Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more!
Sketch Released In 'Delphi Murders' Investigation Is Of Different Man Than Original Sketch
Police say the man seen in the initially released sketch several years earlier is no longer considered a person of interest in the murders.
Investigators have released a new sketch of a man they believe is responsible for the murder of two teen girls, but the man depicted in the image is not the same person from an earlier sketch released in the case.
Indiana State Police issued a statement providing more details about the origins of both sketches in the “Delphi Murders” of teens Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams.
The first sketch, released shortly after the girls were killed in February 2017 depicts a man in his 40s or 50s who is no longer considered a person of interest in the case now that the investigation “has matured and past information has been reassessed,” police said.
The second sketch, released Monday, was created using video of a man captured on German’s cell phone as he was walking on a high bridge on the day the teens disappeared from the Delphi Historic Trails.
Investigators believe the man’s age could range from his 20s to his 30s but caution that his “youthful appearance” could make him appear younger than he is.
“This person’s appearance could look different today if he has grown a mustache, beard or let his hair grow longer or cut his hair shorter than depicted in the sketch,” police said.
Although the new sketch was just recently released to the media, it was actually drawn in 2017 shortly after the teens disappeared.
Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Kim Riley told The Indianapolis Star that investigators now believe the new sketch released more accurately represents the man responsible for the killings.
“The investigation, tips and leads have pointed us in a different direction,” Riley said.
The clarification comes just days after Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter had some harsh words for the elusive killer.
“We believe you are hiding in plain sight,” he said during the press conference. “For more than two years, you never thought we’d shift gears to a new investigative strategy but we have.”
In addition to releasing the new sketch, investigators also released an audio clip of a man that was also recorded on German’s phone and video of the man seen walking along some railroad ties on the trail.
