In August of 1996, 11-year-old Trudy Appleby vanished from her neighborhood in Moline, Illinois, leaving behind one of the most haunting mysteries in the Quad Cities. There was no sign of a struggle, no clear witnesses, and no immediate answers. For nearly three decades, her case remained unsolved.

But behind the headlines, Trudy’s father never stopped fighting. From the very beginning, he insisted he knew who was responsible. While police chased false leads and dead ends, he pointed to the same small circle of men—names he repeated year after year, long before investigators finally confirmed them as persons of interest.

In August 2025, almost exactly 29 years after Trudy disappeared, an arrest was finally made. The breakthrough came too late for her father, who passed away without seeing justice—but it proved he had been right all along.

This is the story of Trudy Appleby: a child gone without a trace, a family’s relentless search for truth, and the decades-long fight to hold those responsible accountable in the Quad Cities’ most infamous missing child case.

Please contact the Moline Police Department (Illinois) - Missing Persons Unit - 1-309-797-0407 OR your local FBI if you have any information.

Trudy’s Missing Poster: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/822441/1

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In this episode, Crime Salad sits down with Hope Hooton, a mother who has endured the unimaginable loss of her two children to filicide, the act of a parent killing their own child. This conversation covers deeply sensitive topics, including suicide, domestic abuse, and the devastating realities that too often go overlooked by the system. Hope shares the red flags she recognized, the steps she took to protect herself and her children, and the hard truths about how difficult it can be to leave an abusive relationship.

Through her story, Hope is turning tragedy into purpose, spreading awareness, advocating for change, and working to save children’s lives by shining a light on the warning signs that must never be ignored.

Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of your mental health first as you listen.

Please Follow and Support Hope Hooton:

Hope’s Website: https://voicesagainstfilicide.odoo.com/

Hope’s Podcast: Voices Against Filicide

Hope’s TikTok: hope.in.the.pain

 Pierce's pledge https://www.piercespledge.org/

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, help is available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788 to be connected with free, confidential support 24/7.

If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can call or text anytime to be connected with trained counselors.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parents' rights should never outweigh a child's right to be safe

In Alec and Lydia’s case, and also in Rowan’s case, the courts prioritized shared custody, and the result was catastrophic.

In this episode of Crime Salad, we share the devastating story of Alec and Lydia Mater, two young children whose lives were stolen in an act of filicide after the courts prioritized shared custody over safety. Their mother, Hope Hooton, has turned her unimaginable grief into a fight for change, pushing for reforms to protect other children from the same fate.

This is not an easy story to hear. It carries a strong listener discretion warning as we discuss filicide, the failures of the system, and the heartbreaking loss of two innocent lives. But it’s also a story of resilience, of a mother determined to ensure her children’s voices are not forgotten.

Important Links:

The Website: https://voicesagainstfilicide.odoo.com/

The Podcast: Voices Against Filicide

Hope’s TikTok: hope.in.the.pain

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.