Family friend accused of kidnapping and strangling 11-year-old girl in 1996 cold case
08/14/2025 2:05 pm PDT
MOLINE, Ill. (TCN) -- Authorities recently announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the death of a young girl who disappeared nearly 29 years ago.
According to Moline Police Chief Darren Gault, 11-year-old Trudy Appleby was last seen near her home on Aug. 21, 1996, entering a vehicle driven by an unidentified man. Gault said Appleby had asked her father to go swimming, but he said no. Phone records purportedly reveal that the girl went ahead with those plans anyway and disappeared.
According to Gault, the case has "haunted" the child's family and every investigator who has worked on it.
Almost three decades later, on Aug. 13, authorities announced that a jury indicted Jamison Fisher in connection with Appleby's death. The Rock County State's Attorney's Office alleges that Fisher abducted and strangled Appleby.
Fisher was reportedly a family friend and associate of a third suspect. He faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death. Authorities said that even though evidence suggests the child was kidnapped, they weren't able to charge Fisher due to the statute of limitations.
Fisher is being held in Scott County, Iowa, on unrelated charges and will remain there pending further court proceedings.
MORE:
