AL AL - Peggy Chappell, 6, Birmingham, 25 Nov 1993

Hi. I felt I just had to post something on the sad case of Peggy , a little girl whose site I stumbled across while looking up the case of JonBenet Ramsey.

I have searched throught this site and not found any thread that she is mentioned on.

I know another member has offered to post some facts about the case on this thread ( although there is extremely limited facts on it) but I will briefly tell you what I know.

Peggy was 6 years old when she was abducted and murdered in Alabama in 1993. She was last seen getting into a van with a man. Her body was discovered in an unused garage 75 yards from her own home. Her throat had been slit and she had suffered a severe blow to the head. There were also marks on her arms,legs and buttocks.

The equally disturbing part of this story is that Peggy's mother, Kate admits that she knows the individual who took Peggy but refuses to identify him to the authorities. She says he always brought Peggy back safe before which implies to me that she knew something untoward was going on. She was charged with hindering prosecution and was sentenced to probation. One of its conditions was that she cooperate fully with police in their efforts to find the killer of her daughter. She still refused to reveal his identity so was sentenced to 3 years in prison and 5 more years of probation afterwards.

As far as I know the case is still unsolved. I often think about this little girl and feel really sad especially condsidering the behaviour of her own mother. I would be extremely grateful if anyone could throw any light on the matter!

Rest in peace, Peggy x

Its hard to believe a mother can do this... but sadly it happens!

When my sister-in-law was growing up she would often be sent to the corner store to "return bottles". She didn't want to go. She'd cry, and complain, and tell her mom the man there would scare her, but her mom would insist on sending her on these "errands", unaccompanied. She would tell her the man was just "affectionate".

The man molested her every time.

It wasn't until she was an adult that she realised that her mom KNEW what was happening. He was supplying her mom with beer on a regular basis. Her mom, an alcholic, couldn't afford the beer. This woman (who was about 10 yrs old then) was "payment".

Her mother, when confronted, denied ever knowing about the molestations. When she was asked "What do you think it meant when you were being told he was touching in the wrong places?" She said she didn't know what it meant and just thought her daughter was being "fussy".

Sadly both the mother, and the daughter have since died. My sister in law never forgave her mom for the things she endured, nor did she ever understand how her own mother could not only let it happen, but insist on providing access to her!

Peggy's mother should be prosecuted as if she herself committed the crime. She IS an accessory! But that's just my opinion

Almost every article I find gives the same few details

This article is a partial reprint. Please go here to read full story from:
http://p076.ezboard.com/fmissing87975frm59.showMessage?topicID=11.topic

Birmingham, AL -- Sept. 9, 1999 Katie Chappell knows the man who coaxed her little blue-eyed girl into his van on Thanksgiving Day six years ago, and knows why he took her, said Assistant District Attorney Mike Anderton. She even knows, he said, that the man had taken Peggy before.

"She's made the statement...'He'd always brought her (Peggy) back before,'" Anderton said. "I don't know if she's trying to cover up for someone else or herself. But she's kept quiet for six years and refused to cooperate."
Peggy was last seen alive getting into a van or Chevy Blazer with a man. Her nude body was found the next day, wrapped in a beach towel and stuffed inside a garbage can. Her skull was smashed. Her throat was cut, and her back, arms, left buttock and legs were battered.
Authorities have long pleaded with Chappell to tell them what she knows, but Chappell pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and did not say what she knows, if anything, about one of the city's most notorious child murders.
Chappell, whose statements to police have changed over the years, still maintains her innocence. She pleaded guilty, her attorney said, only because she felt it was in her best interest to do so.
Chappell entered the guilty plea without cutting any deal, which means when she will be sentenced without an assurance of her freedom. The judge, however, told Chappell that if he doesn't give her probation he will allow her to withdraw her guilty plea.
Had the case gone to trail, Anderton said he would have presented witnesses who would testify that Chappell spoke to the man who put Peggy in his vehicle and that she was nearby when the vehicle left.
"She made statements to police indicating she saw the guy pick Peggy up," Anderton said, "She has also said she knew the tag number but that it wouldn't benefit her to tell anybody."

UPDATE
Nov. 3, 2000 -- Katie Chappell was sentenced to prison for three years and will serve five years of probation after her release. In 1994 authorities charged Chappell with hindering prosecution. She pleaded guilty to the crime in 1999.
She was sentenced to 10 years in prison but Circuit Judge James Garrett reduced the term to five years of probation on the condition that she cooperate fully with police to find the killer. Chappell talked twice to police and FBI investigators after her plea.
"This is a sad chapter...when a woman with a child will not help the police catch the killer of her child," Anderton said. "I hesitate to use the word mother because I don't think that a mother will act like she's acting."

Link to Pictures: http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/seekinfo/chappell.htm

PonderingThings said:

Its hard to believe a mother can do this... but sadly it happens!

When my sister-in-law was growing up she would often be sent to the corner store to "return bottles". She didn't want to go. She'd cry, and complain, and tell her mom the man there would scare her, but her mom would insist on sending her on these "errands", unaccompanied. She would tell her the man was just "affectionate".

The man molested her every time.

It wasn't until she was an adult that she realised that her mom KNEW what was happening. He was supplying her mom with beer on a regular basis. Her mom, an alcholic, couldn't afford the beer. This woman (who was about 10 yrs old then) was "payment".

Her mother, when confronted, denied ever knowing about the molestations. When she was asked "What do you think it meant when you were being told he was touching in the wrong places?" She said she didn't know what it meant and just thought her daughter was being "fussy".

Sadly both the mother, and the daughter have since died. My sister in law never forgave her mom for the things she endured, nor did she ever understand how her own mother could not only let it happen, but insist on providing access to her!

Peggy's mother should be prosecuted as if she herself committed the crime. She IS an accessory! But that's just my opinion

Click to expand...

That was horrible Pondering! Reading the little info avail. on little Peggy, I would not doubt that something similar is going on here. Maybe this Mother was selling little Peggy and making money off of it, or doing it for drugs. Or she is protecting somebody, but who? Who could you love more than your own daughter?

She could also be protecting herself... it was inferred in the posted article. I noticed that there was no mention of rape... was that just omitted (the abuse on the child's body was horrendous enough!).

I'm asking because if there was no rape, it could be the mother.... or not.

VIGIL IN PARK BRINGS SHOWER OF TEARS FOR PEGGY CHAPPELL
At a vigil Sunday night in Linn Park, Jean and Katie Chappell put their arms around their son, Eugene, and held candles in memory of their daughter, 6-year-old Peggy, who was kidnapped and killed in Norwood last month.
That Thanksgiving Day case remains unsolved. The Birmingham Area Youth Theatre Company presented a series of songs to pay tribute to Miss Chappell and bring attention to her case. "Continued"
Published on December 20, 1993, Birmingham News (AL)


BARBER SAYS IT ISN'T TIME TO ASK FOR CHAPPELL CASE REWARD BOOST
The time isn't right to put up more reward money for information about the unsolved Thanksgiving Day killing of 6-year-old Peggy Chappell of Norwood, said Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber.
The Jefferson County Commission voted 4-0 Tuesday to ""call upon'' Barber to ask Gov. Folsom to offer $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the killing. "Continued"
Published on December 29, 1993, Birmingham News (AL)

These are pay to view articles in The Birmingham News

Thank you all for giving Peggy's case some thought and time!

Yaya, although I was complaining there was no info on Peggy, the particular sight you posted I had actually never seen and it was a little more up to date so thanks for that.

-Pondering, thank you for sharing the sad story of your sister in law - how awful. I can't even begin to understand some of these peoples logic! Thats exactly the view I got from Peggy's case - that she was being used as some sort of bribe or payment - maybe Peggy's mother had committed a crime herself and someone had some kind of a hold over her and she felt she had no choice but to protect them while protecting herself at the same time.

The article that was posted describing Kate and Jean arm in arm in thought over their daughter - who is Jean? Thats a womans name to my knowlege and even if it wasnt I wasnt aware there was a father figure on the scene. How could she be so hypocritical to be stood there in mourning?

Jean is also the french equivalent for John.

PonderingThings said:

Jean is also the french equivalent for John.

Click to expand...

That is interesting PT, "good catch"... I was wondering myself if this girls family possibly had some French connection, due to the name Chappell. Many times in the US the name is spelled Chapel... as in a church.
Chappell might be pronounced "Sha pell"

Anyway if not a French connection... the name Jean may have been misspelled... it is possible it should have been Gene the American spelling.

I can't help but wonder... where is the father in all this and why hasn't he made any public statements.

Here's one more pay perview article I found.

Published on November 28, 2002, Birmingham News (AL)
NORWOOD GIRL'S 1993 MURDER GETS FRESH FOCUS DETECTIVES PIN HOPES ON SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY TO FIND KILLER OF 6-YEAR-OLD PEGGY CHAPPELL

Investigators have returned with new energy to probe the death of Peggy Chappell, a 6-year-old Norwood girl whose murder nine years ago today shocked the city and stymied investigators. Detectives will turn to science and psychology to find the killer, going so far as to use hypnosis to draw information from witnesses who are now teenagers. Authorities say they believe they have narrowed the suspects down to a short list. New comparisons of finger prints, DNA analysis and new... "Continued"

Thanks Yaya. It says the article was published in 2002, so the wheels of justice do turn slowly indeed.... BUT they have been turning in this case!

Who knows, someone, who is now older, may come forward on their own.

Hooray you have made my day Yaya by posting that titbit of info! Its great to know that someone was still thinking of little Peggy in 2002. Let's hope justice will be done!

This is such a sad case. I can't find any updates but am continuing to look for something about where the 'mother' is now. I did find a picture of little Peggy.

Poor little Peggy! Seems to me that the Mom didn't want to implicate the man because he could have refuted her testimony. If he "always brought her back safe" perhaps he did this time as well and it was someone else (the Mother) who harmed her. Inconceivable, but then so is her attitude/actions.

"Birmingham police using Facebook to solve cold cases, including 6-year-old girl's brutal murder"

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/03/bpd_turning_to_facebook_to_sol.html

A medical examiner found no evidence that Peggy was sexually assaulted, but police found a pornographic magazine next to the child's body in the garbage bag. Authorities charged Peggy's mother, Katie Chappell, in 1994 with hindering prosecution because she won't help police find her daughter's killer. Investigators insist Katie Chappell knows who coaxed Peggy into the van and why he took her.

Katie Chappell passed one polygraph test, but stumbled on the next three after investigators found more information and made the questions more specific. She pleaded guilty in 1999 and Circuit Judge James Garrett sentenced her to 10 years in prison. He reduced the term to five years of probation on the condition that she cooperate fully with police.

Click to expand...

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777, Det. Ross at 205-297-8497 or Det. Brown at 205-297-8490.

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/03/bpd_turning_to_facebook_to_sol.html

Someone correct me if I dont have the facts straight

The body was nude, but wrapped in a towel, her body is hidden inside a trash can , wrapped inside 3 green trash bags, her clothes folded neatly inside other trash bags located near her body , and then her body is placed inside an "unused' garage

the garage is approximately 75 yards from the child's home (approx. 225 feet)

She's found nude, yet there is no mention of sexual assault.

COD: Laceration of the throat with severe blunt trauma to the head , additional trauma evident over the child's body, primarily her arms, legs, and buttock.

Childs mother claims to "know who did it", but refuses to divulge any details about said "he", claims "he" has interacted previously with the child and has "always brought her back safe"

The mother has even willingly served a prison sentence for obstruction, has been given probation, on the condition that she divulge information, yet upon agreeing to do so has still refused to divulge the name of "he" to police?

> are these facts correct?

I found this case by looking at an AL.com article on cold cases. Poor little Peggy this is just horrible. I did find Peggy's brother (there is actually a photo on his wife's facebook page of Peggy's headstone) on Facebook but his account is pretty private. His wife has a bit more public and had a post about his dad being sick (recent post) and in a comment Katie was mentioned (Peggy's mom??). So disturbing that no one was ever held accountable for this little girl's death. I was not sure what I could or could not post/link here so I did not post links to any of this, sorry! I think anyone could easily find it based on the information in this thread though.