The tragic death of Amber Hagerman in 1996 is still regarded as one of the most well-known kidnapping instances in history.
As a result of the young girl’s tragic death, the life-saving Amber Alert system was developed, and today true crime fans are interested in learning more about her.
Who was Amber Hagerman?
On January 13, 1996, a nine-year-old girl named Amber Hagerman was kidnapped while riding her pink bicycle through Arlington, Texas.
She was riding beside her younger brother Ricky at the time in a deserted Winn-Dixie parking lot, but they split off when he made the decision to bike back to their grandparents’ house.
Amber was taken off her bike in broad daylight by a man in a black pickup vehicle before she could follow him.
Police started looking for Amber right after, but four days later, she was discovered beside a creek with her throat cut, roughly four miles from the supermarket, according to The New York Times.
Who killed Amber Hagerman?
Police switched their missing person’s inquiry to a murder one once Amber’s body was discovered, but regrettably they have had no luck in apprehending the murderer.
Police are still looking and have not given up despite the possibility that the case is cold.
“This is still an open, on-going murder investigation,” lead investigator Det Grant Gildon said in 2021, via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“We want to solve it. We want to get answers for the family.”
The suspect was characterised as a white or Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s with dark hair at the time of the kidnapping. Police have concluded that he was a local who was familiar with the area based on this description.
“Based on the direction of travel when they left [the Winn-Dixie] and then based on her being found in Arlington, being abducted in Arlington and just being in that spot, the question has always been, did somebody have a connection with that area where the abduction was?” Arlington Police Sgt Grant Gildon told PEOPLE in 2022
“It’s a very secluded area where her body was found. We do believe you’d have to be somewhat familiar with that area to know where that creek is,” he added.
“Was there a connection with that location? And was it someone who had a reason for turning back to the center of town? The thought has always been that the easiest way to get out of the area would’ve been to go to Highway 360.”
The Peacock documentary Amber: The Girl Behind the Alert, which is scheduled to debut on January 17, 2023, will focus on Amber’s narrative, which has been told numerous times over the years.
What is an Amber Alert?
Soon after Amber vanished, Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters and the local police worked together to create an early warning system to aid in the recovery of kidnapped children.
When there is “reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred,” the notifications are now distributed to all 50 states.
The child must also be in “imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death,” according to authorities.
In essence, the purpose of the emergency warning is to inform the public in an effort to locate missing children.
