IL IL - Trudy Appleby, 11, Moline, 21 Aug 1996

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Trudy Appleby at 11-years-old (left) alongside an age-progressed photo of what she may look age 30 (right).
Moline Police Department

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/cold...-illinois-girl-trudy-appleby-vanished-n634526
 

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If they have a suspect that means the case is close to being solved.
 
If they have a suspect that means the case is close to being solved.

I hope the case is close to being solved but it seems like they need the deceased suspect's family to provide more information. Rosemary Diaz's disappearance was recently solved under similar circumstances and hopefully the same outcome will soon be reached here.
 
There is a David L. Whipple who was booked for a sexual assault in Rock Island County, Il.
http://mugshots.com/US-Counties/Illinois/Rock-Island-County-IL/David-L-Whipple.49203084.html
That David Whipple's date of birth is listed online as Dec. 17, 1960. That would have made him 35 at the time of Trudy's disappearance. I don't see anything that would indicate that he is dead.

I think that's him. In an article where he's interviewed, it says he is 51 (in August of 2012).

http://qctimes.com/news/local/trudy-appleby-case-friends-say-family-needs-closure/article_d776139c-dde1-11e1-8032-0019bb2963f4.html
 
Trudy Appleby's friends hold on to hope

Amber Holderfield and her mom Kelly Carlson can still remember making plans with Trudy Appleby the day before she disappeared on August 21, 1996.

"She left here and my daughter walked her home and she said to me, I’ll see you guys tomorrow," described Holderfield. "We didn’t see her the next day."

21 years later Holderfield and Carlson, are fighting to have keep Trudy's case alive in the minds of Quad Cities residents and even beyond.

"I'll continue to do this until the day I take my last breathe," said Holderfield.

Trudy Appleby's family creates 90-day reward for information in the case

Trudy Appleby's uncle, Ray Eddleman thinks about her daily.

"Your thoughts are so centered on that," Eddleman said. "It's hard to live the rest of your life with that blocking you."

He, along with other family members are hoping that a $10,000 reward will bring someone forward in the 21-year-old case.

The $10,000 reward has a 90-day time stamp on it, family members hope that will speed up the process.
 
Police release new information on Trudy Appleby disappearance

Police say a witness saw William “Ed” Smith in a similar vehicle near Smith’s residence in East Moline on Campbell’s Island in the late morning hours on August 21, 1996.

According to police, the witness observed a younger female in the passenger seat of that vehicle and believed that person to be Trudy Appleby whom was personally known by the witness. The vehicle passed within a couple feet of the witness, who police tell KWQC is also a person of interest in this case. Appleby’s whereabouts are unknown after the vehicle drove by and no other witnesses have come forward with information on any further sightings.

The investigation has shown that Smith had access to a vehicle similar to the one that was described as having picked up Trudy on the morning of August 21, 1996. Leads from the investigation show that particular vehicle may have been scrapped within a short time of Trudy’s disappearance. Smith has been named a Person of Interest in the case.

The Moline Police Department knows that William “Ed” Smith died on December 23, 2014 having never admitted knowledge regarding the disappearance of Trudy Appleby. Information from the investigation show William “Ed” Smith may have been the last person known to be seen with Trudy Appleby prior to her disappearance. Information regarding his activities the date of August 21, 1996 may lead to further information about Trudy Appleby’s disappearance.
 
The part about suspect probably deceased is apparently recent info. the other description of a living poi, is from DOE..
The reason i posted both is so that someone might piece together who the suspect might be, by combining the doe description, with someone who looked like that at the time of abduction, but who is now deceased.
imo, speculation.

The deceased POI was recently identified as William “Ed” Smith. In the article, the witness who told investigators about allegedly seeing Trudy with Smith is also a person of interest. The witness is not named but it might be David Whipple. A reporter attempted to talk to Whipple recently but was unsuccessful.

http://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Police-release-new-information-on-Trudy-Appleby-disappearance-440894043.html
 
Appleby witness says someone is hiding a secret, but it’s not him

Trudy's father Dennis Appleby has said he believes Whipple, Smith's son-in-law, knows more about what happened to his daughter. Whipple says, that's just not true.

Whipple said he believes his deceased father-in-law is the last person to see Trudy alive, and was "absolutely" capable of "doing something" to Trudy. He says there had been past sexual abuse in the family.

He said he has talked with police several times over the past 21 years, and wants the mystery of what really happened to Trudy to be solved, too.

"I would love to give Dennis his answers. I'd give my life if my family could lead a normal life and I had that answer, but I don't. I know what I seen, and I know what I believe was there. That's all I can step up and say. And, I did," he said.

Trudy Appleby's father: 'It's time for truth'

“We now know what happened to Trudy. We know who took her,” said Dennis Appleby, whose emotions made it difficult for him to speak at times.

He directed some of his comments at David Whipple, saying that Whipple has gone on record to say that he saw William “Ed” Smith with Trudy the day she disappeared.

“We have all the pieces — where she left, who she left with,” Appleby said. He urged Whipple to tell all he knows about Trudy's disappearance.
 
I wish whoever is left who knows more, especially if they have any idea where her body is, would at least try to report it anonymously. The community has known for years that this guy was guilty, so it's not like finding her body is going to hurt the family name at this point.

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