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AMBER Alert: DNA Could Bring Hope in the Forensic Hunt for Amber Hagerman’s Killer

DNA evidence found on the body of Amber Hagerman could lead us to her killer as technology advances.

Rivy Lyon
8 min readMar 17, 2025

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Nine-year-old Amber Hagerman. NCMEC

Could DNA testing or genealogy solve the decades-old murder case of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman?

On January 13, 1996, Amber Hagerman set out on her pink bicycle in Arlington, Texas. It was a simple childhood moment — a Saturday afternoon ride not far from home. But within minutes, it became a nightmare.

Amber was pedaling around an abandoned grocery store parking lot when a black pickup truck suddenly pulled up. A man jumped out, grabbed her, and threw her into the vehicle before speeding away.

A single witness, 78-year-old Jimmie Kevil, saw the abduction from his backyard and immediately called 911. Despite a frantic search, Amber’s body was found four days later in a nearby creek. She had been kept alive for at least two days before being brutally murdered.

Her killer has never been found.

Investigators reveal that DNA evidence was collected from Amber’s body after she was discovered dead in a creek. Detective Grant Gildon, who heads the investigation…

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Rivy Lyon
Rivy Lyon

Written by Rivy Lyon

Investigative Journalist | Bachelor of Criminology, psychology & sociology | I’ve loved true crime since Forensic Files was Medical Detectives!

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