28 years later, Arlington Police Department remains dedicated to finding Amber Hagerman's killer
ARLINGTON - For 28 years, the person responsible for killing 9-year-old Amber Hagerman has gone unpunished by law enforcement officials.
Despite this, the Arlington Police Department "remains dedicated to finding her murderer and providing her family with the justice they deserve."
In a statement sent to CBS News Texas, the department said detectives continue to investigate every tip they receive. They have also remained in contact with various crime labs across the country to determine if any emerging forensic technologies could prove helpful in the case.
It's a case that led to the development of the nation's first AMBER Alert System, credited with saving countless children's lives.
In 2002, Governor Rick Perry created the state's AMBER Alert network per Executive Order RP-16, later codified through legislation in 2003. Twenty years later, Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation authorizing local area activation of the AMBER Alert system in certain circumstances, in honor of seven-year-old Athena Strand, who was kidnapped and murdered in Wise County in 2022.
Amber was also kidnapped while riding her pink bicycle, and four days later her body was found four miles away near the Forest Hill Apartments in North Arlington on Jan. 13, 1996. Police said a man in a black pickup abducted her from the parking lot of an abandoned grocery store. That store was located at 1600 E. Abram Street. Witnesses later reported the suspect was White or Hispanic.
Police have maintained that they believe there are witnesses who saw what happened but remain fearful about coming forward.
Decades later, the tip line set up for the case remains the same.
"We believe someone out there knows something – and we continue to ask the public to call in with tips. A special tip line dedicated to Amber's case remains active. Tipsters can call (817) 575-8823," the department shared on January 2.
Here is the most updated suspect and vehicle description information:
Suspect: White or Hispanic male, 20s to 30s (as of 1996), under 6 feet tall, medium build, brown or black hair
Vehicle: Black 1980s or 1990s full size, fleet side pickup truck, short wheel base, single cab, rear window was clear, no sliding window, no chrome (solid black in color), no striping, truck was in good condition with no visible damage