Family doesn’t blame father in Trudy Appleby murder case

MOLINE — For the family of Trudy Appleby, the decades-old murder case continues to feel unreal as new details emerge about the alleged motive.

“Maybe it’ll hit me when we’re sitting at the trial in the courtroom. But right now, I’m just kind of numb,” said Ray Eddleman, Trudy’s uncle.

New court documents revealed Thursday morning say Trudy Appleby was abducted and killed near the train bridge close to Kershaw Mobile Home Park in Colona. The documents say Jamison Fisher abducted Appleby because of a drug debt owed by her father.

Family maintains unity despite revelations

Despite her father’s connection to the case, Eddelman said he doesn’t blame him for Trudy’s death.

“That was his personal life. That was his choices. No, he didn’t deserve to have his child taken away no more than my sister deserved to have her taken away,” Eddleman said.

While new information could lead to the conviction the family has waited decades for, there’s still a sense of fear over what could come next.

“I’m scared. I’ve always been scared of how I’m going to feel when it all this, everything comes out,” Eddleman said.

Testimony expected on key evidence

Testimony is expected to be heard from witnesses on the vehicle Fisher was driving along with Trudy’s father purchasing methamphetamine from Fisher. Eddleman said he must attend.

“If there’s going to be testimony and there’s going to be the truth come out about what happened, I have to know for my piece of mind, I have to know the how’s and the why’s and the where’s,” he said.

Trudy’s family said on top of all that has come out in the case, there’s still one goal in mind for the family.

“My primary thing is bringing Trudy to lay her next to her mother at the cemetery,” Eddleman said.