Former Carroll County Prosecutor Robert Ives has spoken out about the Delphi case
The former prosecutor who worked on the infamous unsolved murders of two teenage girls in Delphi, Indiana has spoken out in a new podcast about the case, revealing chilling information about the 'odd' crime scene.
Liberty German, 14, and Abigail William, 13, vanished on February 13, 2017 while hiking the Monon High Bridge Trail. Their bodies were discovered the following day in the woods about a half-mile from the trail.
The quick-thinking teens were able to capture video and audio of the killer, portions of which have been released by police, but so far investigators have been unable to zero in on a suspect.
Now Liberty's sister Kelsi, who is studying forensic psychology to find the killer, has renewed her appeals for information in the case, tweeting on Monday: 'Someone out there knows something. So say something.'
As well, former Carroll County Prosecutor Robert Ives, who worked on the early stages of the case, revealed more information to the HLN podcast Down The Hill: The Delphi Murders, in an episode released earlier this year.
Liberty German, 14, and Abigail William, 13, vanished on February 13, 2017 while hiking the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana. Their bodies were found the next day
Liberty's sister Kelsi German who dropped the girls off at the hiking trail that day, has renewed her appeal to the public for information in a new tweet
In the three years since the murders, police have released very little information about the crime scene, including how the two teens were killed and what kind of physical evidence was present.
But rumors have long circulated that the crime scene was bizarre and shocking to investigators, with unusual elements that police have been reluctant to reveal publicly.
Now, Ives reveals that the crime scene was nothing like murders he had encountered in the past, where typically a body is found with some evidence such as shell casings present.
'There was a lot more physical evidence than that at the crime scene,' Ives said. 'And it's probably not what you would imagine, or what people would think I'm talking about.'
'It was just not your normal "a person was killed here" crime scene, that's probably all I can say about it,' Ives said.
Ives said that the scene was 'odd' and displayed at least three 'signatures', which are unique behaviors by the killer.
However, Ives raised the possibility that elements of the scene had been staged in an attempt to trick investigators by sending them down a false path.
Libby German posted these images to Snapchat during their hike prior to the murders
Within days of the killings, authorities released two grainy photos of a suspect walking along the abandoned railroad bridge the two girls had visited
Police first released the sketch on the left based on witness information, but later released the very different-looking sketch on the right, which they now believe is more accurate
Retired FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole explained on the podcast that a 'signature' at a crime are 'behavior that is over and beyond what it necessary to complete the crime, and it generally is behavior that is satisfying to the offender, whether it is sexually satisfying or psychologically satisfying.'
On staging, she explained: 'staging tends to be done most often by somebody who knows the victims.'
Retired FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole also spoke about the case
Ives said: 'Even though at the crime scene there was a lot of physical evidence of one sort of another which would lead logically to one person or another, it never led to one particular person.'
The Indiana State Police continue to refuse to release any details about the crime scene, saying that it could compromise the investigation.
Ives said that in the early stages of the investigation, dozens of search warrants and subpoenas were issued, mostly seeking cell phone locations and the identities of cell phones.
Unfortunately, he said that the law does not allow for the bulk collection of cell phone data from a nearby cell tower, without probable cause that a particular phone was involved with the murders.
'Initially I thought, and I still think, it was somebody local,' Ives said of the killer, noting of the hiking trail that 'it's not a tourist spot' and that an outsider would be unlikely to visit.
Ives indicated that there was no reason to believe that the killer knew the two girls would be hiking there that day, as their decision to go for a walk had been spontaneous, and there is no evidence that they were lured to the trail.
'I tend to think it's a local,' Ives said, but adding, 'maybe it was a random murder, maybe it was a serial killer.'
Key locations in the events surrounding the murders are seen in the map above
In January, Liberty's mother, Carrie Timmons, criticized the criticized the police investigation for failing to identify a suspect after three years.
Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, head of the lead agency in the investigation, has insisted repeatedly that slayings murders of both girls have not turned into a 'cold case.'
The murders shook Delphi, a small town of 2,877 people set amid farm fields, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
Within days of the killings, authorities released two grainy photos of a suspect walking along the abandoned railroad bridge the two girls had visited.
Liberty had posted photos of herself on Snapchat walking on the bridge on the day she and Abigail vanished.
Authorities also released an audio recording of a man believed to be the suspect saying 'down the hill.'
The images and recordings came from Liberty's cellphone and police hailed her as a hero for recording the potentially crucial evidence.
Supt. Carter issued a direct appeal to the killer during press conference when the footage and audio was released, saying: 'We believe you are hiding in plain sight. We likely have interviewed you, or someone close to you.'
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact investigators at this email address: abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com
TIMELINE OF THE DELPHI MURDERS
February 13, 2017
1pm: Liberty and Abigail are dropped off near Monon High Bridge in Delphi to go hiking on a day off school.
5.30pm: Girls are reported missing after failing to show up at a pre-arranged pickup location. Search teams scour the area for hours but are forced to stop due to limited light.
12am: Authorities say there is no reason to suspect foul play and they are mainly concerned about exposure to the elements.
February 14, 2017:
Search resumes for missing girls, including dive teams and K-9 units.
12pm: The bodies of Liberty and Abigail are located half-a-mile from the bridge.
February 15, 2017:
Police release the grainy image of a man walking on the same bridge Liberty and Abigail were on.
February 19, 2017:
Police say the man in the grainy image is officially a suspect in the murders.
February 22, 2017:
Officials release audio taking from Liberty's phone of man saying: 'Down the hill'.
July 17, 2017:
Police release sketch of suspect after witnesses report seeing him Delphi.
April 22, 2019:
Police reveal new sketch and video of suspect on the bridge. They say the killer likely lives or works in the Delphi area.
