Cops fear machete-wielding maniac arrested for threatening cyclists may also be behind brutal teen girls’ brutal Snapchat murder mystery
A SEX offender may be linked to the horrific "Snapchat killer'"murders of two teenage girls in the woods outside a small town in the US.
The bodies of best friends Abigail Joyce Williams, 13, and Liberty Rose Lynn German, 14, were left in woodland near the town of Delphi, Indiana, in February.
Police released an e-fit of the suspect - dubbed the "Snapchat Killer" because Libby captured him on camera - but for months they were at a loss about his identity.
Now it has emerged a man arrested in Colorado on Monday could be connected to the unsolved murders.
Police in Indiana say Daniel Nations, 31, of Indianapolis, may have been involved in the death of the tragic teens.
Police in El Paso County, Colorado, arrested the registered sex offender on Monday afternoon after he allegedly threatened people with a hatchet near a Colorado trail where a cyclist called Tim Watchkins was murdered two weeks ago, reports.
Indiana State Police said: "We are aware of the arrest of the person in Colorado and are investigating to see if he could be a suspect in the Delphi double murder investigation.
"Please keep in mind the Indiana State Police has received more than a thousand photos of persons alleged to be similar in appearance to the composite sketch of the Delphi person of interest.
"Each and everyone of these tips are investigated for any potential connection to our case."
Police say he was driving a red Chevrolet Prizm with expired Indiana license plates.
Abigail and Liberty were dropped off at the Delphi Historic Trails, a hiking route, at about 1pm on February 13. It was the last time they were seen alive.
At 2.07pm, Liberty uploaded at least two photographs to Snapchat, including one showing Abigail walking along the rickety old Monon High Bridge.
Another photo shows an unidentifiable man following them.
Their worried families raised the alarm at 5.30pm when the girls failed to arrive at a meeting point.
The girls' bodies were found the following day, on Valentine's Day, in a wooded area near Deer Creek, 18m from the water’s edge, around a kilometre from where they were originally dropped off.
The case horrified America and there were fears the death of the two friends would never be solved.
The pair both loved art, enjoyed sports and played saxophone in the Delphi Community Middle School band.
Abbie was a keen photographer and Liberty loved science.
Both were described by family as cheerful and extremely loving.
Their killer’s identity has so far remained a mystery.
Libby managed to take a chilling grainy image of a man, who can be seen walking with his head down and hands in his pockets.
He is dressed in jeans, blue jacket and a hat.
Brave Liberty also had "the presence of mind" to take video during her disappearance.
The audio footage consisted of three words: "Down the hill".
Captain David Bursten told The Sun: “Liberty is a hero. Apparently something didn’t seem right to her and she turned on her camera.”
Police released an e-fit of the man they believe is behind the sickening crime.
He was described as about 5ft 8ins with reddish-brown hair.
Investigators have not released the cause of death for German and Williams, even though autopsies have been conducted.
There have been no mentions of wounds or trauma on the girls when their bodies were discovered and officers have not said whether they are looking for any particular type of murder weapon.
Cops have received thousands of calls and emails offering information to help with the investigation into the killings.
The reward for information now stands at £171,000.
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