Peter Van Sant: You had nothing to do with her disappearance? He was familiar with the case. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Det. It's about Jennifer. Louis Bolden: People just wanted to help them. Her parents also continue to pursue leads, hoping to one day either find her or her remains. Chino. Joel Wright: Some of the people who were working on the property left. Background Jennifer Kesse was born on May 20, 1981, in New Jersey to parents Drew Kesse and Joyce Gilmour. Jennifers boyfriend, Rob Allen, had a solid alibi. What do you think happened?" Joel Wright | Orlando Police Department: It appeared that somebody was fighting over control of the car. The investigation and the hunt for what happened to Jennifer continues today. "They are feeding off the work my guys have done for the past few years. They're just good people. she locks the door. His murder remains an unsolved mystery, but many believe someone close to him may have become jealous of his success. I had never heard of that happening. The pair grew up in Tampa, Florida, and Jennifer is described as having been an adventurous dynamo with a thirst for knowledge. We had a guard house. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Jennifer disappeared in the morning from her condominium at the Mosaic at Millenia in Orlando and has never been heard from again. Two days later, there was a breakthrough in the case when her black Chevy Malibu was located in the parking lot of a condo approximately one mile from her home. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<, Read: 9 things to know about the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. Rob Allen: You've got the bug. Two days after she disappeared, her car was found abandoned in a nearby apartment complex. The Investigation In February 2006, investigators found Jennifer Kesse's black. Jennifer spoke on the phone to her parents and boyfriend in her apartment before disappearing without a trace, never to be seen again. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Christie joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021. But the Kesses refused to give up on Jennifer. Det. "The Orlando Police Department they worked it very hard," said Louis Bolden, an investigative reporter for WKMG in Orlando, who has covered the case since Jennifer Kesse went missing. As the hours went by, their panic became unbearable. Because of the number of valuables left in Jennifers car, it was deduced that her disappearance was not a robbery gone wrong. Drew Kesse: But police were very quick to shut us down on certain things. Roger Brennan [at the parking lot]: This is the camera that caught the person that parked Jennifer's vehicle here. This meant there were. She deserved that. In January 2006, 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her condo in Orlando, Florida. FDLE, in conjunction with Orlando Police, essentially restarted the investigation into the Orlando womans 2006 disappearance. Peter Van Sant [2008]: Do you think the car was cleaned by someone? Michael Torretta: I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day. After Chino's name came up multiple times, the Kesse team was anxious to talk to him. Because there were posters There were billboards. Get to work!". Joel Wright: Chino was very cooperative. 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. That's where the mystery starts. The Kesses are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to Jennifer's whereabouts. Kesse was a graduate of Gaither High School in Tampa. The cops thought they had a further break when they learned that surveillance footage had captured an individual driving Jennifers car into the parking lot. The last information known about her whereabouts, wassheleftwork at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company the night before she went missing, and had made several calls to family members that night. Security footage installed at the complex captured an individual seen driving and parking Jennifer's car on day she went missing. Lauren McCarthy: The searches were massive. Drew thinks it will be a "miracle" if his beloved daughter is found alive - yet with the help of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and his own team of private investigators, he remains hopeful. People have been very generous with GoFundMe pages and help us continue what we are trying to do.". 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. Joel Wright: It told me that he passed the polygraph. A week before she was last seen, Kessehad also visited the Virgin Islands with her boyfriend. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Ashley: I sat on it for a little bit. It will be a miracle if she is, we just arent willing to say Oh well and leave it.". We need to see what's inside that carpet. Orlando police . There's no lease. Fifteen years have passed since Jennifer Kesse vanished -- years of anguish for her family and friends, but they are determined to keep Jennifer's story alive. Peter Van Sant [2008]: What do you know about this person's height? A A. Jennifer Kesse went missing nine years ago Saturday from her Orlando condominium, and now the police department has released an age-progressed photo of what the young woman would look like today, asking that it be circulated on social media. They kept suggesting that she must have had a fight with her boyfriend and would be back. ORLANDO, Fla. The family of Jennifer Kesse says they have the best opportunity to find the missing woman now, 17 years after she disappeared from her Orlando condo complex. Drew Kesse, who in the past has been vocal about what he feels are missteps by investigators, thanked the new team for their tireless efforts. 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. THE devastated family of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse insists new hope has been breathed into the heartbreaking attempt to find her. No one has heard from her since. "We got a phone call," said Joyce, "'Was Jennifer OK?'". Tami: From the very beginning there were some uneasy things that I kind of brushed off that were red flags. Kesse went missing in 2006, and despite widespread media attention and extensive searches by police and the FBI, there has been no information regarding where she is or who might have been responsible. Michael Torretta: That was one of the most shocking parts of this investigation. Surveillance video caught an unidentified person getting out of her car after she went missing. Jennifer Kesse was 24 at the time of her disappearance and by all accounts was a successful young woman. But he told me there was really nothing that he personally could do. Michael Torretta: That's why it's very interesting to me. At this point in time and after countless attempts to get authorities to do what is needed to find Jennifer or not, decisively, we believe we have now positioned her case with authorities that are willing, able, and wanting to find Jennifer even after 17 years, outside of the Orlando Police Department, the family wrote. I do not recognize that person. Her Car Was Recovered Barely A Mile From Her Home - But No Trace Of Her Has Ever Been Found. But that evening Jennifer spoke with Rob. Jennifer received three promotions in The 24-year-old has been missing for 15 years after vanishing one morning while heading out to work. Jennifer Kesse's family has undergone years of investigation and is nowhere near giving up until their daughter is found. Lauren McCarthy: She was always on the radar with everybody. The surveillance footage does tell us that there was about 30 seconds of time when the person was inside the car. "It is Jennifer's best opportunity to be found . As time went by, the Kesses felt abandoned by the Orlando Police Department. Dirty and wet clothes were laid out on the floor, and it was clear that Kesse had showered and left the building without anything out of the ordinary happening. Ashley says, at first, she didn't reach out to police. So, makeup, curling iron all that stuff all over the vanity wet shower, wet towel. The tip was anonymous and suggested Chino may have been involved in Jennifer's disappearance, but it's unclear if police had looked into it or talked to Chino at all. The two most promising relatively-speaking . 48 Hours on ID is in Orlando, Florida, to investigate the abduction and presumed murder of Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared without a trace while making her way to work in 2006. There were a number of suspects on the detectives radar. Joyce Kesse: The workers made her feel uncomfortable. It will take time, talent, money, and luck; however, we welcome the renewed effort," they said. -The Search For Jennifer Kesse - It has been 10+ years since Jennifer's Abduction, we understand that many visitors to this website are looking for more information about . Joel Wright [2008]: We've done quite a bit of measuring and work with the camera angles. What was concerning about this was the area it was located is not an area frequented by Jennifer. Roger Brennan | Orlando Police Department [2008]: The most frustrating thing's not knowing where Jennifer's at Not knowing where to look next We can sit around and discuss different ideas and different theories, but not having a concrete, solid avenue to go down to bring resolution to the family is the most frustrating part of this case right now. The FBI took over Jennifers case in mid-2010, putting her on their Most Wanted/Missing List, where she still remains. Louis Bolden: If you had told me then, in 14 years we would still be looking for Jennifer Kesse, I would not have believed it. And I think she got up for work as she normally would. The average height for an American white man is 5'9 and a half. My heart is here. Peter Van Sant: Based on your experience is there a possibility what this person threw in that pond was her body? DETECTIVE WRIGHT: how did you get into the condo? You know aliens didn't abduct her. ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. This week will mark 17 years since Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Orlando area apartment complex on Jan 24. Orlando Police release age progression photo of #JenniferKesse in hopes of getting new leads http . At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer Kesse was 5 feet 8 and 135 pounds. From all appearances, Jennifer Kesse of Orlando, Florida was a happy, successful, well-adjusted 24-year-old woman with a bright future. Based on this evidence, police investigators believed that she had left her home and, There was no sign of a struggle at her home, and no evidence that anyone other than Kesse had been in the condo on the morning of January 24. Peter Van Sant: What did you see the first time you walked in? Three days after Kesse's disappearance, her car was found in the parking lot of the Huntington on the Green apartment complex at Americana and Texas, less than a mile from her residence. The woman had not been questioned back in 2006: DETECTIVE WRIGHT [2009 audio tape]: Do you remember a person by the name of Jennifer Kesse that turned up missing? Now imagine, over that time, fighting for unredacted copies with the citys lawyers and trying to have our private investigators find Jennifer from all those files. Sgt. Drew Kesse accused the Orlando Police Dept. CBS 48 Hours first premiered on the network back on January 19, 1988. And how fast can we find that person?". He passed. Sgt. I stood in a courtroom alone while a judge declared her deceased. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. But upon further investigation, police realized the cell tower data was misinterpreted, and she actually wasn't out that night. In an update on their GoFundMe page, the Kesse family said they would never give up searching for her. The daily pain endured by the Kesse family is rooted in the events of Jan. 24, 2006. Joel Wright [2008]: It's difficult to tell. Jennifer Kesse, of Orlando, who went missing Jan. 24, 2006, at 24 years old. And he, denied any kind of wrongdoing. She moved into the complex just weeks after Jennifer disappeared. In December 2018, Joyce and Drew Kesse sued the Orlando Police Department for Jennifer's case files. But a woman -- who wants to be called Ashley had a different opinion of Chino. Joel Wright: I knew that Chino had been arrested for a sex crime. Det. And then also anger, just anger because the-the person was so casual something really bad obviously happened and they were just so casually dropping this car off like they were, you know, getting home from work. Her family has been tirelessly. On the two-year anniversary of Jennifer Kesse's disappearance, her family and friends gathered on a street corner and held up signs, just as they had done the day Jennifer went missing. And whenever I would have to walk past them, you know there would be a little bit of comments or just a lot of uncomfortable stares. It's actually a complex that's been known where stolen cars were -- would be recovered from. She had a great job. We have got your back! The surveillance video took a photo every 3 seconds and each time, the person's face was obstructed by a fence post. Joel Wright: There were an unbelievable amount of man hours went into this case. Roger Brennan [2008]: We're going through canvases of areas that she would travel or that she might be at. I just think of Jennifer all the time. But there was still no sign of Jennifer, and at the time, the police concluded that there was no evidence of a struggle. The day before she disappeared, Jennifer and her fianc returned from a cruise. She had just gotten promoted," her mother Joyce Kesse told "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case. JOEL WRIGHT [at the 2008 gathering]: Maybe the right person will see us. She was known for her bubbly personality and her very loyal and helpful nature. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. Jennifer Kesse was first reported missing on January 24, 2006. This week marks 17 years since the 24-year-old vanished in 2006 but there have been no arrests made. Getting along fine? Over the past 17 years, we have spent over $700,000 but we cant look at that. Missing persons cases are often some of the most difficult for law enforcement to investigate and solve. So, I'm heading now to his last known address where I'm hoping we can find him. Her Car Was Recovered Barely A Mile From Her Home - But No Trace Of Her Has Ever Been Found, The last information known about her whereabouts, wasshe, It soon became clear to her family and co-workers that, When her parents arrived at the condo, they discovered nothing was out of place. Using Jennifer's apartment as their headquarters, they began their own media blitz. Detective Joel Wright was still trying to solve this confounding mystery. Chino: I don't have to answer any questions, but that's for sure. Rob ringed her up himself, reasoning that shed been preoccupied with a meeting that she had previously mentioned, but his call went straight to voicemail. Originally the person's height was estimated to be between 5'3 and 5'5. SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The family of missing woman Jennifer Kesse marked the start of another year with no answers. They had no better luck with the forensics inside Jennifer's car. Joyce Kesse: We asked them for several years to make her case cold because there's more resources available for cold cases. And we've come up with a height between 5'3" and 5'5". Jennifer is definitely the most loyal person I've ever been friends with or probably ever known. They have now received everything and we are moving forward, although the sad part is that we have discovered that over the last 10 to 12 years, no investigations have looked at Jennifers case. Who knows what would've happened if this heinous crime hadn't been committed? But she says once workers started living in empty apartments around the complex, she felt uneasy. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And that was part of the development of him as a person of interest. Herboyfriend had also tried to contact Kessethat morning, as they often spoke at thattime, but was unable to get in contact with her. And it just ate away at me. I would say 75 percent of the time somebody was there . And Chino is 5'9" -- taller than the figure's height estimated by police. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Orlando Police for comment. It was only on January 26 that a tenant of a nearby complex saw Jennifers story on the news and informed authorities that her car was abandoned in front of their apartment the day she went missing. Bloodhounds tracked Kesse's scent from her vehicle back to her own residence. 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? She was declared dead by the State of Florida. Lauren McCarthy: The reasons she bought the place that she did was because it was a gated community with a guard. The next morning, though, Jennifer waivered from her routine. The rest of the home looked like a maid had been there . Theories abound as to what happened, with many suggesting she was killed by a male coworker whose advances she had spurned. Just letting us know what she wanted to be done in her unit. He was interviewed about Jennifer but denied having any involvement in her disappearance. Unfortunately, no. Drew Kesse: It was never secured by Orlando Police. 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. She evenbought a condo in the months leading up to her disappearance. "I have had five this week - its the time of year with it being the date of her disappearance but it never stops. She had newly purchased a condominium with her own money no small feat for someone who was just 24. Jennifer Kesse was a successful young woman with a good job and a loving boyfriend . Missing Person / By craftncrime / April 2, 2021. Chino: I met Jennifer Kesse. "It is Jennifers best opportunity to be found now, 17 years later. Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Even though Rob lived in Fort Lauderdale, about 3 hours from Jennifer's condo in Orlando. Drew Kesse: We have film of the car being dropped off . . When they came up with no new leads, he made the unprecedented decision to finally release the files to the Kesses. Two days later, her car was found at Huntington on the Green condominiums at Texas Avenue and Americana Boulevard, about a mile away from her complex, Mosaic at Millenia. Fed up, the Kesses then made a dramatic move. In 2009, Detective Wright interviewed him and asked him about working in Jennifer's condo: DETECTIVE WRIGHT [2009 audio tape]: when you did the work in her unit, uh was she present while you were doing it. Sad case, missing for over 11 years now. Ashley: He had the opportunity to tell me and he didn't. Updated October 14, 201813 items. One of the first things he did was go back to the scene of the crime and speak to people who lived at Jennifer's complex. She always texted or called Rob before leaving for work, but she did neither that day, which was extremely strange. Jennifer Kesse, of Orlando, who went missing Jan. 24, 2006, at 24 years old. In fact, everywhere they looked, everything seemed normal. 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. Now, Drew and Joyce Kesse hope they will solve their missing daughter's case. Colleen: I don't recall formally meeting her. Sgt. When he showed her that security camera photo of the unidentified suspect, she gave him a possible new lead. In 2008, on the second anniversary of Jennifer's disappearance, family and friends gathered on a street corner in Orlando.