Even the FBI, who was called in to help, could only determine that they stood between 53 and 55. "I had one this morning from someone claiming they know who did this. And also had people of different heights walk by. Logan Kesse [2008]: It didn't feel right. Sgt. But that evening Jennifer spoke with Rob. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer worked as a finance manager at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ocoee. And then, Tami says she caught a "peeping Tom" a man she believes was a worker at the complex. A search of her condo revealed nothing unusual, but her phone, keys, and purse were missing. Chief Rolon gave his investigators six months to work the case. Missing persons cases are often some of the most difficult for law enforcement to investigate and solve. Investigators could also find no possible motivation for herleaving voluntarily. 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. 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. ORLANDO, Fla. - On a January evening in 2006, Jennifer Kesse chatted on the phone with her parents and boyfriend from inside her Orlando home before disappearing without a trace, stumping investigators and the young woman's family who have searched relentlessly for her from Florida to Mexico and Russia. The navigation of the cases needs needed seasoned professionals, so we are humbled by their continued work and commitment to finding Jennifer, the family said. There's a lot of information that could have been developed that I believe wasn't in the most critical hours of this investigation. Jennifers boyfriend, Rob Allen, had a solid alibi. In fact, everywhere they looked, everything seemed normal. Based on interviews with people who lived at the complex, he believes that up to 10 construction workers were living in an empty apartment just across from Jennifer's. It -- it wasn't a great feeling. Chino. She says they never talked about Jennifer's disappearance. Det. My guys cant go in and make arrests, do the true legal law enforcement work we have generated. Bloodhounds tracked Kesse's scent from her vehicle back to her own residence. / CBS News, [This story first aired on October 24, 2020. On Jan. 24,. Less than 10% of white American men are shorter than 5'7. Roger Brennan [2008]: We're going through canvases of areas that she would travel or that she might be at. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. You unfortunately take things for granted. I think it's a win-win for all. The car had been wiped down and the only things missing were Jennifers cell phone, iPod, keys, purse, briefcase, and the clothes she was wearing. Fed up, the Kesses then made a dramatic move. In fact, she'd just moved. Then finding out that the lead detective on Jennifers case did not write a single report or any document since 2010, 12 years!! Jennifer Kesse's father spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun ahead of the anniversary of his daughter's disappearance. Check out this great listen on Audible.com. 3. ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. This week will mark 17 years since Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Orlando area apartment complex on Jan 24. 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. Kesse was just 24-years-old when she went missing on January 24, 2006. 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. And that's what I'm doing. She had a stable job working as a finance manager for Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ocoee, Florida and was the proud new owner of a condo in nearby Orlando. That's where the mystery starts. This meant there werenoclues pertainingto what had happened to the victim. But I would never rule someone out just because they passed a polygraph. The day before she disappeared, Jennifer and her fianc returned from a cruise. Jennifer Kesse, then 24, vanished from her new condo in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2006. Drew Kesse: But police were very quick to shut us down on certain things. Lauren McCarthy | Jennifer's best friend: Can I just have a second? Joyce Kesse: We all along have felt that she was abducted in the morning. Peter Van Sant: How often would you socialize with him? By that evening, though, with friends and family members distributing fliers, the Orlando Police Department organized extensive search parties to look for her and her vehicle, to no avail. Since her disappearance, there has been no activity on Jennifer's cell phone, bank accounts, social media accounts, etc. Jennifer was last heard from alive after she spoke on the phone with her boyfriend, Rob Allen, on the evening of January 23, 2006. January 18, 2012 at 5:12 pm EST. But under the agreement, the Orlando Police Department would no longer lead the investigation. A Crucial Discovery Kesse Family Two days after Jennifer Kesse went missing, her black. She's locking the door and never sees it comin She probably was attacked immediately upon exiting. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . Peter Van Sant and 48 HOURS investigate the disappearance of the 24-year-old. Joyce Kesse: As you can imagine we were basket cases. "We assumed things were happening but when we received the files, there was nothing written in the last 12 years. Michael Torretta: I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day. Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Florida condo on January 23, 2006. They said they recognized the clothing and persons gait. OK, call the police again.". That night she talked to family, friends and her boyfriend as well. Security footage installed at the complex captured an individual seen driving and parking Jennifer's car on day she went missing. Anyone with information into Kesses disappearance can call the Kesse Family Tip Line at 941-201-4009, or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477). The dust also appears to show fingers being dragged along the hood. And we've come up with a height between 5'3" and 5'5". Peter Van Sant: There's no list of names of who was staying in which apartment? They spoke around 10 p.m. But for the friends and family of 24 yea. Michael Torretta: It's impossible to find those individuals. Joel Wright: It told me that he passed the polygraph. Two days after she disappeared, her car was found abandoned in a nearby apartment complex. Roger Brennan [2008]: It didn't appear that it was a robbery. But, when police tried to identify the phantom figure, they hit a roadblock. But the Kesses refused to give up on Jennifer. But when police checked security cameras, it looked like they finally caught a big break. We wont rest till we bring you home, no matter how many years it takes. While the car was taken by a forensics team, there was little evidence to be found in her vehicle. Originally the person's height was estimated to be between 5'3 and 5'5. Start to work. 2. Doreen Schechter is the producer editor. The former University of Central Florida student had . Sgt. Det. 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. A Crime Line tip had been received in the first week of the investigation. Joel Wright: She did look at the photo and said, "That looks like Chino.". It was as if someone had abducted her while she was leaving for work. And then is abducted by those individuals across the way. CBS 48 Hours first premiered on the network back on January 19, 1988. They can then be seen walking away from the car; however, frustratingly, their face was obscured by a fence. The disappearance of Jennifer Kesse 23 photos But, by early evening, when there was still no sign of Jennifer, police officially declared her missing. But it did. In the hours that followed, they all came to Jennifers condo and noticed that although her car was missing, nothing else was out of the ordinary. Drew added: We just werent willing to let Orlando deal with Jennifer anymore so we were able to have a meeting with the powers that be in the state, as well as law enforcement and the police department, and everyone thought it would be best if the Florida Department of Law Enforcement became involved. The police concluded that Jennifer had left for work as normal, but she was attacked and abducted as she went to get in her car. Joel Wright: However, the logs that we went through didn't appear to be complete. But when they did, no leads were discovered. She deserved that. Lauren McCarthy: The reasons she bought the place that she did was because it was a gated community with a guard. It's about Jennifer. Just letting us know what she wanted to be done in her unit. Rob Allen: My best friend said to me after the trip, he's like, "Oh you're in love and you just don't want to admit it.". 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. Residents at the complex stated the car had been parked in the lot for several days. The Kesses are offering $15,000 as a reward for valuable information on where Jennifer could be at this time. As time went by, the Kesses felt abandoned by the Orlando Police Department. Monday marks 16 years since Jennifer Kesse disappeared. Her parents also continue to pursue leads, hoping to one day either find her or her remains. Rob had no idea that it would be the last time he would ever hear her voice. Jennifer had complained about construction workers who had been living and working near her condo and had recently made her feel uncomfortable. Det. Roger Brennan [2008]: As we were driving around the area around her complex, we were trying to identify different areas that her vehicle may have been seen. Tami: He was pleasuring himself in the corner of my patio. 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. It was so out of character for Jennifer to not respond, her friends and family rushed to her condo. - Lytt til S3 Ep113: Jennifer Kesse: The Man Behind the Fence (Part 2) fra Crime Weekly direkte p mobilen din, surfetavlen eller nettleseren - ingen nedlastinger ndvendig. . Louis Bolden: People just wanted to help them. When they came up with no new leads, he made the unprecedented decision to finally release the files to the Kesses. He was familiar with the case. She moved into the complex just weeks after Jennifer disappeared. 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 24-year-old simply vanished and no one has ever been arrested. Jennifer Kesse Was Just 24 When She Went Missing. "You have keys to all the apartments. Evidence photos obtained by Fox News suggest a. On Sunday, January 22, 2006, Jennifer returned from a vacation to St. Croix with her boyfriend Rob Allen. Chino was then asked about the pictures -- the ones that the housekeeper said may have looked like him: DETECTIVE WRIGHT [2009 audio tape]: you know the photos that you looked at earlier the guy walking by the gate? But sadly, this person, whose physical features were not clear in the video due to angling and fences concealing their face, was not recognized by anyone. In 2008, Detective Wright and Sergeant Brennan analyzed the surveillance tape with "48 Hours.". It's OK. Back in 2008, the Kesses told "48 Hours" that while the condo appeared to be in order, they did notice that Jennifer's purse, keys and cellphone were missing. But she says once workers started living in empty apartments around the complex, she felt uneasy. Unfortunately, no. Roger Brennan [2008]: We didn't come up with any solid leads of anybody who saw Jennifer, saw anybody park her vehicle here. Kevin Harris was an aspiring hip-hop artist when he was gunned downoutside his recording studio in Los Angeles. But now, 16 years later, her parents, who have been . But there was still no sign of Jennifer, and at the time, the police concluded that there was no evidence of a struggle. With personal items laid out, her room suggested that Jennifer had showered, dressed, and left for work. They also said the familys team is working with state law enforcement in the continued search. Peter Van Sant [2008]: What do you know about this person's height? In 2008, on the second anniversary of Jennifer's disappearance, family and friends gathered on a street corner in Orlando. If you have any information about Jennifer Kesse's disappearance, please visit the "Find Jennifer Kesse" Facebook page. Anyone with information or who would like to donate to search efforts may do so at Findjenniferkesse.com. Joel Wright [2008]: We didn't find any fingerprints on the steering wheel. I just think of Jennifer all the time. She got ready for work and left. Two days after Jennifer Kesse went missing, her black Chevy Malibu was found in another condo complex parking lot approximately 1 mile away from where she lived. After years of working for the Kesses, private detective Michael Torretta says he has a new theory as to what he thinks could have happened to Jennifer. Det. Sgt. I'm Peter Van Sant with CBS News. The pair grew up in Tampa, Florida, and Jennifer is described as having been an adventurous dynamo with a thirst for knowledge. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. ORLANDO, Fla. - On a January evening in 2006, Jennifer Kesse chatted on the phone with her parents and boyfriend from inside her Orlando home before disappearing without a trace, stumping. of negligence in the investigation. And Chino is 5'9" -- taller than the figure's height estimated by police. It soon became clear to her family and co-workers that something was wrong. Jennifer Kesse was in love. They held up signs, just as they had done the day Jennifer went missing, with the desperate hope that someone passing by knew something. The next morning, her boyfriend became concerned when she failed to call or text him; unusually for Jennifer, her cellphone went straight to voicemail. "48 Hours" agreed not to use his full name. They are looking to solve the case themselves. 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? She graduated in 2003 and immediately received several job offers, and she decided to take a position at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in Ocoee, Orange County, Florida. But there were no big headlines and Torretta presses on. Kesse was a graduate of Gaither High School in Tampa. Drew Kesse: She just said, you know "there's a lot of workers here and they tend to like just stop when I'm walking by or going to my car. Brennan shared evidence photos. All this did was shut more doors than it opened, mainly because her bank account keycard has not been used since the day she vanished from the face of the earth with no indication whatsoever. She spoke with her boyfriend, Rob Allen, on the phone around 10 pm that night. Det. David Tronnes murder his wife Shanti Cooper? At the time Allen lived in Fort Lauderdale, three hours away from Orlando where Jennifer lived. Peter Van Sant [2008]: Did you sense somebody knew something? He said they were uncooperative. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Perhaps, one of these individuals had abducted her. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Jennifer Kesse, age 24, missing since 1/24/06. Jennifer Kesse, of Orlando, who went missing Jan. 24, 2006, at 24 years old. Michael Torretta: There's never been one quarterback on this case. Jennifer Kesse's family has undergone years of investigation and is nowhere near giving up until their daughter is found. Louis Bolden | WKMG investigative reporter: To meet the Kesses is to love the Kesses. Lauren McCarthy: Jennifer is super funny, super witty person. They feared that time was running out. Jennifer Joyce Kesse seemed to have everything going for her. CBS show 48 Hours lead to renewed interest in the case. Ashley says she never was suspicious of Chino until one day nine months after Jennifer vanished, when Chino suddenly disappeared and moved out of the complex in the middle of the night. Rob Allen: When the police officer asked me to follow with him and to look at the inside of the car and the inside of the trunk, my stomach was churning as far as, "What could you find, you know?". Louis Bolden: Technology then was not what technology is now. Drew Kesse is organizing this fundraiser. A private investigation team for . Sgt. In January 2006, Jennifer Kesse's family and friends say she was on top of the world. Tami: From the very beginning there were some uneasy things that I kind of brushed off that were red flags. About three years after the abduction, a former housekeeper at Jennifers condo complex said they recognized the individual in the surveillance footage as a man called Chino. Rob Allen, left, walks with an Orlando detective at the site where Jennifer Kesse's car was found. Det. Of course, she has her back to the apartment behind her. Jennifer Kesse, 24, went missing from her newly purchased Orlando, Florida, condo on January 24, 2006 . Police say they did not believe Jennifer's case met the criteria for declaring her missing. Michael Torretta is a private investigator who works for the Kesses. - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Joyce Kesse: Jenn shared every detail about the trip. And then at 10 p.m., she talked to Rob. Chino was identified as a maintenance worker who had lived and worked in the same condo complex as Jennifer. It will take time, talent, money, and luck; however, we welcome the renewed effort," they said. The surveillance video took a photo every 3 seconds and each time, the person's face was obstructed by a fence post. Follow the links to read about more shocking crimes investigated on 48 Hours on ID. Colleen: We were a gated community. Joyce Kesse: We asked them for several years to make her case cold because there's more resources available for cold cases. You know aliens didn't abduct her. Jennifer is a strong, fun loving, career minded and responsible young lady if she was running late to work she would have called which is why we all became concerned immediately. Using Jennifer's apartment as their headquarters, they began their own media blitz. "I just need to know my daughter has been found, for good or bad. 48 Hours on ID airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. But he learned Chino used to live in another building at Jennifer's condo complex and was a former maintenance worker there. In fact, Chino had done work in Jennifer's condo just one week before she disappeared. It was updated on July 10, 2021.]. Her ex, recently upset and wishing to get back together with her, was cleared. We need her. Colleen, who asked to only use her first name, moved into the complex two years before Jennifer disappeared believing it was a safe place to live. Joyce Kesse: The workers made her feel uncomfortable. The tip came from people who lived across the street from Jennifer's condo complex, they reported to him that they believe they saw Jennifer's car on Tuesday morning driving erratically out of the . 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. Contact the . Her friends and family initiated a search, and the police declared her officially missing that evening. Jennifer's car had been seen the morning she disappeared. Get todays headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved. Read More: Where Are Jennifer Kesses Parents Now? FDLE, in conjunction with Orlando Police, essentially restarted the investigation into the Orlando womans 2006 disappearance. Anyone? Peter Van Sant: Hey, how are ya? Chino needs to be spoken to again. Det. That's the last anyone ever heard from her. But she's a little bit of a bathroom pig in the morning. Friday marks 14 years since Jennifer Kesse vanished. But a woman -- who wants to be called Ashley had a different opinion of Chino. As the hours went by, their panic became unbearable. Nathan Gibson. 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. I have a meeting. Before we left, Chino even agreed to talk with the Kesse team. She carried pepper spray with her all the time. Roger Brennan [2008]: The Orange County Sheriff's office received a call about Jennifer's vehicle being in the Huntington on the Green condominiums approximately 1.1 miles away from her condominium. Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/TNS/Alamy Live News. What was concerning about this was the area it was located is not an area frequented by Jennifer. Jennifer went missing in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 23, 2006. The former University of Central Florida student had graduated in 2003, and had only recently started her new job as a finance manager. There were a number of suspects on the detectives radar. On that day, the Kesses learned their daughter did not report for work at Central . It's just difficult not having her, you know, she's like my other half so [wipe away tears] I just miss talking to her. Joel Wright [2008] We know there was quite a bit of a renovation going on inside her complex. "It is Jennifers best opportunity to be found now, 17 years later. I mean, everybody knows for a fact that I had nothing to do with Jennifer Kesse. At approximately 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, a resident of the Huntington on the Green condominium complex reported they found Jennifer Kesse's car in a visitor's spot in the parking lot. There was a belief that James Hataway, now in prison on a different abduction, could have been the suspect; he's about 5-10 (height) and the suspect on video is probably not much taller than 5-5, so ultimately little came of that. At first, the Kesses say police infuriated them by not taking their daughter's disappearance seriously. But, still, no one knew where Jennifer was. Peter Van Sant: Based on your experience is there a possibility what this person threw in that pond was her body? 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. In December, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began a cold-case review of Jennifers disappearance to generate new leads. Orlando Police release age progression photo of #JenniferKesse in hopes of getting new leads http . Chino agreed to take a lie detector test. 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. When they left, one of the friends forgot his cell phone. Chief Orlando Rolon: I can understand why they're frustrated. Please enter valid email address to continue. Come home soon, the post said. Ashley: He had the opportunity to tell me and he didn't. And it just ate away at me. We have had things to do with the case needing to be worked on for about a year now, its just been about getting it to the right people who have the ability, knowledge, desire and experience to do it right. Peter Van Sant: You had nothing to do with her disappearance? Immediately, those who knew her knew something was terribly wrong. The next morning, though, Jennifer waivered from her routine. I had never seen anything of this magnitude. While the Orlando Police Dept. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Orlando Police for comment. Drew Kesse: I'm like, "Come on! After years went by with no breaks in the case, Jennifer's parents sued the Orlando Police Department to get Jennifer's case file and won. Drew Kesse: He pulls into a parking spot next to the pool area backs out to even straighten himself in there, sits in there for 32 seconds gets out, walks away, never looks back. Joel Wright stated he believes the abduction took place in the morning due to a tip he received on Thursday, the day Jennifer's car was found. Surveillance video caught an unidentified person getting out of her car after she went missing. Missing Person / By craftncrime / April 2, 2021. Drew Kesse: It was never secured by Orlando Police. Joel Wright [2008]: Now the clothing looks to be maybe someone who is a painter or some type of worker. And despite evidence that she was at her condo that morning, police pursued a theory that Jennifer may have been abducted the night before. She had shoulder-length sandy blonde hair and green eyes. Because there were posters There were billboards. A profile of Kesses disappearance on the CBS show 48 Hours lead to renewed interest in the case. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. We, her family Drew, Joyce, and Logan, and friends believe she was taken the morning of Tuesday, January 24, 2006, from in or around her Orlando, Florida home. DETECTIVE WRIGHT: is there any reason why somebody would would say that was you? Joyce Kesse [2008]: She slept for sure. Chino: I don't have to answer any questions, but that's for sure. Produced by Chris Young Ritzen, Tamara Weitzman and Gabriella Demirdjian. Joyce Kesse: A lot of your day laborers are, um, not here, uh, legally. Peter Van Sant: What's intriguing based on your investigation is the men that were in the apartment across from Jennifer's were putting down carpet that day.