Amber Hagerman 1996 Texas
Amber Hagerman (November 25, 1986 - January 17, 1996) was a young girl who was the victim of a kidnapping, rape and murder. She was abducted while riding her bicycle in her neighborhood in Arlington, Texas,in broad daylight and in full view of witnesses. Four days later, following an extensive, area-wide search, her naked body was found with her throat slit at the bottom of a creek bed. A murder suspect has been described to police, but has never been found. Following her death, the AMBER Alert was formed in the DFW area (other locales now also have similar plans) in July 1997. The system is used by local citizens who work with radio stations and local law enforcement to broadcast news bulletins about abducted children to the general public, in an effort to save children's lives. In October 2000, the United States House of Representatives adopted H.R. 605 which encouraged communities nationwide to implement the AMBER Plan. Wikipedia

Ninth anniversary of disappearance of Amber Hagerman January 13, 1995 AUSTIN Today is the ninth anniversary of the abduction of a girl whose name has become synonymous with missing children. Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas, was riding a bicycle on January 13th, 1996 when she was abducted. She was later found murdered. Her attacker has yet to be found. At the time of her disappearance, no specific system was in place to inform the public about missing or abducted children. Broadcasters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area started the Amber Alert program, which eventually went statewide -- then national. The system now includes alerts ranging from law enforcement advisories to messages posted on electronic highway signs. The Justice Department has designated today National Amber Alert Awareness Day. KTRE Lufkin/Nacogdoches

Lawmakers push national Amber alert system 'Unparalleled record' of finding children September 4, 2002 Posted: 3:20 PM EDT (1920 GMT) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation to expand the reach of a child abduction alert system across state lines. Amber alerts, currently used in all or parts of 26 states, have aided in the safe return of more than two dozen abducted children, lawmakers said. The bill -- sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas; Dianne Feinstein D-California. and about 20 other lawmakers -- would establish an Amber alert coordinator in the Justice Department to communicate with states and determine whether more than one state should issue an alert when a child is abducted. The legislation would also provide $25 million in federal matching grants to states to help them buy electronic highway signs and other equipment needed to set up an Amber alert system, as well as education and training programs. Under the current system, local law enforcement and broadcasters team up to issue immediate emergency alerts to state agencies, posting pertinent information on electronic highway signs and distributing information through the news media. The alert system is credited with recovering 27 children nationwide and gained prominence last month when two teenage girls were kidnapped at gunpoint near Lancaster, California. Authorities credited the alert for helping them rescue the girls. "We've had 13 Amber alerts in California in one month," Feinstein said in unveiling the legislation Tuesday. "One was a misstep. All other 12 have resulted in the return of the child. Eight were abductions from strangers and four involved family members. Now that's an unparalleled record." A Senate Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing on the bill Wednesday. Reps. Jennifer Dunn, R-Washington, and Martin Frost, D-Texas, are sponsoring a similar bill in the House. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Florida, has another version of the legislation; his bill would require states to set up an Amber alert program before getting any federal funds. Foley's bill would commit about $99.5 million to the program for the first year. The alert system is named after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas in 1996. Lawmakers said "Amber" is also an acronym for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The Amber Alert A child abduction response system Uses radio, television, roadside electronic billboards and emergency broadcast systems to disseminate information about kidnapping suspects and victims soon after the crime is committed Solicits aid from the public to look for victims Used for children younger than 18 Employed when serious harm or death possible Named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas, who was kidnapped and killed in 1996 Source: Klaas Kids Foundation CNN

EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 P.M. EST February 17, 2005 www.ojp.usdoj.gov Office of Justice Programs Contact: Catherine Sanders (202) 307-0703 AMBER ALERT PLANS IN PLACE IN ALL 50 STATES WASHINGTON, D.C. - Hawaii became the 50th state to complete its statewide AMBER Alert plan to aid in the recovery of abducted children, the Department of Justice and state of Hawaii announced today. Only four states had statewide AMBER Alert plans in place at the end of 2001. For the first time, all 50 states now have a statewide AMBER Alert plan, creating a network of plans nationwide. "A missing child is every parent's worst nightmare," said Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. "AMBER Alerts have already made a significant difference, and the establishment of AMBER Alert plans in all 50 states marks an important milestone in our efforts to prevent child abductions. No matter where a child is missing, concerned Americans stand ready to help. Through the AMBER program, communities and law enforcement will work together to recover missing children quickly and safely." Acting Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Tracy A. Henke joined Hawaii Lieutenant Governor James R. "Duke" Aiona at a ceremony announcing Hawaii's statewide plan, the MAILE AMBER Alert, at the state capitol today. Lt. Governor Aiona and Henke, who also serves as the Acting National AMBER Alert Coordinator, were joined by other state and local officials and Tip Gilbert, father of six-year-old Maile Gilbert of Kailua who was tragically abducted in August 1985 and later found murdered. Hawaii's AMBER Alert plan is named in honor of Maile Gilbert. "The stunning success of the AMBER Alert is directly related to the unprecedented cooperation of alert citizens and broadcasters with local law enforcement," said AAG Henke. "The establishment of statewide AMBER Alert plans in all 50 states is a landmark achievement that makes America's children safer." AMBER Alert programs have helped save the lives of 192 children nationwide. Over 80 percent of those recoveries have occurred since October 2002 when President Bush called for a nationally coordinated AMBER Alert program at the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children. The PROTECT Act, which President Bush signed into law in April 2003, statutorily established the National AMBER Coordinator and required the coordinator to facilitate AMBER network development, support development of state AMBER plans, help eliminate geographic gaps in AMBER networks, provide regional coordination, and establish guidance on criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert. Since that time, AMBER Alert has made remarkable progress: In 2003, the Department of Justice convened the first-ever National AMBER Alert Training Conference and the National AMBER Alert Technology Conference. Teams of broadcasters, law enforcement and transportation officials from all 50 states gathered for the first time. In 2004, the Department of Justice convened the second National AMBER Alert Training Conference for teams of broadcasters, law enforcement and transportation officials from all 50 states OJP provided Guidance on Criteria for Issuance of AMBER Alerts to law enforcement, broadcasters, transportation officials, and the general public to aid in the development of AMBER statewide plans. The Department of Justice called for a national AMBER Alert awareness day on January 13, 2005. To raise awareness for this valuable public safety resource, broadcasters around the country were asked to air Public Service Announcements featuring John Walsh of America's Most Wanted and Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted from her home and recovered nine months later. The Department of Justice launched a website dedicated to AMBER Alert, www.amberalert.gov. Additional information about AMBER Alert can be found there including the Report to the White House on AMBER Alert, comprehensive information about AMBER Alert, a progress report and stories about successful recoveries. AMBER (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alerts are emergency messages broadcast when a law enforcement agency determines that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger. The broadcasts include information about the child and the abductor, including physical descriptions as well as information about the abductor's vehicle - which could lead to the child's recovery. The AMBER Alert program began in Texas in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed up with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children, in memory of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas who was abducted while riding her bicycle and later found murdered. OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist crime victims. OJP is headed by an Assistant Attorney General and comprises five component bureaus and two offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime, as well as the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education, and the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed initiative. More information can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov. ### OJJDP05008 US Department of Justice

I am not disrespecting this sweet girl in anyway by saying this. Yes all 50 states have an Amber Plan but less than half have a working system. The politicians can pat themselves on the back all they want,doesn't change the fact they are lacking and infact have done very little. How long has TV been invented? Radio? CB's? The Internet? Flashing street signs? Cameras? We have had these at our disposal for YEARS and yet they still aren't being used to their fullest potential. If they truley want to honor Amber then do the right thing, fix the alert system.

Amber movie retells abduction By NATHANIEL JONES STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER Although the actress in a new Amber Hagerman movie appears bigger and older than the real Amber, the storyline is a chilling replay of Jan. 13, 1996, the day the 9-year-old was snatched from her bike and never seen alive again. Her abduction and death led to the nationwide Amber Alert broadcast system, which has resulted in more than 200 children being returned to their families. On Monday, the first nationally broadcast movie about her abduction, The Amber Alert Story , is scheduled to air on the Lifetime channel. Producer Joseph Nasser and his brother Jack financed the made-for-television movie, which tells the story of how Amber’s mother, Donna Norris, fought to implement a system that would help other abducted children. “This is one of those beautiful, inspirational stories that sends a message,” said Joseph Nasser. “Not only are we trying to help solve a murder, we are educating parents on the circumstances surrounding Amber’s abduction.” Amber’s mother could not be reached for comment. The movie relives the day Amber was abducted near an abandoned Winn-Dixie grocery store on East Abram Street. The movie comes close to depicting the working-class neighborhood of small, single-garage homes near the area where Amber was abducted. The movie even describes the black pickup that a witness, from his back yard, described for police. The movie is a little too Texan. It shows cowboy-hat-wearing investigators and “Congressman Frost,” who talk with strong Southern drawls. Joseph Nasser acknowledges that the actors probably “overdid it on the accents.” He said Amber’s mother, who now lives in Hurst, provided most of the information for the movie. Nasser, who has worked on the movie for five years, said he purchased the movie rights from Amber’s mother for well over $10,000. He added that he made up the names of investigators, police officers and reporters so that he could get around paying them movie rights. “The message means more than the money,” he said. “This is about children and their safety.” In between the Amber scenes, the Nasser brothers tell the story of Nichole Taylor Timmons of Riverside, Calif., who was abducted from her mother’s home in 2002 by a family friend. Because the Amber Alert system flashed Nichole’s picture, her abductor kept on the move until a Nevada policeman saw them. The suspect was arrested, and Nichole was safely returned home. The Arlington Police Department continues to receive tips related to the Amber case, said Christy Gilfour, an Arlington police spokeswoman. Nasser said he’s keeping a slim hope that the movie will help solve the slaying. “I’m praying that someone will watch this move and think they may know the person or maybe knew someone who wore a cowboy hat and drove a pickup truck,” Nasser said. “I’m just praying for that slim possibility.” IN THE KNOW ‘The Amber Alert Story’ Airs 8 p.m. Monday on Lifetime For more information on Joseph and Jack Nasser and The Amber Hagerman Story, visit www.moviesfortv.com. Nathaniel Jones, 817-548-5414 njones@star-telegram.com http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/15428060.htm?source=rss&channel=dfw_news

Friday, July 20, 2007 - Page updated at 02:07 AM Link to case that led to Amber Alerts? By Mike Carter Seattle Times staff reporter Terapon Adhahn is being investigated in the 1996 abduction-slaying of Amber Hagerman, the Texas case that spurred the nation's Amber Alert system for missing children. Arlington, Texas, police spokeswoman Christy Gilfour said Thursday that her department has been contacted by Pierce County officials and asked to help determine whether Adhahn was living in the area when the 9-year-old disappeared. Gilfour warned that the inquiry is preliminary and not unusual. "Any time someone is suspected of a similar crime, we are notified and look at it," she said. "We need to keep this in perspective." Amber disappeared Jan. 13, 1996. Her body was found four days later. Adhahn's mother and brother live in nearby Forth Worth, but it is not known whether Adhahn was in the area when Amber vanished. Court documents indicate Adhahn attended a sex-offenders group meeting in Tacoma on Jan. 9, 1996, four days before Amber disappeared. He also attended a group meeting in Tacoma on Jan. 16, a day before her body was found. Adhahn has been charged with the 2000 abduction and rape of a Tacoma girl who said the attacker drove a black pickup. Amber was reportedly abducted by a man who drove a black pickup. Outrage over Amber's abduction-slaying spurred Congress to implement a nationwide alert system, named in her memory, to help find abducted children. Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003797768_amber20m.html?syndication=rss