Latest news with #JamisonFisher
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Arrest made in case of missing girl, 11, who vanished on her way to meet a 'friend' 29 years ago
An arrest has been made in the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl who vanished 29 years ago after asking her parents if she could spend time with a 'friend.' Jamison 'Jamie' Fisher, 50, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with the murder of Trudy Appleby, who was last seen alive near her home in Moline, Illinois, on August 21, 1996. Fisher is accused of kidnapping Trudy and strangling her to death. He is facing three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, local authorities announced Thursday. News of Fisher's arrest comes just one week before the 29th anniversary of Trudy's disappearance. He was first named as a person of interest in the case in 2020 and is currently being held in the Scott County Jail, where he was already detained on unrelated narcotics charges stemming from an arrest in July. Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said Thursday that Trudy's remains have still not been recovered and that the search is active and ongoing. Trudy was 11 years old when she disappeared on the morning of August 21, 1996. She was last seen climbing into a silver or gray box-style car driven by a white male at around 9:30am. Trudy was wearing a black, one-piece swimsuit, spandex shorts, blue tennis shoes, socks, and a t-shirt. She also had a beach towel with her. Police said Trudy had asked her father if she could go swimming with a friend on the nearby Campbell's Island, but her father said no. Phone records indicated she had made arrangements to go anyway, according to investigators. What happened to her next remained a mystery for almost three decades, but over the years, police have routinely stressed their determination to bring closure to her family. Hundreds of interviews have been conducted, numerous search warrants executed, vehicles seized and excavations carried out - all in an effort to solve the puzzle. For years, police appeared to have hit a dead end. However, in 2017, the investigation picked up momentum. That year, police publicly identified William 'Ed' Smith as a person of interest in the case, claiming that he may have been the last person to be seen with Trudy. By 2020, Fisher and a third man, David L. Whipple, were also identified as potential suspects. Whipple - a registered sex offender, convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl - was Smith's son-in-law, and Fisher was a lifelong family friend of the Smiths, police said. Smith died in 2014 and Whipple in 2022. Police previously said they believed Fisher was the only person alive who could tell them what happened to Trudy. The backyard of Fisher's home was excavated in 2023, but the search came up empty-handed. He denied any involvement in her disappearance at the time. Chief Gault said Wednesday's breakthrough came after decades of rigorous investigative work, which will continue in the weeks and months ahead. He said detectives will be pursuing all new leads, including clues that could help locate Trudy's remains. 'The arrest of Fisher marks a turning point in this mystery that has spanned nearly three decades,' said Gault. 'While nothing can bring back young Trudy to her family, the relentless pursuit of justice honors her memory and the unwavering support of her loved ones and our community. 'The Moline Police Department is committed to seeking the truth for Trudy and her family and to ensuring that justice is served.' Trudy's family has not yet publicly responded to the news of Fisher's arrest. Each year, they've held a candlelight vigil in Moline, praying for answers and trying to keep her story alive. 'We've gone around the Sun another time, and we still don't have Trudy laid to rest,' Trudy's uncle, Ray Eddleman, said last year. 'Every day of the year is a day that I'm missing Trudy. Every day I think of her. Every day, a thought one way or another crosses my mind.' Moline Detective Michael Griffin hinted that investigators were close to making a breakthrough. 'We are coming for you,' said Griffin. 'Your time is up, and we'll see you soon.' Her family is due to gather again for a vigil on August 21 outside the Moline Police Department.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Man arrested in murder of 11-year-old Trudy Appleby, who disappeared in 1996 in Moline, Illinois
Nearly 30 years after an 11-year-old girl disappeared in her hometown in western Illinois, a man has been charged with her murder. Trudy Appleby was last seen on Aug. 21, 1996 near her home in Moline. Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said witnesses saw her getting into a gray vehicle with an unidentified man. That day, she had asked to go swimming with a friend, but her father had said no, and Gault said phone records indicate she went ahead anyway, then disappeared On Wednesday, a Henry County grand jury indicted 50-year-old Jamison Fisher on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, according to Henry County State's Attorney Catherine Runty. Fisher is accused of kidnapping and strangling Trudy, and concealing her death. Trudy's body has yet to be found. Police and prosecutors said Fisher does not face kidnapping charges because the statute of limitations has expired. Gault said Fisher was already in custody in Iowa on unrelated charges when he was arrested after the indictment. He will remain in jail in Iowa pending court proceedings in Illinois. "Today is not about celebration, it's about a resolution, it's about accountability, and most importantly it's about Trudy Appleby. This arrest does not erase the pain, but it does bring us one step closer to closure. We hope it offers a measure of peace to her family and to all of those who have walked this journey with them," Gault said. Moline police first identified Fisher as a person of interest in the case in 2020, along with another man who has since died. Gault said Fisher was a family friend and associate of a third suspect, who died in 2014. Gault said Trudy's family had mixed emotions when they learned of Fisher's arrest. "This doesn't bring Trudy back, but it's a relief, and they've certainly earned it," he said.
