Holding out hope and helping to make sure other families don't face the same struggles. Trudy Appleby is a familiar face but Tuesday marked 16 years since she was last seen. The Moline girl disappeared in 1996 when she was 11 years old. She was last seen getting into a silver/gray vehicle with an unknown man with curly brown hair.
Every year family and friends gather for a vigil and this year was no different. Dozens turned out to the First Baptist Church in East Moline for song, prayer, and lighting candles. Everyone showing their support for Trudy and her loved ones.
"We're holding on. It's the same thing every year but every year we still get hope, can't give up," said Ann Eddleman, Trudy's grandmother. Family and friends say this year there's even more hope having just watched police look into a new lead two weeks ago. Investigators searched an island on the Rock River near Colona, Illinois.
Family members also say the young missing cousins from Evansdale, Iowa make this year's vigil more meaningful. The reason for a special effort to help raise awareness for other unsolved cases.
"We really wanted to focus on the information to the community. With the two cousins having disappeared in Iowa it's not something that happened 15 years ago, it's something that happened just months ago," said Pastor Brian Fischer, First Baptist Church.
Moline officers with the juvenile investigations division spoke to the crowd about their procedures with lost children and things parents can do to assist in recovery and prevention. Sergeant Brian Johnson told parents that there's no time limit - it's never too soon to call authorities if a child is missing. Also, that keeping a recent, color photograph can really help.
"Maybe dispel some of the myths about children going missing. Want to provide information for families here about protecting their children and we also wanted to let anybody know how seriously police agencies take these investigations," said Sgt. Johnson.
Also at the vigil the church provided child identification kits for families to fill out. That include a section for a photograph, description and fingerprints. It's a tool that parents like Linda Eddleman believe can make a difference. Her three children are cousins to Trudy but are growing up not knowing her.
"We talk about trudy, they don't know her so we try to remind them who she was," said Eddleman.
If getting more information out there doesn't bring answers for Trudy loved ones hope it will at least help other families facing the same struggles. The U.S. Department of Justice reports nearly 800,000 children under 18 are missing each year. For questions and tips you can always contact your local police department.
