EAST MOLINE, Ill — Friends and family of Trudy Appleby gathered in East Moline on Sunday, Aug. 21 for an annual vigil to remember and bring light to her case.
Several guests spoke at First Baptist Church while holding a candlelight ceremony.
"She was not just a name on a flyer," Trudy's old neighbor Kelly Carlson said. "She was not just a statistic or a file number. She was a real, living breathing little girl."
Trudy disappeared from Moline in 1996 when she was 11 years old. Police said she was last seen leaving her house in swimwear, getting into a car with a man.
Twenty-six years later, the community is still hopeful for answers and continue to spread awareness of the case - but supporters worry as possible leads diminish.
"The hope is still there, but it dwindles a little bit because nobody will talk, and people are starting to die," Carlson said. "And people that might have the answers - are they taking these secrets to the grave with them? Or do they really not have anything to say? We don't, I don't know."
One of the three people of interest in the case, David Whipple, who was named in 2020, died on Aug. 1, 2022.
Jamison "Jamie" Fisher is the only person of interest who is still alive. He is currently in prison on unrelated charges. Fisher has not revealed any information on the case to the public.
Trudy's uncle, Ray Eddleman, made an appeal for answers during the vigil.
"I know you must have resentment towards 'him', for dragging you into this mess, this evil mess," Eddleman said. "But remember, he was the evil one. He's gone. And he can no longer intimidate you to stay silent."
The vigil also brought attention to other missing people from the Quad Cities.
Marilyn McAllister spoke about her son David who disappeared in 2017. She held up a picture of him during the service.
"David had come home from work, roofing houses, was loving life and I said, 'David you look so happy! Just smile for me,'" McAllister said. "And he goes 'oh, mom!' And I took this picture. And I loved that picture. I don't love it anymore..."
Eddleman said he understands that heartbreak.
"You've lost somebody in a way that you didn't get to say goodbye," he said. "For some of us, we still don't know. Some of us have found our lost one but some of us haven't."
Moline Police and the FBI are still investigating Trudy's case.
If you have any information on Trudy Appleby's disappearance, you can report your tip to Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities at 309-762-9500.