Did Paul Etter Commit The Delphi Snapchat Murders? Police Say They’re Investigating

LEBANON, IN — Indiana law-enforcement officials are reportedly working to determine if Paul Etter might be responsible for the 2017 murders of Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13; and Liberty “Libby” German, 14; in Delphi, Indiana.

This development has occurred after Etter, 55, reportedly killed himself during a police standoff in Lebanon, Indiana, on June 27, 2019.

At that time, authorities said they had been pursuing Etter for six days on suspicion that he had raped and kidnapped a 26-year-old woman. When officers finally surrounded him, Etter allegedly shot himself to death.

Now, according to authorities, Etter is back under scrutiny for his possible connection to the unsolved killings that have come to be known as the “Delphi Snapchat murders.”

At a press conference, Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby said detectives had requested autopsy results and DNA samples from Etter to be used in conjunction with the Delphi investigation.

When asked if Etter was suspected of killing the two girls, Leazenby said, “His name has come up throughout the process.” Specifically, it was reported, Etter’s name was called in to a tip line.

Sheriff Leazenby added, however, "I would caution folks on not getting ramped up on just one certain individual because of his recent attention … We're not in a position where we're saying this guy has moved up on the priority list or anything like that. We continue to follow him as we would anyone else."

In terms of a potential timeline for the Etter investigation, Leazenby said, "Let's let our investigators do their job and play this out and follow it out as far as we can and see where it takes us.”

Abby Williams and Libby German disappeared on February 13, 2017, after going on a hike along a trail near their homes. Their bodies were discovered the following day next to a creek about a mile away from the trail.

During the investigation, police released photos, video, and an audio recording taken from Libby’s phone. The images are said to depict a man walking on Monon High Bridge. The recording reportedly contains a voice saying, “Guys, down the hill.”

Authorities later reported that they considered man in the photos to be the “main suspect” in the girls’ murders.

Anyone with information regarding the Delphi murders is asked to call the Delphi Homicide Investigation Tip Line at (844) 459-5786; the Indiana State Police at (800) 382-7537; or the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department at (765) 564-2413. Tips can also be emailed to: Abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.

For more on the Delphi Snapchat Murders case, watch the "Down the Hill" episode of Investigation Discovery's Still a Mystery on ID GO now!

Read more: WTHR, People, People (2), Toronto Sun