Found Deceased IN - Abigail (Abby) Williams, 13, and Liberty (Libby) German, 14/The Delphi Murders 13 Feb 2017 #86

[Inthedetails]

I've been thinking about whether BG is local or not, and I don't think he is.

If the crime didn't go as planned - if other hikers came along randomly, if one or both girls screamed and called attention, if one or both girls got away and ran for help - he would've been identified. It was entirely possible at any point during the encounter, he would have to abandon his activity. The crime had to go perfectly for him to be a local and not be recognized. By "perfectly," I mean no witness and the girls were killed. It did go perfectly in that respect, but that was a big risk.

But...if he's not local and the crime went awry (from his point of view), he could "disappear" and not be identified. He would just be a creepy guy in the woods that bothered the girls - and possibly the incident would never have been reported to LE. He could then strike again elsewhere (which I think he has done).

I admit my thinking is skewered toward suspecting TB is BG. I think his M.O. is to wander around like mister nice guy, but strike when opportunity presents itself. And if it doesn't go right when his approaches his victims, he just doesn't strike and disappears before actually committing violence.

Of course, it's entirely possible BG is local. Sigh. We don't know.

jmo

 

[ab01]

I believe it could have been a teacher also because of the day this happened being a school "day off." However, I feel it isn't a teacher the girls knew, or Libby would probably have mentioned his name in the video. She was very, very much on alert. MOO

Correct me if I’m remembering wrong, but I’m almost positive that, while the kids were off of school. The teachers had an inservice work day. So they didn’t have the day off.

 

[LuminiousVisions]

I don't sense TB is BG....BG is a planner, organized, came prepared to conduct a mission, swift and leave. I also sense BG was sent and tipped off. He is not local.
TB...sloppy, not a planner, crime of opportunity...

 

[kkdj]

I'm not convinced TB is BG but I have my suspicions. If LE finds him to have been at that park in Delphi that fateful day then I'll fall off the fence.

 

[tripek]

I believe it could have been a teacher also because of the day this happened being a school "day off." However, I feel it isn't a teacher the girls knew, or Libby would probably have mentioned his name in the video. She was very, very much on alert. MOO

I agree, if they knew him he would probably be able to approach them without causing concern. Form the picture it looks they were making video while he was still quite far away so either they met him before and there was something unusual/unexpected which made them alert when they seen him coming over the bridge or he was behaving strange while approaching them. I think most likely they had some contact with him prior to reaching the bridge. He then took some time to assess the situation, that's why he was not on the bridge at the time Abby's picture was taken.

 

[book-thinker]

Could BG have been captured on the phone camera-L seemed to be an eager photographer and maybe hunting candid photos-in her amateur photography efforts-and BG flipped out because his pic was taken? Maybe he was high, or wanted for something, overreacted, tried to take the camer away and ended murdering the pair?

He'd've grabbed the phone but the pix remained on the cloud.

Few people walking that day, being a somewhat isolate area trail.
I believe the girls became nervous, uneasy feeling someone is behind them.
I understand both girl had a interest in forensics and law enforcement.
Using Libby's phone to record the suspect voice and her photography skills as evidence if something bad happened.

 

[Inthedetails]

I agree, if they knew him he would probably be able to approach them without causing concern. Form the picture it looks they were making video while he was still quite far away so either they met him before and there was something unusual/unexpected which made them alert when they seen him coming over the bridge or he was behaving strange while approaching them. I think most likely they had some contact with him prior to reaching the bridge. He then took some time to assess the situation, that's why he was not on the bridge at the time Abby's picture was taken.

Your post made my stomach sink.

We've discussed before that it's possible the girls noticed something about BG beforehand - and that's why Libby started recording/photographing him. But reading your post made it seem like a real possibility. Perhaps he saw them and they got the creeps - he saw an opportunity and went to his car to get his hunting gear. (Like TB in STL left the store to get his gun from his car.) Perhaps when the girls saw him walk away, they thought he left for good and they continued on with their day. Then...he returned and they were trapped on that bridge....and Libby started documenting.

I never seriously thought of it that way - with a previous encounter that day - even after discussing this case forever.

jmo

 

[book-thinker]

The suspect is either unemployed, possible he works nights, living within walking distance, or parked his car on a dirt road close to the trail, however not from delphi. Town residents would have recognize his picture.

 

[Gracie55]

BG was captured on her phone. She did take photos of him, not a maybe.

I don't think he was high and flipped out because of it. I think he was hunting them like a predator who saw prey.

jmo

I know there are pictures, but what I'm thinking is, her taking the pictures triggered a murderous spree for some reason. And he wasn't sophisticated enough to know they were on the cloud so there's the evidence.

It's just a thought bc she obviously had an eye for photography and might have been hunting subjects. Maybe she thought she was taking a picture of an oddball hermit crossing a bridge. Colorful subject.

I might get huffed if somebody was sneaking around taking pictures of me, but I don't go into rages. This guy had some sort of issue to kill someone. .

Maybe he got p-o'd, demanded her camera, and he overreacted or knocked her off the bridge where she died hitting her head. He then killed her cousin. She witnessed it.

I don't know if it's my theory. Just a thought.

 

[kkdj]

Your post made my stomach sink.

We've discussed before that it's possible the girls noticed something about BG beforehand - and that's why Libby started recording/photographing him. But reading your post made it seem like a real possibility. Perhaps he saw them and they got the creeps - he saw an opportunity and went to his car to get his hunting gear. (Like TB in STL left the store to get his gun from his car.) Perhaps when the girls saw him walk away, they thought he left for good and they continued on with their day. Then...he returned and they were trapped on that bridge....and Libby started documenting.

I never seriously thought of it that way - with a previous encounter that day - even after discussing this case forever.

jmo

I too just drew that possible connection. BG assessed the situation, went to his car to get his weapon(s) of choice, just like TB did. hmmmm......

 

[minazoe]

emmhmmmm..yes the most likely scenario I agree. and yes another similarity , now what tales does the crime scene tell?

does the profile based on the crime scene match with TB? how similar is it? does anything left at the crime scene match the crime scene in St Louis?

I so wish they would have a presser. MOO

 

[Inthedetails]

emmhmmmm..yes the most likely scenario I agree. and yes another similarity , now what tales does the crime scene tell?

does the profile based on the crime scene match with TB? how similar is it? does anything left at the crime scene match the crime scene in St Louis?

I so wish they would have a presser. MOO

Any case info matching TB is really speculation on our part. All we know is that STL LE contacted Delphi LE after they noticed a possible connection. We don't know what prompted that call from STL to Delphi LE, and we're speculating on what the connections might be.

jmo

 

[MntnHiker]

So I decided to look think about what brought BG to the trails that day. Why go there? I do think he probably went there to see if anyone interested him there and was on the prowl. But there are many places to "hunt" for victims. I was curious if maybe he was someone who routinely went to hiking trails/paths looking for victims.

So first I tried searching for any other crimes that took place on hiking trails in IN but good luck getting any search results that aren't about Delphi (even when I did an advanced search and said -delphi). If anyone does this search and gets results, please let me know. Even if it isn't murder--someone attacked, mugged, chased, etc. Not necessarily the high bridge or even Delphi.

I am curious if he is someone local to that area in Indiana but maybe not Delphi specifically. If he was someone who liked "hunting" on hiking trails for their seclusion, even if you aren't from Delphi, if you Google for hiking trails in any of the small nearby towns, literally the first result in Google is the Monon High Bridge. I brought up a map of Delphi and searched about 5 of the closest towns on the map with "hiking trails" after the name and every single one gave me the high bridge first. Even though it may not have been super well known, I do think people outside of but near Delphi could easily find out about it. I was thinking about it this way because I love to hike (for a not creepy reason!) and by Googling and going to All Trails, etc., I have found many hiking trails in nearby cities that a lot of people don't know about. And if BG had been in/near Delphi for some other reason like visiting family or a work trip, Googling "Delphi IN hiking" brings you many websites about the historic trails, and the bridge is mentioned on all the ones I looked at. Info about it is pretty easy to find out.

I am really curious about other crimes on nearby hiking trails, and I'll continue to try some searches.

 

[Ihatekepner]

I'm sorry to ask there's thousands of pages and I can't find the beginning when I search its just the recent posts that come up. Who is TB what does that stand for ?

 

[Jabarn]

So I decided to look think about what brought BG to the trails that day. Why go there? I do think he probably went there to see if anyone interested him there and was on the prowl. But there are many places to "hunt" for victims. I was curious if maybe he was someone who routinely went to hiking trails/paths looking for victims.

So first I tried searching for any other crimes that took place on hiking trails in IN but good luck getting any search results that aren't about Delphi (even when I did an advanced search and said -delphi). If anyone does this search and gets results, please let me know. Even if it isn't murder--someone attacked, mugged, chased, etc. Not necessarily the high bridge or even Delphi.

I am curious if he is someone local to that area in Indiana but maybe not Delphi specifically. If he was someone who liked "hunting" on hiking trails for their seclusion, even if you aren't from Delphi, if you Google for hiking trails in any of the small nearby towns, literally the first result in Google is the Monon High Bridge. I brought up a map of Delphi and searched about 5 of the closest towns on the map with "hiking trails" after the name and every single one gave me the high bridge first. Even though it may not have been super well known, I do think people outside of but near Delphi could easily find out about it. I was thinking about it this way because I love to hike (for a not creepy reason!) and by Googling and going to All Trails, etc., I have found many hiking trails in nearby cities that a lot of people don't know about. And if BG had been in/near Delphi for some other reason like visiting family or a work trip, Googling "Delphi IN hiking" brings you many websites about the historic trails, and the bridge is mentioned on all the ones I looked at. Info about it is pretty easy to find out.

I am really curious about other crimes on nearby hiking trails, and I'll continue to try some searches.

In the early days, looking at similarities, there were quite a few crimes in Indiana that were similar, like this one: Woman attacked by masked gunman on Bedford hiking trail

With so much time going by, it is hard to find the other cases, but trust me, there were many similar attempts, but no completions like with A&L. That is buried in an earlier thread.

I always felt BG was hunting that day, and understood the layout of the bridge, the hiking trail in general, and how to get to the murder site. IMO, the crime attack started on the bridge, then under the bridge there seems there was some evidence of assault, and for some reason, the girls made it across Deer Creek to the murder site. Not sure if they ran away and were caught there, or were forced there.

I initially thought BG was transient, and maybe even homeless, but looking forward almost two years, he does seem to be dressed like someone out for the day. It’s just so hard to tell from the photo Libby took to say for sure.

But yes, crimes on hiking trails around that time are documented in previous posts. Some were flashers who were arrested, I believe one was a person who came up to a group of teens posing as a cop, and others were just attacks where the women got away. Others who have followed this crime for a while, too, please chime in.

 

[TTF14]

He is the man who sexually assaulted women (and murdered one) in St. Louis recently, in a Catholic supply store. There are similarities, including what he was wearing and what his face looks like. St. Louis police contacted Delphi about him after his arrest. His name is Thomas Bruce.

ETA: Ooops, forgot to quote. This is in response to @Ihatekepner

 

[heartgoesout]

The suspect is either unemployed, possible he works nights, living within walking distance, or parked his car on a dirt road close to the trail, however not from delphi. Town residents would have recognize his picture.

It's very possible they have.

 

[carbuff]

Monon High Bridge could also be known by anybody who's a railroad buff. I went to a tiny museum in the old train station of an obscure western Massachusetts town, and it was one of the twenty or so bridges they had a picture of.

 

[TTF14]

Monon High Bridge could also be known by anybody who's a railroad buff. I went to a tiny museum in the old train station of an obscure western Massachusetts town, and it was one of the twenty or so bridges they had a picture of.

From what I've observed in my life, people in Indiana tend to love the railroad and model trains. Wonder if this could be an avenue of investigation.

 

[MntnHiker]

Thank you; I will take some time this weekend to dive into the old threads. While I followed this case through the media from day 1, I just joined WS a few months ago, so I missed the early threads.