Detectives are still receiving tips about the murders daily, and are running down every lead they get, German says. Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552. It's been more than five years since best friends Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13, set off on a walk in their hometown of Delphi, Indiana - never to be seen alive again. In a statement released last week, the department said such questions are "certainly relevant" but declined to comment further. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. That to me means he has navigated this bridge many times. "I've always thought that he has to know the area somehow," she said. The outpour of support - it's just so encouraging.". He's not that tough. 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.". I think survivor guilt is a real thing and its so difficult to leap over. "She loved making people laugh and making people smile and just being there for people. Chillingly, she captured her killer gruffly instructing the pair to go "down the hill.". One sister connected with Kelsi because she is an older sister too. Did he have the bridge planned out as the kidnap spot Did he approach them after watching them cross most of the bridge? Repressed memories from that time will sometimes present themselves in fragments, she said. 10 It's going to be amazing. "I always remember one story just after her death. - Kelsi says she is only stating facts, debunking any rumors she can. "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. That support, Kelsi added, has never wavered. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. Literally the day I was born I had four best friends. 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. "But the fact that she did take that video and she thought something wasn't right and she had to take it - it just amazes me. 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. Directly to the killer, who may be in this room: We believe youre hiding in plain sight, Carter said. There are two Amandas, so not related. Kelsi told Oxygen.com the best piece of advice Michelle has given her is to never stop trying and never give up hope because no matter how long its going to take, well get the answers we want. Other members of her family have reportedly suffered from a similar trauma-induced mental block regarding the months and weeks after Libbys death. From the moment Libby and Abbys bodies were identified, Kelsi said its difficult for her to recall anything that happened in the weeks that followed. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Kids have been going there since 1962. - Libby wasn't pregnant. "It's amazing how many people are still there supporting us. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. I hurry to catch up to my group because they are already talking about observations and theories. Was super nervous and just kept talking. And to think Libby lost a shoe which means she had to walk without it on rocks and sticks; its pitiful., I understand why the girls were allowed to go there. I'll try to clarify who Cody is because there's so much confusion. But believing she had been a "bad sister" of late, not hanging out with her younger sibling as often as she should, a guilt-riddled Kelsi eventually agreed to take the girls just after 1.30pm, provided they found their own ride home. "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.". Sharlene looks at me and says, This makes me sick to my stomach. "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. On February 14, 2017, Libby and Abby's bodies were found in Delphi, Indiana, next to a closed down railroad. "It was amazing," she recounted. 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. Libby and Abby failed to meet her father at a pre-arranged pick-up location later that afternoon. Suspect in Delphi Snapchat Murders [Wanted Poster] By: Christine Colby Related To: Abductions. Kelsi's recollection problems, inconsistencies and even her struggles with not sounding "smart" could and probably are due to trauma. Kelsis 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. At least it allows me to make sense of the past 3 years. THE sister of a girl killed in the Delphi "Snapchat murders" says her slain sibling still sends her signs "all the time" that she's watching over her - as she pays tribute to the "sweet girl" on what would have been her 19th birthday. During a press conference in 2019, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter even went as far as to say the killer could be sat in the room with them. "And so they were like, 'Hey, let's go to this place,'" Kelsi theorized. 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.". 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. Definitely not pregnant. "He could be right there in front of us and we have no idea. 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 had plans to meet up with her boyfriend later that afternoon before going to work and initially told Libby no. Rachel Sharp. Kelsi German, 21, was among one of the last people to see her 14-year-old sister Libby alive. "I think this person could be anyone," she said. "My family has always been really big on making sure you tell everybody that you love them and goodbye each time you hang up the phone or leave the house. The day of the murders was unseasonably warm but today is cold. I needed to see it first hand to walk it and to hopefully gain more of an understanding of him. "And it just always makes us feel so at peace knowing that she's there to help us through every step of the rest of our lives.". In a heartbreaking Instagram tribute to her sister on Monday, Kelsi uploaded a picture of a beaming Libby and wrote: "The world needs more people like you, happy Heavenly 19th sweet girl. Kaleb has a sweet, natural, and caring demeanor. ", The statement continued: "We know there is enormous interest in the 'WHY' of everything we do, but we cannot and will not speculate. He said right off the bat, Nothing about this case makes sense.. THE sister of a girl killed in the Delphi 'Snapchat murders' has recounted the final words she exchanged with her late sibling before she was tragically murdered alongside her best friend in an Indiana woods. Kelsi says she has relived the hours leading up to thegirls deathsover and over again in her mind every day for the last four-and-a-half years. Early afternoon on Feb. 13, 2017, Kelsi German dropped off Libby and her sister's friend, Abby Williams, near the Monon High Bridge trail, where the Delphi Community Middle School. Weve likely interviewed you or someone close to you. Prior to this visit, I did not realize there were private homes lining the trail system. THE sister of a girl killed in the Delphi 'Snapchat murders'has recounted the final words she exchanged with her late sibling before she was tragically murdered alongside her best friend in an Indiana woods. "I dont know where the case would be if we didn't have that video," she added. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The killer could have taken any of them and passed the girls at some point. 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.. - The Renner video was first video she did alone and says she would have done the interview a lot differently. Libby German and Abby Williams were both found dead on Valentine's Day 2017 - a day after they were reported missing having last been seen at the Delphi Historic Trails. This is the right call but it makes it harder for us to know more about him. "And that just always amazes me and brightens my day that she would she got to be there for so many people," Kelsi said. "I dont know where the case would be if we didn't have that video," she added. - Cody's whereabouts have been confirmed. It had nothing to do with anything, just a song. Then, we come upon a fence that is placed across the path warning us to not go further. Despite being years apart in age Michelle is 50, while Kelsi is 19 she said they bonded over the very specific pain they share. The killer could have watched from the bridge or the ground. Its 63 feet high over Deer Creek. Delphi police and the prosecutor's office said a public court hearing will be set to determine if the documents, including the affidavit in the case, will remain under seal. 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.. This crime was one high risk. Despite intense interest by the general public and national media, Abby and Libby's case, commonly referred to as the Delphi murders, the case remains unsolved. He describes the missing boards and spacing between steps. Just give them the outline of a cynical story and they'll not only accept it, they'll branch it out to unimaginable proportions. Janelle Lisa Cruz was just 18 when she was bludgeoned to death by the Golden State Killer in 1986. He said, No, I dont think so. "I'm tremendously proud of her," Kelsi told The Sun. And then with the video still going, Libby recorded her own murder, and the murder of her friend Abby. "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.". Standing on that bridge, it dawned on me that every one of us visitors were sisters. "At the time I just didn't feel as though I'd been taking her enough places or spending as much time together as we should so eventually I agreed if she could find someone else to pick her up again. "I think survivor guilt is a real thing and it's so difficult to leap over. - and that's still a big obstacle for me. Dropping that at the end was like burying the lead, but I assume that's the order it was presented in the video. Kelsi had plans to meet up with her boyfriend later that afternoon before going to work and initially told Libby no. 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. Im watching my group members at the scene. Libby and Abby never failed to meet her father at a pre-arranged pick-up location later that afternoon. Kelsi then made the short drive to the trails with Abby and Libby, dropping them off just after 1.35pm. By: Rafael Snchez. Before driving away, Kelsi said she told Libby she loved her, a sentiment that was echoed back by the young teen. I didnt want to be part of media or part of the case anymore at that point, Kelsi admitted to Oxygen.com. 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. Other members of her family have reportedly suffered from a similar trauma-induced mental block regarding the months and weeks after Libby's death. 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+. "Every time something new happens [in the case] I have to relive those moments," Kelsi said. 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. And now, that's what I'm planning on doing.". She claimed to watch it almost every day in the hope of discovering a new detail orjogging a repressed memory. After losing her sister and best friend, Kelsi German shifted her academic focus to psychology and criminal justice in order to help people like herself the loved ones left behind after the murders. I cant remember what it was, but I remember thinking huh, thats gross as fuck, but it sounds like a song lyric and not a random statement. Cody is Kelsi and Libby's cousin. It's unclear whether Kline is currently being investigated as a suspect in the relation to theDelphi murders, or why it took more than three years to arrest him on the child porn charges. The cold will not deter us, any of us. 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. 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 think that's one thing that intrigues people [about the case] to continue to look at it.". Their bodies were found about a half mile away from the hiking trail. She has no time that. 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. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. "If I learn something in my classes, it might be something new that the detectives haven't thought about," German reasons. Five years ago today, in Delphi, Ind., two best friends, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went missing while on a hike through the city's historic trails. One day you will have the opportunity to see and know what we do, and we look forward to that day.. I thought that over time people would forget or theyd stop talking about it or stop looking, but that hasnt been the case at all. Every time something new happens [in the case] I have to relive those moments, Kelsi said. 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. We arrive on the other side of Freedom Bridge and I notice a sign hanging across the path to the Monon Bridge that reads Closed Unsafe Trail. Im fifth in line as our group hikes up toward the sign. Kelsi German, 21, was among one of the last people to see her 14-year-old sister Libby alive. Police have never publicly released how Libby and Abby were killed. He taught us the most important things, and is so hardworking and caring. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. I did podcasts and radio and interviews, TV shows and news and wherever I possibly could.. It was amazing, she recounted. My cousin had been Snapchatting me from the bathroom as he was brushing his teeth. December 27 marked what would have been Libby's 19th birthday. "I can't wait for that day," German says. I think that track is very hard to find if you dont know its there already. Those poor girls were just out having fun. In a statement released last week, the department said such questions are "certainly relevant" but declined to comment further. The days following were a blur. So I think it was just something fun to do on a nice day. "People still continue to come and support us and share this information and it's just amazing. Everyone in our group is hopeful. - Some of the rumors involving Cody were really gross and weird so she isn't discussing them. "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.". 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. She no longer wanted to be a schoolteacher. "I had this switch that went off in my head and I found my passion with helping people in the true crime community, especially," German, 21, tells PEOPLE. 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. "It's a pretty normal place to do and take pictures, hang out, or talk to each other. There is a bench on the trail in memory of the 1962 high school graduating class.. Even after all this time when you know theres absolutely nothing you couldve done, theres still something inside of you thats going to say, What if I wouldve done this different? or What if I never dropped them off? and thats still a big obstacle for me. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Truth and logic don't mean much of anything to that group. If Cody is the son of Becky's brother, she is his aunt and he her nephew. Police have never formally named a suspect in themurders of Libby and Abby, though several people have been questioned in regards to the killing. "I'm tremendously proud of her," Kelsi told The Sun. Listen below to the episode of our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more details on the Delphi Murders. Did he have items there to help facilitate the crimes? "We've always said, 'goodbye, I love you and I'll see you later'. 5 People Vanished Along the Snake River Beginning in 1979: Will Police Finally Catch a Serial Killer? "He could be working with people that I know or walking past me when I'm looking at Christmas lights. ", "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.'. Another connected with Kelsi because she saved her sister from a man with a gun and she knows Kelsi would have done everything to save her sister. We are not paid or provided any incentive for our quest to help this community and this town, and mostly help this sister find a killer. Delphi is remote. Kelsi had plans to meet up with her boyfriend later that afternoon before going to work and initially told Libby no. Its beautiful and pristine. 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. Same. But I was a little confused in who exactly Cody was. Michelle has spent decades keeping her sisters story alive in hopes that the person responsible would finally be held accountable. I just know it! Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Kelsisaid she has long struggled with the notion that her sister's killer could be lurking in the community around her. The transition Kelsi described in her post for this year came after the 50-year-old suspect Richard Allen was arrested in October 2022, nearing the end of a long cold case for investigators. 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. She'll remember someone being in a room near her that she previously couldn't, or receiving a letter or a gift from a friend or sympathetic stranger. We are at a disadvantage looking at this outside in. But there is hope. I have no idea what most of these rumors were about. The bridge has gaps and missing boards. It was about a friend who had been through something traumatic. Kaleb has a sweet, natural, and caring demeanor. Her 13-year-old sister, Liberty "Libby" German, and her best friend, Abigail "Abby" Williams, were abducted and murdered while hiking a trail in Delphi. Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact law enforcement by emailing abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or calling 844-459-5786. 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.. It's amazing how after all the reports he only removed the dox and kept going posting faces. The department asked anyone who interacted with the account on Snapchat or Instagram to come forward for information. "During the last nearly five years, we have conducted dozens of secondary investigations based on information we received. "Directly to the killer, who may be in this room: We believe youre hiding in plain sight," Carter said. "We've likely interviewed you or someone close to you. turned on her video and taped this phantom of a man, then placed the phone, still recording into her pocket, and captured his voice. 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. This was one person.. or 'What if I never dropped them off?' I dont know where the case would be if we didnt have that video, she added. As we traverse the path toward the bridge Im struck by the homes, barns, and sheds we are passing. And then a little while later, she came back and said, Okay, dad will come pick us up if youll drop us off.. THE sister of a girl slain in the Delphi "Snapchat murders" said she got "goosebumps" when the lead cop on the case chillingly warned the killer that . But believing she had been a "bad sister" of late, not hanging out with her younger sister as often as she should, a guilt-riddled Kelsi eventually agreed to take the girls just after 1.30pm, provided they found their own ride home. DELPHI, IN Kelsi German, the older sister of 2017 homicide victim Liberty "Libby" German, live-streamed on YouTube to "debunk rumors" surrounding the case, which has come to be known as the "Delphi Snapchat murders." The killer could be here. Phone records indicate Kelsi's boyfriend calls her at 1: 38 PM. Im tremendously proud of her, Kelsi told The Sun. "At the time I just didn't feel as though I'd been taking her enough places or spending as much time together as we should so eventually I agreed if she could find someone else to pick her up again. She taught a course about career paths in forensic science that Kelsi took and was the first professor to learn of Kelsi's connection to the Delphi murders.