More than 15 years after Jennifer Kesse vanished, her parents Drew and Joyce Kesse are leading the investigation into their daughter's case. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. It does not explain HOW the abduction occurred. It all suggests that whatever happened likely occurred after she had left her home that morning. The woman claimed that Chino often approached her in the parking lot late at night when she returned from work and made her feel uncomfortable. This May for Mental Health Awareness Month, the Talking It Out Virtual Arts Festival will present its 2nd Virtual Film Festival in Support of Mental Health Awareness. We try to answer these questions and start to put together a theory of the events as our Tracy Ocasio investigation continues. "There was makeup all over her counter The T-shirt that she had worn to bed was on the floor. Pro's: It explains why the abduction was so well-planned without witnesses. The canvassing started then and then it got more intense as the days went on and we eventually had horses and helicopters and everything else up in the air looking around. The disappearance of Jennifer Kesse 23 photos But, by early evening, when there was still no sign of Jennifer, police officially declared her missing. Doreen Schechter is the producer editor. Jennifer Kesse was a beautiful, intelligent, and independent 24-year-old with everything going for her. NEWS REPORT: For the past two days dive crews have been out on the water. When investigators arrived, they found a DVD player in the back seat, so it didn't appear that the motive for taking the car was robbery or a carjacking. Michael Torretta: There's never been one quarterback on this case. The most significant clue to date is a grainy surveillance camera image of someone calmly parking her car. Roger Brennan [at the parking lot in 2008] Apparently this video, when it films, captures every two to three seconds as it's filming, so that's why you only see the subject on one side of the gate and then the opposite side of the gate and he's blocked by the posts on either side of the gate. "She just said, 'There's a lot of workers here and they tend to stop when I'm walking to my car. He was serving time in a Florida prison for statutory rape of a teenage girl a crime he committed two years after Jennifer disappeared. For the latest true crime and justice news,subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Based on interviews with people who lived at the condo complex, he believes that up to 10 construction workers were living in an empty apartment just across from Jennifer's. Chief Orlando Rolon: After the number of years that we have spent trying to solve Jennifer's disappearance, I think it was time to also honor the wishes of the family. Joel Wright [2008]: We didn't find any fingerprints on the steering wheel. We need her. So, I did. Det. When detectives reviewed surveillance video from the complex where Jennifer's car was discovered, they saw a person parking her car. "We need to see what's inside that carpet.". "I couldn't believe it. And now with the case files in their possession, they are more determined than ever to keep their daughter's story alive. Disappearance of Jennifer Kesse - Wikipedia Judy Tygard is the executive producer. They kept suggesting that she must have had a fight with her boyfriend and would be back. 2. He thinks it was one or more of these workers who abducted her on January 24, 2006. subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Kesse worked at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company as a finance manager and had graduated from the University of Central Florida with honors. She was not depressed, and she did not abuse alcohol nor do drugs. Although Rob lived about 3 hours away in Fort Lauderdale, the two of them would see each other every weekend. Det. She spoke to her friend, parents, and boyfriend on the phone the night before she disappeared, and was reported missing the next morning when she didn't show up for work. Michael Torretta: I always told the Kesses what I like to do with this investigation is put a puzzle together -- one piece at a time. Michael Torretta is a private investigator who works for the Kesses. In January 2006, 24-year old Jennifer Kesse had everything going for her. He says he learned some 10 months after Jennifer disappeared, a person was seen dumping a rolled-up piece of carpet into a lake nor far from where Jennifer lived. It explains why none of Jennifer Kesse's items were left on the ground near her car indicative of a struggle. On Monday January 23, 2006, after she returned from her trip, Jennifer Kesse called her mom that morning on her way into work. Wright also re-interviewed another maintenance worker who had done repairs with Chino in Jennifer's condo. Det. The shower was wet in the corners," Joyce Kesse said. It looks like a man. The photos look suspicious and show what appears to be a hand mark going across the hood, Torretta told the news outlet. Peter Van Sant: You had nothing to do with her disappearance? She received numerous job offers and took a job at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ococee, Florida. For those unfamiliar, Jennifer Kesse went missing in 2006 from Orlando Florida. Jennifer Kesse seemed to have it all. "Her cell phone that she had since she was 16 years old went to voicemail for the first time. I'm not with you " and a little insecurity. He was dressed very much like someone involved in heavy and messy indoor work such as moving and renovations. The Disappearance of Jennifer Kesse - Stories of the Unsolved Jennifer had shared with family and friends that the workers made her uneasy. And made it as far as her car. Michael Torretta: I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day. But why care about moving the car because an abductor like that does not lay any sort of claim to a particular location since most everyone tends to agree, that whether the abductor was from Mosaic at Millenia or elsewhere, the reason to move the car is to fool the police into looking elsewhere from a particular location where the abduction itself took place. There were no signs of forced entry. But she says he fled in a white van. But most importantly, it does not explain how no one recognized this person from the HOTG surveillance video. This adds credence to my theory - Hispanics tend to be shorter in stature. The Kesses have dedicated their lives and weathered enormous financial hardship to finding the truth of what happened to their beautiful 24-year old daughter on that January morning in 2006. Drew and Joyce Kesse said they will never stop looking for their daughter and have launched aGoFundMe pageto help with the investigation. The detective based his theory that Jennifer Kesse was abducted in her car that morning based on her vehicle being seen driven erratically out of the Mosaic at Millenia complex. Michael Torretta: She's locking the door and never sees it comin'. Det. It fits the generic worker description of the person on the HOTG surveillance video walking away from Jennifer Kesse's car. reported by "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. And we've come up with a height between 5'3" and 5'5". The only way to determine any problem would be to ask future owners of her car what issues they experienced in the following years after her abduction. You know aliens didn't abduct her. This person holds the key to solving the case, Mike Torretta, a private investigator hired by Kesses family, told FOX News in its new true-crime podcast about the case, House of Broken Dreams: the Jennifer Kesse story.. Tami: From the very beginning there were some uneasy things that I kind of brushed off that were red flags. Obviously we don't know if this was Jennifer's sweater, but ex seems like the type to shop at banana republic. Jennifer Kesse: Pro's and Con's of each theory : r/jenniferkesse - Reddit She would never not give a call if something was going on," said her best friend, Lauren McCarthy. I'm not married to this theory, nor do I believe it is the most likely, but I'm still holding on to it. You unfortunately take things for granted. Surveillance footage shows an unknown individual parking Kesses vehicle at the apartment complex around noon on January 24. Then she disappeared one day in January of 2006 and has never been found. Chino. In 2019, local police came out with a dive team, but no carpet was found. They spoke around 10 p.m. Joyce Kesse: It's very, very hard to move forward. Unpopular Jennifer Kesse Theory : r/UnresolvedMysteries - Reddit Kesse says it's a theory he thinks about because whoever took Jennifer only took her and not a single item of her personal belongings. Kesses father, Drew Kesse, added, Whenever workers entered her apartment for painting and repairs, Jen was always on the phone with us. Theories #1: What Happened to Jennifer Kesse? - Websleuths Here is a link to the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUwhUPGXeUE It seems that the victim's apartment complex was under renovation at the time and that some of the workers might have been illegal immigrants from central and south america. But then there comes the argument that ex couldn't possibly have done this and covered it up so well while drunk. "I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day," he said. After Jennifer was reported missing, her family went to her apartment and it appeared as though she had gotten ready for work in the morning, and left. Why take a chance with witnesses? The housekeeper said the phantom figure's walk, clothing and hair style resembled a man she knew from the complex named Chino, but she could not be sure it was him. Sgt. Scan this QR code to download the app now, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUwhUPGXeUE. Exclusive shows & extensions. At first, the Kesses say police infuriated them by not taking their daughter's disappearance seriously. "If you had told me then in 14 years we would still be looking for Jennifer Kesse, I would not have believed it," says Louis Bolden, an investigative reporter for WKMG-TV in Orlando. There have been no arrests, no named suspects, and a grainy image of a person parking her car remains the most important clue as to who may have abducted Jennifer. I can understand why they would feel that maybe an agency like ours has not delivered on what they would expect for an agency to do. But upon further investigation, police realized the cell tower data was misinterpreted, and she actually wasn't out that night. Joel Wright: She did look at the photo and said, "That looks like Chino.". 48 HOURS: "Where is Jennifer Kesse?" Around noon on the day Jennifer disappeared, one of the cameras captured a person driving Jennifer's car. After that, I believe she was abducted," he said. The story of Jennifer Kesse has been featured on 48 hours mysteries, there are documentaries about her and countless news outlets have covered Jennifer's mys. Lauren McCarthy: She was the type of person who would call her mom or her dad or me when she was simply walking from Target in the parking lot and it was dark out. Updated on: July 7, 2021 / 12:11 PM Jennifer Kesse, 24, went missing from her newly purchased Orlando, Florida, condo on January 24, 2006 . She had recently purchased a Parents of Jennifer Kesse take over investigation in hopes of solving It seemed like she almost disappeared out of thin air. At the time of her disappearance, Kesse's condo complex was undergoing renovations. Detective Wright then interviewed the building manager at Jennifer's condo to find out if there were any issues between Jennifer and Chino -- or anyone else: DETECTIVE WRIGHT [2009 audio tape]: Are you aware of anybody that might've had a problem with Jennifer that worked there or lived there? If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. And then there's the fact that it appeared like Jennifer had gotten ready for work the next morning. Chino: I met Jennifer Kesse. Anyone? If it was car trouble, it does not explain why Jennifer Kesse stopped. Tami filed a police report and to this day she says they have never found the "peeping Tom" or the white van he was driving. The Girl Who Disappeared Without A Trace | by KD Writes | Wonder In 2010, Detective Wright was reassigned. We need to see what's inside that carpet. 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. JENNIFER KESSE - EPISODE 3: CHINO (MINDSHOCK TRUE CRIME)Examining the most prominent Person of Interest in the Jennifer Kesse disappearance, condo worker "Ch. You know, getting married and having children and becoming a grownup and just living life; just having her life, you know. Mayim Bialik shares what she knows about upcoming spin-off of The Big Bang Theory coming . And also had people of different heights walk by. Almost three years after Jennifer Kesse's disappearance, Detective Wright decided to take a fresh look at the case and interviewed people on audiotape. Roger Brennan [2008]: This is the interior of Jennifer's car as we found it. Det. Louis Bolden: The community just rallied. And as more time went by, the Kesses grew frustrated with the Orlando Police Department's investigation. Subscriptions. "OK, call the hospitals again. Rob Allen: You have that initial hope, like, OK, we found the car, it's only going to be a matter of time before we find Jennifer. It wasn't a great feeling. I have examined the footage extensively, and I can relate the following info. If the abductor was on foot, why were they then so concerned with putting the car over a mile away in the opposite direction and then walking back to whatever street corner or coffee shop parking lot they first encountered Jennifer Kesse, who was presumably on her way to work? When police searched the lake, nothing was found. Kesses parents said their daughter did not feel comfortable around building maintenance workers. Det. Actress Donna Benedicto has been accepted into the Performers Peer Group of the prestigious Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the organization that presents the Emmy Awards. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. I didn't like it.". Ashley says, at first, she didn't reach out to police. In January 2006, 24-year old Jennifer Kesse. When viewing surveillance videos, investigators spot an unidentified person parking Jennifer's . Sgt. Or this person felt they had to correct their parking position when they parked Jennifer Kesse's car. These things don't happen to you," said her boyfriend, Rob Allen. However, the suspects face was obscured in all frames captured by the footage . I do not recognize that person. Colleen: He was apologetic. In 2008, on the second anniversary of Jennifer's disappearance, family and friends gathered on a street corner in Orlando. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Continue with Recommended Cookies. She was already so successful that she had recently purchased a condominium no small feat for someone in their early. She graduated with honours in 2003 with a degree in finance. Joyce Kesse: I refuse to let her be forgotten until she is found. For months afterwards he would show up unannounced. After Chino's name came up multiple times, the Kesse team was anxious to talk to him. He was wearing a backwards baseball cap, a plain white T-shirt and what appeared to be coveralls or overalls of some kind. An upcoming episode of "48 Hours" on CBS will feature the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. In fact, Chino had done work in Jennifer's condo just one week before she disappeared. It -- it wasn't a great feeling. The Kesses have dedicated more than 15 years of their lives to finding the truth about what happened to their daughter on the morning of January 24, 2006. Later that night when there was still no sign of her, police officially declared Jennifer missing. And Chino is 5'9" -- taller than the figure's height estimated by police. Jennifer Kesse was a beautiful, hard-working, 24-year-old woman in 2006. And they said, "Well you ruined the crime scene." Tami: There was creepy things like my underwear drawer was tossed one time the shower was wet. CBS News reported Kesse told her parents some of the construction workers "made her feel uncomfortable" while they were making repairs in her apartment, just one week before she was reported missing. Clockwise from top left, Ashley, Peter Van Sant, Colleen and Tami. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Louis Bolden | WKMG investigative reporter: To meet the Kesses is to love the Kesses. Kesses family went to her unit around noon on Jan. 24 and did not see anything out of place. Peter Van Sant [2008]: What do you believe happened? Joel Wright [2008]: Possibly wiped it. Orlando Police Department via Kesse Family. DREW KESSE: We don't have her. It explains how the workers knew she arrived back on the night of January 23rd from her vacation. How Did Jennifer Kesse Disappear From the Face of the Earth? But, when police tried to identify the phantom figure, they hit a roadblock. The family of a missing Florida woman who vanished nearly 15 years ago hopes new clues may finally lead to answers about what happened to her, FOX News reports. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. The workers where Jennifer Kesse lived, Mosaic at Millenia theory. But he learned Chino used to live in another building at Jennifer's condo complex and was a former maintenance worker there. Ex boyfriend struggled to get over Jennifer, ex stayed at her apartment that weekend while she was away, Jennifer had an unpleasant conversation with her boyfriend about neither of them being willing to move for the relationship, while on the phone Jennifer heard a knock on the door, ex was noticeably drunk at a bar nearby the night she was last seen and this has been the only alibi I remember hearing from him (again, I'm a mere casual). Michael Torretta: When you talk about challenging investigations, this is the one. Joyce Kesse: The workers made her feel uncomfortable. Chino was a name Detective Wright had not heard before.