Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos

Trudy Leann Appleby












Trudy, date, approximate 1996; Age-progression to age 36 (date, approximate 2020); William "Ed" Smith; David Whipple; Jamison "Jamie" Fisher
Date Missing 08/21/1996
Missing From
Moline, Illinois
Missing Classification Non-Family Abduction
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 09/04/1984 (38)
Age 11 years old
Height and Weight 4'8 - 5'0, 75 - 85 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A shirt, black stretchy bicycle shorts, white socks and dark blue Nike deck shoes with white shoelaces.
Associated Vehicle(s) Silver or gray four-door box-style vehicle, similar to a Chevrolet Celebrity
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue/green eyes.
Details of Disappearance Trudy's father departed from their family's residence to report to work at approximately 9:00 a.m. on August 21, 1996 in Moline, Illinois. A neighbor saw Trudy enter a silver or gray four-door box-style vehicle, similar to a Chevrolet Celebrity, in the driveway of her home between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.
The driver of the vehicle is described as being Caucasian and in his twenties at the time with curly brown or black hair worn long to his shoulders. The suspect was wearing a baseball cap. Neither Trudy nor her suspected abductor have been seen again. Her father reported her disappearance when he could not find her after he returned home from work.
Authorities believe that Trudy may have known the vehicle's driver. Her family's residence was located off of the main road and was not visible from the street. Her was initially investigated as a possible runaway, but investigators now believe Trudy was abducted. She took a swimsuit and a towel before departing from her home. She left approximately $200 behind, which her father said she saved for an upcoming vacation.
William "Ed" Smith was identified as the prime suspect in Trudy's disappearance in 2017. Smith, a friend of Trudy's father, died in 2014. A witness (reportedly his son-in-law, David Whipple, who lived across the street from Smith in 1996), had seen Trudy in his car, and Smith threatened to kill him if the witness told the police about this.
Smith was seen alone later on the day of Trudy's disappearance, but Trudy was never seen again. He had his car scrapped within a week of Trudy's disappearance, and he acted "despondent" whenever her name was mentioned.
Trudy's father theorizes that Smith and Whipple took Trudy out on a boat on the Mississippi River and something unexpected happened, perhaps an accident, that lead to the child's death. Trudy was friends with one of Whipple's children and frequently accompanied their family on the boat. On the day of her disappearance, she had asked her father for permission to go swimming and he told her no; however, it's possible she went anyway against his wishes.
A third person of interest, Jamison A. "Jamie" Fisher, was named Trudy's in 2020. He was a lifelong friend of the Smith family. Photos of Fisher, Whipple and Smith are posted with this summary. Investigators stated they believe Fisher and Whipple know to Trudy and may have helped cover up whatever caused her disappearance.
In May 2021, Fisher was sentenced to two years in prison on an unrelated charge of auto theft; he is due to be released in 2026. Whipple, a registered sex offender, refused to cooperate with investigators in Trudy's disappearance. He died in August 2022, at the age of 61.
Police are appealing to anyone who might have seen any suspicious activity in the areas of Campbell's Island, Black Bird Island, Dynamite Island, or the boat launch at Empire Park in East Moline, Illinois on the day Trudy disappeared. Her remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Moline Police Department
309-797-0401
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Child Protection Education of America
Trinkets and More
America's Most Wanted
WHBF-TV
Vanished Children's Alliance
The Polly Klaas Foundation
The Quad-City Times
The Doe Network
WQAD 8
Quad Cities Missing Persons Network
KWQC
Our Quad Cities

Missing Person Photos

A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos