DELPHI, Ind. — Authorities say the reward in the killings of two northern Indiana teenage girls is now $100,000.
State Police say donations from the public and businesses had boosted the reward for information leading to an arrest or arrests in the killings of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams.
Police also said Monday they’ve received about 8,800 tips in the murders.
The Delphi girls’ bodies were found February 14 in a wooded area near the city about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis, a day after they vanished while hiking.
Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby says investigators remain confident they’ll eventually make an arrest.
Authorities have released two grainy photographs of a man and audio of a male saying “down the hill.” That evidence came from German’s cellphone.
ne day after they were reported missing— in a wooded area near the Delphi Historic Trail in Carroll County.
“And it goes on 24 hours a day,” Slocum told The Post Thursday. “We’re working as hard as we can to solve this case.”
No arrests have been made in the double homicide that has gripped the town of roughly 3,000 people about 75 miles northwest of Indianapolis, putting residents on edge.
“People are a little more cautious than anything, especially having anything to do with their children, just keeping a wary eye on them,” Slocum said. “And I’ve seen some reports in the media where people have indicated that they’re afraid and that just breaks my heart as a police officer because that’s why we do this job — to keep people safe and free of crime.”
Slocum said a reward in the case has swelled to more than $200,000, thanks in part to a $97,000 bump on Wednesday from former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee and team owner Jim Irsay. In a minute-long video posted on Twitter, McAfee appears alongside Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter.
The video also contained a snippet of audio released by police on Feb. 22 of a man saying “down the hill.” Indiana State Police Sgt. David Bursten said the recording and an image of a suspect released one week earlier were captured by German’s cellphone around the time of her death.
“Liberty had the presence of mind to turn on the video camera,” Bursten told reporters last month, speaking directly to the public. “There’s enough there that somebody could recognize this person’s voice. You may tell us who the right person was.”
Bursten said it’s possible that more than one person could be responsible for the killings, but investigators believe the suspect whose image was released on Feb. 15 at least participated in the double murder. The man in the photograph appears to be wearing blue jeans with a blue coat and a hoodie.
Meanwhile, relatives of the murdered teens visited the Indiana State Police’s operations center in Delphi on Wednesday, Slocum said.
“We showed them what we’re doing and how hard we’re working on their behalf for their loved ones,” he said. “They seemed to be appreciative and obviously it’s a public crime, but it’s very private to them. They were very somber, but I think they appreciated us reaching out to make sure we’re doing everything we can.”
Slocum, an 18-year veteran of the state police, said the double murder investigation has been “unique” at every turn.
“That is unique in itself, all the different agencies coming together for these girls,” he told The Post. “It’s actually pretty inspiring how hard people are working to solve this case.”
Several Delphi residents have said the high-profile crime has impacted their everyday routines.
Through a translator, Jesus Garcia, a father of three in the town, said he had “never felt fear” before the killings.
“As a … parent, this is something that has impacted him, too,” Garcia told the Lafayette Journal & Courier. “I’m just always taking care of them while making sure they’re being watched at all times.”
Yoliz Cruz, who organized a rally in support of the teens last month, said she hasn’t been able to reassure her three children.
“There’s not really any comfort, not only for my kids but for the kids at school,” Cruz told the newspaper.