An Indiana man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl is being looked into for a possible connection to the unsolved murders of two teenagers in the city of Delphi in 2017, investigators said Wednesday.
James Brian Chadwell was arrested last week after he lured the girl into his home to pet his dogs and then beat and sexually assaulted her, according to court documents obtained by FOX59 Indianapolis. Police later discovered the girl locked inside Chadwell’s basement after she was reported missing.
Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby told local news outlets that Chadwell caught the attention of authorities regarding the 2017 murders of Libby German and Abby Williams at the Delphi Historic Trails.
Investigators are “looking into” James Brian Chadwell to see if there might be a connection to the unsolved Delphi murders, Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby told local news outlets.
(Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office)
“The information [regarding Mr. Chadwell] has been shared with us and our investigators are looking into him,” Leazenby said.
No further details on what led investigators to eye Chadwell were immediately given.
German, 14, and Williams, 13, were reported missing Feb. 13, 2017, after they failed to return from a hike along the trail. A search for the pair ended the following day when their bodies were found by a volunteer about a half-mile off the trail.
Despite autopsies being conducted, no cause of death has ever been revealed for either of the girls. While police have received tens of thousands of tips, the 4-year-old case remains unsolved.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
To date, investigators have released two sketches of the suspect – which look different – and audio from German’s phone of a man they believe is behind the killings.
Chadwell isn’t the first kidnapping suspect who investigators have looked into as a person of interest in the Delphi murders, according to the Journal & Courier. None of the previous people of interest became suspects.
In the case of the 9-year-old girl, Chadwell was charged with attempted murder, child molesting, attempted child molesting, kidnapping, criminal confinement, battery resulting in serious bodily injury and strangulation.
Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.