Feburary 6, 2017Morning: Libby resets phone and turns off "find my iPhone"
Details Approximate: According to Becky Patty, Libby "reset" her phone about a week before the murders, because the phone kept "freezing up on her." According to Becky, when Libby reset the phone to "factory reset" many of the apps like "find my phone" did not get reset (ie; get re-installed on the phone.) This is why they could not use "find my phone" to find Abby and Libby, the day the girls went missing.
Related People
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 12, 2017Afternoon: Busy day for Abby & Libby
Details Anna took them to the park where they practiced softball.
They ate pizza for dinner
They listened to music and worked on an art project centered around the theme of chocolate.
Watched movies with Kelsi and her friends.
Abby slept over at Libby's (Mike and Becky Patty's house) on Sunday night.
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20172:45am: Libby and Abby made several videos of themselves.
Details Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20179:00am: Carrie Timmons sent Libby a snapchat
Details According to the "Scene of the Crime" podcast, Libby's mother Carrie Timmons sent Libby a snapchat to say "Good Morning," and Libby sent back a selfie of herself in bed.
Related People
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Carrie Timmons Parent of Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Morning: Girls wake up for day
Details Mike Patty says he thinks the girls woke up around 10AM. Derrick made the girls banana pancakes.
Libby and Abby were bored and asked Becky if they could do something. Becky said if they would help her do some filing, they could go shopping later. They also painted a desk in Libby's room.
Libby grew restless and wanted an outing.
Around lunchtime, the girls asked Becky if they could go on a hike at the Monon High Bridge. Libby and Kelsi had been before. It was a common place for the family to go, and Libby had crossed the bridge many times before. Kelsi said they had been there many times before geo-caching or riding bikes, or enjoying the scenery and taking pictures.
Abby's mother said that Abby did not ask her if it was okay for Abby to go. Abby had played in the creek before. But Anna said she would have given permission.
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Anna Williams Parent of Victim
Feburary 13, 201712:00pm: Abandoned car near trail
Details According to the (February 2018) corrected Indiana State Police press release: A vehicle is parked at the "Old CPS Building" in the City of Delphi - that was abandoned on the east side of - inaudible - next to the Hoosier Highway between the hours of noon and 5 on February 14 13, 2017
Old CPS Building
Feburary 13, 20171:23pm: Derrick German heads to Frankfort
Details Libby's father, Derrick German, leaves the house, headed for Frankfort, on an errand for his mother, Becky Patty
Feburary 13, 20171:30pm: 16-year old witness sees Bridge Guy
Details 1:26PM: A 16-Year-Old female witness is with a group of friends near the Freedom Bridge. They are getting ready to leave. The 16-Year-Old takes a picture on her phone.
1:27PM Approximate: The female witness sends the photo to her mother. The timing of the taking and sending of this photo later helps this witness remember when she saw BG.
1:30 PM: The 16-Year-Old female is near the benches near the Freedom Bridge, notices BG and says hello to him. BG gave her a look that frightened her.
• She passed him on a narrow trail just a few feet away. She said he was her height (5' 6") or maybe an inch taller. LE now says 5'6" to 5'8".
• Later, when the 16-year-old female witness heard Abby and Libby were missing, the witness thought about the man she saw, and called it in.
• This witness described BG without having first seen Libby's video.
She gave LE a description that matched Libby's pics/vid. At least a day before LE released them. blue jeans, blue coat and a hoodie pulled up over a short-billed hat. also some sort of covering over the lower half of his face.
• This witness is one of two witnesses responsible for the Newsboy cap sketch, that was not released until July of 2017.
Freedom Bridge
Feburary 13, 20171:36pm: Kelsi gets a call from her boyfriend while driving girls to bridge
Details Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Kelsi German Sibling of Victim
Feburary 13, 20171:38pm: Libby & Abby dropped at trailhead
Details The parking lot at this entrance is called the Mears Lot.
• This is not the main entrance to the trail which is at the Freedom Bridge - further up the road, towards Delphi
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Kelsi German Sibling of Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Afternoon: Libby calls her dad to pick them up later
Details Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20172:07pm: Libby takes a picture of Abby on the Monon High Bridge
Details Libby posted a photo of Abby walking the bridge; after this they weren’t heard from again.
Monon High Bridge
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20172:15pm: Libby captures video of killer walking towards them
Details Monon High Bridge
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Unknown Suspect aka Bridge Guy (BG) Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 2017Afternoon: Audio recording on Libby's phone of killer saying, "Guys... Down the hill."
Details Audio recording on Libbys's phone of BG saying, "Guys... Down the hill." It is not known if BG said those two things at once or separate times, as LE released "Down the hill," during one press conference and "Guys" during another, years later. Derrick said LE told the families that there is no audio beyond "Down the hill..."
BG, Libby and Abby cross Deer Creek from the South side (Sanders property) to the North side (Logan property.)
No one was home at the Sanders property when the girls and BG crossed the creek and the girls were murdered
Bodies Found (Ron Logan Property)
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Unknown Suspect aka Bridge Guy (BG) Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 2017Afternoon: The girls are murdered by the unknown killer
Details Bodies Found (Ron Logan Property)
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Afternoon: Cheyenne Mekisha Engles enters the trails
Details Cheyenne Mekisha Engles says she entered the trails at approximately 2:45/2:50PM. Having parked at the Mears lot - the same lot where Abby and Libby were dropped by Kelsi.
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Related People 2nd Eyewitness Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Cheyenne Mekisha Engle takes picture of Monon High Bridge
Details Cheyenne says she took this picture while standing on the south end of the bridge.
• Cheyenne says she walked across the bridge (from north to south), and took a picture at the south end at approximately 2:50-3:00PM. (Shadow analysis seems to confirm that the picture was taken around 3PM, not 2:50.)
• Another Photo Cheyenne says she took at about 3PM.
• Cheyenne says she didn't hear or see anything at that time.
• Cheyenne later posted on Jamie Kelley's Facebook: “I even walked all the way across the bridge and back. I only [saw] a guy when I first got there, and another couple [of guys] once I got on the bridge. I didn’t see the girls at all. I also didn’t take the trail that leads to the right. [I] only took the trail that lead to the bridge.”
• This Facebook post seems to be a typo. Cheyenne typed that she was on the trails and bridge between 3:45 and 3:50 when she probably meant to type that she was there between 2:45 and 2:50, and was to the bridge by about 3.
• This Facebook post clarifies that Cheyenne was already walking on the trails by 2:50, so she was able to take the picture she says she did at 3PM.
• In this Facebook post Cheyenne says she was there "around 3PM."
• Cheyenne explains that she saw a woman there that she knew. Cheyenne says she knew the arguing couple as well.
• It's likely the girls were dead and BG was exiting the trail system by 3PM. If Cheyenne was not on the bridge until 3PM, she would have missed seeing him or anything important.
Monon High Bridge
Related People 2nd Eyewitness Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: 3rd eyewitness arrives at Mears lot
Details 20-Something male witness arrives at the Mears lot with his girlfriend.
They walk slowly along the 501 trail, towards the High Bridge.
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Related People 3rd eyewitness Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: 3rd eyewitness sees Bridge Man near Freedom Bridge
Details G passes the 20-Something male witness and his girlfriend. BG is heading west towards the Freedom Bridge.
• The witness said BG's hat was exposed, no hoodie. The girlfriend did not notice BG at all. The couple were apparently having an argument.
• This witness was the male in the "arguing couple" that FSG/Dave McCain told Derrick about.
• When this witness saw the photo from Libby's phone (it was released a few days after the murders), the witness called it in and said, "that's the man I saw."
• /u/bitterbeatpoet
commented on Facebook about what the male witness said he saw as BG was "leaving."
• The 16 Year Old Female Witness and the 20-Something male witness are the sources for the newsboy cap sketch, and neither was very happy with the sketch. They both said the man was not wearing a newsboy cap. The mid-20's male witness has stated that the man he saw was NOT the newer sketch. That who he saw was the man in Libby's video. a much older man.
• Both witnesses say BG was wearing a hat, that looked like a painters cap. The man said painters cap and the girl said short brim. Both witnesses say BG was wearing a scarf covering the lower part of his face. Both witnesses were with people who did not notice BG. Neither witness has ever said that they could pick BG out of a line up, and it's unlikely they could.
• The only difference is that the girl witness said BG had a hoodie over his hat. And the man witness said, no hoodie, just hat. One conclusion is the hoodie came off, during the murders, and BG didn't bother to put it back up again.
Freedom Bridge
Related People
Unknown Suspect aka Bridge Guy (BG) Person With Information / Witness
3rd eyewitness Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 20173:11pm: Libby's dad call her; goes to voicemail
Details Libby's father, Derrick German, is crossing Wilson's Bridge, and leaves a message on Libby's phone that he's almost there. Libby's phone went to voice mail.
Derrick leaves this message at about the same time that the male witness and his girlfriend are passing BG, who is heading west, towards the Freedom Bridge.
Wilson's Bridge
Related People
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20173:13pm: Derrick arrives at trail; calls Libby again then sends text
Details Derrick called Libby when he arrived at the Mary Gerard entrance/Mears Parking Lot. No answer. Derrick also sent a text.
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Related People
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Derrick encounters another hiker
Details On the trail, at the five trail intersection, Derrick encounters a man wearing a flannel shirt: "Flannel Shirt Guy" ie; Dave McCain.
FSG/Dave McCain was walking West on the 501 trail, coming from the bridge. FSG said he had not seen the girls.
FSG/Dave McCain told Derrick there was a couple "down by the bridge," but no girls. *McCain told Derrick the couple was "down at the bridge." McCain did not say "under the bridge." The word "under was added by Becky Patty in a YouTube interview with Gray Huze. Derrick never said that.
On Facebook, Derrick said that FSG said that he had seen a couple "down at the bridge." According to Derrick, FSG did not say "underneath." The idea that the couple was underneath the bridge was added by Becky Patty on Gray Huze YouTube channel. By saying "down at the bridge," FSG was not saying "under the bridge."
Derrick was later shown pictures of Dan McCain, and said that Dan is not FSG. Derrick was shown pictures of Dave McCain and said that Dave could be FSG. Dan McCain is on the Wabash & Erie Canal Board of Directors and is not a suspect - and neither is David McCain.
Related People Dave McCain Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 20173:24pm: Derrick calls Libby
Details As he walked the trail, Derrick tried Libby's phone again. No answer.
Feburary 13, 20173:32pm: Derrick calls Libby
Details Derrick tries Libby's phone again. No answer.
Feburary 13, 20173:33pm: Derrick calls his mother (Libby's Grandmother), Becky Patty
Details Now back at his vehicle, Derrick calls his mother (Libby's Grandmother), Becky Patty, to see if the girls are already home. Derrick tells Becky Patty that Libby is not answering her phone.
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Derrick calls his sister
Details Derrick calls his sister Tara, and left her a message asking if Tara had heard from the girls.
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Derrick walks to Freedom Bridge; runs into flannel shirt guy again
Details Derrick walks to the Freedom Bridge. Along the way, he encounters FSG/Dave McCain again. Unknown if Derrick met up with the couple, or Cheyenne.
Freedom Bridge
Related People Dave McCain Person With Information / Witness
Feburary 13, 20173:57pm: Derrick call Libby
Details Related People
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20173:58pm: Derrick calls Becky again
Details Feburary 13, 20174:12pm: Becky calls Kelsi
Details Becky called Kelsi who initially let the phone go to voicemail (thinking it was a robocall). When Becky called a second time, Kelsi noticed the missed call was from her grandmother, so she called Becky right back. (Kelsi is at her boyfriend's house.) Becky asked Kelsi if she had heard from Libby, and Kelsi said no, she hadn't.
Related People
Kelsi German Sibling of Victim
Feburary 13, 20174:17pm: Becki calls Libby
Details Becky tries to call Libby again and gets "no response."
Related People
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 20174:17pm: Becki starts to call the girls' friends
Details Becky Patty calls the girls' friends to see if any had heard from Abby and Libby. None had.
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Becky talks to Tara (her daughter); they go to trails to look for girls
Details Becky speaks with her daughter Tara and they decide to go to the trails to help look for the girls.
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Becky calls Mike to let him know the girls are missing
Details Becky calls her husband Mike Patty to let him know the girls are missing; that she and Tara are going to the trails to join Derrick, and search for the girls. Mike is in Lafayette, about 30 minutes away. He says he'll leave work asap, and meet them at the trails to help look.
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Cody arrives at home (Becky & Mike's)
Details Approximate: Becky's son who is also Libby's uncle arrives home (he also lives with Mike and Becky Patty.) It is agreed that Cody will also head to the trails. Cody drives one of the routes that the girls could have taken if they'd decided to walk home. Becky drives the other route that the girls could have taken, if they decided to walk home.
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Tara arrives at the trails; Derrick waits with Tara
Details Tara arrives at the trails before Becky. Derrick gets in Tara's car and they sit and wait for Becky.
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Becky arrives at trails
Details Becky arrives at the Mears lot and sees Derrick's car, Tara's car, and Cody's car
Mary Gerard Nature Preserve
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Kelsi leaves her boyfriend's house & heads to trails
Details Nervous that the girls were missing, Kelsi left her boyfriend's house, drove to the trails, and arrived just after Becky.
Related People
Kelsi German Sibling of Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Becky calls Anna (Abby's mom)
Details Becky tries to reach Anna (Abby's mother) via cell phone and is unable to make contact. Becky drives to Anna's house, and is told by a family member that Anna is at work, waiting tables. Becky drives to the restaurant, and while en route, Anna calls Becky back. (Anna says this happened between 4:30 and 5PM). Anna left work and headed to the sheriff's station. Anna called a friend and asked him to check the City Park for the girls.
Related People
Anna Williams Parent of Victim
Feburary 13, 20175:00pm: Mike Patty arrives and joins the search
Details Mike Patty arrives and parks across the street in the Mears driveway. Mr. Mears joined the search. Mike continued to call Libby's phone repeatedly. The phone is now going straight to voice mail.
Feburary 13, 20175:20pm: Mike Patty reports girls missing
Details Mike Patty reports the girls missing to local police.
Feburary 13, 20175:30pm: Kelsi goes to work
Details Kelsi goes to work as she is an hour late for her 4:30 shift.
Related People
Kelsi German Sibling of Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Early Evening: Delphi Fire Dept tones were struck
Details Secondary calls went out to the Volunteer Fire Dept who responded in Fire Dept. Vehicles and Personal Vehicles.
Feburary 13, 2017Evening: The search begins
Details Volunteers join law enforcement to search for the girls; Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby says there's no reason to believe the girls are in immediate danger. A search effort involved law enforcement and volunteers. Carroll County Sheriff's Department, Delphi Police Department, and Delphi Fire Department. The Department of Natural Resources joined in the search.
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
Feburary 13, 2017Evening: Family/friends start circulating posts on Facebook
Details Family and friends start circulating Facebook posts, looking for the girls
Feburary 13, 20176:20pm: Sunset
Details Feburary 13, 2017Evening: Police begin to talk of calling off search
Details At some time between 7PM and 8PM, the commander talked about ending the search for the night and starting at light.
Feburary 13, 201710:29pm: Leazenby: We've tried pinging cells
Details Carroll County Sherriff Tobe Leazenby says they tried pinging the girls' cell phones, without success. Leazenby believed the cell phones were either out of battery life or turned off, intentionally.
Feburary 13, 201711:00pm: First TV news reports begin
Details As soon as the 16YO Female witness heard the girls were missing, she called in a report of seeing a man whose expression frightened her at the Freedom Bridge at 1:30PM. It's unknown when exactly the female witness became aware the girls were missing. But she reported the 1:30PM incident before the bodies were discovered, and before LE released Libby's photo of BG. So she described BG, and what he was wearing, before seeing the photo. However, BG was wearing a scarf over the lower part of his face and a hat pulled down over the upper half. It's unlikely this witness would be able to pick BG up out of a line up. This witness was one of two responsible for the newsboy cap sketch, released three months later.
Feburary 13, 2017Late Night: Search ends for the night
Details Carroll County Sherriff Tobe Leazenby calls off the LE search, believing that Abby and Libby might be with friends. Leazenby said there was no reason to believe the girls were in imminent danger.
February 14, 2017Late Night: Leazenby says he thinks the girls were likely with a friend
Details February 14, 20177:40am: Sunrise
Details February 14, 2017Early Morning: Search resumes
Details After an exhaustive night of searching for Abby and Libby, teams continue looking for the teens in the morning. The effort includes police, volunteeers, K9 units, and dive teams.
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
February 14, 2017Morning: Abby & Libby's bodies are found
Details Search teams find two bodies about a half-mile away from the bridge at 12 p.m.The bodies were about 50 feet (15 m) from the north bank of Deer Creek.
Bodies Found (Ron Logan Property)
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
February 14, 20172:00pm: News conference - foul play mentioned
Details During a 2 p.m.news conference, authorities say they found two bodies without providing identification. They say for the first time that "foul play" is suspected.
February 15, 20178:00am: Autopsies conducted
Details Autopsies are conducted in Terre Haute at 8 a.m.. Authorities convene a meeting to discuss the findings.
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
February 15, 20173:00pm: Identifies confirmed/Announce double homicide investigation
Details At 3 p.m., police confirm the identities of the bodies found as those of Libby and Abby. They say the case is being investigated as a double homicide.
February 15, 20177:00pm: Photo released of suspect
Details At 7 p.m., Indiana State Police release a photo of a man seen walking on the trail around the time the girls disappeared. They stop short of calling him a suspect.
February 16, 2017Afternoon: Tip line set up
Details Police set up a tip line for information in the case. In the evening, state police search a home in Delphi. No arrests are made.
February 17, 2017Afternoon: Younger guy sketch created but not released
Details February 18, 20174:00pm: Public visitation held
Details A public visitation is held for the girls at Delphi Community High School at 4 p.m.
Delphi Community High School
Related People
Abigail “Abby” Williams Victim
Liberty “Libby” German Victim
February 19, 2017Afternoon: Police announce man in photo is suspect
Details Related People
Unknown Suspect aka Bridge Guy (BG) Person With Information / Witness
February 19, 2017Afternoon: Abby and Libby's funerals are held
Details Feburary 22, 201710:00am: Audio released
Details It is revealed that Libby recorded video and audio of the suspect on her cell phone. The recording, which is released to the pubic, appears to capture a man's voice saying, "Down the hill."
Authorities say that there is more footage from Libby’s phone, but that they would not be releasing it because the investigation was ongoing.
March 17, 2017Afternoon: Ron Logan's house is searched
Details Indiana State Police, the FBI and Carroll County sheriff's deputies serve a search warrant at the home of Ron Logan, who owns the 30-acre property where Abby and Libby were found.
Bodies Found (Ron Logan Property)
July 17, 2017Afternoon: Release sketch of suspect
Details The sketch was drawn IN PART from a description provided by a witness who saw the man, walking near Delphi, around the time the girls were killed.
Leazenby could not divulge where the witness saw the man. But authorities consider the man in the sketch to be the killer.
The witness only recently met with an FBI sketch artist to provide facial details for the rendering.
Riley said the sketch is “an artist’s composite of the information” collected by all agencies involved in the investigation. Riley said the witness who saw the suspect was close enough to him to say that he did not have blue eyes, but was uncertain of his eye color.
Riley said fear may have played a role in the witness’ decision not to come forward sooner with a description of the suspect. “People are scared. They’re scared to be recognized by the subject."
Riley said investigators believe the man in the photos and in the new artist’s sketch killed both girls.
Related People
Unknown Suspect aka Bridge Guy (BG) Person With Information / Witness
March 22, 2019Afternoon: Law enforcement releases updated sketch
Details The Indiana State Police release a new sketch of the suspect as they announce a "new direction" at a press conference. This "new" sketch was created on February 17, 2017.
April 28, 2021Police announce they are looking into a potential new suspect in a crime 20 miles from Delphi.
Details Investigators said they are looking for connections between this case, and another one in Lafayette, Indiana, around 20 miles away. James Chadwell II, attacked and assulted a nine-year old girl. Police found her alive, locked in his basement about 30 minutes after she went missing.
Related People
James Chadwell II Person With Information / Witness
October 26, 2022Authorities make an arrest in Abby and Libby's murder
Details Authorities arrest a 50 year old Delphi man named Richard Allen on October 26, 2022 in connection with Abby and Libby's case.
Related People
Richard Allen Person of Interest / Suspect
October 28, 2022Authorities charge Richard Allen with Abby and Libby's murders
Details Authorities announce a press conference will be held on October 31, 2022 to release new information in the case. On the same day, they formally charge Richard Allen, a Delphi resident, with their murders.
Related People
Richard Allen Person of Interest / Suspect
October 31, 2022Morning: Authorities hold a press conference
Details During a press conference, authorities announce the arrest of Richard Allen and also announce that he has been charged with two counts of murder in Abby and Libby's case. They also announce that Allen has entered a not guilty plea and is being held without bond at a local jail. He is expected to return to court in January of 2023 and his trial is set to begin in March of 2023.
Related People
Richard Allen Person of Interest / Suspect