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.
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.
Feburary 13, 20172:45am: Libby and Abby made several videos of themselves.
Details 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.
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.
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, 20171:36pm: Kelsi gets a call from her boyfriend while driving girls to bridge
Details 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.
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, 20173:57pm: Derrick call Libby
Details 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.
Feburary 13, 20174:17pm: Becki calls Libby
Details Becky tries to call Libby again and gets "no response."
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: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 19, 2017Afternoon: Police announce man in photo is suspect
Details 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
May 7, 2024Trial Against Richard Allen Delayedd
Details The jury trial against Richard Allen is pushed back to October due to concerns from the defense team that they would not have adequate time to present their case.
Related People
Richard Allen Person of Interest / Suspect