Just when I thought she had it down, you know, she didnt. 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. Ebbys friend Danielle, whom she had been staying with, was never contacted by police either. 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. The murders of brothers Orrin and Orson West, 2020- Jane & John Does that got their names back, Alexander Pisch set up an easel to paint and then vanished, 23 year old Lauren Smith-Fields found dead after Bumble date, The Mysterious 9/11 Disappearance of Sneha Anne Philip, Everything you need to know about using the new True Crime Society Browser Edition, Everything you need to know about using the new True Crime Society App edition, Ana Walshe is missing after her husband googled how to dispose of a 115 pound womans body, Brooke Spurgeon murdered by partner Christopher Nelson Hood in Texas, The Abduction and Murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand from Paradise, Texas, Missing Georgia woman, Debbie Collier, found dead, naked and burned, The Tragic Murder of 10-year-old Iliana Lily Peters, What happened to Cassie Carli? Ebby Steppach was born on March 31, 1997. The security guard explained that Ebby met a man there on multiple occasions. He initially hesitated to take the case, but once he saw the shotty investigation he knew he had to do something and began tracking Ebbys final movements. She later learned that Michael had agreed to help Ebby, so he took Laurie home and attempted to reach Ebby to make a plan. "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. I have peace knowing neither Ebby or Trevor are alone. The 2018. [12] Margie Foley, a family friend and mother of one of Steppach's best friends, claimed that she had smelled decomposition while doing a private search of the area, and alerted the authorities. It was the last time anyone ever heard from Ebby. Ill be back, dont lock the door. Ebby Steppach death has been reported as a homicide. By that stage, the 18-year-old had been missing for nearly three years. Want Dr. Phil to Investigate a Situation or Possible Scam? For Ebbys older brother, Trevor, the toll his sisters disappearance and death took on his heart may have been too much. [8] The Steppach family offered a reward of $50,000 with information leading to their daughter's discovery. The keys were in the ignition and the car was out of gas as if it had been left running. 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 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. Towards the beginning of the school year, she left her family's home to gain her parents' freedom. Ebby was known as an outgoing and bubbly teen, who was close to her family and friends. Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? If Ebby had been found right away, we wouldn't have had to go through this nightmare, she said. He never gave up on her, on finding out what happened, she said. I would give anything to hear her laugh again. But Ebby's specialty was. The . Unknown Ebby Steppach Killer- Arkansas- 2015 . So Ebbys mom and stepfather, Michael, told her she needed to behave in a respectful manner or she needed to move out. 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. 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. Fort Valley State University student Missing Where is Anitra Gunn? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. How do they not have an arrest? She was survived by her parents, Laurie and Michael Jernigan; her father, Peter Steppach; her sister, Harris Elizabeth; brother, Trevor; stepbrother, Ethan; her. Her step dad Michael says thinks she may have gone out to confront her rapists. Ebby opted to move out and bounced around between staying with friends and her older brother, Trevor. [4] She also alleged that the rape had been recorded on a cell phone. Marking Ebbys birthday, every dollar raised from those in attendance went to the organization, which provides services for survivors of assault and human trafficking. These remains were subsequently confirmed to be those of Steppach. Danielle explained she tried to warn Ebby that the new friends she was making didnt seem like the best crowd. He recalled her sounding confused, disoriented and panicked, their mother Laurie told Dateline. On February 12, 2018, Laurie filed a complaint with the Little Rock Police Department, alleging a Captain, a Lieutenant and a Sergeant had sent her threatening text messages, had yelled at her during questioning and had refused to update her on the case during the early days of the investigation. Site Layout Map. After she told him "I'm fucked up," the phone call ended. Something was there. Yesterday, God answered the familys prayers to find Ebby.. There was no doubt it was her.. And they were stopped in their tracks. So Ebbys mom and stepfather, Michael, told her she needed to behave in a respectful manner or she needed to move out. Ebbys death has been classified as a homicide and her killer(s) is/are still unknown. He had footage of it on his dashboard camera, but had since lost the recordings. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As of today, the case is still open and unsolved. On October 27, her abandoned car was discovered in Chalamont Park in west Little Rock. She was really rebelling and fighting, fighting back and storming out, Laurie said. Upon the pipe being excavated, human remains were found. She abruptly decided to switch to Central after attending private school all her life [EDIT: Ebby attended LISA Academy, which is a charter school, not a private school]. Vanished: Heidi Broussard (33) and Margot Carey (2wks). This also highlighted how poorly local authorities were managing the case. 26 related questions found. She was unable to tell him who she was with or where she was. Upon Ebbys remains being found, hundreds gathered for her memorial service at Christ Community Church on the campus of the Little Rock Christian Academy. Her disappearance ended 4 years ago when Little Rock police found. This is the location where Ebby Steppach's body was found. After the fundraiser, a birthday party was held for Ebby. [4] On October 21, 2015, Steppach missed school. But that was the last time her grandparents ever saw her. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? In 2010, Amber Tuccaro was seen getting into the car of What are some cases involving murder or suspicious What is a case where the victim was found out to have What is a baffling case that doesn't get the attention it Brooklyn Jane Doe (2015) Identified As Missing Mother. But Ebbys specialty was makeup. She saved her money and worked hard to buy really nice makeup, Laurie said. "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. And I knew it was Ebby.. It's why I searched here. Did Dr Bob drink before he died? Even though her grandparents were the last family to see her, they werent interviewed for a year and a half after she disappeared. All Rights Reserved. Something happened to her.. [4] Wanting independence from her parents, Steppach decided to move out of her family's home at the beginning of the school year,[5] but was mainly staying with her grandparents and friends. And the burden of being the last person to talk to Ebby.. The first time he saw her, she was with two men and had asked the trio to leave, which they did without argument. I hope her family gets justice. And she took excellent care of it. It was around that time that Laurie said the 18-year-old high school student started to change. That still begs the question why no one thoroughly searched the area (with or without dogs) in November 2015 when Ebby's friend and her mom smelled decomposition in the park. Steppach's remains were found not far from where her 2003 Volkswagen . They're together. That police department should be sued. Ebby got sober through the Oxford Group, and carried the message of salvation through religious conversion to his old friend, Bill. She wasnt a so-called runaway. An investigation was conducted by department administrators and it was found there was insufficient evidence of any mistreatment. [7] She initially told him she was parked outside his house, but upon hanging up and walking out to the street, he did not see her car. "Because I know I would've been hysterical and rushed over. Investigators looking into the disappearance of 18-year-old Ebby Steppach previously spent three days in 2016 searching Chalamont Park in west Little Rock for the woman's body, but returned. But Ebby's specialty was. Ebby had spent the day with her grandparents, and left their house around 8 p.m. telling them she was going to meet her stepfather. Passionate for expression and individualism. A few days after she was last heard from, a security guard discovered her 2003 Volkswagen Passat running and abandoned in Chalamont Park, at 20600 Chalamont Drive. I would give anything to hear her laugh again. At around 2:00pm on October 25, Trevor managed to get a hold of his sister, who said she was parked outside his house. Laurie said the days since Ebby died, have been filled with trying to find out what happened to her daughter in October of 2015. It was up to us to clean up the mess and basically start from the beginning. I really dont believe it is that latter. [10] These remains were subsequently confirmed to be those of Steppach. Unsolved Homicide: Who Put Ebby Steppach in the Drainpipe? Ill be back to spend the night. That was when they discovered Ebby's remains just 60 feet from where her car had been found. I'm so sorry. Laurie Jernigan also claims that police refused to check cell tower pings from Ebbys phone. I have peace because Ebby isnt alone. Vickers tried to contact the police for three months to offer assistance with the investigation, but his calls and emails went without reply. Tragic all the way around. TM & 2023 Peteski Productions, Inc. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc.. a Paramount company. I think it was too much on his heart, his mother Laurie told Dateline. Poor Ebby. In 2017, Laurie participated in Closer to Home Arkansas Takes Action, which was hosted by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. When her family tried to report her missing, they were told they needed to wait 12 hours for her to be considered missing. When Ebbys parents recieved her car back from Little Rock Police, the interior and many of her personal belongings were water damaged due to the trunk being left open during a storm by police. Ebby was a young woman with big dreams and a fiery personality, who loved her family and had a big heart for those less fortunate. So I kept thinking she might have been washed into the pipe, which would have made it more difficult to find her.. In 2015, she was 18 years old, 110 pounds, with blonde hair, and only a little over 5 feet tall. 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. It was polar opposite than the Ebby we knew. Ebby spent that Saturday holed up in bed at her grandparents home, sleeping and watching Spongebob Squarepants. Instead, Ebby got to spend that last day with her grandparents. That was the last time anyone heard from her. For Ebby's family and friends, they just want answers. On Thursday,. There was a drainage pipe not far from the car, and it had rained in the days after she went missing, he said. Throughout the evening, cell phone records showed Ebby sent text messages to men she had implicated in her rape, threatening to go to the police if they didnt delete the video. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. My grandson has lost his dad. I just knew it, everything in my soul, I knew something had happened to her, Laurie said. Laurie said she later found out that after Ebby disappeared, Trevor spent his lunch hours searching the trunks of abandoned cars for his sister and traveling to other states following up on tips. In 2015, Ebby Steppach was sexually assaulted at a party, and disappeared days later. During the search for Ebby, her family looked into the possibility of her having been forced into sex trafficking. Site Map. Thats when Trevor told me something was terribly wrong, Laurie said. When Vickers contacted the security guard who found the car several months later, he said it was the first anyone had contacted him about it. If for no other reason to set a precedent that shoddy half ass police work is unacceptable. Ebby Jane Steppach was an 18-year-old senior at Little Rock Central High School, Arkansas. So he delved deep into the case, determined to solve it. However, where she was on the road has never been publicly released, nor if there was anyone else in the car with her. When Ebbys remains were found, Laurie was devastated. Margie Foley, a family friend and mother of one of Steppachs best friends, claimed that she had smelled decomposition while doing a private search of the area and alerted the authorities. Ebbys mother said Little Rock Police refused to check which tower Ebbys phone pinged off when she made the final call to her brother. She wasnt a so-called runaway. This one is so bizarre. But her family told local media they believed she was in danger. Wow this is appalling. It was an open secret who did it. Ebby Steppach was 18 years old when she disappeared from her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, just days after a party where she alleged that four men sexually assaulted her and recorded their actions on a cellphone. Ebby had spent the day with her grandparents, and left their house around 8 p.m. telling them she was going to meet her stepfather. She remained a missing person for nearly three years before her body was discovered in a drainage pipe in Chalamont Park in May 2018, in the immediate vicinity of where her car had been found. For Ebbys older brother, Trevor, the toll his sisters disappearance and death took on his heart may have been too much. In this update, Laurie is joining us again to discuss how Ebby was found and where her case stands today. On November 4, 2018, Ebbys friends and family planted a tree in Chalamont Park, in a move to show she would never be forgotten. [4], On October 27, Steppach's 2003 Volkswagen Passat was discovered by a security guard abandoned in a parking lot near a wooded area in Chalamont Park, a neighborhood park in west Little Rock. Her devotion in close relationships and drive to renew a prosperous life for herself was cut short by an unexplainable, unsolved murder in October of 2015, leaving all who knew her across her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas (pronounced ARE-ken-SAW) grasping for . And she never showed up at the police station. However, that never happened. And the minute we could do so, on October 26 in the middle of the night, we filed a report.. Family: Ebby Steppach's Death is Being Investigated as a Homicide. [4] Trevor described her as seeming "disoriented" during their conversation. In addition to the mishandling of the car evidence and loss of the LRPDs call records, Vickers discovered many other holes in the investigation. And she never showed up at the police station. He also added that they have persons of interest in the case and have interviewed multiple people, but no one had been named a suspect at this time. Those who she loved most of all were her grandparents. 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