Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Delphi murders: Catfishing profile may be linked to killing of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, police say

Indiana State Police are seeking information on the fake account ‘anthony_shots,’ which they say was used to lure in underage girls

Nathan Place
New York
Wednesday 08 December 2021 13:47 GMT
Police are seeking information on the creator of the ‘anthony_shots' Instagram account – not the man pictured in it, who is not accused of any wrongdoing
Police are seeking information on the creator of the ‘anthony_shots' Instagram account – not the man pictured in it, who is not accused of any wrongdoing (Indiana State Police – Lafayette District)
Leer en Español

Police believe the unsolved murders of two Indiana teenagers may be related to a fake social media profile used to lure in young girls.

“While investigating the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German, detectives with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Indiana State Police have uncovered an online profile named anthony_shots,” Indiana State Police said in a statement. “The creator of the fictitious profile used this information while communicating with juvenile females to solicit nude images, obtain their addresses, and attempt to meet them.”

Abigail, 13, and Liberty, 14, were found dead in 2017 after going for a hike in Delphi, Indiana. Their murders remain unsolved, and no arrests have been made.

Now police say the anthony_shots profile may be an important clue. ISP did not say what role the account may have played in the story, but said they “uncovered” it while investigating the murders – and pointed out that it was being used at the time of the girls’ deaths.

“This profile was being used from 2016 to 2017 on social media applications, including but not limited to, Snapchat and Instagram,” the statement said. “The fictitious anthony_shots profile used images of a known male model and portrayed himself as being extremely wealthy and owning numerous sports cars.”

Police emphasised that the man pictured in the anthony_shots profile - a well-known male model from Alaska - is not a suspect.

“The male that is in the photos is not a person of interest in the investigation,” ISP said. “Detectives are seeking information about the person who created the anthony_shots profile.”

Indiana State Police released this photo posted to the anthony_shots Instagram account
Indiana State Police released this photo posted to the anthony_shots Instagram account (Indiana State Police)

In an odd wrinkle to the story, WISH-TV has reported that the account’s creator has already been identified. That man, the station says, is 27-year-old Kegan Anthony Kline, who was charged in 2020 with child pornography and exploitation. According to WISH, a probable cause affidavit in that case linked Kline to the anthony_shots account.

However, court documents reviewed by the station did not link Mr Kline to the two murders – or mention them at all. He has not been accused of killing the two girls.

Liberty German (left) and Abigail Williams (right) were found murdered in 2017
Liberty German (left) and Abigail Williams (right) were found murdered in 2017 (ABC)

When asked to explain this, police gave WISH-TV a vague response.

“We do not confirm or deny anyone who is or is not a suspect in any ongoing investigation,” ISP told the station. “At this time, we are looking for any information about the ‘anthony_shots’ profile and anyone who may have had contact with that profile.”

A representative for ISP reached by The Independent also declined to comment.

Investigators ask that anyone who has had any contact with anthony_shots to send information to abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com or 765-822-3535.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in