Ten Years Later: Mother of Ebby Steppach finds new hope through social media campaign

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Ten years have passed since 18-year-old Ebby Steppach vanished — a case that began with confusion and heartbreak and has since become a symbol of persistence, pain and a mother’s unyielding fight for truth.

Ebby was last seen in Oct. 2015, just months before she was set to graduate high school. Her car was later discovered abandoned in Chalamont Park, not far from her home in west Little Rock. Inside, investigators found her phone, makeup, and other personal items — signs that, to her family, made one thing clear: she hadn’t run away.

“They kept saying she was a runaway,” her mother, Laurie Jernigan, recalled. “Her friends, her family — we were all saying no, she’s not.”

For more than two years, that label clouded the search for Ebby her mom said. Her loved ones organized community searches, hired a private investigator, and pushed for answers — all while feeling dismissed by early police handling of the case.

“It was like we couldn’t connect with what they were doing,” Jernigan said. “Every time we called or asked or looked, it was a dead end.”

A Painful Discovery

In May 2018, the Steppach family received the news they’d both prayed for and dreaded: Ebby’s skeletal remains had been found. Her body was discovered in a drainage pipe at the same park where her car was found two and a half years earlier.

“I felt really guilty when I found that out,” Jernigan said softly. “We had been told from the very first day they searched the drain, but Tommy Hudson came to find out they had lied. It had never been searched.”

For Jernigan, the discovery marked both an ending and a beginning — a turning point from searching to fighting for justice.

A Case Reopened

Now, a decade after her daughter disappeared, Jernigan says she feels something she hasn’t felt in years: hope.

In 2024, the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office established a Cold Case Unit within its Special Investigations Division. One of the first cases they took on was Ebby Steppach’s.

“When the Attorney General’s Office said we’re going to take her case and follow through with all the advanced testing, I was like — oh my God, I can’t believe it,” Jernigan said. “It was one of the happiest days of my life.”

Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office’s team has been working closely with the Little Rock Police Department to bring “fresh eyes” to the investigation.

“We have been re-interviewing witnesses, reviewing the case file, and pursuing new technology for DNA testing that was not previously available,” Griffin said. “We are committed to doing everything we can to get justice for Ebby and bring closure for her loved ones.”

Little Rock Police Chief Heath Helton also praised the partnership, calling the case a continuing priority. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to justice for Ebby and closure for her family,” he said. “This case, like every homicide, remains a priority, and we will follow every lead until answers are found.”

Finding New Ways to Keep Her Story Alive

As investigators dig deeper, Jernigan is doing her part to ensure Ebby’s name never fades.

“Then another idea came to mind,” she said. “After seeing how the Gabby Petito case gained national attention through TikTok and social media, I thought maybe that could help us too.”

She brought the idea to the investigators leading Ebby’s case. “They told me if I was willing to put in the work, it was a great idea,” she said.

Now, that idea has become a movement. On Thursday, a new series of Justice for Ebby Jane pages went live across social media platforms — including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). The goal: to keep Ebby’s story in the public eye, to connect with people who might know something, and to encourage others to share her memory.

“A new page for Ebby went live today on all social media platforms — ‘Justice for Ebby Jane,’” Jernigan said. “It’s with the support of the Attorney General’s Office and the Little Rock Police Department. They’ve seen how powerful awareness can be.”

A Decade of Grief and Grace

Ten years later, Jernigan says her fight is no longer just about answers — it’s about peace.

“I may never know what happened to Ebby, and I’m okay with that,” she said. “She’s safe. She’s with the Lord. But Ebby deserves that answer, and we deserve that too.”

Jernigans says she never knew she had this much strength, but it has been given by God and it’s the same strength that has carried her through ten years of heartbreak, faith, and determination.

“When people talk to me about Ebby, it’s like — it’s been ten years, it’s unbelievable,” Jernigan said. “But I have excitement today. I have excitement about the new site going up, and people’s involvement. That gives me hope.”

Anyone with tips can also submit those by email or directly with police.