A SUSPECT has been arrested in the nearly three-decade-old disappearance of an 11-year-old girl.

Jamison Fisher, 50, is accused of luring little Trudy Appleby into his car, sexually assaulting and strangling her before dumping her body in 1996.

Authorities have been seeking answers since Trudy vanished from her residence in Moline, Illinois, roughly three hours east of Chicago, on August 21, 1996.

Detectives said that she was last seen getting into a vehicle with a white man who appeared to be in his 20s, but they never tracked down a suspect.

On the day that she vanished, Trudy had asked her dad if she could go swimming with a friend, but he said no.

After reviewing phone records, cops determined that the little girl had snuck out of the house behind her parents’ backs.

Her remains are still missing.

On Thursday, a grand jury pinned her disappearance and murder on Fisher, who was already in jail for an unrelated crime.

Fisher has been a person of interest in Trudy’s death since 2020.

In 2023, the Moline Police Department dug up Fisher’s backyard as they searched for more evidence.

At the time, he denied having anything to do with the incident.

Investigators named two other suspects years before they filed charges against Fisher. Both of those suspects have now died.

Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said the breakthrough came after decades of police work and collaboration with Henry County law enforcement.

He said that detectives will be pursuing all new leads that crop up in court proceedings, including clues that could lead them to her remains.

“The arrest of Fisher marks a turning point in this mystery that has spanned nearly three decades,” he said.

Although nothing can return young Trudy to her family, the tireless quest for justice pays tribute to her memory as well as to the steadfast support of her family and our community.

“The Moline Police Department is committed to seeking the truth for Trudy and her family and to ensure that justice is served.”

FAMILY’S HOPE

Trudy’s heartbroken family has held a candlelight vigil on August 21 every year since she disappeared.

They are set to meet again this year at the Moline Police Department.

Last year, cops at the vigil hinted that they could be close to a major break in the case.

At the time, Detective Michael Griffin said, “The people that are involved, that are alive, they know we’re coming.

“We’re not giving up, and this isn’t going away.”

Fisher has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death.

Officials said that they suspected him of kidnapping, but couldn’t press charges because of the statute of limitations.