Joseph Paul

jpaul@jconline.com

DELPHI, Ind. — "Down the hill."



Those are the three chilling words, muttered by an unknown man, heard in a video captured by 14-year-old Liberty German's cellphone about the time of her death last week near Delphi.

The short audio clip, played during a Wednesday news conference, was the only portion of the video released at the time.

Indiana State Police Capt. David Bursten said investigators possess more footage from German's phone, but it will not be released due to the ongoing investigation of her death alongside 13-year-old Abby Williams.

ISP Sgt. Tony Slocum called German a hero for turning on her phone's video camera in time to record her assailant.

"This young lady is a hero, there’s no doubt," he said. "To have enough presence of mind to activate that video system on her cellphone, to record what we believe is criminal behavior that's about to occur."

Authorities also posted the audio to Indiana State Police's website in hopes someone will recognize the man's voice.

Visit www.in.gov/isp/files/Delphi_male_voice_loop.mp3 to hear the recording.

Police now are offering a $41,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Tips can be called in anonymously at 844-459-5786 or emailed to abbyandlibbytips@cacoshrf.com.

The news conference came after police widened their search for a suspect one week after the deaths of German and Williams.

On Feb. 15, police released a grainy image of a subject walking along an abandoned railroad bridge and said it was believed to be taken at the time of the girls' disappearance.

For days, police declined to label the man a suspect or disclose who took the photo.

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Police: 'This is a double homicide investigation'

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On Sunday, however, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said in a news release that the man was suspected of "participating in the murders" of the teenagers.

Police on Wednesday confirmed the photo being circulated since last week also was taken with German's cell phone.

It's still unclear, however, if the man heard in the recording is the same one in the image.

The pair was last seen by a family member who dropped them off at 1 p.m. Feb. 13 near the abandoned bridge, which spans Deer Creek and is located on Delphi's Monon High Bridge Trail.

At 12:15 p.m. the next day, search parties recovered two bodies in a wooded area roughly a half-mile upstream from the bridge that were eventually identified as the missing teenagers.

In the following 10 days, multiple agencies joined the investigation, including Indiana State Police and the FBI.

FBI Director James Comey has been briefed on the case twice, FBI Special Agent Greg Massa said.

Additionally, Massa said 20 FBI agents are in Delphi on any given day to assist in the investigation.

"We're not going anywhere," he said. "We will be here until this case is solved, and I'm confident this case will be solved."

The FBI's behavioral analysis unit has urged residents to report people who abruptly missed work or cancelled meetings Feb. 13, or individuals who have changed their appearance, behavior or sleep patterns in the following days.

"Did this individual travel unexpectedly?" Massa said. "Did they change their appearance? Did they shave their beard or cut their hair?"

ISP Supt. Douglas Carter said the double homicide "is a clear example that evil lives among us," and he ensured the community that someone would be brought to justice.

"We must keep our resolve for Libby and Abby, for this community, and, frankly, to ensure that good trumps evil," he said.

He also implored citizens not to "rationalize away" potential tips.

"Each and every person listening, watching or seeing this in some form: We need you," he said. "Libby and Abby need you."

Carter ended his remarks with a simple statement to the suspect: "If you're watching this, we'll find you."

Call J&C reporter Joseph Paul at 765-420-5339, email him at jpaul@jconline.com or follow him on Twitter:@JosephPaulJC.

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