Nearly 29 years after 11-year-old Trudy Appleby vanished from her Moline, Illinois, neighborhood, police say they’ve made an arrest in her long-unsolved disappearance.
On Thursday, authorities announced that 50-year-old Jamison Albert Fisher has been indicted in Henry County on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death. Prosecutors allege Fisher strangled Trudy, whose remains have never been found.
The indictment comes just days before the anniversary of the case that has haunted the Quad Cities for nearly three decades.
Henry County State’s Attorney Catherine Runty acknowledged the rarity of moving forward in a no-body homicide case, but said the law allows for it — and the state intends to use every legal avenue to fight for justice.
“Nationally, there have been hundreds of no-body homicides,” Runty said. “That by no means makes it common, as you would imagine. But the law allows for it, and we intend to utilize those aspects of the law to continue to advocate for Trudy.”
Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal said there is evidence Trudy was kidnapped, but the statute of limitations for that specific charge has expired. The murder and concealment charges remain unaffected.
Fisher, who was publicly named as a person of interest in 2020, is currently being held in the Scott County Jail on unrelated charges filed in July. He will stay there until court proceedings in this case move forward.
Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said the investigation remains active and that law enforcement will continue to pursue any lead that might help locate Trudy’s remains.
“There will be a lot of legal proceedings that occur in the next coming weeks and months, and maybe years,” Gault said. “We hope that at some point we’ll be back in front of you to give you better answers.”
Authorities from Moline, Rock Island County, and Henry County have been working closely since December to build the case, sharing new information and reexamining old leads.
Trudy was last seen on the morning of August 21, 1996, leaving her home in Moline. Witnesses reported seeing her with a white man in his 20s in a gray, box-style car, possibly a Chevrolet Cavalier. That morning, she had asked to go swimming with a friend on Campbell’s Island. Her father said no, but police believe she may have gone ahead with the plans anyway.
She would be 40 years old today. Every year since her disappearance, her family has gathered on August 21 for a candlelight vigil to keep her memory alive and draw attention to her case. This year’s vigil will be held at 7 p.m. outside the Moline Police Department — now with the weight of new hope that justice may finally be within reach.
