Stephanie Lynn Hebert

I cannot blog about a precious baby girl without the mention of another SPECIAL little angel "Stephanie Lynn Hebert". The murder of this child has been on my mind for literally 5 years.
I was watching my favorite show America's Most Wanted and Stephanie Hebert came to my mind. Thinking, I realized that hmm, I wonder what was the outcome of that case. I remembered it so well, yet I didn't remember a trial or an arrest. I remember I was pregnant for my first child, a daughter when the headlines hit the news. A picture of this little girl was pasted across the television set, it was 25yrs ago. Blond hair in pigtails, blue eyes, and pink little glasses, Stephanie Lynn Hebert is missing from her Waggaman home the reporter said.
I was living in Metaire at the time which is referred to as the Eastbank of Jefferson parish. Waggaman is on the Westbank, this subdivision was a small community of mostly lower-middle class hard working people. Most were employed at the local shipyard, Avondale Shipyard. I believe Stephanie's father was employed there as well.
Most people in the New Orleans area were shocked by the fact that this child literally disappeared in a few hours time. This didn't happen in crime ridden New Orleans, this was in suburbia and things like this just didn't happen, at least not in 1977. Sadly in 1977, there were no Amber Alerts. As a matter of fact, when Stephanie's mother called 911, she was told they couldn't do anything because 24 hours hadn't passed. Also, the two cops sitting at the local convenience store weren't much help either. The people of the community put together their own search party and couldn't find her. Going door to door, someone mentioned they saw Stephanie near an ice cream truck, someone else said they thought they saw her with a woman, a possible transvestite who was buying her an ice cream.
It seems the day after, all hell broke loose, the FBI, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Office, LA State police were all over the neighborhood searching and asking questions. This went on daily for at least a month if not longer. Everything I'm posting is based on memory and a couple of responses from other caring people who remember her too. What we all remember is Stephanie Hebert was found. She was found in a nearby parish by a hunter and his son. She was tied to a tree and her clothes laid nearby.
The initial reports said the little girl was on her way to the local playground to play at the gym. I know exactly how the area looks, because in 1981 I moved to that subdivision. It was nice enough, small tract homes, with an elementary school, playground and gym all combined in a two block stretch. This is how I remembered it.
It was a subdivision sitting in the middle of no where with woods on all sides.
Back to my search:
So with the name Hebert and Waggaman, I decided to do a search on the internet. Nothing? I even questioned myself if Stephanie was the right first name. I found this strange that not one word is mentioned on the internet pertaining to a beautiful little girl that was murdered. I decided this might be a good case for AMW.
I contacted them. They emailed me back saying they couldn't find a thing on her.
After getting confirmation on a blog I set up, Stephanie was indeed her first name.
I searched further and found an obituary dated December 8,1978. This is all that has ever been written about poor little Stephanie Hebert. I found this very odd. After finding out from a reliable source that the case was still opened. I checked again, this time in cold cases of Jefferson Parish. Nothing. What should I do? Should I just forget about her? Why doesn't anyone else care?
I finally got up enough nerve to call the cold case department of JPSO. I left a message because the nice young lady I spoke with hadn't even heard of the case.
She said she would have a detective call me back. A few days later to my surprise,
a detective did call me. Nervously, I asked him what ever happened to the Stephanie Hebert murder. He told me it was still open and thats all he could say. But what stunned me most was what he said next. He said he found it odd that I would call after 30 years almost implying that I knew something. I was a bit taken back as I explained, its just an interest of mine, unsolved murders. I like to follow cases, especially ones as horrific as this one. He seemed to understand but it left me feeling that maybe I should stay out of it, but I can't. I want the truth and many people such as myself and many others I talk to want to know what happened and why hasn't her story ever been written in the local newspaper or something. Its like we're suppose to forget about her. Well, I haven't. I'll be back with more.
If anyone reads this and has any information, please post it. Lets put pressure on the press and detectives for answers. Stephanie Hebert deserves it.