SYCAMORE – Charles Ridulph is asked almost daily whether he is the brother of the little girl who disappeared more than 50 years ago.

People often approach Ridulph to tell him how his younger sister’s 1957 kidnapping and death changed their lives in quiet Sycamore, that parents became much more watchful and protective of their children after her disappearance.

Although longtime residents never have forgotten 7-year-old Maria or the events surrounding her kidnapping and slaying, for the Ridulph family, the incident has been more than simply a tragic event.