MOO about this case and the monster on the bridge, BG.
I know that I'm not saying anything new, but I've followed this case on and off but only recently made an account here, and I wanted to sort of compile all my thoughts on this case after going over some of the old threads.
IMO he is not a shut-in, meth addicted SO with crippling self esteem issues. If he was any of the local "usual suspects" I believe LE would have already got him. I believe he is a narcissist, any crippling self-esteem issues disguised from the world under a mask of a normal person, or at least someone who is confident with giving an air of authority in his day-to-day life. He might be a coach, outdoorsman, former military, firefighter, security guard, or has done that or similar at some point in the past. He is probably able to keep up appearances of a level of normalcy, holding a job and maybe even having a "normal" family life despite red flags for those around him. I doubt those around him know of his activities and are covering for him, more likely they have no idea, or have some red flags about his general behavior but nothing solid to make them think he is BG.
I believe you can pick up on this in the way he approached the girls, confident in his plan, and gave a short simple order to them. It sounds to my ear the way a coach or even parent (I shudder at that thought) would speak to teens - not raising his voice or repeating himself, just expecting them to obey, and using the word "guys" in a way that to me hints at familiarity, even if they didn't know him. That alone may have been a factor in how he was able to control the two initially, with the gun lending dangerous weight. I think Libby and Abby may have picked up on red flags seeing him before and when he approached them, but his confidence, and then the gun, meant he had control of the situation before any alarm bells could go off/sink in. I think he displays planning and efficient use of time that hint at being a motivated, pre-planned killer going after a random target, rather than someone who simply seized on an opportunity they could not resist. That is not to say I think he stalked the girls beforehand or lured them there, but I think the location was chosen and he "took what he could get" in a similar way to Israel Keyes. IMO he planned and created the trap, Abby and Libby were just the ones with the horrible luck to be caught in it. I think he dressed for spending some time in the elements to lie in wait, brought a kill kit along that day, and knew the trails well enough to know which ones lead where so he could be reasonably sure he was alone with his victims. I do not think there was a car down below; I think the down the hill, out of view along the creek was always his intended second location.
I also believe he is not necessarily local to Delphi, but comfortable with the area and probably the kind of guy that spends a lot of time outdoors or travelling around communities (again, possibly former military or being very into the outdoors, hunting, camping, or driving a lot through rural areas for his job). My own father is like that and my family often jokes that you could drive him blindfolded to any random spot in our state, drop him off and he would be able to tell you exactly where you are. There are a LOT of men like this in the mid-west and I personally don't think he would really stick out to people if he looked typical, even in a small town like Delphi.
I think if he has a prior record it is probably not strikingly similar - maybe previous violence toward women but not minors, or just a relatively innocuous criminal record. LE may have DNA tied to another case but not a known individual at this time. (I really hope they simply have DNA of an unknown individual, possibly tied to another crime, rather than none or a bad sample).
I fear the lack of an obvious record, being not-quite-local, and choosing victims randomly/unconnected to himself makes it a lot harder to find whoever did this.
Other random observations and thoughts:
Catfishing is a theory I've always personally thought is quite unlikely, but I would like to hear others thoughts on why they disagree.
I could see him lashing out from a narcissistic injury but I believe in that case, its likely the injury came from someone else and his lashing out at Libby and Abby was randomly chosen.
I think BG may be left handed both from what appears to be the imprint of a concealed gun in the right side of his jacket in the images and from what I think looks like a watch on his right wrist.
I agree with the profiles that say he is a visually oriented individual. I don't think he is a voice actor, announcer or anything like others have suggested, but has a typical regional accent and demeanor to many men in that area. If he does have a job or role in the community where he uses his voice (I'm forgetting the source/quote with a LEO or family member who say they think they may be familiar with the voice?), maybe a member of the umpire's league for school ballgames in the area. That would have him visiting a lot of the small towns in the region and potentially also knowing when school is out, as well as being around kids like Abby and Libby but in a less well-known and less identifiable role as a coach would be.
He probably does read about the case and possibly even comment. I can't see a narcissist who would leave signatures and be confident in his own intelligence (whether that is founded or, more likely, not) being able to resist doing so over the years this case has been getting attention. For the record I don't think he's all that smart, just lucky, so far, and slightly better at planning than some of the POI commonly mentioned in this case would be. CE is one that gave me pause for a long time though, and I still can't shake him from my mind as a possibility. And I don't discount him just because LE say they cannot definitely tie him to the area. He is a dead ringer for that first sketch IMO.
Personally I just don't see the BG in the photos/video in that second sketch, but that might just be chalked up to the witness and artist, who knows. I'd be shocked if BG looks more like the second sketch than the first. I also think he is far closer to 40 (or even 50+) than 18, to put it mildly. Everything about that video, and all the other details, seems like a middle aged or older man to me.
I hope that this year, they might assign a someone new to go over old evidence and tips from a fresh perspective and consider everything, even if it was discounted.
I know one thing with absolute certainty. It's been too long for these families without justice, the community living in fear, and I hope that no matter if I'm right or totally off base, we have our answers soon. Abby and Libby should be going to college or starting their young adult lives now, and all that was stolen by this monster. I doubt he is capable of remorse but I hope he fears that knock on the door every single moment.