The tragic tale of Amber Hagerman
Have you ever wondered why news bulletins for missing children are called “Amber Alerts”? It’s a sad-but-true tale: In 1996, a little girl named Amber Hagerman disappeared while out riding bikes with her brother in Arlington, Texas.
Even though her kidnapping was immediately reported to the police, the case had a tragic end. Amber’s dead body was discovered four days after her abduction, lying in a creek bed. Her neck had been slit.
AMBER Alerts named after a kidnapped little girl
Since evidence suggests Amber’s abductor kept her alive for at least two days, her relatives and concerned citizens brainstormed about ways to prevent such tragedies in the future.
This led to the creation of the AMBER Alert system, which uses the Emergency Alert System to spread the word when a child under the age of 18 has been kidnapped and is believed to be in a life-threatening situation.
Even though “AMBER” now stands for “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response,” this is actually a “backronym.” A “backronym” is an acronym created to fit a specific word after the fact. (For more about AMBER Alerts, click here.)
How to visit Amber Hagerman’s grave
Sadly, as of this writing, Amber Hagerman’s murderer has not been brought to justice. However, if you visit Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery (1219 N Davis Dr, Arlington, Texas) you can visit her grave and pay your respects.
To see what the cemetery looks like where Amber Hagerman is buried, click the 30-second video below. (And by the way, the music in the background was composed by me. You can hear more of my tunes by clicking here.)
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Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
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