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Eight months after Delphi murders, Libby German's family is remembering her with pumpkins

Posted at 4:42 PM, Oct 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-13 20:18:48-04

DELPHI, Ind. -- As another holiday approaches without an arrest in the murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams, the girls’ families are finding different ways to remember them and keep their memories alive.

For the Pattys, it’s all about a pumpkin.

Last Halloween Libby did what any 13-year-old girl would do – she carved a pumpkin.

“We had told her to throw it away, but you know that ‘in a minute’, it didn’t happen,” said Libby’s grandmother Becky Patty.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving of last year. That pumpkin still sat on the family’s porch, until one of Libby’s younger cousins kicked it into the yard after dinner.  

“We cleaned up what we could and threw it away,” said Becky.

And that was the last time the Pattys thought of that pumpkin until a few months after the girls were murdered when it started blooming in their front yard.

“I said, ‘that’s Libby’s pumpkins - so we are not throwing that away,’” said Becky. “So it grew. We have a pumpkin patch by our front sidewalk and we have them in our flowerbed.”

DELPHI DAUGHTERS | The Untold Stories Abby & Libby

They ended up with 10 pumpkins. One for each grandchild in the Patty family, including Libby.

“So each of the grandkids will get one of Libby’s pumpkins,” said Becky.

Libby’s pumpkin will be the one they replant for next year.

“So that every year we can pick pumpkins for Libby,” said Becky. “You don’t realize something like that would mean so much – a pumpkin – but it does.” 

TIMELINE | The disappearance and murders of Abby & Libby

Libby and Abby went missing on February 13 while hiking along the Monon High Bridge. Their bodies were found in a wooded area on a private piece of land nearby the next morning. 

Eight months later, investigators are still trying to find their killer. 

Investigators are still searching for the man depicted in the sketch and photo below. If you have any information on who he could be call the tipline at 844-459-5786.MORE DELPHI | Daughters: Families tell their story for the first time | Delphi girls murdered: What is the evidence? | Take 1 minute for justice for Abby & Libby