The parking lot where Amber Hagerman was abducted

Amber's grandparents' house

Image source: Google Maps

On the day of her disappearance, Amber Hagerman visited her grandparents' home with her mother, Donna, and her younger brother, Ricky.

The house is situated at 339 Highland Drive in Arlington.

Shortly after their arrival, Amber and Ricky asked their mother if they could go outside and ride around on their bikes. She agreed as long as they promised to remain within earshot.

Coordinates: 32.732580, -97.086229

Google Maps

Map

This aerial map shows the distance between Hagerman's grandparents' house and the site where she was abducted.

Although Amber and Ricky's mother specifically told them not to leave the neighborhood, they ignored her orders and cycled northward, towards the parking lot at 1600 East Abram Street.

The siblings knew the area pretty well, as they often rode their bikes around the block whenever they were visiting.

They were also somewhat familiar with the parking lot on East Abram Street, as it contained a small ramp that they liked to use.

A few minutes after they reached the lot, Ricky decided to return to their grandparents' house, as he started worrying that they would get in trouble for straying too far.

Amber, however, chose to stay behind and continue playing by herself.

Shortly after Ricky left, a man in a black pickup truck pulled up, grabbed the young girl, and then quickly drove off again.

While the abduction was taking place, a retired sheriff's deputy named Jimmie Kevil was standing in the backyard of a neighboring property, behind a chain-link fence that is just south of the lot.

After realizing that he had just witnessed a young girl being kidnapped in broad daylight, he quickly went inside and called 911.

Winn-Dixie grocery store

This is a Google Street View image of 1600 East Abram Street.

The lot sat beside a vacant Winn-Dixie grocery store and a laundromat.

Hagerman was kidnapped at the very back (where the red arrow is pointing).

Kevil stated that the abductor was a dark-haired white or Hispanic male who was in his 20s or 30s. He had a medium build and was shorter than 6 feet.

The man drove a solid black fleet-side pickup truck that had a single cab. The vehicle, which was a 1980s or 1990s model, appeared to be in good condition. There were no modifications, chrome strips, or chrome plating.

Abduction location

The nine-year-old was abducted while she was riding her bike along the small ramp outside the goods entrance.

The man pulled up, got out of his truck, and then ran up behind Hagerman. After grabbing her under the arms, he lifted her off the bike and carried her to the driver's side door.

When he jumped back in his truck and drove towards the front entrance of the lot, he hesitated for a moment before eventually turning left (west) onto East Abram Street.

This was almost certainly a stranger kidnapping, as she immediately began kicking and screaming.

Previous cases have shown us that men who grab children in this manner are often lacking in self-confidence. Unlike other predators, they don't have the social skills to charm their victims and convince them to come quietly. Instead of discreetly luring their victims into their vehicles, they often resort to blitz-like tactics.

Many of these men struggle to maintain relationships due to their poor self-image. They may also be described as "odd" by those who know them.

Hagerman's abduction occurred in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon, within plain view of neighboring houses. The site was also close to a laundromat and two relatively busy thoroughfares.

In other words, this was a very risky act on the offender's part.

Given how bold this attack was, it is doubtful that much planning or foresight went into it. Instead, it was most likely a crime of opportunity.

Daring abductions like this are often carried out by predators whose inhibitions have been lowered by alcohol and/or drugs.

For example, he may have been drinking and driving around the area when he spotted the young girl playing by herself.

In these kinds of cases, the attacker often experiences a "stressor" before the event. This could be the loss of a job, a major argument with a relative, relationship problems, or anything that causes them emotional distress.

Parking lot

Kevil witnessed the abduction through a chain-link fence.

During his 911 call, he stated the following:

"Yea, I saw a black pickup, and he grabbed a little girl, and he took off [unintelligible]"

When Amber's younger brother, Ricky, returned to Highland Drive by himself, their grandfather, Jimmie Whitson, walked to the lot to bring her back.

However, when he got there, he saw Kevil discussing the kidnapping with two police officers.

After noticing the abandoned bike on the ground and speaking to the men, Whitson realized that they were talking about his granddaughter.

Amber Hagerman

Hagerman was playing in this area when the man in the black pickup truck pulled up behind her.

After lifting her into his vehicle, he drove off to the right, towards the main entrance. At that point, he turned left and headed west along Abram Street.

Bike

The young girl's pink bicycle was found abandoned in the lot. She had received it as a present the previous Christmas.

1996

These video stills were taken from footage that was recorded in January 1996.

As you can see, the area looks pretty much the same. The only difference, besides the new paint color, is that there is a metal fence beside the ramp.

In the top image, you can see the small ramp that Hagerman liked to ride her bike down.

Hagerman's body is discovered

Four days after the abduction, Hagerman's body was discovered in a creek that is roughly six miles north of East Abram Street.

Her killer didn't immediately bring her to the creek, as the autopsy revealed that he had kept her alive for about two days.

The short distance between the two sites, coupled with the fact that he kept her alive for a period of time, indicates that he was living somewhere in the immediate area.

This is unsurprising, as studies have shown that sexual predators tend to operate in places that they are familiar with. These are commonly referred to as "comfort zones."

The further they are away from home, the less likely they are to prey on victims. This is because operating in a strange area introduces far too many unknown variables.

Forest Hollow Lane

At exactly 11.41 p.m. on January 17th, 1996, a local resident from Forest Hallow Lane was walking his dog in this area when he noticed Hagerman's body lying face-down in the creek.

Creek

This aerial image shows the creek where a dog walker discovered Hagerman's remains.

The nine-year-old was found just north of a small playground.

It is likely that the killer was somewhat familiar with this area, as the creek is situated at the end of a residential neighborhood.

For example, he may have lived in the area or known someone who did.

Coordinates: 32.789225, -97.065022

Google Maps

Drainage culvert

Hagerman was found lying face-down on a concrete slab beside a drainage culvert. The pipe had been steadily pumping out gallons of water. Notably, a huge rainstorm had also passed over the city that day.

Unfortunately, this means that a lot of trace evidence may have been washed away.

A group of maintenance workers had been in the area earlier that day. However, none of them saw the body. This led the authorities to believe that it may have been moved from its original location due to the rising water levels in the creek.

Hagerman had no clothes on except for a single sock. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the neck.

The use of a knife in a closed setting that he had complete control over indicates that this may have been the offender's first murder. More often than not, killers quickly learn that stabbing someone isn't as easy as it seems on TV. Instead, it is often messy, difficult, and chaotic (as is evidenced by the fact that he had to stab her multiple times).

For example, serial killer David Berkowitz used a knife during his first attack. However, he panicked when his victim didn't immediately succumb to her wounds. He also didn't like the fact that blood splattered on his jacket. Consequently, he decided to switch to using a revolver.

It is also telling that he was able to keep her alive for two days without fear of being disturbed. This suggests that he either lived by himself or that he had access to a secondary site that he had complete confidence in.

It is important to point out that the killer might not have a history of inappropriate behavior with children, as situational predators can prey on any age group, young or old.

A famous example of this is serial killer Ted Bundy, who, despite having a clear preference for college-aged women, also murdered two 12-year-old girls named Kimberly Leach and Lynette Culver when the opportunity presented itself.

For all we know, Hagerman's killer is now married with kids and has not reoffended since the incident.

Given that this was most likely a poorly thought-out crime of opportunity, it would not be surprising if he missed work the following Monday. If he did show up, he would have seemed stressed, "off", and almost removed at times. Due to the nature of the crime, it is likely that there is someone in Arlington or its surrounding cities who noticed a stark change in this man's behavior in the days after the abduction.

During a press conference in 2021, the Arlington Police Department told the media that investigators collected a small amount of evidence from Hagerman's crime scene. They refused to elaborate, however, as keeping certain details private is often the only way to prevent false confessions.

Despite this, the police did admit that they had recovered some trace evidence and that they were using new technology to enhance the killer's DNA profile.

Given the steady advances in forensic science, it may only be a matter of time before a familial DNA match or genetic geneology leads them directly to the young girl's abductor.

If the killer fails to hand himself in before this match is discovered, he will almost certainly face the death penalty.

Memorial

Hagerman's memorial is situated at the same location where her abduction took place.

These days, the vacant Winn-Dixie grocery store is occupied by a meat market. The building that contained the laundromat is now home to a restaurant called El Pollo Ranchero.

The authorities believe that some of the workers at the laundromat may have been hesitant to come forward with information due to concerns about their immigration status. At the latest press conference, the police made it clear that they would intentionally overlook such matters.