TRUDY LEANN APPLEBY
On August 21, 1996 in Moline, Illinois. a neighbor saw 11 year old Trudy enter a silver or gray four-door box-style vehicle, similar to a Chevrolet Celebrity, in the driveway of her home between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. The driver was described as a white male. Trudy took her bathing suit and a towel. It is likely then she was lured by a swimming trip. Neither the suspect nor Trudy have been seen since. Trudy was clearly planning to return home because she left $200 she had saved for use on an upcoming family vacation.
William "Ed" Smith was identified as the prime suspect in Trudy's disappearance in 2017. Smith, a friend of Trudy's father, died in 2014. A witness (reportedly his son-in-law, David Whipple), had seen Trudy in his car, and Smith threatened to kill him if the witness told the police about this.
Smith was seen alone later on the day of Trudy's disappearance, but Trudy was never seen again. He had his car scrapped within a week of Trudy's disappearance, and he acted "despondent" whenever her name was mentioned.
Trudy's father theorizes that Smith and Whipple took Trudy out on a boat on the Mississippi River and something unexpected happened, perhaps an accident, that lead to the child's death. Trudy was friends with one of Whipple's children and frequently accompanied their family on the boat. Whipple has refused to cooperate with investigators in Trudy's disappearance. .http://charleyproject.org/case/trudy-leann-appleby
Smith was seen alone later on the day of Trudy's disappearance, but Trudy was never seen again. He had his car scrapped within a week of Trudy's disappearance, and he acted "despondent" whenever her name was mentioned.
Trudy's father theorizes that Smith and Whipple took Trudy out on a boat on the Mississippi River and something unexpected happened, perhaps an accident, that lead to the child's death. Trudy was friends with one of Whipple's children and frequently accompanied their family on the boat. Whipple has refused to cooperate with investigators in Trudy's disappearance. .http://charleyproject.org/case/trudy-leann-appleby
Comments
Post a Comment