Peggy Patty, Libby German’s grandmother and guardian, was surprised to learn that the man arrested for the murders of Libby and Abby Williams was a Delphi resident.
“It’s a small community,” he told ABC News hours after Richard Allen’s arrest was announced. “It’s hard to be one of us.”
“How can someone do that and go on with life as if nothing happened?” Libby’s grandfather Mike Patty added.
Libby’s sister, Kelsey German, said she always felt the girls’ killer must have been familiar with the Delphi area, but said she didn’t want to believe the suspect was “out here among us.”
Mike Patty praised the police officers who “sacrificed their own family time” to work on his granddaughter’s case.
“They never let up,” he said.
“We have a lot of questions that are unanswered, but they will all come in time,” he said.
For Libby’s sister, the arrest “requires us to learn how to deal with new obstacles and emotions.”
German said he will visit his sister’s grave on Sunday to talk to her about updates on the case.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”