MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Masked man seen peeping through window of schoolgirl who spoke to 'catfish' account linked to Delphi murders

Kegan Kline was interrogated about a fake social account after the bodies of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, were found in 2017

DELPHI, INDIANA: A masked man was reportedly spotted lurking outside a schoolgirl's home after she gave her address to a "catfish" account linked to the Delphi murders.

Kegan Kline was interrogated about a fake social media account in August 2020 after the bodies of Liberty 'Libby' German, 14, and Abigail 'Abby' Williams, 13, were found in Indiana in 2017. While Kline was not listed as a suspect in the double murder, one of his social media accounts, @anthony_shots, is said to have been in contact with Libby before she died. A police interview obtained by the Murder Sheet podcast indicated Kline was linked to an incident involving a third schoolgirl on February 21, 2017, just days after Libby and Abby were killed.

RELATED ARTICLES

The Delphi Murders: Police trawl Indiana river as podcast reveals startling connection to alleged child abuser

Delphi Snapchat murders: Who is James Chadwell? Indiana man who raped girl, 10, suspected in deaths of teens

According to WTHR, Kline allegedly knew the girl's family and also searched online for information about the family on February 19 that year, police said. On August 19, 2020, a police investigator told Kline that the girl saw "this guy with a ski mask looking in her bedroom window, directly after giving this address to Anthony Shots." The cop added, "As a matter of fact, that's the incident that started everything else last time. That's how everything started last time was that incident." Kline replied, "That's crazy."

However, the 28-year-old admitted to using fake profiles on Instagram and Snapchat to lure underage girls into sending nude pictures after his social media activity was probed. He was taken into custody in August 2020 after police raided his home and uncovered over 100 photos and videos of underage girls on multiple electronic devices. Kline is remanded in custody after being charged with 30 felonies, including possession of child porn, exploitation of children, and soliciting minors for sex.

Libby and Abby were reported missing after they disappeared while hiking along the Delphi Historic Trails during a day off from school. Their remains were eventually discovered on Valentine's Day, 2017. The most crucial piece of evidence is a short clip on Libby's phone showing a white male wearing jeans, a hoodie, and a blue jacket, with his hands in his pockets, walking towards the eighth graders on a bridge. The unidentified man is heard telling them, "Hey guys, down the hill." Police believe that individual is responsible for their deaths.

WTHR reported how the @anthony_shots profile told another person after Libby's death that he was supposed to meet up with her "but she never showed up." Kline admitted to police in a 2020 interview to interacting with Libby. However, he vehemently denied any claims of wrongdoing. "I literally have no clue how that girl died,” Kline told investigators at the time, “I don't know anything, anything to do with it. Yeah, that is a weird a** coincidence that I happened to talk to her, like, I get that." He added that he wasn't the only person with access to the fake social media account.

Police interviewed the suspect again that same year in their search for answers as to who else had access to his devices. "I can honestly sit here and I'm telling you that I do not believe that you killed Libby," a detective told Kline, adding that they believed a second person was talking with the girls on his devices. The investigators repeatedly asked Kline whether his father Jerry Anthony Kline, who goes by Tony, had knowledge of his passwords. “I wouldn’t let my dad have my phone for long periods of time or nothing like that," Kline responded. It's worth noting that Tony has an extensive criminal record including convictions for sexual harassment, battery, and theft.

TOP STORIES

Has Eliza Fletcher been found? Body discovered 7 miles from where missing teacher was last seen

What is Excirolana chiltoni? Beachgoers plagued by 'mini shark' bugs that have painful bloody bites

Speaking to The Sun, Libby's mom Carry German said she has been "repeatedly let down" during the five-and-a-half-year-long murder investigation.

According to the Murder Sheet podcast, the FBI failed to obtain surveillance footage from a gas station in Delphi during the early stages of the probe. "I'm slightly surprised because I'd expect the local police department to fumble the ball like that, but I wouldn't have thought the FBI would," Carrie said. Meanwhile, Libby's older sister Kelsi German hasn't given up trying to figure out how she lost her beloved younger sister. The investigation continues.