Towards the beginning of the school year, she left her family's home to gain her parents' freedom. The next day, Ebby told her step father Michael about the rape, and they agreed to meet at the police station later to report it. "There was some evidence we were looking at that was found at the scene when she initially disappeared that bothered us," Hudson said. Rules and Guidelines. That police department should be sued. On Tuesday, police announced during a press conference that the remains could be those of Steppach, who disappeared in October 2015. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. It was polar opposite than the Ebby we knew. [4] Per a 2017 report, the men Steppach had accused of rape had all spoken to police, though no formal searches of their cell phones were done for the alleged video of Steppach's rape. Ebby Steppach was creative. 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Later on October 24, Michael called his stepdaughter and told her he would meet her at her grandparents house, where she was reportedly staying at the time. Ill be back to spend the night. After Ebby disappeared in 2015, her family mounted a campaign to find her, and on May 22, 2018, her remains were discovered inside a drainage pipe in Chalamont Park. But as time passed, they became more and more worried. I have peace knowing neither Ebby or Trevor are alone. And they were stopped in their tracks. Date of death: October 25, 2015, Died Place: Little Rock, Arkansas, United States: Nationality: American: The family thanked the numerous people involved in the investigation, including a Little Rock Cold Case Detective, Tommy Hudson, and members of the cold case unit, as well as the FBI. Upon Ebbys remains being found, hundreds gathered for her memorial service at Christ Community Church on the campus of the Little Rock Christian Academy. Classic small town law enforcement incompetence. $18 SIM-only plan. On May 22nd, 2018, Steppach's skeletal remains were discovered in a drainage pipe beside the parking lot. They're together. [13] Upon the arrival of police at the scene, Foley claimed she was "kind of dismissed by [the officers]", who told her the park had been searched with recovery canines who would have picked up on the scent of human decomposition, and assured her it "must be an animal or something". On October 30, 2015, the Little Rock Police Department searched an abandoned car in a small r Ebbys death has been classified as a homicide and her killer(s) is/are still unknown. And I just became hysterical.. 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. Of the continuing investigation, Moore says, Weve never given up on this.. 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. The remains were found by cold case investigators in an underground pipe in Chalamont Park, the last place Steppach was seen before she went missing. "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. When Ebbys remains were found, Laurie was devastated. Her death has been classified as a homicide. After Guy notified police, he waited 2 hours for an officer to arrive however none did. I have peace because Ebby isnt alone. "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. As such, on March 31, 2018, they held a fundraiser for PATH, also known as Parents Against Trafficking Humans. Those who she loved most of all were her grandparents. General AMW/The Hunt/In Pursuit/True Crime TV Shows Discussion. It wasnt until November 2016, almost a year after Ebby disappeared, that police formally searched the Chalamont Park area, turning up no further clues. But her family told local media they believed she was in danger. Family: Ebby Steppach's Death is Being Investigated as a Homicide. Wow this is appalling. As of today, the case is still open and unsolved. Laurie said she was with her husband out to dinner at the time, but had no idea about the text. However, he didnt report it to police until three days later. Ebbys case is now in the hands of Tommy Hudson, a retired Little Rock detective who works on only a handful of older cases. If the police weren't interested, or perhaps not motivating the dogs well, they are also less likely to find anything. The Disappearance of Nguyet Thu Wiki Phung, Case Update: Brittanee Drexels Remains Discovered After 13 Years, Suspect Charged, The Disappearances of Tina & Bethany Sinclair. Well, with God, Ill make it through.. [4], The following day, October 24, 2015,[6] Steppach arrived at her mother's home, and informed her stepfather that she had been gang raped by four individuals[7] at the party and wanted to report the incident to authorities. 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. 26 related questions found. Why this wasnt done, I dont know, Hudson said. [4] Later that evening, when Steppach's mother, Laurie Jernigan, and stepfather attempted to reach her by phone, they got no response; her stepfather suspected she had gone to retrieve the video of her rape. On the morning of Wednesday, October 21, 2015, Ebby skipped school, telling her friend Danielle she wanted to avoid all that drama. Danielle didnt know what she meant. The next evening around 5:30 p.m., Ebby called her brother, Trevor, and told him that she was in her car, but didnt know where she was. Ebby met some reportedly disreputable people through her summer job at the Foot Locker in McCain Mall. 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. Timeline of the Ebby Steppach Case Steppach, a student at Central High in Little Rock was reported missing on Oct. 26, 2015. ET. 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. Upcoming on In Pursuit. When she found out that the remains were found so close to her car, and could have possibly been found much sooner, she was angry. Could it possibly be one of the men who raped her,? Learn how your comment data is processed. And she took excellent care of it. The claim had come from a family friend, who had searched the park not long after Ebby went missing. 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. Ebbys family contacted everyone they knew and anyone they thought may have been in contact with Ebby. Cops took 5 years to arrest them. She never responded to her grandmothers calls, either. They are nearly on par with polygraphs in my estimation. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). But Ebbys specialty was makeup. In May 2017, the case was reassigned to homicide detectives within the Little Rock Police Department. Laurie told Dateline investigators continued to call Ebby a runaway and assured Laurie shed be back soon. I listen to too many. In addition to the mishandling of the car evidence and loss of the LRPDs call records, Vickers discovered many other holes in the investigation. He also said the medical examiner has determined a preliminary cause of death. Detective Bruce Maxwell has access to all of Hudsons work on the case and they are in constant contact. I apologize in advance for any formatting errors. He had retired earlier in the year, but returned just months later to help with the new cold case unit. 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What worried her mother most of all was the condition of Ebbys makeup. The battery was dead, gas tank empty, and keys were left in the ignition. Today marks the third anniversary of the last time she was seen alive. Upcoming on In Pursuit. May 22, 2018 Around 10 a.m., while performing another search of Chalamont Park, police discovered skeletal remains in a drainage pipe in the vicinity where Steppachs car had been discovered. Steppachs family released a statement on Wednesday after her remains were positively identified. So they turned to the police. And it was broken all over the car. Ebby spent that Saturday holed up in bed at her grandparents home, sleeping and watching Spongebob Squarepants. In early fall, Laurie and Michael began receiving calls from the high school reporting Ebbys truancy. According to private investigator Monty Vickers, Ebby also sent texts to her alleged rapists, threatening to go to the police with her claims. Ebby Steppach died six years ago today, still no arrests Debi believes someone is responsible for her granddaughter's death, saying, "there is somebody or somebodies that know exactly what happened to her." Her prayer is that whoever is responsible will come forward and confess, leaving no more questions, only good memories, behind. I think the most frustrating part, as most would agree, is that the most obvious place where her remains would be, were never searched. On October 23rd, 2015, Ebby attended a party. 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. [14], In 2021, her case was the subject of season 1 of the podcast "Subterfuge in Chalamont Park". The event was held by H.A.L.O.S. It was around that time that Laurie said the 18-year-old high school student started to change. I'm so sorry. [3] Days before her disappearance, she had accused four men of gang-raping her at a party she had attended. She submitted recordings of conversations, text message threads, emails and provided witnesses as evidence. General. Laurie said the days since Ebby died, have been filled with trying to find out what happened to her daughter in October of 2015. At just 35 years old, he died of a massive heart attack. You would think talking to Danielle and looking into the cell phone pings are two of the first things theyd do. Ebby Steppach. She wasnt a so-called runaway. Although Ebby had moved out, she kept in touch with her parents and even reached out to her stepfather Michael with an alarming situation. Concerned, the family conducted their own search for Ebby. Then, Eric, Ebbys on-again, off-again boyfriend, reveals vital information on Ebbys behaviors right up until her disappearance. 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. It was an open secret who did it. If you have any information about the disappearance and murder of Ebby Steppach, please call the Little Rock Police Department at (501) 404-3128. "It was a gut feeling with all of us," he said. He never gave up on her, on finding out what happened, she said. Ebby Steppach case still open, preliminary cause of death determined but wont be released, One year later | The search for justice for Ebby continues, Days after Ebby Steppach disappeared, police shrugged off pipe odor, caller says, Mysterious 911 call and the disappearance of Cheyann Klus, Dr. Dharmesh Patel (41) attempted to kill his family by driving their Tesla off a 300 foot cliff, Ana Walshe is missing after her husband googled 'how to dispose of a 115 pound womans body', Jennifer Fairgate and her briefcase of bullets, Florida Cosplay/Cam Girl, Melissa Turner stabs her boyfriend to death and waits 4 hours to call 911, Tristyn Bailey (13) was stabbed 114 times, allegedly by her 14 y/o classmate. Searches of the woods around the park were undertaken, but no sign of Ebby was found. Her keys, her phone, her purse, makeup and contact lenses were scattered inside. I would give anything to hear her laugh again. All Rights Reserved. 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