215: 18-Year-Old Vanishes After Accusing 4 Men of Assaulting & Filming Her | Who Killed Ebby Steppach?
In this episode from the SERIALously podcast, the tragic story of Ebby Steppach's disappearance and death is explored in detail. The summary provides background on the once-cheerful teenager whose behavior became concerning before she vanished after allegedly being gang-raped by four men. It examines the surprising lack of urgency in the initial police investigation despite alarming signs of potential foul play.
The summary also delves into the grim discovery of Ebby's remains years later and the conflicting theories surrounding her death. While authorities suggest she died by suicide, her family fiercely disputes this given her intention to report the alleged assault. The heartbreaking case raises profound questions about procedures in missing persons cases involving potential crimes against victims.
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1-Page Summary
Ebby Steppach's Background
Ebby Steppach was a cheerful, uplifting teenager who experienced concerning behavioral changes leading up to her disappearance. Her mother, Debi Steppach, remembers her as sweet-natured. However, around her senior year, Ebby grew rebellious - staying out late, lying about her whereabouts, and spending time with friends who drank and used drugs.
Events Before Disappearance
Ebby confided in her parents that she had been gang-raped by four individuals and the assault was likely recorded. Though she wanted to report it to police, she never made it to the station. On the day she vanished, Ebby sounded disoriented during concerning calls with her brother Trevor and boyfriend Eric. Her abandoned car with belongings left behind suggested potential foul play.
Police Investigation Missteps
Police initially dismissed signs of foul play, treating Ebby as a likely runaway for eight months despite her age and the state of her abandoned car. Crucial steps like interviewing witnesses, checking surveillance footage, and searching her social media were neglected. The investigation languished for years until Detective Tommy Hudson took over and located Ebby's remains in 2018.
Discovery and Death Theories
Ebby's remains were found in a drainage pipe just 60-70 feet from where her car was abandoned, though the area had been previously searched. Police have suggested she may have died by suicide, entering the pipe herself - a theory Ebby's family fervently disputes given the physical obstacles and her plans to file a police report about her assault.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Actionables
- You can enhance your personal safety by setting up a check-in system with friends or family when going out, especially in unfamiliar situations. Create a simple plan where you text or call a designated person at predetermined times to confirm your safety. For example, if you're attending a social event, agree to send a message every hour or so, and have a code word that indicates you need help.
- Improve your awareness of behavioral changes in loved ones by keeping a journal noting any significant shifts in mood or actions. If you notice patterns or sudden changes, like increased secrecy or unexplained absences, you can initiate a caring conversation to offer support. For instance, if a family member who is usually outgoing becomes withdrawn, jot this down and after observing this for a period, check in with them to see if they need to talk or seek professional help.
- Develop a basic understanding of your local law enforcement's procedures for missing persons by researching and creating an information sheet. This can help you advocate effectively if someone you know goes missing. Include contact numbers for the police, a list of steps to take within the first 24-48 hours, and tips for gathering and preserving evidence. Share this resource with your community to spread awareness and preparedness.
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Ebby Steppach's background and personality
Ebby Steppach was a teenager whose vibrant and endearing character made a lasting impression on those around her. However, her personality and behavior underwent significant changes, leading up to a period of rebellion and distress that caused concern among her loved ones.
Ebby was described as a cheerful, fun-loving teenager who made others feel better about themselves.
Debi Steppach remembers Ebby as having "the sweetest little nature from the beginning." Her warm, bubbly personality made her well-liked by friends and family. She had an aura that uplifted others, endearing her to those in her circle.
Ebby's behavior started changing before her senior year as she became more rebellious and distanced herself from her family.
Ebby began staying out late, provoking arguments, and expressing a desire to move out, behavior that concerned her parents, particularly after she started a new job at a local Footlocker the summer before her senior year. About three weeks before she disappeared, Ebby’s behavior changed drastically—she began providing her parents with false information about her whereabouts.
Despite having always had a very good relationship with her parents, suddenly, Ebby was having trouble following simple house rules. Her parents observed a shift in her social circle; Ebby started hangi ...
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Ebby Steppach's background and personality
Additional Materials
Actionables
- You can create a personal behavior tracking chart to monitor changes in your own habits or those of a loved one, which can help identify patterns that may need attention. Start by listing daily activities and behaviors, rating mood and energy levels, and noting any significant deviations from the norm. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet or a hand-drawn table where you log information each day. Over time, this can reveal trends that might warrant a deeper look or a conversation if it's about someone you care about.
- Develop a communication plan with family or friends that includes regular check-ins and a safe word or phrase that signals when you're in an uncomfortable situation and need help. This plan could involve scheduled calls or texts during times when you're likely to be out late or in unfamiliar settings. The safe word could be something innocuous that wouldn't alert others to the fact that you're signaling for help but is distinct enough that your family or friends would recognize it.
- Est ...
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The events leading to Ebby's disappearance and alleged assault
The disappearance of Ebby has raised serious concerns regarding the events leading up to it, especially after she confided in her parents about being sexually assaulted by four individuals.
Ebby confided in her parents that she had been sexually assaulted by four individuals.
Ebby told her parents she had been gang-raped and believed the incident had been videotaped on a cell phone. Despite Ebby's desire to report the assault to the police and the information she shared, the men she accused were never officially made suspects or persons of interest. Her parents indicated that there wasn't a formal interview of these men, and it seems they were not asked by authorities to undergo a formal interrogation. The police claimed they never received Ebby's calls to report the gang rape, and there was no official search of the accused men's phones for the video Ebby mentioned.
Ebby wanted to report the incident to the police, but she never made it to the station to do so.
Ebby expressed her intention to report the crime and made plans to do so with her stepfather Michael, who was supposed to meet her later the same evening at her grandparents' house. However, Michael believes that Ebby might have attempted to procure evidence by herself because she feared that she wouldn’t be believed without it. Ebby's own search history for “how to file a police report” and texts to the alleged assailants threatening to report them to the police confirmed her intentions.
Ebby's final day involved concerning phone calls and her car being found abandoned in a park.
On the day ...
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The events leading to Ebby's disappearance and alleged assault
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- The investigation into the sexual assault allegations made by Ebby was hindered by the lack of formal action taken by authorities against the accused men. Despite Ebby's desire to report the assault, the police did not pursue the men as suspects or conduct formal interrogations. Additionally, there was no official search of the accused men's phones for the video evidence Ebby mentioned, contributing to the confusion and lack of progress in the case.
- Ebby's actions and intentions before her disappearance are unclear due to conflicting information about her plans to report the assault, her interactions with her family, and the circumstances surrounding her final phone calls and the discovery of her abandoned car. These unce ...
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The police investigation and its major missteps
The investigation into Ebby's disappearance was fraught with errors and misjudgments, resulting in a case that languished for years before critical breakthroughs were made by a new detective.
The police initially treated Ebby's disappearance as a runaway case, despite clear signs of foul play.
When 18-year-old Ebby was reported missing, her family was wrongfully informed that they couldn't file a report for at least 12 hours. Afterward, the police classified her as a likely runaway, seemingly ignoring the evidence that suggested foul play. The inside of Ebby's car was in disarray: her phone, purse, medication, and broken scattered makeup were left behind—a detail overlooked by the police, who did not find her car's condition unusual or indicative of a crime.
Law enforcement briefly searched the area surrounding Ebby's car and a nearby park but did not secure any evidence of a crime. For eight months, Ebby's case was officially treated as a runaway incident, which left her family and friends desperate for answers and assistance. Despite being a student, Ebby's legal adult status influenced the police approach—they speculated she could reappear or that she might not want to be found.
The police failed to act on key aspects of the investigation, such as constructing a timeline or mapping Ebby's movements prior to her disappearance. Absent were interviews with key witnesses, checks on available surveillance footage, and a comprehensive social media search due to the department's cited lack of resources.
The security guard's report about Ebby's car was initially ignored, taking police two hours to show up and another full day to associate the car with her, despite there being a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) alert for it. Moreover, the police mishandled critical evidence, leaving Ebby's car trunk open during a rainstorm, which potentially destroyed pivotal traces.
The investigation languished for years until a new detective took over the case.
The case stagnated until Detective Tommy Hudson took over it, approaching it as a cold case alongside Captain Russell King and Chief Wayne Bewley. Laurie Jernigan, Ebby’s ...
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The police investigation and its major missteps
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Clarifications
- A Be-on-the-Lookout (BOLO) alert is a notification issued by law enforcement agencies to other agencies or the public about a particular person or vehicle of interest. It is used to quickly spread information and request assistance in locating a suspect, missing person, or a vehicle involved in a crime or other critical situation. BOLO alerts typically include descriptions of the individual or vehicle, relevant circumstances, and any other pertinent details to aid in identification and prompt action. Law enforcement relies on BOLO alerts to engage the community and increase the chances of locating the subject or vehicle being sought.
- Captain Russell King was a key figure in the investigation into Ebby Steppach's disappearance. He worked alongside Detective Tommy Hudson and Chief Wayne Bewley to address the case's shortcomings before critical breakthroughs were made. King played a role in reinvigorating the investigation, ultimately leading to the discovery of Ebby's remains.
- Chief Wayne Bewley was a key figure in the police department involved in the investigation of Ebby Steppach's disappearance. He played a role in overseeing the handling of the case before Detective Tommy Hudson took over. Bewley's actions or dec ...
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The discovery of Ebby's body and conflicting theories about her death
Ebby's remains were eventually discovered in a drainage pipe near where her car was found, just 60-70 feet from where it was parked.
Detective Hudson, alongside a team from public works, used robots with cameras to examine the storm drain pipe in Chalamont Park, where Ebby Steppach's car had been discovered years earlier. They found an obstruction about 70 feet from where her car was located, and upon excavating, they discovered human remains. Ebby's mother, Laurie Jernigan, could only identify her daughter by her clothing and jewelry due to the advanced state of decomposition.
Ebby's grandmother and other family members were devastated to learn that she had been so close the entire time, yet undetected by the authorities, despite the park being searched multiple times. Laurie Jernigan shared the anguish of finding Ebby's body, expressing that had she known Ebby was there, she would have searched the park herself.
There are conflicting theories about the circumstances of Ebby's death, with the police suggesting she may have died by suicide, which her family strongly disputes.
The police believe Ebby may have gone down into the drainage pipe herself, a theory strongly disputed by friends and family. Her family believes Ebby's death was a homicide, stating that Ebby, weighing about 110 pounds, could not have lifted a manhole cover weighing 75 to 200 pounds by herself, let alone navigate a narrow pipe.
The ongoing investigatio ...
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The discovery of Ebby's body and conflicting theories about her death
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- The mention of the manhole cover's weight in relation to Ebby's ability to lift it suggests a point of contention in the investigation into her death. The family questions whether Ebby, who was petite, could have managed such a heavy cover alone, leading them to dispute the theory that she entered the drainage pipe on her own. This detail underscores the differing perspectives between law enforcement and Ebby's loved ones regarding the circumstances surrounding her tragic demise. The weight of the manhole cover serves as a key factor in the debate over whether Ebby's death was a suicide, as suggested by the police, or a potential homicide, as believed by her family and friends.
- The mention of trafficking in Ebby's case is related to the broader issue of human trafficking, where individuals are exploited for various purposes such as forced labor or commercial sex. In cases like Ebby's, the reference to trafficking could suggest concerns about her disapp ...
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