IL IL - Amy Todd Fleming, 25, Lee County, 11 January 1996

[ohaychel]

“Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. They set out to do this. This was planned all along,” she said.

The sheriff said his investigators have found that certain people interviewed in the case haven’t been forward, and they’ve been surprised by the way these people have reacted to their questions.

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/01/11/fifteen-years-later-slaying-still-unsolved/ah66ynb/

I wonder about this assertion that the perpetrator was known to the victim. For one, the doors are always unlocked and we are always inviting to those in need out in small towns.
If folks were uncooperative, well I can understand that too. Who can you trust? There should be more public appeals by the current administration, beyond some minor blurb in the paper.

 

[Quad]

I live in a very small town also... But, I lock my doors and am careful about who I let in my life.... So, I am not sure that applies to everyone.... also.... A woman was murdered... there should be no uncoopperation.... those people should of been and need to be pressed way more than it looks like they were.. Did Amy let the person in, or did, they just walk in... I don't know... But, I do think she knew the person...I absolutely agree there should be way more public appeals by officials...

 

[Quad]

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/_internal/cimg!0/ox9hpa7fbvnz4erdpe59rup3oslgh6z

 

[Quad]

25,000 Reward

. Shortly after her death, community leaders in Shabbona and Waterman raised a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever was responsible for the killing. The reward has gone unpaid.

http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2007/01/14/news/local/36085177089665.txt

 

[Quad]

It would be great if any locals reading here would sign up and contribute to the conversation...... Websleuths is a great site....

 

[Quad]

Bumping

 

[ohaychel]

I had a conversation with her neighbor (in the '90s) a couple years ago, same age as Amy (roughly). In speaking about her alcoholic abusive father (lawyer) who was known and 'protected' by police (she said, with regard to how she felt about reaching out to authorities for protection and she said she tried but got shut down), she said then went on to ask if I knew about the Amy murder (which I did), and we recalled the Carson gun shop shooting of Bidstrip and a vagrant at the gas station across the street owned by the city police officer at the time. Neither of which came up for prosecution as far as I know. Maybe because these were police officers and gun shop owners ... She said the police know who did it (Amy) but won't or can't move it forward. I asked how she knew that, she didn't say, and I don't really know if she was just spouting off or what. Now her father is gone to Galvin Kansas, there's no trace of him or her mom (who died early 2000's) in the public record. I'm not saying he did it, I'm just saying there's a lot of uncertainty around this case and others - and the trust has been breached, really, which is a shame.

 

[ohaychel]

The fact that nobody has anything to say about this isn't surprising. If someone knows something, there is no reason whatsoever to come forward without the authorities giving some message of sanctuary.

 

[msteach]

I come back to this page at least once a year right around this time. 21 years and still no justice for Amy and her family. I got all excited today when my "One Year Ago Today" memories from Facebook popped up and it was the news article about them having new leads last year. I wonder if they have had anything more in the past year. I didn't see anything in the paper this time around. Sad. Very, very sad.

Two comments on ohaychel's post from above...

I had a conversation with her neighbor (in the '90s) a couple years ago, same age as Amy (roughly). In speaking about her alcoholic abusive father (lawyer) who was known and 'protected' by police ...

Just to clarify (and maybe it is just me who read more into it and nobody else needed this clarification)... the abusive alcoholic lawyer is not Amy's dad -- but I'm thinking it is the neighbor's dad she mentioned. Amy's dad is a farmer.
Now, of course, I'm racking my brain trying to remember an alcoholic lawyer from Shabbona back then...

She said the police know who did it (Amy) but won't or can't move it forward. I asked how she knew that, she didn't say, and I don't really know if she was just spouting off or what. Now her father is gone to Galvin Kansas, there's no trace of him or her mom (who died early 2000's) in the public record. I'm not saying he did it, I'm just saying there's a lot of uncertainty around this case and others - and the trust has been breached, really, which is a shame.

When I used to live there -- we moved about six months after Amy's murder -- we had a good friend who was a county police officer. He pretty much said the same thing about them knowing who did it. His response to my husband and me was that they were confident that they knew who did it, but he worried that it would never be prosecuted because they just didn't have what they needed to make the case -- even though they were pretty confident that they had the right person in their sights. He said a bit part of the problem was the whole compromised crime scene because so many folks had been in and out of the house that morning after the murder and before the police could secure the crime scene.

Rest in peace, sweet Amy.

 

[TJ_alright]

Was just thinking about this because i watched some forensic files shows. Figured I'd look it up.

I was told police had good idea of who did it, and he eventually took off. Also I heard about the crime scene being compromised.

It's a darn shame. I can imagine the first responders were extremely overwhelmed on the scene. You'd think with all the new technology something could be done.


I'm glad to read the police still are on it.

 

[msteach]

Rest in peace, sweet Amy. You have been in my thoughts and on my heart all day today. 22 years today you left us. You have never been forgotten.

 

[class90]

Bumping so that this isn't forgotten.

I'm hoping a crime podcast picks up the case to bring more attention and more pressure to it.

I went to HS w Amy and Derek and Sherrie (Amy's sister.)

I also went to school with the daughter of this guy, Judge sentences Shabbona man to life in prison in child sex case | Daily Chronicle, Gary.

Gary was our mailman, I'm not sure if he was the Fleming's mailman too, but he lived in rural Lee also.

Along with molesting children, Gary also liked to run. He'd unofficially help the track team in highschool by running with them. I don't remember if Amy was in track but she was athletic and tall, a star on the sports teams, so probably did run track too.

Amy was a very good middle school teacher in Waterman ( part of the Shabbona/Lee/Waterman school named Indian Creek.) Kids easily approached her.

When thinking of a motive for the murder, could a student have mentioned something about Gary to Amy? Or Gary thought that she knew something?

He was supposedly out of town at a church retreat the night of the murder. I wonder how far away the retreat was or if one ever existed.

Amy was truly a sweet person. All victims deserve justice, but Amy's is the case that affects all of us who knew her.

Hoping that the investigators never give up.

 

[PerhapsIt'sYou]

TCAT unsolved just did this case.