Before the AMBER Alert came into existence, a seasoned detective was determined to find the person who would abduct and kill a little girl in Arlington, Texas. On January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was snatched while riding her bicycle. Amber's abandoned body was found in an outdoor location 4 days later.
Sergeant Mark Simpson was the Task Force Supervisor for the case and worked with numerous detectives and agents for months to determine how Amber could be taken in broad daylight without anyone noticing. He also began working with broadcasters, law enforcement officers and members of the public to develop an alert that could be used when a child is abducted.
“Although we truly believed it would be a powerful tool, our goal was to make the process of issuing the AMBER Alert a quick, simple exercise,” said Simpson. “The AMBER Alert is now used in all 50 states and some foreign countries. None of us thought it would ever be used beyond the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”
During his 32 years with the Arlington Police, Simpson also implemented the Department's Cold Case Homicide Team, a “No Drop Policy” for domestic violence cases, a Sex Offender Registration Program and a Gang Suppression Task Force.
Although Simpson retired in 2007, he continues to present Amber's case at trainings so other law enforcement and public safety personnel might benefit from important lessons learned in the investigation of this tragic incident, while also contributing their ideas and strategies to the ongoing effort to identify and bring Amber's killer to justice.
Amber Hagerman's abduction is one of more than 20 case studies Simpson has developed while working as a consultant for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP). While he may be soft-spoken, the detective's voice has been heard loud and clear by law enforcement officers and other public safety professionals in hundreds of training events over the past decade.
“Doing and presenting the case studies is one of the most satisfying parts of my teaching,” said Simpson. “It lets me examine not only what the criminal acts were, but also how the investigators responded to a variety of scenarios and the impact of their actions.”
“Child abduction investigations are like no other police response. The best way to be successful is to preplan some of our responses and be able to anticipate some of the challenges. Our training not only makes the student aware of what the issues are when they are faced with a child abduction, but also how to make good decisions to move the investigation forward.”
Simpson has worked diligently through his case study development and many years of investigative experience to identify trends and specific challenges for children, parents and police officers when children go missing or are abducted. He shares what has and has not worked in these complex cases, collaborating with and informing law enforcement, families and community in a relevant and understandable way that resonates with audiences across the U.S. and internationally.
“When Amber Hagerman was abducted in 1996, there was not much training available in how to prosecute the investigation,” he said. “The program is not just instructors delivering lectures, it is that special group of investigators who have done the job, learned the lessons and are able to communicate those lessons to others.”
One of the most notable attributes when you meet Simpson is his humility. Despite all of his accomplishments, he is dedicated and driven to do more to help children. Besides offering the case studies, Simpson also teaches courses on Advanced Strategies in Child Abduction Investigations; Major Crimes Investigations Teams; Advanced Cold Case and Long-Term Missing Cases; Search, Canvass, and Recovery Strategies; and “Build A Course” classes. He also assists AATTAP with important curriculum development and technical assistance projects in a number of key areas, including tribal child protection initiatives and work with survivors and their families.
“For all of us who find a calling to crimes against children; the victims and those who perpetrate atrocities against them, there is always something we fall back on as an anchor to reality. For me it is my bride of 42 years, Donna,” said Simpson. “Throughout my career, she has been the one who kept me grounded in reality, pushing me when I needed it and supporting me in every way.”
Simpson does occasionally take a break and loves to go duck hunting with “a good dog, black coffee and the sounds and smells of a new day's dawn.”
Back at work, he continues to look for ways to promote AMBER Alert initiatives and programs, and to build and strengthen awareness and knowledge through effective training and resources. Simpson takes great satisfaction in the fact that the program has been expanded to include work on understanding, identifying and responding to the rapidly growing crime of human trafficking.
“We are changing the way we look at young girls and boys that wind up engaging in prostitution and related forms of involuntary servitude,” he said. “In the past they were often identified as suspects, when in fact they too were victims who found themselves in a situation they didn't know how to escape from.”
For Mark Simpson and so many others, a vigilant focus on Amber Hagerman's case will not cease until her murder is solved. It is also likely Simpson will remain ever-focused on combatting child abduction and other crimes against children, tirelessly working to help other law enforcement officers do the same.