Key Facts
• Trudy Appleby, 11, disappeared near her home in Moline, Illinois, on August 21, 1996.
• Witnesses saw her entering a gray car with an unidentified man that day.
• She had asked to go swimming with friends, but her father denied permission.
• Despite objections, she left home, and her whereabouts remained unknown.
• Jason Fisher, 50, was indicted on August 13, 2025, for first-degree murder and concealment of a homicide.
• Fisher is accused of abducting, strangling, and concealing Trudy’s death; her body remains unfound.
• Statute of limitations prevents prosecution for the abduction itself.
• Fisher was already detained in Iowa on unrelated charges when indicted.
• He will remain in Iowa custody until Illinois court proceedings begin.
• Local police emphasized this arrest as a step toward closure for Trudy’s family.
Summary
Nearly 30 years after the disappearance of 11-year-old Trudy Appleby in Moline, Illinois, Jason Fisher, 50, has been indicted for her murder and concealment of her death. Trudy was last seen on August 21, 1996, entering a gray car with an unidentified man after defying her father’s refusal to let her go swimming with friends. Despite extensive investigations, her body has never been found. Fisher, already in custody in Iowa for unrelated charges, will face legal proceedings in Illinois. While the statute of limitations prevents charges for the abduction, authorities hope this arrest brings some solace to Trudy’s family and those affected by the case.
