Relatives say a mysterious and fake social media account is connected to the murders of two girls who were out for a hike in Delphi, Ind., in 2017.
Becky Patty, the grandmother of victim Liberty “Libby” German, 14, sat down with FOX News on Monday for an exclusive interview that corroborated a few recently learned details about the investigation — and then added some more to the narrative.
German and her best friend Abigail Williams, 13, vanished while walking the Monon High Bridge trail — named after an abandoned railroad line. Police believe Libby, who was said by her grandmother to have enjoyed watching crime shows on television, recorded video and a brief few words from her suspected killer.
“Guys . . . down the hill,” said a man seen in a brief clip recorded by the now-dead teen.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Tony Slocum said German was a “hero” for having made the recording.
“There’s no doubt,” he said in a clip replayed by FOX News. “To have enough presence of mind to activate the video system on her cell phone to record what we believe is criminal behavior that is about to occur.”
The investigation has heretofore involved multiple police sketches and thousands of tips about what might have occurred.
Last December, the authorities said a fake profile listed under the name Anthony_shots may have been connected to the killings, FOX News reported. The profile photos showed a male model, but the account belonged to Keegan Anthony Kline, 27, of Peru, Ind., FOX News said. The man who created the profile was in jail awaiting trial on child pornography charges, Patty said noted in the appearance on FOX.
“I know for a fact that this Anthony_shots account did have contact with Libby,” Patty told FOX News Senior Correspondent Laura Ingle. “I feel that he knows more than he says.”
Kline has not been charged in connection with the girl’s deaths, but a police document FOX said was “accidentally posted online” indicated that Kline admitted he spoke with Libby using the Anthony_shots profile on the day Libby died, the network reported. Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR, however, said that the document — a 194-page transcript — had been obtained pursuant to an open records request by a podcast known as “The Murder Sheet.” WTHR also said Kline was facing some 30 child pornography charges in sum total.
“I literally have no clue how that girl died,” Kline reportedly told investigators during the interview. “I don’t know anything, anything to do with it. Yeah, that is a weird a** coincidence that I happened to talk to her, like, I get that.”
WTHR further reported that search warrants had been served upon a home in which Kline lived with his father. The fruits of those warrants included “phones and other electronic devices,” according to the NBC affiliate.
WTHR further reported that whoever was using the “Anthony_shots” profile allegedly told someone else that Libby “never showed up” to a purported meeting.
Kline also allegedly searched the Internet for information about how long DNA evidence might last, FOX News said. The network further reported that Kline “has denied any involvement in” the Delphi killings.
Patty told FOX News that the online communications were a “real shock” and that she “had to face the fact that I didn’t monitor her phone or her social media enough.” Patty also told FOX News that the police confirmed to her that “there was DNA” evidence connected to the murders — but the report doesn’t expound on what that evidence might be.
Kelsi German, Liberty’s sister, told FOX that she dropped the two victims off at the hiking trail that day.
“I remember us just being so happy in the car and listening to Twenty One Pilots and the windows were open and it was just so warm and she got out of the car and twinkled she loved me,” Kelsi said.
[Images as noted.]