DELPHI, Ind. — For nearly five years, Mike Patty has carried the weight of not knowing who killed his granddaughter, Libby German, and her friend, Abby Williams, on a nature trail in Delphi in February 2017.
“Nobody had a right to do that. They took two innocent young girls’ lives. You had no right. You had no right to do that,” Patty said Wednesday during an interview with 13News Wednesday.
With Christmas just weeks away, Patty is thinking about how different the holidays are without his granddaughter.
“What do you do for Libby? What do we do? Do you put out a stocking? Do you set a place at the table?” he asked.
This year, Patty hopes there is something the public can do for Libby and Abby, now that investigators have asked for help.
“It’s heavy to carry it around this long, knowing that somebody’s done this and they’re still out there,” said Patty.
Indiana State Police want to hear from anyone who may have had social media contact with someone using the profile name "anthony_shots." Investigators say the profile is connected to the Delphi investigation.
“It’s another step in the case, you know, and I think it’s a big one,” Patty said, adding he hasn’t read the Miami County court documents linking the profile name to a Peru man, Kegan Anthony Kline.
According to court records, Kline is currently jailed in Miami County, awaiting trial on a separate case involving multiple charges including child exploitation and possession of child pornography.
Investigators have not named Kline as a suspect or even a person of interest in the Delphi murders.
Court documents show investigators searched Kline’s home 11 days after the girls’ bodies were found. In the same documents, police allege Kline created the anthony_shots account six months before the girls’ disappearance, telling police he made the account to contact girls, some under the age of 16.
Patty said he doesn’t recognize Kline’s name or know whether his granddaughter had any contact with him on social media, but said he warned Libby about strangers reaching out on the internet.
“I discussed so many things in relation to safety and just being cautious of your surroundings at all times,” Patty said.
Patty said it is his understanding that tips have been coming in since Monday night when investigators asked the public for information about the anthony_shots profile.
Patty is praying one of those tips can eventually lead to charges against the person responsible for Libby and Abby’s murders.
“We’re going to push forward and we’re going to drive hard to get justice," Patty said. "That’s what I’m focused on."
Submitting a tip
If you have any information about the case, police ask that you please send tips to Abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.
Try to include the following information:
- Suspect's name
- Date of birth or approximate age
- Physical description including height, weight, hair color, eye color
- Address or location including city
- Vehicle information including year, make, model, color
- Specific reason for the tip. Why could they be the suspect?
- Motivation for the crime
- Connection to Delphi, IN