As of last week, a 22- year- old cold case has received new evidence that will help the police understand what really happened on the fateful day of August 21, 1996. Trudy Appleby was an 11-year-old girl who lived in Moline. One day she left her father’s home with an unknown man in his sedan never to be seen again. There is lots of speculation on what really happened to Trudy and who took her, but the police currently have several suspects, one of whom, William Ed Smith, passed away in 2014. The police also believe that their other suspects closely follow the case through social media.

Abduction cases are always tricky because time is a matter of great importance and witnesses can be hard to sort through. Through lots of investigation and reliable witness reports, police have established a list of likely events that occurred leading up to and after Trudy’s abduction. It is believed that Trudy was planning to go swimming with a friend on Campbell’s Island on the day of her disappearance and was instead picked up by a young male. After she was picked up, the man is suspected of taking her to a different island, near Campbell’s Island, in his boat.

This boat had been missing for over 20 years and was just found. The police are hoping to find any evidence that points to Trudy and her kidnapper(s) being in the boat 22 years ago. If they receive the evidence that they are hoping for, the police will have a better chance of convicting the people who took an innocent 11-year-old girl and they’ll be able to provide her parents with many years worth of closure.

A lot more information on the boat and the Trudy Appleby case can be found at the QC Times.