Her family reported her disappearance to police, but they initially thought shed left on her own. However, it is pretty clear that Kessler had some personality or psychological issues, and its possible she didnt need a logical motive to attack. For 14 years, Jenns family has not given up their search for her. ORLANDO, Fla. - Tuesday marked 17 years since Jennifer Kesse disappeared in Orlando. 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. In October, the CBS show 48 Hours Investigates dug into the case and where it stands. 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. Investigator Torretta told Dateline he wants another chance to search the lake because a clue from Jenns apartment complex could be submerged beneath the surface -- the old carpet being torn from the condo across the hall. As of this posing, the judge in the case has not made a ruling. She Was Never Seen Again. In an update on Jan. 20, Jennifer's dad said her loved ones won't stop trying to figure out what happened. Happenings before Jennifer disappeared. Later that year, Detective Joel Wright was named lead investigator in the case. The PI believes Kesse had left her condo and was locking the door when she was grabbed by the workers. Police searched the area with dogs, horses, and search parties. The family said there was a seven-year gap in the case files where nothing was recorded. When they tried dialing her, they got her voicemail. The next morning, when her boyfriend called her office, he was told that Jennifer had not arrived. Watch News 6 as they cover breaking local, regional, and national news, plus the latest updates on weather, traffic and sports. 9. 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. On January 23, 2006, Jennifer Kesse had just returned from a vacation with her boyfriend in the Virgin Islands. There were no signs of struggle or forced entry. Anyone with information on Jenns disappearance is asked to call the Kesse family Tip Line at 941-201-4009. This has taken everything out of us, emotionally and financially, Drew Kesse said. 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. Deputies from the Orange County Sheriffs Department were called to the scene, but after deploying a dive team and cadaver dogs over a three-day search, the sheriff's office confirmed to Dateline they came up empty handed. Michelle Parker was 33 years old when she went missing in November of 2011. Jennifer had repeatedly told her family that many of the workers repeatedly sexually harassed and catcalled her. Thomas Mates produces News 6 at 5:30 and the podcast Florida Foodie. You dont., Its like Groundhog Day every day, yet, life moves on for everyone else, Joyce said. They told detectives Jennifer had previously complained to them about building workers who made her uncomfortable. Kessler had been known to work construction jobs. Kesses parents sued the Orlando Police Department for a copy of their daughters case file. I got married and had kids, I had to keep going.. According to awebsite set up by her family, the 24-year-old Kesse had just spent a long weekend in St Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands with her boyfriend Rob Allen and a group of friends. I hold onto that memory, her voice, and her laugh. Jennifer Kesse was 24-years-old when she was last seen in January 2006 after leaving her Orlando condo. We needed the files for answers, Logan said. Stars Veronica Burgos John Hardy Andrew Kerr See production, box office & company info A legal team and a handful of investigators, including Mike Torretta, have been helping them sift through the files for months. Thats why this is so ridiculously difficult to deal with. Until the day I die. Kesse had expressed discomfort and even fear about the construction workers and others in her building, so she likely wouldnt have opened her door to one of them. which would lead into a deeply strange vanishing that remains totally unsolved. 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. There was no response. The 24-year-old simply vanished and no one has ever been arrested.. Kessler has used multiple aliases with the first names Jenn and Jennifer. Jennifer Kesses nickname was Jenn. I realize that this theory is probably a stretch, but I thought it was interesting enough to bring up. Jenn also spoke to her 21-year-old brother, Logan Kesse, that day. On every level, Jenns case has been a challenge, Drew told Dateline. Thats how it was with Jenn. She wouldnt just up and leave.. There doesnt seem to be a clear motive in Kesses disappearance. There were a few times, Jenn told me, that the workers would just stop and stare at her, Joyce told Dateline. The car was in pristine condition, with no sign of a struggle or violence and nothing out of place, with the radio and expensive DVD player she had installed still there. But she didnt come back. Police were informed within two hours. She was in very good spirits at the time, having thoroughly enjoyed her vacation and telling her mother that she was on a cloud. That evening she would come home from work and talk to her boyfriend on the phone for a time before heading to bed, and this seems to be the last time anyone ever spoke to her. In December, WFTV reported that cold case detectives with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are now looking over evidence to see if they can solve the mystery of her disappearance. In January of 2006, Jennifer took a trip with Allen to St. Croix, a Caribbean Island in the Virgin Islands chain for a romantic getaway. We were there for my roommates trade show, and it was also just a fun single boys weekend, you know? Thats why we started Creepy Catalog in 2015 as a place for creepy content and creepy people to congregate. Two days later, Jennifer's car is found at a nearby apartment complex. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But there was no evidence in that car, not any that was recorded in the police reports, private investigator Torretta told Dateline. 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 . Then she disappeared one day in January of 2006 and has never been found. Kesse was nowhere to be found, nothing appeared stolen from the car, and there wasn't any evidence to suggest any sort of struggle. Anyone who may know something is asked to call the familys tip line, 941-201-4009. Orlando police said a person of interest was caught on surveillance video driving Kesses car, but was never found. Kesse's family said FDLE's cold case unit will take over and essentially restart the investigation into the Orlando woman's 2006 . No one.". Investigators interviewed a coworker of Jennifers named Johnny Campos but concluded he was not guilty. Drew and I are in our 60s. En route, they called her building manager and asked him to check her apartment. Family members and friends began the search immediately. ', He urged people in the know to get in touch and said: 'If you know where Jennifer is and the information is real name your price, go ahead. On October 5, 2020 Kessler was again in the news. Monday marks 16 years since Jennifer Kesse disappeared. She placed calls to her family, friends, and finally her boyfriendwho lived two hours awayat approximately 10PM. I was just Jenns boyfriend. 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. Future news of events, Zoom movie marathons, books, and streaming updates will be delivered first to our newsletter readers. Jenns luggage from her trip was still in the front hall, untouched. 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. It was as if she had just parked it there and walked off the face of the earth. "We firmly believe the departments negligence and lack of competency cost Jennifer the chance to be found," Drew wrote. An upcoming episode of "48 Hours" on CBS will feature the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. VIDEO: Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE. 3. Thats hell. Help Find Missing Jennifer Kesse Facebook page. The family has continued to pursue the case through private investigators, who have turned up some potential new clues. Jennifer Joyce Kesse seemed to have everything going for her. In fact, makeup on the counter and a wet shower seemed to indicate she'd just recently been there. But despite extensive searches, few clues to her alleged abduction have ever been found. 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. I could never imagine what her parents were going through, Rob said. But when I see that baby -- now a teenager -- its a powerful and heart-wrenching reminder of how much time has passed. We hear you like all things creepy we do too. Her parents made the two-hour drive from their home to Jennifers condo, where they found signs that shed recently showered. Jenn was a great sounding board, Rob said. Jennifer Joyce Kesse seemed to have everything going for her. Inside, CBS says nothing seemed out-of-the-ordinary. The tiniest bone. Investigators also found surveillance video of Sybert dumping trash and a trash can in the Dumpster near the salon, and they searched the local landfill for evidence. It submerged our lives for so long. Jennifer Kesse was first reported missing on January 24, 2006. 16:19 EST 25 Jan 2021. 4. Drew Kesse has been vocal about what they feel have been missteps by Orlando police in the investigation. Joyce now measures the years her daughter has been missing to the milestones of that teenager. The family went to their daughter's new condo and said it appeared 'normal' - clean and with everything in place. We need to continue the search to at least find the remnant piece of carpet, Investigator Torretta said. Adam testified that he viewed an email between Kesse and Campos during which Campos reportedly was unhappy that she refused to date him. In 2019, law enforcement divers searched Lake Fischer in unincorporated Orange County after the private eye identified a tip about somebody dumping a rolled-up carpet into the water several months after Kesse disappeared. Jenns boyfriend, Rob, and Robs mother, drove up from Ft. Lauderdale as soon as he heard Jenn was missing. 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. The only evidence was surveillance footage obtained by Orlando Police that showed an unidentified person walking in the parking lot at the same time Jennifers car was left in the lot -- 12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2006. 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. As of right now, there is no law enforcement working on my daughters case. Kesse was last seen at her Orlando condo near Mall at Millenia. When they returned to Robs place in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, January 22, 2006, Rob said neither of them were looking forward to getting back to reality. 8. Her Black Chevy Malibu was found abandoned one mile away from her home in Orlando. Surveillance video captured someone driving her car . Kesse was 24 years old at the time of her disappearance. 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. And how little of the window we have to find Jenn.. when they found footage that showed an unidentified person . Her family has been tirelessly searching for the Tampa Bay-area native for the last 17 years and said new help from state law enforcement is her "best. My mind just didnt go there. 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. Jennifer Kesse, 24, disappeared from Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 24, 2006. It was odd that she hadnt called me back, Rob said. You know that feeling, when you dont want to get off the phone because you enjoy talking to the person so much? Rob said. Jenns brother Logan was scheduled to move to California to be with his girlfriend just a week after Jenn disappeared. Their last trip together took them to the island of St. Croix in the Caribbean. (And, as a commenter mentioned in my recent post about the missing/murdered Krnak family, most cases are built on circumstantial evidence.). Two days after Jennifer disappeared, someone who lived in an apartment complex a little over a mile from Jennifers condo noticed that a car parked outside their building resembled Jennifers 2004 black Chevy Malibu as had been shown on the news. The missing woman's parents, Joyce and Drew Kesse, have never given up searching for her and continually update their websiteFindjenniferkesse.comand Facebook page. Every Friday, we send out an email with the scariest horror movies and TV shows streaming that weekend along with creepy news, updates from the horror movie pipeline, and links to the best scary content on the web. On left, Jennifer before her disappearance. I saw this theory discussed in another thread a year or so ago, and it totally blew my mind. Theres a lot of points in common, if not some details that could possibly be considered circumstantial evidence. Rob, along with Jenns parents and brother, were all ruled out as suspects right away, according to the familys legal team and private investigator, Mike Torretta. "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. And one night, we were out at a bar and met Jenn and her friends, Rob said. Kesse was 24 years old at the time of her disappearance. He added that Jenn was always very supportive of his sport and came to every game. Its possible that Kessler had intended to steal identities and was looking for women whom she physically resembled. By that evening, authorities had been contacted and her parents began distributing missing-person flyers with Jennifers photo. He gave his life searching for her as much as we did. A police search was launched after she failed to turn up for work as a finance manager at Central Florida Investments. Over the years, a GoFundMe page has raised more than $100,000 to help bring them closure. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. They told us, Oh, shes an adult, she had a fight with her boyfriend, shell be back, and they left, Drew said. Weve created a community powered by horror fans like you and we need you in it. Hes part of our family and always will be.. 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. But a woman? No one has seen or heard from her since. Jennifer Kesse was first reported missing on January 24, 2006. The case centers on Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared on January 24, 2006, when she didn't show up for work. Kesse's family said. Immaculate apartment, except for the bathroom being a mess, of course, that was typical, Joyce said. She left. 7. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The comments below have not been moderated, By And I never thought it would be the last time.. There was no question, Logan told Dateline. As the investigation began, Rob camped out on the couch at Jenns condo for weeks. Kesses family said FDLEs cold case unit will take over and essentially restart the investigation into the Orlando womans 2006 disappearance from the beginning and work with OPD. 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. The parents of Jennifer Kesse say they are "closer than ever" to uncovering answers in the disappearance of their. Despite photo enhancements by the FBI, who briefly took over the investigation in 2008, investigators were unable to determine if the individual is a man or a woman. Wright then realized an anonymous tip had been reported right after Kesse vanished, also suggesting Chino might know something. In July 2019, a judge found her incompetent to stand trial and remanded her to a state mental hospital for treatment and incarceration. 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. Police attempted to interview many of the 100 or so construction workers but turned up no leads. (Drew Kesse) In the files, investigators suspected a struggle on the hood of Kesse's car when they discovered the vehicle. 3. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. She drove the two and a half hours directly to her job in Ocoee, Florida, where she worked a full day. But everything was fine.. 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. She wanted assurance that I loved her. Friday marks 14 years since Jennifer Kesse vanished. When viewing surveillance videos, investigators spot an unidentified person parking Jennifer's car at 12pm on the day Jennifer went missing. But now that I have kids, I have a different understanding of what it would be like, and its heartbreaking.. We only haunt the willing. Is there a chance they encountered one another in the days, weeks, or months leading up to Kesses disappearance? The hardest part is being in limbo. Her bed was unmade and there was a wet towel and water droplets still covering the shower. Surveillance video showed somebody parking Kesse's car there, but the person's face was blocked by a fence post. To lose the two most important people, other than my mother, in my life, was devastating.. After seeing Jenns story on the news, a resident of the Huntington on the Green condominiums, reported seeing a black Chevy Malibu that matched the description of the one Jenn owned. Jenn and Rob met in January 2005 when Rob was in Orlando with his roommate for a trade show. Clothes on her bed. But I knew I had nothing to hide. Her car was found a mile away. The family says they did not want the case to be in the hands of Orlando police anymore, but moving the investigation to FDLE did not come easily and for six months they worked to convince the attorney generals office and other state partners to help them. Her case is still open, and she has not been seen or heard from since 2006. There are no signs of her whereabouts and only a grainy surveillance photo of an unidentifiable person of interest.. Help Find Missing Jennifer Kesse No clues were ultimately found. She was a college graduate of the University of Central Florida. Andrea Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC. Kessler spent a lot of time in many Florida cities, including Oviedo, which is basically a suburb of Orlando, where Kesse lived. How do you decide, as a parent, when the right time is to give up the search for your child? Joyce said. 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. No one has identified this POI parking Jennifer's car, and Jennifer has never been found. In January of 2006 she had just purchased a condo in Orlando, Florida, and was working as a finance manager at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ocoee making good money. There were still puddles of water in the shower. Mike confirmed to Dateline that many of the workers were allowed to stay in the empty condos in the complex which, according to family members, made Jenn uncomfortable. To me, 14 years ago with my Jenn seems like yesterday, Joyce said. 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. It was January 24, 2006. Detective Joel Wright, who was a lead investigator on the case, has said of this: I believe Jennifer got ready for work. And I have the hope that Ill hear it again.. At the time she vanished, she was living in Orlando. Jennifer Kesse, of Orlando, who went missing Jan. 24, 2006, at 24 years old. Its possible she planned to kill Kesse and Cummings to use their identities, but no proof of this exists. Surveillance images showed a person dropping off her car and walking away at around 12 noon on January 24, about four hours after Jennifer would have been abducted while leaving her apartment for work. ", 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. This week marks 14 years since Jenn disappeared from their lives. 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. The day after Jennifers disappearance, Campos and a coworker named Adam were talking about the case. CBS learned renovations were happening at the Orlando apartment complex where Kesse lived around the time of her disappearance. We kept in touch and it just blossomed from there.. The Monday after getting back was Jan. 23, 2006. She was successful, attractive, in love, and well-liked by everyone who knew her, so it seemed that her life was going pretty well, but there was a dark road ahead of her, which would lead into a deeply strange vanishing that remains totally unsolved. ORLANDO, Fla. Seventeen years ago, Jennifer Kesse disappeared in Orlando in a high-profile case that made national news. But nothing -- absolutely nothing -- was being done.. Jennifer Kesse, 24, went missing from her newly purchased condo in Orlando, Florida, on January 24, 2006. The only thing police can determine for sure is that the suspect was between 53 and 55 inches tall. News 6 is Getting Results. She was last seen leaving work at around 6:30PM. Jennifer Kesse, meanwhile, was abducted after leaving her apartment on her way to work on the morning of Jan. 24, 2006. She worked as a financial analyst for Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company and had been promoted twice within a year. Her family said it was completely out of character for Jennifer not to call if she was going to be late for work. To this day, Jennifer Kesses case remains unsolved and is one of the most mystifying high-profile missing-persons case in American history. 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. They'd actually just gotten back from a getaway to St. Croix about a week before she went missing. A couple hours later, after shed failed to appear for an important meeting at work, her employers contacted her parents, who hadnt heard from her, either. Kesse's father says they reached an agreement with the police agency almost four years ago. In the meantime, her bank account remained untouched and police were unable to successfully ping her cell phone. Her family has been tirelessly searching for the Tampa Bay-area native for. Logan, an avid soccer player, began to hang out with Jenns guy friends, who also played soccer. Shannon joined the Eyewitness News team in 2013. But when I woke up that day, there was nothing.. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. While Kessler had used stolen identities for years before her arrest, the identities she had used were reportedly taken from grave stones and were not from any other known living or missing people. Rather frustratingly, the mysterious strangers face was obstructed by a combination of poor camera quality and a fence post in the video. The private investigator believes she may have been abducted by a construction worker. Drews investigative team began searching that area with their own private cadaver dogs and were alerted to something. Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida. And I wont stop until someone is held accountable. VIDEO: Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE, Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE, Reality star Honey Boo Boo inside speeding car involved in chase with deputies in Georgia, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies after brain aneurysm at 61, SEE: Brightline reaches maximum speed for first time, Florida bill guts local governments power to protect tenants, Local woman who allegedly killed terminally ill husband at hospital out on bond, records show.