Chino said he didn't know what happened to Kesse and passed a polygraph, according to CBS. 15 years since Jennifer Kesse went missing, the familys investigating what happened to her and hope to have answers this year, Fundraiser by Drew Kesse : Help Us Find Jennifer Kesse. The Orlando Police Department originally investigated the case. Jenn was a great sounding board, Rob said. Thats how it was with Jenn. Wont stop looking for answers. The Orange County Sheriff's Office is following up on a new tip in the Jennifer Kesse missing person case. We havent seen the states evidence yet and dont know Kesslers motive for killing Cummings (if shes guilty of what shes been accused of). Law enforcement believes she is trying to starve herself to death, and theyve reported that she has fits of rage, including stripping naked and smearing feces and food around her cell. Jennifer Kesse, now 39, was abducted from Orlando, FL on January 24, 2006. Two days later, Jennifer's car is found at a nearby apartment complex. 2023 Cox Media Group. In that second, I knew something was wrong.. Jennifers co-workers would tell her parents that she had not come to work, after which they decided to go to her condo and check up on her. But everything was fine.. The hardest part is being in limbo. And I wont stop until someone is held accountable. In fact, she'd just moved into a condo there. But at first, I didnt think anything bad, like really bad, had happened to her. Her black, Chevy Malibu car was later found a mile away on Thursday, January 26 at a condo complex around a mile down the road from where she lived. At that point, Chino was serving an unrelated sentence for statutory rape. Police release age-progressed photo of 24-year-old woman who went missing nine years ago, Prime suspect in unsolved murder of an 11-year-old boy breaks his silence more than two decades later and admits he saw the missing child moments before he was abducted, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Beaming Harry and Meghan enjoy date night at private members' club, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' There were a few times, Jenn told me, that the workers would just stop and stare at her, Joyce told Dateline. 1 min read. And I have the hope that Ill hear it again.. It was early that Tuesday morning when Jenn didnt show up for an important meeting at her job that her employer and co-workers became concerned because they knew it was very unlike her to miss work. Authorities arrived and confirmed the car was Jenns. However, it is pretty clear that Kessler had some personality or psychological issues, and its possible she didnt need a logical motive to attack. That evening, she left her office around 6pm and wished her boss a good evening. Kesses parents sued the Orlando Police Department for a copy of their daughters case file. Jennifer Joyce Kesse (born May 20, 1981) is an American woman from Orlando, Florida, who has been missing since January 23, 2006. Kesse was last seen at her Orlando condo near Mall at Millenia. If jealousy did indeed motivate Kessler to murder Cummings, it could be possible she encountered Kesse and became jealous of her for real or perceived reasons and decided to attack, whether or not she had a planned endgame. They tried to contact Jenn, and around 11 a.m. when she still could not be reached, her employer -- who knew Jenns father -- decided to call her parents. I overslept, which is pretty normal, Jenn always got up earlier than I did anyway, and so she would always call and wake me up or at least text me, Rob said. Perhaps the womens physical similarities made Kesse a target. It was a double whammy, losing Jenn and then losing my father, Rob told Dateline. We dont know about what or how reporters knew that. Is there a chance they encountered one another in the days, weeks, or months leading up to Kesses disappearance? Jenns mother, Joyce, told Dateline she felt fortunate that their family was able to all speak to Jenn that day. During that presser they also announced that Jennifer Sybert was actually named Kimberly Kessler; she had been living under a fake name and using a fake Social Security number. Subscribe Today! You can watchthe full episode here. They told us it was an active case. This week marks 17 years since the 24-year-old vanished in 2006 but there have been no arrests made. At a press conference, investigators said they had reason to believe Cummings was no longer alive, but they had not found her remains. We had just returned from holiday -- which was so amazing -- but now we were both dreading going back to work, Rob said. Additionally, within this article, the video above is from November 2019. If she knew she would be five minutes late for work, she would call them thats just who she is.. The last person to speak to Jennifer was her boyfriend, in a call shortly before 10pm on the Monday night. How Might Kessler Be Related to the Kesse Case?While it might at first seem like a stretch, I think its conceivable Kimberly Kessler could be tied to the Jennifer Kesse case. We dont know anything. The then 24-year-old had recently been promoted at work. Sunday marked 15 years since she was last seen on Jan. 24, 2006. More than a dozen years later, her parents are still looking for her. This post is really different from what I usually write up, and Im a little worried Ill get roasted for it, but Im eager to hear what you all think. There was no question, Logan told Dateline. Dailymail.com Reporter Nothing out of the ordinary for someone getting ready for work. Detectives checked for activity on her ATM card and pinged her cell phone. Kesse's family said. It's been more than 15 years since she was last. A damp hand towel draped over the side of the sink. ", Clearwater High School students prepare for annual civil rights tour, Person killed after shooting outside Tampa credit union, 10 Weather: Windy Friday ahead of weekend cold front, Windy conditions ahead of chance of rain this weekend, Nothing found in lake after new tip about Jennifer Kesse's disappearance, New tip in Jennifer Kesse's disappearance causes divers to search lake, Parents of Jennifer Kesse take over investigation into daughters disappearance. Wright was reassigned in 2010; and Florida formally declared Kesse dead in 2016, despite never finding her body. The day before she disappeared, Kesse had left Allen's home to drive to work. Just normal relationship things. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Nothing was done, no investigation, Jenns father Drew said. Kesslers general physical description could match that of the person seen walking away from Kesses vehicle. And she was in a committed relationship with her boyfriend, Rob Allen, who lived in Ft. Lauderdale. Founded in 2010, Thought Catalog is owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Company, Inc. For over a decade, we've been at the bleeding edge of media, pioneering an infrastructure for creatives to flourish both artistically and financially. They'd actually just gotten back from a getaway to St. Croix about a week before she went missing. Kesse was 24 when she went missing. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Her car was found a mile away. Investigators will interview people Kesses law enforcement team has already identified as possible suspects or people who may have valuable information. Will we ever know what really happened? A police dog was able to trace a scent that led from the car back to Jennifers building, suggesting that the person who dropped off the car returned to the site of her abduction. The person has been described as the luckiest person of interest ever due to the fact that in every frame of the video (images taken every three seconds) their face is obscured from view by fence posts. Jenn and Rob met in January 2005 when Rob was in Orlando with his roommate for a trade show. During an ensuing investigation, it was discovered that Kessler had used at least 18 different aliases and had lived in at least 33 cities in 14 different states. Biology, nature, and cryptozoology still remain Brent Swancers first intellectual loves. She was a project manager for a timeshare company. Future news of events, Zoom movie marathons, books, and streaming updates will be delivered first to our newsletter readers. Something. She had complained of inappropriate remarks and catcalls from them, and it was also found that she had been approached by a manager where she worked, who she had turned away, but questioning of these potential suspects turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. Surveillance footage later revealed a suspect pulling into a parking space in her car around midday on January 24, waiting around 30 seconds, climbing out and walking away. I could never imagine what her parents were going through, Rob said. They Never Told Her Family. Jenn was spontaneous and adventurous, Rob said. Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. ORLANDO, Fla Editor's Note:Jennifer Kesse's case was featured last year onCBS News' "48 Hours,"which contributed to this report. For 14 years, Jenns family has not given up their search for her. But nothing -- absolutely nothing -- was being done.. He had a meeting at 9 a.m., but when it was over, he tried to call Jenn again, this time to tell her about something that had happened in the meeting. We hear you like all things creepy we do too. The Mystery of New York's Renegade Subway Psychic, Forget About What We Know About Roswell: It's What's Missing About the Case That We Need to Look For, Archeologists Discover Another Secret Corridor Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, UFO Whistleblowers: When Secrets are Revealed. There were three snapshots of the person who dropped off her car, but in every snapshot, the persons face was obscured by bars from a gate outside the building. 4 Both Kessler (when she was younger and had lighter hair) and Cummings somewhat physically resemble Kesseblonde, attractive, pointier chin, etc. Investigators went about focusing their efforts on the complex, poring through video surveillance footage, and that was when they hit a potential lead, when they found footage that showed an unidentified person, approximately 5'3 to 5'5, tall, parking Kesse's car, sitting in the car for about 30 seconds, and then getting out and walking away. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Over the years, his parents encouraged him to travel and to enjoy his 20s. Jennifer Kesse was a successful young woman with a good job and a loving boyfriend . From all appearances, Jennifer Kesse of Orlando, Florida was a happy, successful, well-adjusted 24-year-old woman with a bright future. Police found her car a few days later. The missing woman's parents, Joyce and Drew Kesse, have never given up searching for her and continually update their websiteFindjenniferkesse.comand Facebook page. At the time she vanished, she was living in Orlando. It was just strange enough and had just enough possibility to catch my attention. Her bed was unmade and there was a wet towel and water droplets still covering the shower. She has never been located. However, unwilling to accept the fate of previous years - where meaningful breakthroughs have long been absent - they have a new plan to find their missing daughter. Since our agreement to produce the documents in this matter, we have worked closely with their counsel and have turned over thousands of pages of documents and hours of recordings for their independent team to review and investigate. To lose the two most important people, other than my mother, in my life, was devastating.. Given the scene of Jenns apartment, authorities began to think Jenn was abducted during her walk to her car or on her way to work. I had to stay and find my sister.. Two days later, her black Chevy Malibu was found at an apartment complex in a high-crime area of Orlando, about a mile from her condo. Later that year, Detective Joel Wright was named lead investigator in the case. Weve created a community powered by horror fans like you and we need you in it. On her wanted poster, Kessler is cited to be 53 55, the exact height range suggested for the person seen abandoning Kesses vehicle. When investigators reviewed the stores surveillance tapes, they saw a familiar face exit the vehicleit was Jennifer Sybert, the co-worker who was the last person to have seen Cummings. From surveillance cameras, the authorities were able to see that someone, who was not Jennifer, had calmly driven her car and left it exactly where it was found at around noon on January 24. Jennifer Kesse disappeared on Jan. 24, 2006. I realize that this theory is probably a stretch, but I thought it was interesting enough to bring up. In light of the mysterious surveillance footage, Jennifers car was thoroughly searched and analyzed for any trace of physical evidence of the phantom person from the tape, but only a latent print and an impression of a work boot could be turned up, with no further prints or DNA evidence that could be found, leading authorities to deduce that the vehicle had been thoroughly wiped down. She had seemingly simply evaporated into thin air. Kesses family filed a lawsuit in 2018, asking the court to allow a private investigator to obtain the Orlando Police Departments records on the case. I just knew I had to get to Jenn right away.. Its very difficult and slow fighting against the machine that is Orlando politics, but no one should be put through what is happening to us. A hand towel was found draped over the side of the sink in the bathroom, and a selection of her work clothes was laid out on her bed, suggesting Jennifer had showered, dressed, and left her home for work that morning. It was as if she had just parked it there and walked off the face of the earth. Her purse, phone and keys were not inside. VIDEO: Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE. Jenns parents also stayed at the condo, for months, in an effort to make a statement that finding their daughter was the number one priority. Example video title will go here for this video. He also expressed more frustration with the Orlando Police Department. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. She also had a long-distance love with boyfriend Rob Allen, who lived around 3 hours away in Ft. Lauderdale, but with whom she was very serious, finding time to see him every weekend. I wont stop looking for her, Logan said. On the drive down, Drew called a building manager at her condominium to check for Jenns car. A wet towel convinced them that Kesse had slept in her apartment, gotten up and showered in the morning, and then disappeared. Drew Kesse has been vocal about what they feel have been missteps by Orlando police in the investigation. No clues were ultimately found. On January 24, the day of Jennifers disappearance, Campos didnt show up for work until noon. Peter Van Sant and 48 HOURS investigate the disappearance of the 24-year-old. The Monday after getting back was Jan. 23, 2006. She drove the two and a half hours directly to her job in Ocoee, Florida, where she worked a full day. Jennifer Kesse was a successful young woman with a good job and a loving boyfriend when she simply vanished from her Orlando, Fla., condominium. But there was no evidence in that car, not any that was recorded in the police reports, private investigator Torretta told Dateline. In July 2019, a judge found her incompetent to stand trial and remanded her to a state mental hospital for treatment and incarceration. Her family reported her disappearance to police, but they initially thought shed left on her own. Then she disappeared one day in January of 2006 and has never been found. Jennifer Kesse, 24, went missing from her newly purchased Orlando, Florida, condo on January 24, 2006 Her family marked the 15th anniversary this month by announcing that they 'hope' to solving. Their last trip together took them to the island of St. Croix in the Caribbean. Shortly after she vanished, Kesse's car was discovered parked around a mile from her home. Authorities began to investigate the multiple construction workers and day laborers who worked in the area of Jenns apartment complex, which was only half-finished when she moved in two months prior to her disappearance. Privacy Policy. A spokesperson sent the following statement: "The Orlando Police Department remains committed to finding the answers to the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. They made fliers and distributed them around the area, pleading for answers. If we (the Kesses) did that, wed be in jail.". Kesse believes there is someone out there with information about his daughters disappearance. The next day, when they still couldnt locate her, her mother called police. One of Jenns friends found out she was pregnant just after Jenn vanished. She Was Never Seen Again. Theres really nothing Jenn wouldnt tell us.. But were doing the handwork now and were moving forward. They called Jenns brother, Logan, who was at the gym, and the three of them drove two hours from their home in Bradenton, Florida, to Jenns condo in Orlando. when they found footage that showed an unidentified person . En route, they called her building manager and asked him to check her apartment. That said, it's also possible she posed as a construction worker to have access to the building or find a temporary place to stay (as several of the workers were said to have been squatting in the building).Let me know what you think about this theory. A few days later, on January 26, 2006, came the first big break in the case. The best they could tell is that they were shortsomewhere between 53 and 55. But now that I have kids, I have a different understanding of what it would be like, and its heartbreaking.. We were a close-knit family. Nothing seemed out of place, but Kesse, her purse, phone, and vehicle were missing. The family of a woman who went missing in Florida 15-years-ago this month hope to finally solve the case this year after raising more than $80,000 to pay for private investigations. Yesterday, there was a post on the Unresolved Mysteries sub about the most out-there theories that we were reticent to share and this one came to mind. 1. Was Jennifer Kesse Found? Its been 14 years and shes not back. They talked about shipping the phone back to his friend. ORLANDO, Fla. The investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse more than 16 years ago has been given to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a cold case review. If shes not alive, we just want some kind of proof that shes not with us anymore. Jennifer Kesses father, Drew Kesse, said: 'We have great hope that this year were going to know, maybe not exactly what happened to Jennifer but where we need to go and what we need to do', as reported by My Sun Coast. Questioning family, acquaintances, and her boyfriend didnt turn up much, but it was uncovered that Jennifer had been complaining of being harassed by construction workers near her condo in the days leading up to her mysterious disappearance. Expand. "So we will fight tooth and nail and yell from the mountain tops until someone hears us and FINALLY acts," Drew added. Published: 8:55 AM EST January 24, 2023 Updated: 6:13 PM EST January 24, 2023 ORLANDO, Fla. Where is Jennifer Kesse? Jenns purse, cell phone and iPod were nowhere to be found. By that evening, authorities had been contacted and her parents began distributing missing-person flyers with Jennifers photo. If we know who he or she is, we can find out where Jennifer is.. . EARLY LIFE: Jennifer Joyce Kesse was born on May 20, 1981 to parents Drew and Joyce Kesse. There was no sign of a struggle or break-in at her apartment or the parking lot or her vehicle, but its possible a woman would have seemed non-threatening. They told detectives Jennifer had previously complained to them about building workers who made her uncomfortable. She wanted assurance that I loved her. Kesse was nowhere to be found, nothing appeared stolen from the car, and there wasn't any evidence to suggest any sort of struggle. In an open letter to their daughter on the 15th anniversary of her disappearance, the Kesses said they remain 'relentless' in their pursuit of answers. A private investigation. The community was supportive and the Kesse family treated me like a son. On every level, Jenns case has been a challenge, Drew told Dateline. Her parents went ahead and moved into her condo, so they could help with the investigation. Jenns disappearance wasnt the only heartbreak for Rob that year. A reporter would later call the suspect the luckiest person of interest ever.. When you find that instant connection with someone, you find a way to make it work.. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. He called her, but his call went to voicemail. It had been a long day, coming back from the Caribbean, and we were both tired, Rob said. Torretta spoke to her and said she told him she saw a man drive a pickup truck to the lake that Tuesday in 2006, take out what appeared to be a six to eight-foot piece of rolled-up carpet and dump it in the lake, watching it sink. Jenn stayed with me that night and decided to drive straight to work early the next morning.. It looked like they knocked a filing cabinet over, shuffled the papers and handed them to us.. Everything looked normal, with her make-up laid out on a counter and a t-shirt on the floor, and even the shower was still wet, showing that she had left that morning. Jenns brother Logan was scheduled to move to California to be with his girlfriend just a week after Jenn disappeared. "We're fed up . Theories abound as to what happened, with many suggesting she was killed by a male coworker whose advances she had spurned. Other than that, the apartment was completely normal.. Theres a lot of points in common, if not some details that could possibly be considered circumstantial evidence. He said the family and private investigative team is ready to speak with any other law enforcement force. Jennifer Kesse, 24, disappeared from Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 24, 2006. Wright then realized an anonymous tip had been reported right after Kesse vanished, also suggesting Chino might know something. [TRENDING: Florida debuts new vaccine hotline | Merritt Island-bound plane found in ocean | Titusville man accused of killing mother]. But a woman? Unfortunately, no. Jenns family is urging the public to utilize any and all social media private messaging to contact their investigative team with tips and leads in the case. The door had been locked and nothing was out of the ordinary for someone who had gotten ready for work that morning. A personal connection doesnt seem to exist between Kessler and Kesse. Now, on the 15th anniversary of her disappearance, her parents Joyce and Drew claim they are 'moving forward' with the case and have 'great hope' to solve it. Im unsure if Kessler had any known connections to Orlando or the areas or places Kesse lived, worked, or frequented. Rob told Dateline he talked to Jenn multiple times a day, sometimes for hours at a time. The comments below have not been moderated, By As the investigation began, Rob camped out on the couch at Jenns condo for weeks. ORLANDO, Fla. Where is Jennifer Kesse? This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. We were there for my roommates trade show, and it was also just a fun single boys weekend, you know? She placed calls to her family, friends, and finally her boyfriendwho lived two hours awayat approximately 10PM. Her employer then alerted her family, who could not reach her at her home or on her cellphone. 2. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. The private investigator believes she may have been abducted by a construction worker. "That four-month agreement has turned into three years and ten months and the department is still incapable of fulfilling their end of the agreement. The Orlando Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Dateline. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Kesse family, and our detectives will continue to investigate any new leads. Family members and friends began the search immediately. We had a bit of a disagreement. Jennifer Kesse's father says nothing was found during a search of an Orange County lake. Happenings before Jennifer disappeared. Jennifer Kesse, a UCF graduate, was abducted from Orlando, Florida in 2006. It was odd that she hadnt called me back, Rob said. Cummings (also referred to in some sources as Joleen Jensen) was last seen leaving her workplace, Tangles Hair Salon, in Fernandina Beach, Florida. She was a college graduate of the University of Central Florida. She locked her door. Jennifer Kesse Breaking News: Witness Statement Points To Someone At Work- Kesse Family and OPD Press Conference Scheduled Quote: Adam had been working for Central Florida Investments for eight years before being fired for asking his bosses to investigate the alleged harassment perpetrated against him by his supervisor, Johnny Campos, since the . As of this posing, the judge in the case has not made a ruling. ORLANDO, Fla. - It has been 15 years since the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse and there are still few clues about what happened to her on the day she . But there are a few places where things dont match up or facts that dont seem to align: Obviously the biggest disconnect is that Kessler knew and worked with Cummings. It also means retesting evidence the Kesses say has not ever been retested. 27.07 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Flames of Prophecy, 29.07 - MU Podcast - Contract with the Goddess, 29.06 - MU Podcast - Italian Disco Abductions, 27.06 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Secret Vaults of Time, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Queen's Ghost, Small Lake Monster, Space Caterpillar and More Mysterious News Briefly, A Haunted Book and the Most Haunted Bookshop There Is. Or, a Top Secret Human Experiment Gone Wild? The unsolved disappearance of Jennifer Kesse Seig Lu January 19, 2021 7:42 pm Jennifer Kesse was 24 years old when she vanished in 2006 in Orlando.