Feel free to read more at the resources below, and please let me know what you think about this case. In May 2018, the FBI and the LRPDs Cold Case Unit (led by experienced detective Tommy Hudson) teamed up with Little Rocks Public Works to begin excavating drainage pipes at Chalamont Park. The 2018. All Rights Reserved. But Ebbys family and friends had already taken matters into their own hands and began passing out fliers across town, hoping someone had seen her. It's why I searched here. My daughter, she doesnt have any siblings anymore. Isolated Japanese family keeps sisters body at home in Press J to jump to the feed. So they turned to the police. Laurie said she was with her husband out to dinner at the time, but had no idea about the text. [4] On October 21, 2015, Steppach missed school. Worried about Ebby, numerous family members tried to reach out to her, but received no response to their messages. She remained a missing person for nearly three years before her body was discovered in a drainage pipe in the immediate vicinity of her car in May 2018. Lucy Letby- Killer Nurse? Ebby Steppach (Ebby Jane Steppach) was born on 31 March, 1997 in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. [1], Ebby Jane Steppach was an 18 year-old high school student in Little Rock, Arkansas who was completing her senior year at Little Rock Central High School. And that's something that has given me solace.". "Because I know I would've been hysterical and rushed over. Detectives remain tight-lipped about the case and have not revealed how Steppach died, only classifying it as a homicide. In November 2015, the family offered up a $3,000 reward for information leading to her discovery. Plus, hear from Debi, Ebbys paternal grandmother, who has never spoken to the media because she says so much of the media got her granddaughters story wrong. She was survived by her parents, Laurie and Michael Jernigan; her father, Peter Steppach; her sister, Harris Elizabeth; brother, Trevor; stepbrother, Ethan; her. Searches were conducted of the park and the woods near where the car was discovered, but no evidence was found. By that time, I just knew in my soul that something was really wrong, Ebbys mother, Laurie Jeringan, told Dateline. Officers with the Little Rock Police Department searched the park, but came up empty-handed. LRPD treated the case as a runaway situation for almost 8 months, and by the time federal investigators got involved in 2016, crucial evidence had been lost. General AMW/The Hunt/In Pursuit/True Crime TV Shows Discussion. Family: Ebby Steppach's Death is Being Investigated as a Homicide. Ebby Steppach was an 18-year-old teenage girl living in Little Rock, Arkansas, with her parents when she started acting out. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Ebby Steppach, 18, of Little Rock, Arkansas mysteriously vanished on October 24, 2015. Searches of the woods around the park were undertaken, but no sign of Ebby was found. The family's private investigator had a bigger, more thorough file than the police. She also mentioned it had been recorded without her knowledge or consent. And the burden of being the last person to talk to Ebby.. Together, they will continue to work on any new developments in this case.. Parents: Is Your Child Addicted to Screen Time? As they felt local police werent taking the case seriously, Ebbys family hired private investigator Monty Vickers, who acted as a go-between between them and investigators. We could have put her to rest. Ebby got sober through the Oxford Group, and carried the message of salvation through religious conversion to his old friend, Bill. And we could have found her killer by now.. Detective Bruce Maxwell has access to all of Hudsons work on the case and they are in constant contact. The 4 men implicated in her rape were interviewed by police, but there have been no formal searches of their cell phones for further evidence. Although Hudson would not tell Dateline how Ebby died, because he believes it would interfere with the investigation, he said her death is being investigated as a homicide. I'm so sorry. When it came to her education, Ebby spent most of her life attending charter schools, before transferring to Central High School in Little Rock during her senior year, after which she planned to attend cosmetology school and obtain her real estate license. Ebby Jane Steppach was born March 31, 1997 at 6:30 a.m. She died October 25, 2015, the day her car was abandoned at Chalamont Park in West Little Rock. In May 2018, Ebby Steppach's body was found in a drainpipe in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, more than two-and-a-half years after the 18-year-old high school senior disappeared. The discovery of Ebbys remains came after a foul odor had been reported coming from the pipe during the early parts of the investigation. Laurie said she later found out that after Ebby disappeared, Trevor spent his lunch hours searching the trunks of abandoned cars for his sister and traveling to other states following up on tips. [11] Extensive searches for Steppach at Chalamont Park had been held in the past. Concerned, the family conducted their own search for Ebby. The Search for Ebby & Allegations of Police Mishandling. An investigation was conducted by department administrators and it was found there was insufficient evidence of any mistreatment. Upon the arrival of police, Foley claimed she was kind of dismissed by the officers, who told her the park had been searched with recovery canines who would have picked up on the scent of human decomposition, and assured her it must be an animal or something.. Hudson obtained maps of the drainage pipes from the city and took a team back down to Chalamont Park, where they sent cameras down drainage pipes. Laurie said she was with her husband out to dinner at the time, but had no idea about the text. A family friend named Margie Foley had reported to the police that she smelled decomposition while they . She abruptly decided to switch to Central after attending private school all her life [EDIT: Ebby attended LISA Academy, which is a charter school, not a private school]. She saw the best in people and loved anyone who came into her life with a fierceness that was unmatched. But again, the case hit a snag when Hudson recently announced he was again retiring and relocating across the river, where he will help out at the North Little Rock Police Department cold case unit. After Tuesdays discovery, Steppachs family released a statement asking for privacy, THV11 reports. [3] Days before her disappearance, she had accused four men of gang-raping her at a party she had attended. Her stepfather thinks at this point Ebby tried to track down the men to acquire the video of her rape in an attempt to regain her independence. Instead of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to non-profits H.A.L.O.S. The remains were confirmed by the Little Rock Police Department, according to a reporter for KARK 4 News on Wednesday. For Ebbys older brother, Trevor, the toll his sisters disappearance and death took on his heart may have been too much. I was like, Ebby thats not safe, dont do that. When the Little Rock Police Department began investigating the case as more than a runaway, it was handed to the Violent Crimes Division. When she found out that the remains were found so close to her car, and could have possibly been found much sooner, she was angry. "She would still be dead if they found her in a week," Laurie said. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. Her death has been classified as a homicide. Laurie Jernigan also claims that police refused to check cell tower pings from Ebbys phone. She knew her daughter was in danger. Our cold case unit is comprised of seasoned investigators who have retired as active members of the Little Rock Police Department. At around 2:00pm on October 25, Trevor managed to get a hold of his sister, who said she was parked outside his house. During their conversation, he shared that he believed hed seen Ebby three different times before her disappearance. He came in and saved the day on Ebbys case, Laurie said. However, he didnt report it to police until three days later. She saved her money and worked hard to buy really nice makeup, Laurie said. Her mother Laurie told Dateline that Ebby had texted Michael around 8 p.m. on October 24, 2015, and told him she had been raped by a group of men at a party and that the assault had been videotaped. [4] She had previously attended a private school, but transferred to a public school that year. After Guy notified police, he waited 2 hours for an officer to arrive however none did. My grandson has lost his dad. "I'm grateful that I wasn't told about that text, about what happened," Laurie said. She wanted Michael to go to the police with her to report the incident. But her stepdad and I were really strict. When she found out that the remains were found so close to her car, and could have possibly been found much sooner, she was angry. And it was broken all over the car. A Celebration of Ebbys Life will be held by the family at a local church, Christ Community Church, on May 26 at 2 p.m. Steppach went missing on Oct. 24, 2015, after she was supposed to meet her stepfather at her grandmothers home in West Little Rock, KATV reports. On October 30, 2015, the Little Rock Police Department searched an abandoned car in a small residential park. There was no doubt it was her.. He has the answers he was looking for.. She remained a missing person for nearly three years before her body was discovered in a drainage pipe in Chalamont Park in May 2018, in the immediate vicinity of where her car had been found. Site Map. I hope her family gets justice. This case hasnt been discussed on this sub in about a year, but its one I think about often, so I wanted to bring it back up again. She would never do this. But Ebby's specialty was. The remains were found near a memorial for Steppach, police said. Ebbys family tried to file a missing person report, but was told by police they had to wait at least 12 hours. Brandon Lawson The 911 call that led to a mysterious disappearance. That was when they discovered Ebby's remains just 60 feet from where her car had been found. And definitely her contacts. In 2018, Laurie Jernigan filed a complaint with the LRPD that certain officers had sent her threatening text messages, yelled at her and refused to provide her with updates early on in the case. Her disappearance ended 4 years ago when Little Rock police found Ebby's remains in a drainpipe, 60-feet from where they found her car at the beginning of the investigation in 2015. On May 22nd, 2018, Steppach's skeletal remains were discovered in a drainage pipe beside the parking lot. Ebby Jane Steppach (March 31, 1997 - October 25, 2015) [2] was an American woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Little Rock, Arkansas. Could it possibly be one of the men who raped her,? Disclaimer. Classic small town law enforcement incompetence. Working dogs also take non-verbal clues from their handlers. Ebby Steppach was creative. When asked where Ebby had gone, her grandparents said she had left to go and meet him. When Vickers contacted the security guard who found the car several months later, he said it was the first anyone had contacted him about it. I wanted to check the park again.". That police department should be sued. Her phone records also indicate she stopped opening messages that night a major red flag. Im so glad this is becoming standard fare in these subs vs dogs being infallible. On November 3, 2015, a friend of Ebbys and her mother went to the park to look around. They were only 60 feet away from where her car had been abandoned. Ebby Thatcher, San Jose CA, 3-4-61. General. In April 2016, volunteers searched for Ebby, beginning in the area near where her car was found and moving toward a wooded area near Markham and Bowman. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The nightmare only continued for Ebbys family as they noticed mistakes they said police had made from the beginning and believed her case was not being taken seriously. And Ebby seemingly vanished without a trace. Could it help solve the mystery? Unknown Ebby Steppach Killer- Arkansas- 2015 . "But if Tommy had been on the case back then and had found her in a week, they would've found who did it and we wouldnt have had to keep living this nightmare. This one is so bizarre. That was the last time anyone heard from her. And she never showed up at the police station. Unsure How to Help Your Child Struggling with Obesity? Ebby Jane Steppach (March 31, 1997 October 25, 2015)[2] was an American woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Little Rock, Arkansas. Petito 's tragic story has captured the nation and the internet after she was found dead in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in. The next day, after seeing the vehicle still there as he did his rounds, he once again called and waited for police, who finally arrived around an hour later and discovered it belonged to Steppach. Ebbys family contacted everyone they knew and anyone they thought may have been in contact with Ebby. On Friday, Ebby went to a party while Danielle stayed home because she didnt know anyone who would be there. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. Will Ebby Steppach ever get justice after police botched her case? Ebby Jane Steppach was 18 years old when she disappeared in late October 2015. 5 min read 8657 Werger road, Windham The man who called 911 to report an armed neighbor in his garage asked authorities for permission to shoot her, criticized police for. Andrea Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC. That was the last time anyone in Ebbys family saw her. gossipgossipblah 4 yr. ago This is just outrageous to me. So we had to wait. After Ebby disappeared in 2015, her family mounted a campaign to find her, and on May 22, 2018, her remains were discovered inside a drainage pipe in Chalamont Park. Map of Chalamont Park and where Ebby was located. Steppachs family released a statement on Wednesday after her remains were positively identified. If the police weren't interested, or perhaps not motivating the dogs well, they are also less likely to find anything. She submitted recordings of conversations, text message threads, emails and provided witnesses as evidence. But someone else needs him now.. But no matter what happens, I have peace. To help spread word of the case, Laurie appeared on Dr. Phil. [4] Throughout the evening, cell phone records showed Steppach sent text messages to several of the men she had implicated in her rape, threatening to report them to police. And they were stopped in their tracks. Descried as bubbly and of a big heart, Ebby was known for going out of her way to help the ones she loved. But as time passed, they became more and more worried. In this update, Laurie is joining us again to discuss how Ebby was found and where her case stands today. Laurie, who has met with Dr. Phil twice, returns because she says she is now pleading with the public to share any information they may have. Missing Florida mother found deceased in Alabama, Where is 4-year-old Codi Bigsby, missing from Hampton, VA, Ill either see you again or never see you again The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson, Destiny Jacksons body was found in the Las Vegas desert after she was killed during a car jacking, Spooky Houses youll be DYING to stay far away from, Suzanne Morphew (49) has been missing since May 10th, 2020 her husband has been arrested, FOUND SAFE- Laura Lacie Read- missing from Midtown, Houston, after her child is found alone, Dr. Beth Potter, her husband, Robin Carre were killed and found in a ditch, Missing Child Alert: Taylor Rose Williams (5) is missing from Jacksonville, Florida. It was around that time that Laurie said the 18-year-old high school student started to change. It was the last time anyone ever heard from Ebby. So we had to wait. I moved to Little Rock in the summer of 2015 and remember seeing Ebbys missing posters everywhere that fall. Arkansas Online series about Ebbys disappearance: https://www.arkansasonline.com/ebby/, Stories of the Unsolved blog post: https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2019/02/02/the-murder-of-ebby-steppach/, Arkansas Online article about police mishandling evidence & acting inappropriately: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/may/31/report-of-smell-dismissed-in-15-2018053/?page=2, THV11 follow up one year after remains were found: https://www.thv11.com/article/features/one-year-later-the-search-for-justice-in-ebby-steppach-case-continues/91-beb932ec-171e-481a-83a8-068ac173a8e2. [4] When he called her back, she answered, this time telling him she was in her car but was unsure where she was parked. It was up to us to clean up the mess and basically start from the beginning. Her stepfather meticulously photographed the inside of the car and her belongings, just in case. The Vanished did a great story on this. During the search for Ebby, her family looked into the possibility of her having been forced into sex trafficking. And she took excellent care of it. He would have had dash camera footage, but the police waited too long to subpoena the evidence, and it was long since erased. The last known contact she had on October 25 was with her older brother, Trevor. The death of Ebby Steppach, a Little Rock teen who. And we could have found her killer by now.. If you have any information about the disappearance and murder of Ebby Steppach, please call the Little Rock Police Department at (501) 404-3128. She crashed with friends frequently as well. By Harriet Sokmensuer. To laugh with her again.. Upon Ebbys remains being found, hundreds gathered for her memorial service at Christ Community Church on the campus of the Little Rock Christian Academy. Steppach's remains were found not far from where her 2003 Volkswagen . She rebelled against her parents and started living with her friend Daniel Westbrook. Surveillance footage was also located about a week after Ebby went missing, which showed her car travelling along Cantrell Road in west Little Rock. The second time, she was with another man in the backseat of her car. They are all good bois and gals but the science just isnt there. He also said the medical examiner has determined a preliminary cause of death. Why this wasnt done, I dont know, Hudson said. [4], Several searches of Chalamont Park were undertaken after the discovery of Steppach's car, though no additional evidence was found in the surrounding woods. Ebby Steppach / Date of death. And I just became hysterical.. And she took excellent care of it. As they felt the police werent taking Ebbys disappearance seriously, her family approached the media to help widen word of their missing loved one. By Katherine Stinson. Peggy and Michael called Ebby several times during the night without response. From the very beginning of the missing person investigation, Laurie and Michael Jernigan claim that the LRPD conducted incredibly shoddy work. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. The next evening around 5:30 p.m., Ebby called her brother, Trevor, and told him that she was in her car, but didnt know where she was. They changed Ebbys status to a missing person and, along with her family, handed out flyers across town. Ebby stayed with Danielle and her family for the remainder of the week. December 2017 In an attempt to bring publicity to her case, Steppachs mother and brother Trevor appeared onDr. Phil. Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? Catherine Townsend, a dynamic private investigator, says she has been working on the case for the past 18 months and believes the police are wrong to call Ebbys death a suicide and that her killer could still be found. Wow this is appalling. Everything else? Her feedback, along with that of others, resulted in the creation of a handbook that police give out to those whose loved ones have gone missing. He initially hesitated to take the case, but once he saw the shotty investigation he knew he had to do something and began tracking Ebbys final movements. In 2017, the case was reassigned to the LRPDs homicide unit, who brought cadaver dogs to the park to search for clues. She knew her daughter was in danger. A preliminary cause of death has been determined but not publicly released. They're together. But as time passed, they became more and more worried. She said she was outside his house, but when he went outside, she wasnt there. Ebbys death has been classified as a homicide and her killer(s) is/are still unknown. who worked the case of Natalee Holloway. But no one knew where she was. In 2018, authorities returned to the park where her abandoned car had been . She was unable to tell him who she was with or where she was. For Ebby's family and friends, they just want answers. - Published on May 19, 2022. The blockage was pulled up by the bulldozer and turned around and there she was, right in front of me, Hudson said. When her family tried to report her missing, they were told they needed to wait 12 hours for her to be considered missing. She saved her money and worked hard to buy really nice makeup, Laurie said. Police arrived over an hour later and after a quick inspection, told her it was sewage. That still begs the question why no one thoroughly searched the area (with or without dogs) in November 2015 when Ebby's friend and her mom smelled decomposition in the park. Five months into the investigation, he spoke with the security guard who found her car. They listed her as runaway and, as such, no search was conducted, despite her family saying she would never run away without keeping in contact with them. The . [4], The following day, October 24, 2015,[6] Steppach arrived at her mother's home, and informed her stepfather that she had been gang raped by four individuals[7] at the party and wanted to report the incident to authorities. "There was some evidence we were looking at that was found at the scene when she initially disappeared that bothered us," Hudson said. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Laurie says that's because no one has figured out what - or who - caused Ebby's death. And I knew it was Ebby.. Ebby Steppach was born on March 31, 1997, and lived in Little Rock, Arkansas with her mom and step-dad, Laurie and Michael Jernigan, and two siblings, Trevor and Harris. Her keys, her phone, her purse, makeup and contact lenses were scattered inside. Towards the beginning of the school year, she left her family's home to gain her parents' freedom. Thats when Trevor told me something was terribly wrong, Laurie said. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. While the search for Ebbys body ended in 2018, Tommy Hudson, the lead investigator on her case at the time kept working on finding her killer. With this kind of police investigation who needs enemies? It wasnt until November 2016, almost a year after Ebby disappeared, that police formally searched the Chalamont Park area, turning up no further clues. Ebby Jane Steppach had dreams of becoming a cosmetologist. The battery was dead, gas tank empty, and keys were left in the ignition. Around 8 p.m., she told her grandmother Peggy she was leaving to meet up with Michael, but that she would be back and planned to spend the night there. So I kept thinking she might have been washed into the pipe, which would have made it more difficult to find her.. [4] She also alleged that the rape had been recorded on a cell phone. But Ebby's specialty was. Her car was found abandoned in a West Little Rock park days later, but her body wasn't discovered until May of 2018 . This also highlighted how poorly local authorities were managing the case. Ebby, thats not a good position, dont put yourself in that. But then kind of that week, I stopped putting such a huge emphasis on it. During this time in her life, she also got a job at the Foot Locker in McCain Mall, a move her family says coincided with a change in behaviour. Now-retired Little Rock Police homicide detective Tommy Hudson stepped in and took over Ebbys case in 2017. Exploring the 2015 disappearance and subsequent death of 18-year-old Ebby Steppach; Rules and Guidelines. Then, Eric, Ebbys on-again, off-again boyfriend, reveals vital information on Ebbys behaviors right up until her disappearance. Ebby Steppach death has been reported as a homicide. This is a very sad case. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. On October 27, Ebby's 2003 Volkswagen Passat was discovered by security guard, Guy Hooper, abandoned in a parking lot near a wooded area in a neighborhood park named Chalamont Park. Ebby is found. Their names, obviously, have not been released. Site Layout Map. James and Michelle Butler: The Senseless Murder of 21-Year-Navy Veteran and Wife. There are only two reasons here why this case has not been solved.A)The Little Rock police dept are completely stupid and boungled the case from the startor B) They know good and well who did it but they hid/destroyed evidence and drug their feet in order to protect the ones who murdered her. Working off a gut instinct, Hudson told Dateline he felt they needed to take another look in the park where Ebbys car was found back in 2015. According to to a text sent to a friend, Ebby said four men had been involved and that she had felt forced into the encounter. Investigations, which also promised to make donations to safe houses in Ebbys memory. I agree. And she never showed up at the police station. [12] Margie Foley, a family friend and mother of one of Steppach's best friends, claimed that she had smelled decomposition while doing a private search of the area, and alerted the authorities. There have been a lot of rumors swirling about why this case has not been solved yet. However, that never happened. By that stage, the 18-year-old had been missing for nearly three years. So when the vibrant eyeshadow palettes and tubes of lipstick were found broken and scattered throughout her car just days after she was reported missing, Ebbys mother knew something was wrong. The first time he saw her, she was with two men and had asked the trio to leave, which they did without argument. When I got the case, there were things that werent done that shouldve been done on the front end, Hudson said, explaining that interviewing key witnesses and checking surveillance footage had not been done. He had footage of it on his dashboard camera, but had since lost the recordings. It was polar opposite than the Ebby we knew. It is a shame, because the culprits seem pretty obvious. While the search for Ebbys body ended in 2018, Tommy Hudson, the lead investigator on her case at the time kept working on finding her killer. The equipment hit obstructions on both ends of the drainage pipe and Hudson was given the go-ahead to dig up the section of pipe. In addition, Ebby moved out of her parents house and into her older brother, Trevors home. "It was something I just couldn't shake. [4] On Friday, October 23, she attended a party at some point during the evening. This would later be increased to $50,000. What worried her mother most of all was the condition of Ebbys makeup. So he delved deep into the case, determined to solve it. She would not let you leave a room without making you laugh. Police aren't known for their willingness to investigate rapes, or their their tact when dealing with victims. I really dont believe it is that latter. Something was there. For Ebby's family and friends, they just want answers. I think it was too much on his heart, his mother Laurie told Dateline. ET. He has the answers he was looking for.. The remains of an Arkansas teen who vanished more than two years ago have been found, and police tell Oxygen.com that what had been a missing persons case is now a homicide investigation.Ebby Steppach, 18, was last seen alive on October 24, 2015. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). On October 24, she texted her stepfather to inform him of the rape and to say she wanted to go to police about it.
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