However, where she was on the road has never been publicly released, nor if there was anyone else in the car with her. Ebby Steppach was born on March 31, 1997. Surveillance footage was also located about a week after Ebby went missing, which showed her car travelling along Cantrell Road in west Little Rock. For 8 months, Little Rock Police treated Ebby as a runaway, doing little to nothing to find her. Officers with the Little Rock Police Department searched the park, but came up empty-handed. 100GB with M1 Maxxs $15 U.P. Of the continuing investigation, Moore says, Weve never given up on this.. And we could have found her killer by now.. He had retired earlier in the year, but returned just months later to help with the new cold case unit. 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. Ebbys remains were found on May 22, 2018, a mere 60 feet from where her car had been found two years earlier. Tragic all the way around. Her devotion in close relationships and drive to renew a prosperous life for herself was cut short by an unexplainable, unsolved murder in October of 2015, leaving all who knew her across her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas (pronounced ARE-ken-SAW) grasping for . The last known contact she had on October 25 was with her older brother, Trevor. 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. She saw the best in people and loved anyone who came into her life with a fierceness that was unmatched. Dr. Phil devotes his platform to shine a light on the 2015 disappearance and subsequent death of 18-year-old Ebby Steppach; a story that dominated national news. Same situation btw, they knew she was going to report them for rape so they kidnapped her to beat her but 2 guys ended up killing her. The remainder was frittered away in about 4 years of drunken extravagance. It was at this party that Ebby claimed to have been raped by 4 men, who also recorded the act. 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. To laugh with her again.. Instead of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to non-profits H.A.L.O.S. Ebby got sober through the Oxford Group, and carried the message of salvation through religious conversion to his old friend, Bill. In November 2015, the family offered up a $3,000 reward for information leading to her discovery. When Vickers reached out to the security guard at Chalamont Park, he claimed it was the first time hed been contacted about the case. Ebby Steppach was born on March 31, 1997. 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. April 2019 Ebbys older brother, Trevor, dies from a massive heart attack at just 35 years old. The woman who reported the smell to police felt they had initially shrugged her off, not showing up until an hour after she had first phoned in. But as time passed, they became more and more worried. Ebby Steppach death: New theories revealed on Dr. Phil Show 2,786 views May 19, 2022 A Dr. Phil episode aired on Thursday focusing on the disappearance and death of Little Rock's Ebby. But as time passed, they became more and more worried. Ill be back to spend the night. The interior of the car and many of Ebbys belongings were water damaged when they got the car back, Laurie and Michael claim, because the LRPD had left the trunk open during a heavy rainstorm. Ebbys remains were found on May 22, 2018, a mere 60 feet from where her car had been found two years earlier. 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. Her car was found abandoned in a city park. Everything else? All Rights Reserved. I understand her strong will, I understand all of that. Could it possibly be one of the men who raped her,? The security guard explained that Ebby met a man there on multiple occasions. When the Little Rock Police Department began investigating the case as more than a runaway, it was handed to the Violent Crimes Division. And they were stopped in their tracks. General. Just when I thought she had it down, you know, she didnt. That was when they discovered Ebby's remains just 60 feet from where her car had been found. 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. Unsure How to Help Your Child Struggling with Obesity? 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. "It was a gut feeling with all of us," he said. Tommy Hudson is the detective who was responsible for finding Ebby's body. A private investigator hired by Ebbys family, Monty Vickers, said her text records indicate she sent several messages to the men she accused threatening to go to the police. When he died, I thought, now he knows what happened to her. 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. 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. Steppach's family released a statement Wednesday evening after they were notified of the Arkansas State Crime Lab results. And the minute we could do so, on October 26 in the middle of the night, we filed a report.. Her disappearance ended 4 years ago when Little Rock police found. Sep. 22 2021, Published 6:32 p.m. Family: Ebby Steppach's Death is Being Investigated as a Homicide. It was up to us to clean up the mess and basically start from the beginning. Yesterday, God answered the familys prayers to find Ebby.. It was hard for all of us.. Ebby Steppach (Ebby Jane Steppach) was born on 31 March, 1997 in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. He has the answers he was looking for.. Want Dr. Phil to Investigate a Situation or Possible Scam? During the multiple searches for Ebby, a team looking through a remote wooded area of Little Rock stumbled across a site, consisting of clothes, handcuffs, a skeletal leg bone and a shoe that resembled one that the missing girl would wear. At just 35 years old, he died of a massive heart attack. He received no response and found she wasnt home when he arrived. 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 Vanished maybe, before she was found? From the very beginning of the missing person investigation, Laurie and Michael Jernigan claim that the LRPD conducted incredibly shoddy work. What really happened to Ebby Steppach? Ebbys family tried to file a missing person report, but was told by police they had to wait at least 12 hours. Yikes just looked into this one. So we had to wait. 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. And it was broken all over the car. Laurie said she was with her husband out to dinner at the time, but had no idea about the text. He never gave up on her, on finding out what happened, she said. Its unclear what compelled investigators to search the pipe specifically on Tuesday. This would later be increased to $50,000. [4] Trevor described her as seeming "disoriented" during their conversation. 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. Her car was found abandoned in a West Little Rock park days later, but her body wasn't discovered until May of 2018 . [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. I listen to too many. She remained silent for nearly 24 hours. So he delved deep into the case, determined to solve it. Feel free to read more at the resources below, and please let me know what you think about this case. But Ebby's specialty was. "She was very funny, Laurie said. Ebby Jane Steppach (March 31, 1997 - October 25, 2015) [2] was an American woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Little Rock, Arkansas. -. Something happened to her.. A family friend named Margie Foley had reported to the police that she smelled decomposition while they . Russell King passes a memorial for Ebby Steppach as he works Tuesday at Chalamont Park in west Little Rock. "It was something I just couldn't shake. - Published on May 19, 2022. Thats when Trevor told me something was terribly wrong, Laurie said. They said they couldnt due to a lack of resources. And the minute we could do so, on October 26 in the middle of the night, we filed a report.. Throughout the evening, cell phone records showed Ebby sent text messages to men she had implicated in her rape, threatening to go to the police if they didnt delete the video. 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. "Because I know I would've been hysterical and rushed over. She knew her daughter was in danger. That was when they discovered Ebby's remains just 60 feet from where her car had been found. 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]. Her body was found was. 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. There was a drainage pipe not far from the car, and it had rained in the days after she went missing, he said. Shortly following the news of Hudson's retirement, Little Rock Police Department released a statement about Ebby's case: The Little Rock Police Department is committed to work collectively to resolve all cold cases; more specifically the Ebby Steppach case. Our cold case unit is comprised of seasoned investigators who have retired as active members of the Little Rock Police Department. TELL DR. PHIL YOUR STORY: Have a story in the news? What in the fucking fuck. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, she lived with her mother, Laurie Jernigan; her stepfather, Michael Jernigan; her older brother, Trevor; and her younger sister, Harris. The keys were in the ignition and the car was out of gas as if it had been left running. December 2017 In an attempt to bring publicity to her case, Steppachs mother and brother Trevor appeared onDr. Phil. I moved to Little Rock in the summer of 2015 and remember seeing Ebbys missing posters everywhere that fall. "Because I know I would've been hysterical and rushed over. She would not let you leave a room without making you laugh. 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. Sadly, this time Ebbys remains were finally found. From the first word of her disappearance to now, the Steppach case has plagued the public and police, as no suspect, or suspects, have been formally charged neither for the alleged rape nor the murder. She later texted the men implicated, threatening to report them to the authorities. Ebbys cell phone records show that she made two calls to the Little Rock Police Department that night, each about a minute long. Why this wasnt done, I dont know, Hudson said. He would have had dash camera footage, but the police waited too long to subpoena the evidence, and it was long since erased. The car belonged to 18-year-old Ebby Steppach, and Ebby had vanished without a trace. She loves her family so much, she wouldnt cause her family this much pain, Steppachs mother, Laurie Steppach, told KATV. I really feel sorry for their mother. There's just a lot that doesn't make sense. A podcast did a great story on this and I cant remember which one. Investigations, which is dedicated to locating missing and trafficked children, and T.H.O.R.N., an international anti-human trafficking organization that works to address the sexual exploitation of children. Well, with God, Ill make it through.. 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. For Ebby's family and friends, they just want answers. Days later, Ebby's Volkswagen Passat was found parked in Chalamont Park. It was determined she had been there since her car was found three years prior. The battery was dead, gas tank empty, and keys were left in the ignition. They're together. She would never do this. Investigators looking into the disappearance of 18-year-old Ebby Steppach previously spent three days in 2016 searching Chalamont Park in west Little Rock for the woman's body, but returned. Detectives remain tight-lipped about the case and have not revealed how Steppach died, only classifying it as a homicide. "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. There was no doubt it was her.. It wasnt until November 2016, almost a year after Ebby disappeared, that police formally searched the Chalamont Park area, turning up no further clues. In 2015, she was 18 years old, 110 pounds, with blonde hair, and only a little over 5 feet tall. Her step dad Michael says thinks she may have gone out to confront her rapists. When Ebbys remains were found, Laurie was devastated. And the burden of being the last person to talk to Ebby.. Her bones were found last Tuesday in a park drainage pipe in a Little Rock suburb, steps from where her car was discovered after she disappeared. Exploring the 2015 disappearance and subsequent death of 18-year-old Ebby Steppach; If you have any information about the disappearance and murder of Ebby Steppach, please call the Little Rock Police Department at (501) 404-3128. Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? At just 35 years old, he died of a massive heart attack. For nearly three years, no trace of her was found. She was really rebelling and fighting, fighting back and storming out, Laurie said. Classic small town law enforcement incompetence. He recalled her sounding confused, disoriented and panicked, their mother Laurie told Dateline. By that time, I just knew in my soul that something was really wrong, Ebbys mother, Laurie Jeringan, told Dateline. During the search for Ebby, her family looked into the possibility of her having been forced into sex trafficking. Ebbys family contacted everyone they knew and anyone they thought may have been in contact with Ebby. [4] On October 21, 2015, Steppach missed school. However, her parents never addressed this with her, wanting to give her more independence. On February 12, 2018, Laurie filed a complaint with the Little Rock Police Department, alleging a Captain, a Lieutenant and a Sergeant had sent her threatening text messages, had yelled at her during questioning and had refused to update her on the case during the early days of the investigation. Upcoming on In Pursuit. Ebby Steppach death has been reported as a homicide. Poor Ebby. Could it help solve the mystery? Mother hopeful new detective will solve 2015 murder of daughter Ebby Steppach 18-year-old Ebby vanished in October 2015, but her remains weren't found until May 2018. She had been dead since the time her car was found three years prior. Shortly following the news of Hudson's retirement, Little Rock Police Department released a statement about Ebby's case: The Little Rock Police Department is committed to work collectively to resolve all cold cases; more specifically the Ebby Steppach case. Ebby family were unaware of the odor until after the remains were IDd. Lauries family also hired TJ Ward, an Atlanta based P.I. And I knew it was Ebby.. 0:00 / 40:28 Unsolved Homicide: Who Put Ebby Steppach in the Drainpipe? The family's private investigator had a bigger, more thorough file than the police. Ebby Steppach was creative. [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. They then went in the other way and hit another obstruction about 130 feet in. ET. It was hard for all of us.. "She would still be dead if they found her in a week," Laurie said. Protective. I hope the family gets justice eventually. And the burden of being the last person to talk to Ebby.. [4] She also alleged that the rape had been recorded on a cell phone. 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. So I kept thinking she might have been washed into the pipe, which would have made it more difficult to find her.. On Friday, Ebby went to a party while Danielle stayed home because she didnt know anyone who would be there. Learn how your comment data is processed. Listen iHeartPodcast's " Hell and Gone " is back with a 4th season, and this time, host Catherine Townsend is diving into the murder of Ebby Steppach. However, it was noted that the officers implicated were no longer with the Major Crimes Unit. If you have any information regarding the murder of Ebby Steppach, please contact the Little Rock Police department, 501-404-3128 Investigator Tommy Hudson (email: thudson@littlerock.gov) 501-371-4829 Little Rock PD Non-emergency number 501-371-4636 Little Rock PD Public Information Officer, Sources:Ebby Steppach case still open, preliminary cause of death determined but wont be releasedOne year later | The search for justice for Ebby continuesDays after Ebby Steppach disappeared, police shrugged off pipe odor, caller says. She rebelled against her parents and started living with her friend Daniel Westbrook. She wasnt a so-called runaway. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. [4] On Friday, October 23, she attended a party at some point during the evening. She went through a lot of changes all at once and suddenly she was chomping at the bit to take control of her life, Laurie said. It was polar opposite than the Ebby we knew. 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. Something was there. My faith is so strong and I trust that God will bring answers, Laurie said. Along with the Homicide Unit, the departments Cold Case Unit also examined the case and came up with numerous theories as to what could have happened to Ebby. I have peace knowing neither Ebby or Trevor are alone. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). The 2018 discovery of Ebby's body in a drainpipe, just 60 feet from where her car was found two and a half years earlier, brought no closure to her mother, Laurie. Anyone with information about Ebby Steppachs case is asked to call the Little Rock Police Department Cold Case Unit at (501) 4043128. I think the most frustrating part, as most would agree, is that the most obvious place where her remains would be, were never searched. 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. When her family tried to report her missing, they were told they needed to wait 12 hours for her to be considered missing. You would think talking to Danielle and looking into the cell phone pings are two of the first things theyd do. 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. 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. While he isnt one hundred percent certain the girl he saw was Ebby, he says she does resemble the images of Ebby hes been shown. Laurie told Dateline investigators continued to call Ebby a runaway and assured Laurie shed be back soon. Oddly enough I was working for her uncle while she was still missing. TM & 2023 Peteski Productions, Inc. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc.. a Paramount company. I have peace knowing neither Ebby or Trevor are alone. [11] Extensive searches for Steppach at Chalamont Park had been held in the past. An internal investigation was conducted, which yielded insufficient evidence to prove her claims. Its Going To Take Someone Coming Forward, Says Mother Of Little Rock Teen Whose Death Remains Unsolved, Private Investigator Refutes Police Theory That Teen Found Dead In Drainpipe Crawled Down There On Her Own, I Knew Instantly Someone Had Taken Her, Says Mother Of Teen Whose Body Was Found In 2018, This Is Not A Cold Case, Says Retired Detective About Ebby Steppachs Death, Sponsored: Dr. Phil McGraw Teams Up With Sundae To Help Homeowners Sell As-Is. Please post your thoughts and theories below. Little Rock Police spokesman Officer Steve Moore said cold case investigators were following up on Ebby Steppach's disappearance Tuesday when they found the skeletal remains in an underground. May 22, 2019 1 year since Ebbys remains were recovered. She was unable to tell him who she was with or where she was. He also said the medical examiner has determined a preliminary cause of death. The . Well, with God, Ill make it through.. Her phone records also indicate she stopped opening messages that night a major red flag. The first time he saw her, she was with two men and had asked the trio to leave, which they did without argument. If Ebby had been found right away, we wouldn't have had to go through this nightmare, she said. While neither were human remains, it piqued the interest of investigators and thus the pipe was excavated. But Ebbys specialty was makeup. 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. Several searches were conducted in the park by both police and volunteers. Ebby was known as an outgoing and bubbly teen, who was close to her family and friends. "It was something I just couldn't shake. Working dogs also take non-verbal clues from their handlers. On October 27, her abandoned car was discovered in Chalamont Park in west Little Rock. She was survived by her parents, Laurie and Michael Jernigan; her father, Peter Steppach; her sister, Harris Elizabeth; brother, Trevor; stepbrother, Ethan; her grandparents . It was the last time anyone ever heard from Ebby. She crashed with friends frequently as well. In addition to the mishandling of the car evidence and loss of the LRPDs call records, Vickers discovered many other holes in the investigation. On Tuesday, police announced during a press conference that the remains could be those of Steppach, who disappeared in October 2015. 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He also added that they have persons of interest in the case and have interviewed multiple people, but no one had been named a suspect at this time. I really dont believe it is that latter. Disclaimer. Its also unclear why Ebbys remains werent located for three years, when multiple searches had taken place in the vicinity, even with a cadaver dog. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Ebby's body was found in a drainpipe in her hometown of Little Rock, AR, and the mystery that still shrouds her death has left an . Her remains were found in a drainage pipe. At the time, Little Rock police believed Steppach ran away. 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 blockage was pulled up by the bulldozer and turned around and there she was, right in front of me, Hudson said. I'm so sorry you had to go through that and then have to deal with more bs on top of it. Cadaver dogs are much less likely to find remains if they're not fresh. However, they wanted to encourage her independence, and didnt confront her. And she started to push back rebel.. "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.
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