Issue 65

Three decades after Amber Hagerman’s January 13, 1996, abduction inspired the AMBER Alert, her case remains unsolved. For our Winter 2026 issue, our feature story spotlights the overarching lessons drawn from the high-profile investigation into Amber’s murder. It also includes an interactive timeline reflecting key moments in AMBER Alert history: from its inception and global expansion to its most innovative technological achievements.

For our Faces spotlight, we sat down with the case’s lead investigators—past and present—to get an update on the inquiry and hear about their relentless hunt for justice. Amber “did not die in vain,” notes retired Arlington (Texas) Police Department Sergeant Mark Simpson, whose Q&A yields important takeaways all law enforcement agencies should consider before facing a missing child case.

We also offer AMBER Alert-related news briefs from the U.S., Indian Country, and around the globe.

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Features

Amber Hagerman holding her baby brother, Ricky, in front of wrapped Christmas packages

Overarching Lessons From the Amber Hagerman Case

Thirty years after her abduction and murder, Amber Hagerman’s legacy is the AMBER Alert system, which has saved thousands of [..]

Hand holding smart phone displaying a TikTok of an AMBER Alert

Amber’s Legacy: A Timeline

The AMBER Alert program mobilizes [..]

Collage of photos depicting Amber Hagerman, her bicycle, the place where she was abducted, where her body was found, and her case detectives.

Case Detectives Past & Present: Amber Hagerman ‘Did Not Die in Vain’ & ‘Our Goal Is To Get Justice’

Three decades after Amber Hagerman’s [..]

U.S. Briefs

Eagle-eyed friends spot car wanted in AMBER Alert

Shortly after phones in Prince George’s County, Maryland, began buzzing about a SUV wanted in a suspected child abduction, a group of friends captured the moment they recognized the SUV from the AMBER Alert—and started recording. In a viral TikTok video posted by one of the friends, a gray Volkswagen SUV rolls up alongside them, [..]

Digital fingerprinting app helps ID missing children

As a young detective, Charles Still would pour through files on his desk as he handled upwards of 70 open cases of missing children. Now retired from the Tustin, California, Police Department, he’s tapping into technology to try to streamline the process and reunite families faster. His My Family ID app gathers digital fingerprints and [..]

Texas operation brings home 30 missing minors

More than two dozen missing children have been found in Texas after a nearly three-week operation. Ten agencies including the San Antonio Police, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Braunfels Police Department teamed up with the U.S. Marshals Western District of Texas (USMWDT) to make Operation Lightning Bug happen. Local and federal agencies worked [..]

Indian Country Briefs

AMBER Alert in Indian Country team attend MMIP memorial in Alaska

Members of AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) team attended a powerful missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) memorial bench dedication in Fairbanks, Alaska, hosted by the Tanana Chiefs Conference. The event brought together families, Tribal leaders, and community members to honor the lives of those tragically taken or still missing. The dedication included [..]

Bill proposes better care for Indigenous families

Draft legislation by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski—the federal Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act of 2025—calls for increased funding and new programs aimed at improving the well-being of Indigenous children and their families. It also seeks to address a wide range of issues including health, housing, and education. Public feedback on the proposal closed this fall, [..]

$10K reward offered for discovery of 13-year-old

A combined $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the discovery of 13-year-old Sa’Wade Birdinground, last seen at her grandparents’ home on the Crow Indian Reservation in Garryowen, Montana, October 6, 2024. The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office offered a $5,000 award that was matched by the executive branch of the Crow [..]

International Briefs

Irish authorities investigating 52 cases of international parental child abduction

Ireland’s Central Authority—which works with the country’s Department of Justice to handle international parental child abduction (IPCA) cases—is attempting to resolve 52 cases involving missing children, reports The Irish Times. As of August 7, 2025, the organization was working on 39 cases in which a parent is in Ireland, but their child or children have [..]

UAE contributes to training officers involved in international operation against child sexual abuse

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), represented by the Ministry of Interior and in coordination with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) recently contributed to the training of law enforcement officers in 10 Latin American countries that participated in the international operation against online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The operation was [..]

European museums display children’s drawings to spotlight international parental child abduction

Art and cultural institutions across five European countries teamed up this summer to display children’s drawings to raise awareness about international parental abduction (IPCA), which reportedly spikes that time of year. In partnership with Missing Children Europe, the museums have displayed children’s artwork to raise awareness of IPCA, which involves one parent taking a child [..]

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