Mother of Ebby Steppach hopes for development in case nine years after her disappearance

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – For months, her face could be seen plastered on billboards and flyers around Little Rock.  The question everyone wondered: What happened to Ebby Steppach?

The then-18-year-old went missing in 2015 and her disappearance garnered national attention.

It wasn’t until nearly three years later that Ebby’s skeletal remains were found in a drainage pipe in west Little Rock’s Chalamont Park. To this day, no one has been arrested.

From the day Ebby disappeared on Oct. 25, 2015, her mom, Laurie Jernigan, has never stopped pushing for answers.

“I want to know why it can’t be done or I want to be told, “Yes we did it,’ you know?” Jernigan said.

Even after Ebby’s remains were found in 2018, one big question lingered.

“What happened? I mean what happened?” Jernigan said.

It’s a question Jernigan knows may never be answered.

“I will be okay if I never know,” she said.

It has taken a long road to get here. One year after Ebby’s remains were found, Jernigan’s son Trevor passed away from a heart attack. Jernigan said she is grateful to be in a better place than she was nine years ago.

“My daughter, when we are here, we tell funny stories about Ebby and Trevor,” Jernigan said. “The sadness doesn’t just linger as long.”

Jernigan called the recent developments in the Morgan Nick case bittersweet. She said her heart hurts for Morgan’s mom, Colleen.

“I reached out to her and just told her; I don’t have words for her. It’s not a celebration, but it’s a closure. It’s hard,” Jernigan said.

The news is also igniting hope in Jernigan that advancements in DNA technology could one day help in her own daughter’s case.

“We will see. I know it’s going to take a long time, I don’t expect anything instantly,” Jernigan said.

Nine years later, she is still a fierce advocate for her daughter.

“I don’t ever want it to be because I didn’t try something or call or do something. I think I’ll probably do that forever,” Jernigan said.

She said while it isn’t always easy, she is learning how to navigate life without Ebby.

“There is joy on the other side,” Jernigan said.

Six months ago, the attorney general’s office developed a cold case unit to investigate cases like Ebby’s. Jernigan said she submitted Ebby’s case and is waiting to hear back if it will be selected to take a closer look.

The attorney general’s office said they have received multiple submissions but cannot yet comment on whether they will be assisting with Ebby’s.

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