Delphi girls' double murder: Police explain mysterious change in person of interest sketch

The Indiana State Police is now clarifying why the first sketch of the person of interest in the mysterious Delphi double murder looks so different from the man in the new suspect sketch released this week: they are two different people.

The man seen in the initial person of interest sketch -- who was believed to be in his 40s or 50s -- is not currently a person of interest in the case, police said Wednesday.

Investigators want to the public to focus on this different, younger man pictured in a new sketch released Monday. The suspect is believed to be between 18 and 40 years old, but may appear younger than his age, police said.

This young, unknown man is being sought in the killings of eighth-graders Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, who were killed on a hiking path on Feb. 13, 2017.

The shocking crime has devastated the residents of Delphi, a tight-knit community of nearly 3,000 people.

The killer is believed to currently or previously live in Delphi, work in town or visit on a regular basis, Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter announced Monday.

"We believe you are hiding in plain sight" and even "may be in this room," Carter said at a news conference.

"We likely have interviewed you or someone close to you," Carter said.

Delphi residents "should reflect back on people they know in the community that look similar to the sketch released on April 22nd, especially if that person has changed their appearance since the murders," state police said in a statement on Wednesday.

This new suspect sketch "is representative of the face of the person captured in the video on Liberty German’s cell phone as he was walking on the high bridge" the day of the crime, police said.

In 2017, police released a grainy image from Libby's phone showing someone on the trail the day the girls went missing. On Monday, police revealed a new, brief video clip showing that suspect walking on the bridge near where the girls were last seen.

"When you see the video, watch the person's mannerisms as they walk," Carter said Monday. "Do you recognize the mannerisms as being someone you might know?"