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Delphi homicide investigation leads to unrelated arrests

DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) – Law enforcement has been flooded with more than 13,000 tips in the month since two teens were killed in Delphi. Now, that investigation has led to more than a dozen unrelated arrests. Here’s a look at how the investigation process is putting people behind bars.

At the command center in Delphi, investigators remain confident they find will whoever is responsible for the deaths of 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German. In the meantime, information received along the way has put some wanted criminals in jail.

“We find out where they live, where they’re from, what they’ve been doing,” Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said. “We run their driver’s license information to see if they’re wanted.”

Investigators in Delphi work 24/7 following up on tips, hoping it will lead to an arrest in the double homicide case. But it’s led investigators to other crimes.

“We’ve found out there are warrants on them,” Riley said about potential suspects. “One person was arrested for having drugs on him when we went to talk to him.”

Riley says more than 300 people have been questioned. About 13 of those people have been arrested for unrelated crimes.

Carroll County Sherriff Tobe Leazenby says five of the 13 arrests have taken place in Carroll County, and the number could increase.

“To a certain degree, it’s been a benefit for us being able to enforce warrants that we’ve had on file and be able to follow through with those,” Leazenby said.

Some of the success has been through misinformation given during questioning.

Riley says some people are not being truthful because of lingering criminal records. But that also stalls the search for Abby and Libby’s killer.

“So then we’ve got to do a little bit more digging, and it just makes it more difficult and time-consuming for us to clear them,” Riley said.

Both Riley and Leazenby say these unrelated arrests have not taken any attention off the double homicide investigation. They encourage the public to keep coming forward with information, by calling the Tip Line at 844-459-5786.

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