If you have any information about the disappearance and murder of Ebby Steppach, please call the Little Rock Police Department at (501) 404-3128. 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. And they were stopped in their tracks. Our cold case unit is comprised of seasoned investigators who have retired as active members of the Little Rock Police Department. That was the last time anyone in Ebbys family saw her. After Ebbys family wrote letters to the governor begging for help, the FBI voluntarily got involved, but crucial evidence had already been lost. The discovery of Ebbys remains came after a foul odor had been reported coming from the pipe during the early parts of the investigation. [4] The car had an empty gas tank as well as a dead battery, and the key had been left in the ignition. In this season of Hell And Gone. "It was a gut feeling with all of us," he said. From the very beginning of the missing person investigation, Laurie and Michael Jernigan claim that the LRPD conducted incredibly shoddy work. 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Although Ebby had moved out, she kept in touch with her parents and even reached out to her stepfather Michael with an alarming situation. She crashed with friends frequently as well. Almost 3 years later, her remains were discovered in the same park. This is a very sad case. Isolated Japanese family keeps sisters body at home in Press J to jump to the feed. Days later, Ebby's Volkswagen Passat was found parked in Chalamont Park. Dr. Phil devotes his platform to shine a light on the 2015 disappearance and subsequent death of 18-year-old Ebby Steppach; a story that dominated national news. Petito 's tragic story has captured the nation and the internet after she was found dead in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in. Please post your thoughts and theories below. -. She was lost and told him she was fucked up.. She went through a lot of changes all at once and suddenly she was chomping at the bit to take control of her life, Laurie said. But no matter what happens, I have peace. However, her parents never addressed this with her, wanting to give her more independence. 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. $18 SIM-only plan. Ebby Steppach. Thats what we think about every day. I apologize in advance for any formatting errors. Detectives remain tight-lipped about the case and have not revealed how Steppach died, only classifying it as a homicide. If for no other reason to set a precedent that shoddy half ass police work is unacceptable. To laugh with her again.. On October 27, Ebby's 2003 Volkswagen Passat was discovered by security guard, Guy Hooper, abandoned in a parking lot near a wooded area in a neighborhood park named Chalamont Park. 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. And it was broken all over the car. My grandson has lost his dad. Danielle explained she tried to warn Ebby that the new friends she was making didnt seem like the best crowd. Thats when Trevor told me something was terribly wrong, Laurie said. 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. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. What in the fucking fuck. The car belonged to 18-year-old Ebby Steppach, and Ebby had vanished without a trace. Ebby family were unaware of the odor until after the remains were IDd. Ebby Steppach was born on March 31, 1997, and lived in Little Rock, Arkansas with her mom and step-dad, Laurie and Michael Jernigan, and two siblings, Trevor and Harris. "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. But Ebbys family and friends had already taken matters into their own hands and began passing out fliers across town, hoping someone had seen her. Something was there. They were only 60 feet away from where her car had been abandoned. So he delved deep into the case, determined to solve it. 5 min read 8657 Werger road, Windham The man who called 911 to report an armed neighbor in his garage asked authorities for permission to shoot her, criticized police for. Something happened to her.. Did Dr Bob drink before he died? Map of Chalamont Park and where Ebby was located. Tommy Hudson with the Little Rock polices Cold Case Unit said the case is considered an open homicide investigation. The 2018 discovery of Ebby's body in a drainpipe, just 60 feet from where her car was found two and a half years earlier, brought no closure to her mother, Laurie. Ebby Jane Steppach had dreams of becoming a cosmetologist. As they felt local police werent taking the case seriously, Ebbys family hired private investigator Monty Vickers, who acted as a go-between between them and investigators. [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". In May 2018, the Cold Case Unit teamed up with the FBI and the Public Works Department to search a drainage pipe in Chalamont Park using robots with video cameras. But again, the case hit a snag when Hudson recently announced he was again retiring and relocating across the river, where he will help out at the North Little Rock Police Department cold case unit. Now-retired Little Rock Police homicide detective Tommy Hudson stepped in and took over Ebbys case in 2017. 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. It wasnt until November 2016, almost a year after Ebby disappeared, that police formally searched the Chalamont Park area, turning up no further clues. Ebbys remains were found on May 22, 2018, a mere 60 feet from where her car had been found two years earlier. Her feedback, along with that of others, resulted in the creation of a handbook that police give out to those whose loved ones have gone missing. The search to find her lasted until May 2018, when her remains were found in a drainpipe in Chalamont Park. Or Hospital Scapegoat? Then, Eric, Ebbys on-again, off-again boyfriend, reveals vital information on Ebbys behaviors right up until her disappearance. 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. Who killed Ebby, and why did it take so long to find her body? During this time in her life, she also got a job at the Foot Locker in McCain Mall, a move her family says coincided with a change in behaviour. Everything else? TELL DR. PHIL YOUR STORY: Have a story in the news? Her ability to forecast the sun despite the rainiest of days made her a special young woman, introducing serenity to a world that so deeply . After she told him "I'm fucked up," the phone call ended. 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 as time passed, they became more and more worried. So I kept thinking she might have been washed into the pipe, which would have made it more difficult to find her.. She explained that Ebby had started a new job, started hanging out with a different crowd, changed schools - all of which she believes led to the rebellion. It was around that time that Laurie said the 18-year-old high school student started to change. Ebby Jane Steppach (March 31, 1997 October 25, 2015)[2] was an American woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Little Rock, Arkansas. But her stepdad and I were really strict. 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There's just a lot that doesn't make sense. Just when I thought she had it down, you know, she didnt. He would have had dash camera footage, but the police waited too long to subpoena the evidence, and it was long since erased. Her car was found abandoned in a city park. I hope that one day that justice is brought down upon those that committed this crime, for the sake of her family and for her. [4], Steppach last had contact with her older brother, Trevor, around 2p.m. on October 25, 2015, in a phone call. The case made national news and people from all over the world contacted the Little Rock Police Department and the family with bogus tips, some even claiming to be holding Ebby captive as they demanded money for her safe return. [4] Trevor described her as seeming "disoriented" during their conversation. So we had to wait. Even though her grandparents were the last family to see her, they werent interviewed for a year and a half after she disappeared. Learn how your comment data is processed. It is a shame, because the culprits seem pretty obvious. And that's something that has given me solace.". Her keys, her phone, her purse, makeup and contact lenses were scattered inside. In addition to the mishandling of the car evidence and loss of the LRPDs call records, Vickers discovered many other holes in the investigation. Upon the pipe being excavated, human remains were found. An internal investigation was conducted, which yielded insufficient evidence to prove her claims. [4] That evening, two brief calls lasting approximately one minute each were placed to the Little Rock Police Department from Steppach's cell phone, though the police department would state they had no record of receiving a report. The first 2 years with Ebby it was a long time before I could grieve because I was fighting and Trevor happened instantly with no signs. "It was something I just couldn't shake. Ebbys disappearance was also featured on Nancy Grace. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. If she was a runaway like the police kept saying, she wouldve taken her makeup. The park has been searched multiple times since Steppachs disappearance, police spokesman Officer Steve Moore said. Its Going To Take Someone Coming Forward, Says Mother Of Little Rock Teen Whose Death Remains Unsolved, Private Investigator Refutes Police Theory That Teen Found Dead In Drainpipe Crawled Down There On Her Own, I Knew Instantly Someone Had Taken Her, Says Mother Of Teen Whose Body Was Found In 2018, This Is Not A Cold Case, Says Retired Detective About Ebby Steppachs Death, Sponsored: Dr. Phil McGraw Teams Up With Sundae To Help Homeowners Sell As-Is. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. It is situated at Chalamont Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, she lived with her mother, Laurie Jernigan; her stepfather, Michael Jernigan; her older brother, Trevor; and her younger sister, Harris. Rules and Guidlines for Discussion. The daughter of two hair stylists, she was already immersed in that world and the craft came naturally. 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. Searches of the woods around the park were undertaken, but no sign of Ebby was found. While neither were human remains, it piqued the interest of investigators and thus the pipe was excavated. 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