IN - Abigail Williams, 13, & Liberty German, 14, Delphi, 13 Feb 2017 # 80

[BIC]

Watching GH's video, I was surprised how extremely close the driveway was beneath the end of the bridge, where Libby recorded the video and "down the hill". As the crow flies, the private drive, before it bends toward the residence, leads almost directly to the river and the area where the bodies were discovered. Where the private driveway runs under the bridge does not appear to be visable from the residence.

The POI location is also identified here - Post #96 Map by "No It's Not"
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...Liberty-German-14-Delphi-13-Feb-2017-13/page7

My current theory, a slight deviation from GH's.

This tragedy was a planned abduction and the suspect knew the girls were heading to the bridge to take photos. Possibly via SM.
1. Suspect parks in the public parking area waiting for the girls to get dropped off.
2. After they arrive he drives to the private driveway and parks near or beneath the bridge with the intent to kidnap them from the bridge, into his vehicle.
3. Suspect crosses bridge and at a site unseen, waits for Abby and Libby to start walking on the bridge.
4. Suspect crosses back over the bridge, behind the girls, when they are near the end.
5. Towards the end of the bridge he attracts their attention, pulls a gun and orders them "down the hill" toward the vehicle.
6. The girls resist, and eventually flee partway down the private driveway and then directly across the river. Once they've crossed, the suspect abandons the abduction and shoots to kill, leaving no witnesses.
7. Suspect leaves the scene.

From the time the girls get to the end of the bridge, events take place very quickly, possibly in less than 10 minutes. The suspect was sighted before the murders walking around or near the parking lot area as he was waiting.

Just my opinion......

That’s plausible. I think SM might play a big role in this, especially after the press conference in Flora a week or 2 after the murders, when they told parents to know what their children are doing online. Paraphrasing. IMO

 

[Cryptic]

Whoever did this knew to intercept on the SE side of the bridge, to go 'down the hill', to (likely) cross the creek at a shallow point, etc. And he knew how to get out of there.

Even if you had it all planned out on the map, you wouldn't know where the creek was shallow or that you could go down the hill to the private drive and then across to where the bodies were found and out from there via the cemetery (without being seen by bridge traffic).

Very well said.

The circumstances surrounding this crime seem to shout "local resident" or "former local resident". Then factor in that he apparently fled cross country and not by a road also points to local knowledge.

I am sure the police have canvassed all current locals with violence / sex based criminal convictions as well as the never been arrested, but known to be aggressive or just plain creepy types.

I would then go to the high school year books and the memories of retired teachers, guidance councilors, clergy and law enforcement for a list of past residents, even say 25 years ago, that fit one or more of those characteristics.

 

[heartgoesout]

Dedee, I'm interested in hearing more of your point of interest of BP. I did see he has strikingly blue eyes.

 

[ocgrad]

Watching GH's video, I was surprised how extremely close the driveway was beneath the end of the bridge, where Libby recorded the video and "down the hill". As the crow flies, the private drive, before it bends toward the residence, leads almost directly to the river and the area where the bodies were discovered. Where the private driveway runs under the bridge does not appear to be visable from the residence.

The POI location is also identified here - Post #96 Map by "No It's Not"
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...Liberty-German-14-Delphi-13-Feb-2017-13/page7

My current theory, a slight deviation from GH's.

This tragedy was a planned abduction and the suspect knew the girls were heading to the bridge to take photos. Possibly via SM.
1. Suspect parks in the public parking area waiting for the girls to get dropped off.
2. After they arrive he drives to the private driveway and parks near or beneath the bridge with the intent to kidnap them from the bridge, into his vehicle.
3. Suspect crosses bridge and at a site unseen, waits for Abby and Libby to start walking on the bridge.
4. Suspect crosses back over the bridge, behind the girls, when they are near the end.
5. Towards the end of the bridge he attracts their attention, pulls a gun and orders them "down the hill" toward the vehicle.
6. The girls resist, and eventually flee partway down the private driveway and then directly across the river. Once they've crossed, the suspect abandons the abduction and shoots to kill, leaving no witnesses.
7. Suspect leaves the scene.

From the time the girls get to the end of the bridge, events take place very quickly, possibly in less than 10 minutes. The suspect was sighted before the murders walking around or near the parking lot area as he was waiting.

Just my opinion......

Just about my same theory. I have always thought the road under the bridge played a major part.

 

[heartgoesout]

Very well said.

The circumstances surrounding this crime seem to shout "local resident" or "former local resident". Then factor in that he apparently fled cross country and not by a road also points to local knowledge.

I am sure the police have canvassed all current locals with violence / sex based criminal convictions as well as the never been arrested, but known to be aggressive or just plain creepy types.

I would then go to the high school year books and retired teachers, guidance councilors, clergy and law enforcement for a list of past residents, even say 20 years ago, that fit those characteristics.

Agreed. Someone asked me on the other thread my reasons for my thought process on why I think BG is right under everyones nose. I think this is a close to home case. I too think this screams local guy. The bridge area is not a place some random outsider shows up at.

I have been looking for access to yearbooks. Current and past. I think they could hold the key.

I feel it's plausibe someone has overheard the girls talk about this place a few times and with school being out, for teachers, janitors and school bus drivers too, knew he could find them there and knew the area. (as always jmo)

 

[first_light]

Maybe the girls passed him on the way to the bridge, he saw them start over the bridge, then he checked to see if other people were coming, then proceeded over the bridge. IMO

This is how l think the BG possibly came across the victims here as well. He could’ve been there before that day surely, or he could’ve walked the trail the first time that day. If he had walked the trail only once, he would’ve known it wasn’t a loop trail where people could be anywhere along the loop going either way on the loop. If he stayed in one area long enough, he would’ve known who was where on the trail.... waiting a lull in trail activity with isolated victim/ victims.

MOO

 

[Jabarn]

There are too many great thoughts to comment on each directly here, but I do appreciate new thinking that BG might have come up for the SE side of the bridge for the abduction (not to say he wasn’t aware of where they were from the drop off point). It’s the only thing that makes sense, given the carefree picture of Abby, with nothing but bridge in the background, and all the sudden, there’s the bridge guy, in the pics.

 

[heartgoesout]

oh and I think BG appears to walk the bridge too confidently to be a first timer on a questionable, pretty high bridge.

 

[BIC]

There are too many great thoughts to comment on each directly here, but I do appreciate new thinking that BG might have come up for the SE side of the bridge for the abduction (not to say he wasn’t aware of where they were from the drop off point). It’s the only thing that makes sense, given the carefree picture of Abby, with nothing but bridge in the background, and all the sudden, there’s the bridge guy, in the pics.

They’ve said there are other pictures on the phone, we may never know what’s on them, but he could have appeared soon after that picture of Abby. IMO

 

[Jabarn]

oh and I think BG appears to walk the bridge too confidently to be a first timer on a questionable, pretty high bridge.

Well, I wonder about that, too. The pics of the BG don’t suggest total confidence to me. He is looking down, studying the tracks. It’s a pretty scary bridge with wide spaced planks, and I am not convinced he walked it’s whole length.

Perhaps he came up at the SE end, went past the girls, and walked back toward them, scaring them, completely. Libby may have been already filming, but if she wasn’t, no doubt she did then. Just my IMO, but seeing a little bit of lean that way tonight, anyway.

 

[first_light]

oh and I think BG appears to walk the bridge too confidently to be a first timer on a questionable, pretty high bridge.

A valid point. I’ve never been on the MHB, but if I ever were, I certainly wouldn’t walk it with my hands in my pockets! He wasn’t afraid he’d need to catch himself I surmise.

MOO

 

[passepartout]

There is actually no evidence (that we know of) that BG was ever on the other side (N) side of the bridge.

The 'witness' situation is very unclear to me, especially with DC's request on MK that we look at the body and not the face. Is LE backing away from their sketch? It's never been clear how many witnesses were involved in the sketch process but Holeman (IIRC) referred to a witness as 'she' in the press conference last summer, seeming to indicate that there was only one and it is female. What if that witness turned out to be unreliable? Is there any other reason why LE would be disavowing the sketch?

Has the plaid jacket guy ever been ID'd? Did LE speak to him? What about 'the couple' on the bridge? Knowing their specific timelines and their movements might help pin down BG's routes and timeline.

 

[Jabarn]

A valid point. I’ve never been on the MHB, but if I ever were, I certainly wouldn’t walk it with my hands in my pockets! He wasn’t afraid he’d need to catch himself I surmise.

MOO

The hands being in the pockets (or pocket) is important. It’s hard to tell for sure, but I have always thought there was something in that pocket. It is distorted in the images, and plenty of people here have speculated. To me, it has looked like a gun. But it’s such a tough image to sort out, and I really don’t know.

I am becoming more certain the BG didn’t follow them down the bridge, but came up from the end where the video and pics happened. It is important to sort that out, and likely the investigators have. To me it means there are lots more clues under the bridge and in the general area down by Deer Creek.

Good night everyone... I hope like you all do, there is justice.

 

[Vabulous]

I do have a question, it was my understanding that there was DNA evidence left at scene, is there any word on if they have checked it aginst any suspects?

 

[margarita25]

Doug Carter was asked about the image and audio. He skirts around the answer about Liberty's phone being an iPhone.

MK: Were there any eyewitnesses who saw him? DC replies: No, there were not.

I am confused here....was this an automatic response and unintentional slip up by DC as to there being no real witness who contributed to the sketch?? In other words genetic phenotyping after all?

 

[FindHG]

I tend to agree with you about most of this.

I think the guy's a predator. He doesn't see the world the same way the rest of us do. He's on the hunt, ready to leap at opportunity. He probably notices things like escape routes and line of sight automatically, without even having to think about it. If there's danger of getting caught, that might even add to the thrill.

Totally speculating below off your post, carbuff...

I wonder if he's done something similar by a bridge somewhere before, off a rail bridge?

The height of the bridge may have given him more visibility to know who was around and where, at the time?

Maybe he had someway of tracking people around the park, an electronic device, binoculars, or just good eyes and ears?

Keep getting caught on the idea that something about this freak may have gotten a thrill from being up, high and predatory. There seem to be less risky spots for an abduction along the route the girls took. So, he may have had a plan to leave from a direction he may have known was safe and unseen.

He thought this through and got away, not expecting to be captured on his victims' cell phone, so he would think about changing his appearance? Was he wearing a wig? Is that what all the confusion about his hat is?

He's seems to have a jowly roundish face, shortish neck, white adult male with small shoulders and arms, a roundish torso, not too in shape, with maybe just a mustache now and a shaved or very short haircut?

So, would he drive a car that's up and high too? Maybe a real macho pickup truck he'd use to stalk that would seem normal parked at parks? What kind of vehicle would least stand out in that area for stalking and not standing out?

If he is so fast at stalking, murder and getting away, not by luck, but practice, then could he also be a thief, or something else with the same skill set, a hunter maybe or something else, with some reason to be in Delphi, in this area before?

 

[margarita25]

I would like to see the big picture/ visual of the city trail as it connects to the area near the bridge. MP said the trails connect to the city. What is the distance? Maybe he walked from town?

 

[margarita25]

So, what's the deal? I haven't seen an official rule out statement on DN yet, but it sure seems like they think he might not be BG??

 

[Jo in Calif]

So, what's the deal? I haven't seen an official rule out statement on DN yet, but it sure seems like they think he might not be BG??

I think they pretty much told us that when they returned from Colorado.

 

[first_light]

I would like to see the big picture/ visual of the city trail as it connects to the area near the bridge. MP said the trails connect to the city. What is the distance? Maybe he walked from town?

https://www.traillink.com/trail-maps/delphi-historic-trails/

Walking from town is not implausible