Tuesday marks 30 years since Texas 9-year-old Amber Hagerman disappeared while riding her bicycle in Arlington — a crime that not only devastated her family and community, but ultimately changed how missing children are searched for across the country.
Hagerman was found dead four days after her disappearance in January 1996. Her murder remains unsolved. In the aftermath of her case, however, the AMBER Alert system was created, giving law enforcement a powerful tool to quickly notify the public when a child is believed to have been abducted. Jan. 13 is now recognized as National AMBER Alert Day. As of December 2025, 1,292 missing children have been safely recovered as a direct result of AMBER Alerts issued nationwide. As of December 2025, 1,292 missing children were recovered due to an AMBER Alert.
Here’s what is known about Hagerman’s case, how the alert system was created in her name and where the search for missing children continues today in Texas.
What happened to Amber Hagerman?
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Hagerman was abducted just eight minutes after leaving her home with her brother on the afternoon of Jan. 13, 1996. A man — described as either white or Hispanic and estimated to be in his 20s or 30s — grabbed the 9-year-old off her bike in the parking lot of an abandoned Winn-Dixie. Police believe the man kept Hagerman alive for at least two days before killing her and dumping her body in a creek behind an apartment complex…