An arrest has been made in the disappearance of Trudy Appleby in 1996.

Several law enforcement agencies, including the Henry County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s Office, held a press conference Thursday at the Henry County Courthouse in Cambridge. Moline Chief of Police Darren Gault announced that Jamison Fisher, 50, has been charged in Trudy’s disappearance.

Fisher is being charged with Trudy’s death and concealment of a body in connection with her disappearance. Her body still has not been located but authorities mentioned hundreds of cases nationwide that have been prosecuted without a body.

Fisher is being held without bond in the Scott County Jail for parole violation and controlled substance violations. He will be extradited to Henry County at a later date.

“The arrest of Fisher marks a turning point in this mystery that has spanned nearly three decades,” said Moline Police Chief Darren Gault at the press conference. “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.”

“I am deeply proud of the Moline Police Department’s tireless commitment to justice,” said Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati, who said the community has held on to hope that this day would come.

“We are committed to bringing justice to the members of our communities working across agencies and jurisdictional boundaries to ensure that our citizens are protected,” Henry County State’s Attorney Catherine Runty said.

“We look forward to proceeding to trial,” Runty said.

“While the indictments today include charges of murder and concealment of a body, we do want to share that this investigation did reveal sufficient evidence to support charges that Trudy was abducted from her home in Moline, Illinois, by the same perpetrator,” Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villareal said at the news conference. “However, due to the statute of limitations, we were not able to proceed on the kidnapping charges.”

In Illinois, both murder and concealment do not carry the same statute of limitations, “and our legal team is grateful to be able to move forward with prosecution of these charges together here in Henry County,” Villareal said.

A Henry County grand jury indicted Fisher in Trudy’s death. Fisher faces charges of three counts of first-degree murder, and one count of concealment of a homicidal death.

The 29^th vigil for Trudy is scheduled for August 21 at 7 p.m. at the Moline Police Station, 1640 Sixth Avenue in Moline. This marks the 29^th year since her disappearance.

In 2023, Moline Police executed a search warrant in the 600 block of 8th Street in Colona, Gault said in an earlier news release. An excavation crew worked in the area, where a tarp was set up and crime scene tape was placed in the area.

“This investigation is being done by detectives assigned to the Trudy Appleby case. Detectives are searching the property for any evidence related to her disappearance,” the release said.

Trudy Appleby connection

Investigators earlier said they believe David Whipple of Colona and Fisher “have knowledge” of what happened to Trudy, 11 when she went missing, and that they may be involved with the case.

William “Ed” Smith, who was named a person of interest in 2017, is deceased, as is David Whipple, of Colona, who died at the age of 61 at his home, according to a funeral home obituary.

Whipple, a registered sex offender, had been convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Rock Island County.

Trudy Appleby disappearance: History of the case

Trudy was last seen near her home in Moline. Over the years and during many vigils in her memory, her family has pleaded for answers.

On Aug. 21, 1996, Trudy Appleby was reported missing by her father, Dennis, from their home in Moline. On the days leading up to Trudy’s disappearance, she had asked her father to go spend time with a friend who resided on Campbell’s Island.

Trudy’s father did not allow her to go swimming, but phone records show she may have planned to go ahead with her swimming plans. 

In August 2017, the Moline Police Department released information that a witness observed Trudy Appleby with William “Ed” Smith in a late model silver Chevrolet four-door near Smith’s residence on Campbell’s Island on Aug. 21, 1996, and listed William “Ed” Smith as a “person of interest” in the case.

David Whipple was the son-in-law of William “Ed” Smith and Jamison Fisher is a lifelong family friend of the Smiths, police said.

In January 2022, Our Quad Cities News featured the Trudy Appleby case in our “Vanished QC” series.

Fisher, then a “person of interest” In the disappearance of Trudy Appleby, was sentenced to up to two years of incarceration after he pleaded guilty to charges in an unrelated case from Nov. 26, 2020.

In a plea agreement, Fisher, then 46, of East Moline – Scott County Court records also gave his address as Davenport – pleaded guilty to operation without the owner’s consent, an aggravated misdemeanor.

He originally faced a felony charge of first-degree theft in connection with a stolen SUV.

Fisher and another man were named as suspects in connection with an incident in the area of New Liberty Road and Zenith Avenue, Davenport. A Scott County deputy saw a stolen black Suburban headed east on the 9000 block of New Liberty Road, an arrest affidavit says.

The deputy tried to pull the car over in the 8500 block of Northwest Boulevard, but the SUV didn’t stop.

An Iowa state trooper continued to follow the SUV and made a second traffic stop at the BP gas station at 67^th Street and Northwest Boulevard.

Fisher, who was driving, also was charged with eluding, a serious misdemeanor, because he didn’t stop for officers, an arrest affidavit says. A passenger in the car ran from the scene.

A little girl disappears … and never comes home

On Aug. 21, 1996, Trudy Appleby was reported missing by her father, Dennis, from their home in Moline. On the days leading up to Trudy’s disappearance, she had asked her father to go spend time with a friend who lived on Campbell’s Island.

Trudy’s father did not allow her to go swimming, but phone records show she may have planned to go ahead with her swimming plans. 

In August 2017, the Moline Police Department released information that a witness observed Trudy Appleby with William “Ed” Smith in a late model silver Chevrolet four-door near Smith’s residence on Campbell’s Island on Aug. 21, 1996, and listed William “Ed” Smith as a “person of interest” in the case. Smith is now deceased. 

David Whipple was the son-in-law of William “Ed” Smith and Jamison Fisher is a lifelong family friend of the Smiths, police have said.

In January 2022, Our Quad Cities News featured the Trudy Appleby case in our “Vanished QC” series.