Wright also re-interviewed another maintenance worker who had done repairs with Chino in Jennifer's condo. We were hopeful that someone would recognize just the gait or just the general appearance or the stature or maybe the hairstyle or some aspect of this individual but that didn't happen. 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. And how fast can we find that person?". Chino with "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. In an unexpected move, detectives summoned boyfriend Rob Allen to meet them at Jennifer's car. A Crime Line tip had been received in the first week of the investigation. She then failed to turn up for work. Jennifer was last heard from alive after she spoke on the phone with her boyfriend, Rob Allen, on the evening of January 23, 2006. Follow the links to read about more shocking crimes investigated on 48 Hours on ID. Related The parents of Jennifer Kesse say they are "closer than ever" to uncovering answers in the disappearance of their. And I said, "are you kidding me?". There were no signs of a struggle. You don't recognize this figure? She was the oldest of two children, and is said to have been best friends with her little brother, Logan. Read more: Full details on the Jennifer Kesse disappearance We know that the police, at least according to Drew Kesse, didn't interview the non-english speaking construction workers. Jennifer Kesse, 24, went missing from her newly purchased Orlando, Florida, condo on January 24, 2006 . Jennifer Joyce Kesse has been missing since January 2006. Joyce Kesse [2008]: God love Jennifer. "It is Jennifers best opportunity to be found now, 17 years later. It didn't appear that is was a carjacking. Rob Allen: Because someone must have seen something. The investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse more than 16 years ago has been given to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a cold case review. Getting along fine? They, in turn, told Rob. Jennifer was last heard from alive after she spoke on the phone with her boyfriend, Rob Allen, on the evening of January 23, 2006. Peter Van Sant: What did you see the first time you walked in? Det. She had just gotten promoted," her mother Joyce Kesse told "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. Friday marks 14 years since Jennifer Kesse vanished. The surveillance footage does tell us that there was about 30 seconds of time when the person was inside the car. At first, the Kesses say police infuriated them by not taking their daughter's disappearance seriously. Jennifer spoke on the phone to her parents and boyfriend in her apartment before disappearing without a trace, never to be seen again. Drew Kesse: That was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Then she disappeared one day in January of 2006 and has never been found. 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. There were a number of suspects on the detectives radar. Drew Kesse: So, at this point in time, the only people that are truly investigating what happened to Jennifer is us and our team. I do not recognize that person. But she says he fled in a white van. DETECTIVE WRIGHT: how did you get into the condo? And they said, "Well you ruined the crime scene." Born on May 20, 1981, to Drew and Joyce Kesse, Jennifer Kesse was a graduate of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, from where she obtained a finance degree in 2003. "They are feeding off the work my guys have done for the past few years. Lauren McCarthy: Jennifer is super funny, super witty person. 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. Her parents also continue to pursue leads, hoping to one day either find her or her remains. Lauren McCarthy: The reasons she bought the place that she did was because it was a gated community with a guard. Louis Bolden: Joyce and Drew Kesse were very vulnerable. Jennifer Kesse, then 24, vanished from her new condo in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2006. Orlando Police Department via the Kesse family. All calls were simply being sent straight to her voicemail, suggesting that the phone had been turned off. But, still, no one knew where Jennifer was. The surveillance video took a photo every 3 seconds and each time, the person's face was obstructed by a fence post. 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. From all appearances, Jennifer Kesse of Orlando, Florida was a happy, successful, well-adjusted 24-year-old woman with a bright future. " she was in love. 2. You're all in. She always texted or called Rob before leaving for work, but she did neither that day, which was extremely strange. In 2020, Kesses father, Drew, went on Floridas Fourth Estate and said he believes his daughter may have been the victim of human trafficking, which is why the family believes she is still out there. Joel Wright: [2008]: When that car was found, we jumped all over it. My guys cant go in and make arrests, do the true legal law enforcement work we have generated. She was on a cloud. THE devastated family of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse insists new hope has been breathed into the heartbreaking attempt to find her. 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 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. It's busy, locks the door of her condo. 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. We firmly believe the departments negligence and lack of competency cost Jennifer the chance to be found.. 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. Peter Van Sant: Where were you the morning of January 24th, 2006? Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. But she says once workers started living in empty apartments around the complex, she felt uneasy. Nathan Gibson. Orlando police . We are with a good crew at state level now, I have known them for many, many years - I have been requesting it for many years - and finally we are in the right hands.. 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. 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. Advertisement. Her friends and family initiated a search, and the police declared her officially missing that evening. Jennifer Kesse was deemed dead by the state of Florida in 2016. Rob Allen: That's just not something that even came in my mind. Chino: I met Jennifer Kesse. FDLE, in conjunction with Orlando Police, essentially restarted the investigation into the Orlando womans 2006 disappearance. Even though her home was in a rough part of the city, it was in the process of being revamped, which meant that a lot of workers were always around. Roger Brennan [2008]: It didn't appear that it was a robbery. In 2018 they sued to get the Kesse investigative file, and a judge ruled in their favor in 2019. Roger Brennan [at the parking lot]: This is the camera that caught the person that parked Jennifer's vehicle here. (Drew Kesse) ORLANDO, Fla. - The family of Jennifer Kesse says they have the best opportunity to find the. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. The daily pain endured by the Kesse family is rooted in the events of Jan. 24, 2006. Joyce Kesse: It's very, very hard to move forward. Didn't appear that it was a car theft. Before the case went cold, her car was found abandoned. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Orlando Police for comment. Christie joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021. 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. Before we left, Chino even agreed to talk with the Kesse team. Drew Kesse: So, to me, they don't have DNA. she locks the door. Drew Kesse: Joyce used to complain to me, she's like, "call them. When they arrived at the condo in the early afternoon, a building manager opened Jennifer's locked apartment. To this day, Jennifer Kesse has not been found, dead or alive, and the people who love her have fought tirelessly for answers, a fight that included receiving over 16 thousand pages of police records on the investigation, and these pages held more clues which has only fed the fire of this mystery. Now, nearly 15 years later, evidence photos obtained by Fox News suggest a violent . Photo: Wikimedia Commons. 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. In 2008, on the second anniversary of Jennifer's disappearance, family and friends gathered on a street corner in Orlando. Come home soon, the post said. Peter Van Sant [2008] What do we know was going on around Jennifer's condominium at that time? Joyce Kesse: I refuse to let her be forgotten until she is found. Unfortunately, no. "It is Jennifer's best opportunity to be found . Private Investigator Michael Torretta says he has gone through the more than 16,000-page case file at least three times. "We got a phone call," said Joyce, "'Was Jennifer OK?'". Train derailment in Springfield, Ohio as residents ordered to shelter in place, Rape survivor 'sobbed seeing Gabby Petito bodycam vid after same cop did nothing', Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jennifer Kesse's father spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun ahead of the anniversary of his daughter's disappearance. Joel Wright: Some of the people who were working on the property left. Rob Allen, left, walks with an Orlando detective at the site where Jennifer Kesse's car was found. And despite telling Detective Wright years ago he knew nothing about Jennifer's disappearance, the Kesses wondered if Chino was being truthful. TRANSLATOR [2009 audio tape]: Yes, she remembers the case. Sgt. There's a lot of information that could have been developed that I believe wasn't in the most critical hours of this investigation. To this day, Jennifer Kesse has not been found, dead or alive, and the people who love her have fought tirelessly for answers, a fight that included receiving over 16 thousand pages of police records on the investigation, and these pages held more clues which has only fed the fire of this mystery. First published on October 24, 2020 / 11:01 PM. Det. Even though Rob lived in Fort Lauderdale, about 3 hours from Jennifer's condo in Orlando. That night she talked to family, friends and her boyfriend as well. Det. They want the police department's files?" They sued the Orlando Police Department to get Jennifer's case files. Kesse disappeared Jan. 24, 2006, after leaving her condo at the Mosaic at Millenia complex for work at Westgate Resorts. Anyone with information or who would like to donate to search efforts may do so at Findjenniferkesse.com. Det. 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. Investigators then went to check the security cameras at Jennifer's condo complex, but there weren't any -- just a security guard who was supposed to log names and license numbers of visitors. Of course, she has her back to the apartment behind her. it was like she walked in the night before and just dropped her suitcase right where it was. Despite being more than 200 miles away when Jennifer disappeared, Rob was suddenly a person of interest. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? JOEL WRIGHT [at the 2008 gathering]: Maybe the right person will see us. The case centers on Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared on January 24, 2006, when she didn't show up for work. what are the chances of that happening? Michael Torretta: What I'm thinking is Jennifer comes out. Det. Ashley: He had the opportunity to tell me and he didn't. The next morning was when Jennifer didn't show up for work and didn't answer her phone. Michael Torretta: It's impossible to find those individuals. Jennifer Kesse has been missing for 17 years: Her family hasn't stopped the search Claire Farrow 1/23/2023 Like Comments Where is Jennifer Kesse? Security footage installed at the complex captured an individual seen driving and parking Jennifer's car on day she went missing. In 2019, local police came out with a dive team, but no carpet was found. Det. Windermeres Feather & Quill restaurant closes, SEE: Brightline reaches maximum speed for first time, Heres a good way to get yourself killed: sheriff says after group of motorcyclists flee deputies, Update: Westbound lanes closed after multi-car crash on U.S. 192, according to traffic report, JoJos ShakeBAR to open Orlando restaurant this month. Drew Kesse: We have film of the car being dropped off . They are looking to solve the case themselves. Immediately, those who knew her knew something was terribly wrong. The average height for an American white man is 5'9 and a half. He thinks it was one or more of these workers who abducted her on January 24, 2006. That Friday, January 27th, the Kesse family was made aware of the video footage from HOTG of Jennifer's car as well as the driver who, at this . Surveillance video caught an unidentified person getting out of her car after she went missing. 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. Jennifer Kesse was last seen leaving work in Orlando, Florida on January 23, 2006. by the walk. Produced by Chris Young Ritzen, Tamara Weitzman and Gabriella Demirdjian. Drew Kesse: Yes. "You have keys to all the apartments. Chino: I even did a lie detector test. Jennifer Kesse was reported missing after she didn't show up to work on the morning of Jan. 24, 2006, according to WKMG. Did he know more than he had admitted? Cell tower data was analyzed, and it indicated Jennifer was out of her apartment and not at home. 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. 1. And also had people of different heights walk by. Because there were posters There were billboards. "I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day," he said. Chino. 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? Her family's pursuit to discover what happened to her has led them to the bottom of lakes and from Mexico to Russia, according to Fox News. The disappearance of Jennifer Kesse 23 photos But, by early evening, when there was still no sign of Jennifer, police officially declared her missing. She had just returned from a 5-day trip to St. Croix with her long-distance boyfriend of one year. Roger Brennan [2008]: There was some vacuuming samples taken from each section of the vehicle that were subsequently sent off to the lab for evaluation. When police opened the trunk, Jennifer wasn't there. 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. Louis Bolden: The community just rallied. 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. And since then, it has managed to become televisions most popular true-crime series, investigating shocking cases and compelling real-life tales with authenticity and cutting-edge interviews to give us a complete look at a case. In 2008, Detective Wright and Sergeant Brennan analyzed the surveillance tape with "48 Hours.". But, by early evening, when there was still no sign of Jennifer, police officially declared her missing. Because of the number of valuables left in Jennifers car, it was deduced that her disappearance was not a robbery gone wrong. Lauren McCarthy: [emotional] seeing that tape of Jennifer's car that was probably the worst moment. . But despite extensive searches, few clues to her alleged abduction have ever been found. And then is abducted by those individuals across the way. Jennifer Kesse, 24, disappeared from Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 24, 2006. 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. Kesse was 24 years old at the time of her disappearance. I have a meeting. And the forensic examination produced just a little as well a latent print and a small DNA fiber. SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The family of missing woman Jennifer Kesse marked the start of another year with no answers. Michael Torretta: I'm looking through these 16,000 documents for something that might have been missed by the Orlando PD, the FDLE, maybe even the FBI who have had parts in this investigation. When he showed her that security camera photo of the unidentified suspect, she gave him a possible new lead. I had never seen anything of this magnitude. OK, call the police again.". While the Orlando Police Dept. Investigators could also find no possible motivation for herleaving voluntarily. He's hoping to find new clues as to who could have abducted Jennifer Kesse. Now, Drew and Joyce Kesse hope they will solve their missing daughter's case. (Drew Kesse) ORLANDO, Fla. - Drew Kesse, whose daughter Jennifer Kesse has been missing since Jan. 24,. 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 . Jennifer spoke on the phone to her parents and boyfriend in her Orlando apartment before disappearing without a trace, never to be seen again. Joel Wright: At that point I thought the investigation was kicking into gear. He was serving time in a Florida prison for statutory rape of a teenage girl a crime he committed two years after Jennifer disappeared. 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. Based on this evidence, police investigators believed that she had left her home and was abducted, either on the walk to her car, or while she was traveling to work. Drew Kesse: We have to find her as quickly as possible because the more time that passes the less chance we have and the worse it's going to be. Three days later, Keese's vehicle was found in an apartment complex parking lot less than a mile from where she lived. Joel Wright: She did look at the photo and said, "That looks like Chino.". Jennifers boyfriend, Rob Allen, had a solid alibi. 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. While the car was taken by a forensics team, there was little evidence to be found in her vehicle. Det. It will take time, talent, money, and luck; however, we welcome the renewed effort," they said. 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. Louis Bolden: At the time, we thought, "They want what? ", Drew made a dark prediction about her fate, telling The U.S. Sun: "We doubt very much that Jennifer is still alive. But a woman -- who wants to be called Ashley had a different opinion of Chino. People have been very generous with GoFundMe pages and help us continue what we are trying to do.". July 10, 2021 / 11:06 PM In fact, Chino had done work in Jennifer's condo just one week before she disappeared. The effort our investigators have put forward to get us to this point has been incredible. 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. To this date, Jennifer is considered to be missing and endangered by the Orlando Police Department, the FBI, the Orange County Police, and several other agencies. 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: Her travel bag. A couple said they saw it swerving out of her apartment complex at around 7:40 a.m. Det.