The video of the suspect was key evidence that police and investigators had been looking at for years. The last known location of the girls living was a bridge where Libby had shared two photos on Snapchat. Police later revealed that Libby had also recorded video of the suspect walking towards the girls on the bridge. Days later, investigators released two grainy stills of the suspect from video recorded by Libby, along with the eerie sound of a man saying “down the hill.” People reported on February 27, 2017, “After reviewing evidence, [Carroll County Sheriff Tobe] Leazenby says it appears the girls initially took the photos for fun, but later became uncomfortable and recorded the video as a way of securing evidence.’ Five months later, in July 2017, police released a composite sketch of the suspect who would become ubiquitous — for years, it could be seen plastered in storefronts all over Delphi, in news stories about the girls’ murders and in tens of thousands social media posts and online message boards like Reddit. It was described as “an artist’s compilation of information” gathered by investigators from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Additional audio was later shared with the victims’ families, police said, which included Libby and Abby talking about “things girls talk about” — and in which they also mention the man. Police have been famously tight-lipped about the investigation from the start, refusing to reveal how the girls died and sharing very few details about the crime scene. And despite the suspect’s arrest, they declined to share that and other information Monday. “The investigation is still ongoing,” said Carroll County District Attorney Nick McLelland. “For this reason, probable cause and the details in the charging information will not be released.” He later cited the “extra scrutiny” in this case and his desire not to tarnish or taint the prosecution if the evidence is made public. “Again, he’s been presumed innocent and that’s why it was important for me in this case to do that,” McLeland said. At a press conference in April 2019, however, investigators played chilling video of the suspect approaching the girls on the bridge, along with a longer audio clip of him saying, “Guys… down the hill.” The inclusion of the “guys” added significant context to the clip as it further fueled speculation that he was ordering them to walk to a more secluded area where he would kill them. At least one tabloid described it as a “death march.” The Indiana State Police also released a second composite sketch in 2019, which was noticeably different from the first. In fact, police said the sketches were of two different men and that the original depicted a “person of interest” in his 40s to 50s who was no longer considered a suspect. The man in the second sketch is much younger — in his 20s to late 30s, police said. In May 2022, the Kill sheet The podcast obtained a copy of a March 2017 FBI warrant to search the home and property of the man who owned the land where the girls’ bodies were found. The FBI agent’s affidavit for the warrant, also published by the local News & Review, includes details not previously shared publicly by investigators. For example, the affidavit states that “a large amount of blood was lost from the victims at the crime scene,” but the girls “had no visible signs of a struggle or fight.” Additionally, the affidavit says the killer may have taken a “souvenir,” saying, “It was also discovered that the [redacted] one of their victims was missing from the crime scene while the rest of their clothes were found. It also appeared that the girls’ bodies were moved and staged.” While the FBI agent identified landowner Ron Logan as a suspect in the girls’ deaths, he was never arrested and died earlier this year. Meanwhile, another man linked to the case is in jail awaiting trial on 30 counts of child exploitation, possession of child sexual abuse images and obstruction of justice. In a probable cause affidavit, police said the man, Kegan Kline, admitted to creating a fake online profile, “anthony_shots,” to meet underage girls and receive inappropriate photos. According to a transcript of a police interview with Kline, the account was communicating with Libby before her death. Despite the connection, he has not been named as a suspect in the killings. The reward for information leading to the identification of the girls’ killer topped $325,000 as of spring 2021, but Carter declined to say whether that contributed to Friday’s arrest. On Monday morning, a reporter asked McLelland how he felt after conducting a nearly six-year nationwide investigation “only to find your husband walking down the street from your office.” “It’s a hard question to answer — it’s mixed emotions,” McLeland said, admitting that “it’s a concern that he’s a local guy.” “It’s bittersweet,” he said. “It’s a step in the right direction.” “We believe you’re hiding in plain sight,” Carter said at the April 2019 news conference, addressing the suspect directly. If Allen is convicted, it looks like Carter was right.
