Unsolved Murder Monday: Amber Hagerman

On January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman and her 5-year-old brother Ricky rode their bikes to an abandoned grocery store parking lot. After playing and using the bike ramp for awhile, Ricky rode home by himself; Amber was abducted, her body discovered four days later by a man walking his dog. Amber was found in a creek behind the Forest Hills Apartments; her autopsy revealed that she had been dead for two days before she was found, and her abductor had beaten and sexually assaulted her before cutting her throat and leaving her in the creek. Amber's kidnapping was witnessed by 76-year-old Jim Kevil, who said he saw a man jump out of a dark-colored truck and grab Amber. He described her abductor as white or Hispanic, between 25 and 40, under six feet tall, with a medium build, and though police showed up within minutes of the abduction, no one has ever been arrested for Amber's murder. True Crime Daily covered the case on the 20th anniversary of Amber's murder, and you can watch that here:

Amber's murder led to the creation of the Amber Alert Program when Diane Simone, a mother from Fort Worth, contacted a local radio station and suggested that an alert should go out when children are abducted so people would know to be on the lookout. Since the program's implementation in 1996, nearly 1,000 children have been rescued as the result of an Amber Alert. Though Amber's murder led to this incredible program that has saved the lives of hundreds of children, Amber and her family still need justice. If you have any information about this case, please contact Detective Ben Lopez at 817-459-5373 or Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS. It's time for the monster who murdered Amber to be behind bars where he belongs.

More resources:

The True Crime Files: The Unsolved Murder of Amber Hagerman

The Amber Behind Amber Alert Still Waiting for Justice 20 Years Later

The Story Of Amber Hagerman And The Unsolved Disappearance Behind The Amber Alert