Introduction

Parents will do just about everything imaginable to keep their little one's safe. As babies begin to crawl they baby proof every inch of the house to make sure no injuries occur. They tell them over and over again not to talk to strangers, for they could possibly take them away, and would never be seen from again. I could continue on, but the list would never end. On January 13, 1996, nine year old Amber Hagerman and her five year old brother decided they were going to ride their bikes to a nearby abandoned grocery store in Arlington, Texas. After all his fun was had, Ricky, her brother left for home leaving Amber all alone at the store. A pickup pulled up beside Amber and carried her away. There's nothing her parents could have possibly done to protect Amber from this, this is in fact every parents worst nightmare come true. Four days later, a dog walker discovered her body in a creek, just miles from where she had been taken. For weeks the FBI received numerous leads, but none stuck, and after disbanding the case in 1999, the case went cold. Twenty years later, her killer still hasn't been identified or captured. The Kidnapping of Amber Hagerman forever changed American criminal procedure.

Background

Donna Williams, the mother of nine year old Amber Hagerman, suffered a unimaginable loss, the murder of her own child. Amber and Ricky Hagerman, were entertaining each other in the parking lot of a nearby abandoned Winn-Dixie grocery store. Once the laughter and games grew old, Ricky left his sister and raced home, leaving Amber behind. That's when the opportunity presented itself, the opportunity to kidnap Amber as she sat alone outside the store, unprotected by anyone. Ricky adored his sister, they spent hours and hours together. Their bond was one of a kind, a bond desired by many, a bond so strong he saw Amber as his second mom. Amber protected him, comforted him when he was down, and was compassionate towards many. Arlington is a small town in Texas, where the Hagerman's reside. After Amber's murder Dairy Oak Farms offered a $10,000 reward for the capture and any information about Amber's perpetrator. Amber's murder is bitter sweet, her killer never caught, and a system in her name that would revolutionize the way missing children are found forever.

Crime

On January 13, 1996, in Arlington, Texas, Amber sat on her bike at an abandoned store, where a pickup approached her, and left with her inside. Four days after Amber's disappearance, a dog walker discovered Amber's body in a creek just miles from where the killer had taken her. Lying in the creek, Hagerman was naked with only one sock on her foot, her throat had been slit, and unfortunately the water washed away all evidence that could have been used to solve her case. An autopsy showed authorities that the perpetrator had kept Amber alive for two out of the four days, and during that time Amber had been sexually assaulted. Due to the lack of evidence her killer has never been apprehended. Jim Kevil saw Amber alone in the store parking lot, where a white or hispanic man forced her into the vehicle. Unfortunately, cases where strangers abduct the victim are rare and difficult to solve.

Justice

Amber's case captured the attention of many Americans. With no known motive with only the theory that the perpetrator saw an opportunity to snatch a nine year old, went viral. As the FBI received numerous calls, one stood out in particular, one that would change the lives nationwide. Dallas Fort Worth Broadcasting joined law enforcement and created an alert that can be received on all cellular devices. Named after Amber, the Amber alert was created to help authorities find missing children with the help of the public. A description, name, and all other necessary information is sent nationwide, with the hope of finding any missing children and returning them home. The Amber Alert is also an acronym meaning: America's Missing Broadcast Emergency Report. As of December 2015, there have been 794 children that have been returned home safely due to the Amber Alert system. The Amber Alert system also teamed up with Facebook, so alerts would be posted to all users news feeds, with the promise of saving more children with just a message sent to every user out there. Unfortunately, Ambers killer was never found, but at least her death meant something and is able to help several of other lives across the nation.

Works Cited

“Amber Hagerman’s Family Not Giving Up, 20 Years Later.” CBS, 12 January 2016, cbsnews.com

Barber, Haylee. “The Amber Behind Amber Alert Still Waiting For Justice 20 Years Later.” NBC, 17 January 2016, nbcnews.com

Crawford, Selwyn. “15 years later, Arlington police still struggling to solve Amber Hagerman case.” Dallas, January 2011, dallasnews.com

Friedman, Emily. “Amber Hagerman’s Murder 14 Years Ago Inspired a System That Saves Hundreds of Kids.” ABC, 13 January 2013, abcnews.com

Rajwani, Naheed. "Amber Alert: 20 years after abduction girls family reflects on her legacy" TNS, 13 January 2016, seattletimes.com

Waters, A. Robert. “The Unsolved Murder Of Amber Hagerman.” BlogSpot, 10 September 2009, blogspot.com