The 2017 unsolved double homicides of teens Liberty German and Abigail Williams (known as The Delphi Murders) is one of the most discussed and debated cases of the social media era, with people across the globe invested in finding a resolution.
While the definitive basics of the case are known, there is still much mystery surrounding the details of what transpired.
With nearly unlimited outlets to discuss the case ranging from message boards and Facebook groups to call-in true crime shows, people often try to bridge the gap between the known and unknown. Sometimes the more circulated theories get taken as fact.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most oft-repeated rumors circling the Delphi Murders case to either refute or validate with facts from sourced interviews with trusted voices (ex: family, law enforcement) or mark as unknown.
This will remain an open article that will be adjusted and added to as the case continues to progress.
RUMOR: Abby and Libby died on different dates.
FINDING: False.
LIKELY ORIGIN OF RUMOR: In the newspaper, Libby German’s obituary lists her date of death as February 13, 2017. Abby Williams’ obituary lists her date of death as February 14, 2017.
“Things that have simple explanations have been turned into full-blown conspiracy theories by an online community desperate for answers where there are none. An example of this is the fact that Abby and Libby have different dates of death on their headstones*: Abby’s is February 14th, 2017 but Libby’s is February 13th. This disparity led to rumors that Abby and Libby died on different days… that Abby was still alive when she was found… that the girls had been transported somewhere and kept alive for some time. This could not be further from the truth. Both girls were killed on the afternoon of the 13th where they were found. The simple explanation is that Indiana law allows the next of kin to choose [as the date of death] either the date that the person actually expired or the date on which the person was found deceased. The two families simply chose different options. There is nothing more to it than that.” Source: Scene of the Crime – Delphi Podcast episode 7
*Note of Clarification: Both Abby and Libby have the same date of death on their headstones (February 13, 2017). The narrator likely meant ‘obituary’ versus ‘headstone’.
RUMOR: Ron Logan, owner of the property where Libby and Abby were found, might be ‘Bridge Guy’.
FINDING: While ‘officially’ unknown, Logan was never charged in connection to the crimes.
Longtime Delphi resident Ronald Logan ended up on the wrong side of the double murder investigation after the bodies of Libby and Abby were found on his property. More than half of his 42 acre parcel is woodland, which backs up to Deer Creek.
With media broadcasting live from the main road, police executed a search warrant on the property which immediately cast a cloud of suspicion upon the 77 year old.
Law Enforcement’s degree of interest in Logan as a potential suspect is about as clear as mud: On March 14, 2017 Indiana State Police released a public statement via Twitter “Reports connecting Ronald Logan to #DelphiMurders is FALSE. Probation violation; no connection to murder investigation”.
However, Áine Cain & Kevin Greenlee (hosts of MurderSheet podcast) uncovered documents indicating just days after ISP’s Tweet, the FBI executed a second search of Logan’s home and land.
While never charged in connection to the murders, the investigation did show that Logan (who lost driving privileges stemming from a 2014 OWI offense) was operating unlicensed throughout the morning and afternoon of February 13th. He plead guilty Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator and served nine months behind bars.
After battling COVID, Ronald Logan passed away on January 24, 2022.
Behind the scenes, it’s long been claimed that the subject of Logan caused a great deal of tension between Indiana and Federal law enforcement, with the two having polar opposite opinions on his potential to be a factor in the crime — history that will very likely come to light during Allen’s trial.
RUMOR: A dark SUV with decals seen in the trailhead parking lot by Kelsi German when dropping off the girls may have a connection to the crime.
FINDING: False.
RUMOR ORIGIN: When Purdue’s student newspaper interviewed Kelsi German in July of 2020, an interesting observation was included in the article:
“Kelsi remembers seeing a dark SUV, its rear windshield covered in decals, parked near the entrance where she dropped off the girls. She didn’t pay attention to whether any people were around, something she regrets daily.”
Naturally, followers of the case had questions: Did Kelsi ever report this? Was the SUV with the stickers identified? Why are we just hearing about the car now?
If you scan the quote alone, it does seem slightly ominous. But, upon reading the full article, it becomes clear the SUV was part of an anecdote showing the way Kelsi observes the world has changed since her sister’s death.
The day she dropped Libby and Abby off at the trail, Kelsi wasn’t paying close attention to her surroundings (she had no reason to), essentially only noticing things that stood out, such as an SUV covered in stickers. Fast forward to the present and “The people who walk past me in the store, I can tell you exactly what they were wearing usually a day later,” she says. “Just because that’s the kind of stuff I have to know now.”
On July 4, 2020 true-crime Youtuber/podcast producer Gray Hughes further clarified details about the vehicle after a viewer brought up the interview. Gray, who has a well-established relationship with the Patty/German family, quickly squashed the rumors that the car was linked to the crime by reaching out to Kelsi herself and sharing her response:
“[The SUV with decals] is a car that was there when I got there and it has been identified and taken care of. Nothing to look into there. If it was important, I would have put it out there sooner” Kelsi wrote. Link to Gray Hughes Investigates Delphi Live Show (July 4, 2020)
[Open article – additions will be added]
