsolved 2017 killings of two teenage girls in northern Indiana will provide an update in a Monday news conference, authorities announced Friday.

The deaths of Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, near Delphi have remained unsolved for more than five years. In their announcement of the upcoming Monday news conference, Indiana State Police did not indicate or specify what new information will be released.

No one has been charged in the deaths yet. But multiple local media outlets reported that an arrest has been made.

Indiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Jeremy Piers told USA TODAY on Saturday that he could not confirm an arrest. Police and family said no further information will be released until the Monday news conference.

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The conference will include officials from the Indiana State Police, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll County Prosecutor's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, according to an advisory.

Here's what you need to know:

Who are Abigail Williams and Liberty German?

Abigail and Liberty were two teenage girls killed in February 2017 just outside their hometown of Delphi, Indiana, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

When were they killed?

The two girls vanished on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 while walking on a hiking trail located close to the Monon High Bridge just outside of Delphi. There was no school on that day and Abigail had spent the previous night at Liberty's home.

On Feb. 14, 2017, a search party found their bodies in a rugged area near the trail.

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Flowers and crosses form a memorial to Liberty German and Abigail Williams on Feb. 13, 2018, at the trail head of the Monon High Bridge Trail just east of Delphi, where the two were slain the year before on the same date.
Flowers and crosses form a memorial to Liberty German and Abigail Williams on Feb. 13, 2018, at the trail head of the Monon High Bridge Trail just east of Delphi, where the two were slain the year before on the same date.

Is there a suspect in the deaths?

Over the years, authorities have released images, video, audio and sketches of a potential suspect, or suspects in the case. The most recent sketch was released in April 2019, which was believed to be more accurate than a different one shared in 2017.

Days after the killings, investigators released two grainy photos of a suspect walking on the bridge. Authorities also shared a short audio clip from Liberty's cellphone, with a man believed to be the suspect saying "down the hill."

The Indiana State Police on April 22, 2019, released a new sketch of the suspect in the killings of Abigail Williams and Liberty German. This man appears to be from 18 to 40 years old, although he may look younger than his age, police said. The new sketch takes precedence over the old one, police added.
The Indiana State Police on April 22, 2019, released a new sketch of the suspect in the killings of Abigail Williams and Liberty German. This man appears to be from 18 to 40 years old, although he may look younger than his age, police said. The new sketch takes precedence over the old one, police added.

Several persons of interest were identified by media in the past, but authorities have not named a prime suspect yet. To date, the investigation's details remain limited – as police have not presented a narrative or specified how exactly they believe Abigail and Liberty were killed.

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Fictitious online profile linked to the investigation

In a December 2021 news release, Indiana State Police announced that they had uncovered a fictitious online named "anthony_shots" during their investigation into Abigail and Liberty's deaths.

Police said that the fictitious profile, which posed as a male model's, was used to communicate with young girls – often to solicit nude photos, obtain personal information and meet in person. The "anthony_shots" profile was used from 2016 to 2017 on Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms, police said. Authorities asked anyone who interacted with the profile to contact them for further information.

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Has an arrest been made?

Local outlets have reported that a man was arrested and booked into into the Carroll County Jail on suspicion of murder in connection to the girls' killings on Friday. But authorities have not yet confirmed that.

USA TODAY also reached out to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Carroll County Prosecutor's Office Saturday for further information.

Contributing: The Associated Press. Ron Wilkins, The Lafayette Journal & Courier.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2017 Delphi murders: News about unsolved deaths of teen girls expected