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. Drew Kesse: Joyce used to complain to me, she's like, "call them. Chief Orlando Rolon: I can understand why they're frustrated. You know aliens didn't abduct her. Because there were posters There were billboards. Joel Wright: I knew that Chino had been arrested for a sex crime. They can then be seen walking away from the car; however, frustratingly, their face was obscured by a fence. 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse was last seen in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2006. Wright also re-interviewed another maintenance worker who had done repairs with Chino in Jennifer's condo. He is pictured with her above Credit: Facebook/Find Jennifer Kesse 4 Jennifer vanished when she was 24 back in 2006 Credit: FBI Her father Drew's push to have the case looked at by state officials was given the green light last month. Joyce Kesse: The workers made her feel uncomfortable. Jennifer Joyce Kesse has been missing since January 2006. 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. Less than 10% of white American men are shorter than 5'7. This person has never been found, but has been identified as a person of interest in her investigation. Michael Torretta is the Kesses' private investigator. Peter Van Sant: Do you know of anyone who might have been involved in Jennifer Kesse's disappearance? Drew Kesse: That was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. The Kesses said this is their best shot at finding answers. Det. 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. One of the people he interviewed on audiotape was a former housekeeper at Jennifer's complex. On the morning of January 24, 2006, Jennifer, 24, left her apartment and headed to work -- but she never made it there. She was known for her bubbly personality and her very loyal and helpful nature. And then, Tami says she caught a "peeping Tom" a man she believes was a worker at the complex. And that's the end. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. The case centers on Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared on January 24, 2006, when she didn't show up for work. Lauren McCarthy | Jennifer's best friend: Can I just have a second? Ashley: He came over to my condo quite a bit. There's no lease. Chino [talking to a woman in his home]: Mi amor. Surveillance video caught an unidentified person getting out of her car after she went missing. Theories abound as to what happened, with many suggesting she was killed by a male coworker whose advances she had spurned. The effort our investigators have put forward to get us to this point has been incredible. Det. Sometime later, a study of photographs of the hood of the car concluded that the dust on the vehicle had been disturbed and appeared to indicate that an individual had been slammed into the car hood. Michael Torretta: I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day. At the time she vanished, she was living in Orlando. And what about that photo taken by security cameras? Ashley: I remember him being fun and friendly, talkative. Joel Wright: It told me that he passed the polygraph. Then finding out that the lead detective on Jennifers case did not write a single report or any document since 2010, 12 years!! She had shoulder-length sandy blonde hair and green eyes. 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. JOEL WRIGHT [at the 2008 gathering]: Maybe the right person will see us. And how fast can we find that person?". 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. 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. A tip can be left anonymously. " she was in love. Influencivenews; . Chino: I even did a lie detector test. Joyce Kesse [2008]: God love Jennifer. Even the FBI, who was called in to help, could only determine that they stood between 53 and 55. Michael Torretta: I think it's important because it paints a picture that I don't believe I would have gotten from the 16,000 documents. There were no signs of a struggle. Jennifer Joyce Kesse seemed to have everything going for her. Her car was found Jan. 26, but little evidence has been found indicating . Then she disappeared one day in January of 2006 and has never been found. 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. | Become a News 6 Insider]. Get todays headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved. He says when he reviewed the files, he was amazed at what police didn't do and who they didn't speak with. Sgt. Then in 2010, Detective Wright was moved off the case. Ashley: I always wanted to ask him. 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 opportunity. Jennifer Kesse was a successful young woman with a good job and a loving boyfriend . Logan Kesse [2008]: [emotional] It's your sister, it's your family, it's your blood. But that evening Jennifer spoke with Rob. If you have any information about Jennifer Kesse, report a tip to the Orlando Police Department. . He's hoping to find new clues as to who could have abducted Jennifer Kesse. Sgt. The former University of Central Florida student had graduated in 2003, and had only recently started her new job as a finance manager. It will be nine years this winter on the Kesse disappearance, and there haven't been any great leads yet. Fed up, the Kesses then made a dramatic move. 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. 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. Residents at the complex stated the car had been parked in the lot for several days. And that was part of the development of him as a person of interest. Jennifer Kesse Disappears. We want closure. A Crucial Discovery Kesse Family Two days after Jennifer Kesse went missing, her black. Follow the links to read about more shocking crimes investigated on 48 Hours on ID. Jennifer Kesse was first reported missing on January 24, 2006. He was familiar with the case. Peter Van Sant [2008]: Do you think the car was cleaned by someone? 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. They held up signs, just as they had done the day Jennifer went missing, with the desperate hope that someone passing by knew something. Joel Wright: She did look at the photo and said, "That looks like Chino.". We were very frantic. Det. Produced by Chris Young Ritzen, Tamara Weitzman and Gabriella Demirdjian. I mean, we probably have at least three times more in boxes of this. It didnt take this long. Peter Van Sant [2008]: What do you know about this person's height? Nathan Gibson. It will take time, talent, money, and luck; however, we welcome the renewed effort," they said. Det. All calls were simply being sent straight to her voicemail, suggesting that the phone had been turned off. The Investigation In February 2006, investigators found Jennifer Kesse's black. Did you ever meet her? . But when they did, no leads were discovered. We know that the police, at least according to Drew Kesse, didn't interview the non-english speaking construction workers. In 2016, it had been 10 years since Jennifer went missing. Her 2004 Chevy Malibu was found two days later about a mile away from her condo. At every turn, the detectives kept coming up empty and the case was going cold. Joel Wright [2008]: Now the clothing looks to be maybe someone who is a painter or some type of worker. But there were no big headlines and Torretta presses on. 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. Jennifer Kesse, of Orlando, who went missing Jan. 24, 2006, at 24 years old. This week marks 17 years since the 24-year-old vanished in 2006 but there have been no arrests made. The distinct lack of evidence and leads in the investigation means no one is sure what happened to Kesse, even12 years afterher disappearance. Now, Drew and Joyce Kesse hope they will solve their missing daughter's case. While the car was taken by a forensics team, there was little evidence to be found in her vehicle. Det. The disappearance of Jennifer Kesse has been exhaustively discussed in this sub, but here is a rundown of the basic facts of her case: . WORKER: Everybody getting along fine, regular conversation. 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. They said they recognized the clothing and persons gait. It's busy, locks the door of her condo. The 24-year-old has been missing for 15 years after vanishing one morning while heading out to work. And they kept saying, "Nope, her case is extremely active. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<, Read: 9 things to know about the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. And now with the case files in their possession, they are more determined than ever to keep their daughter's story alive. However, the family has said as recently as 2022 that they are still working to get the complete unredacted file from the city. Joel Wright | Orlando Police Department: It appeared that somebody was fighting over control of the car. And they just look.". 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. 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. He thinks it was one or more of these workers who abducted her on January 24, 2006. Peter Van Sant: There's no list of names of who was staying in which apartment? 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. A week before she was last seen, Kessehad also visited the Virgin Islands with her boyfriend. Kevin Dean and Gary Winter are the editors. ", Peter Van Sant: Do you believe anyone realistically has been working this case in recent years?". I mean, everybody knows for a fact that I had nothing to do with Jennifer Kesse. They want the police department's files?" 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. 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. Jennifer Kesse's father spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun ahead of the anniversary of his daughter's disappearance. Lauren McCarthy: She was extremely safety conscious. 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 parents of Jennifer Kesse say they are "closer than ever" to uncovering answers in the disappearance of their. No one has heard from her since. Drew Kesse accused the Orlando Police Dept. As he continued his investigation, Torretta learned that 10 months after Jennifer disappeared, a person was seen dumping a rolled-up piece of carpet into a lake not far from her condo. We have been getting leads every week for the past 17 years. Chief Rolon gave his investigators six months to work the case. Roger Brennan [2008]: We're going through canvases of areas that she would travel or that she might be at. Jennifer is definitely the most loyal person I've ever been friends with or probably ever known. And he says there is nothing in the files indicating that police ever spoke to them. Her car was found a few days later nearby but despite reward offers topping $100,000, Kesse has never been found. I'm not with you " and a little insecurity. When he showed her that security camera photo of the unidentified suspect, she gave him a possible new lead. Kesse was last seen at her workplace, Central Florida Investments, on Jan. 23, 2006. Its positive in that respect, we have met the new detective and are able to move forward. The average height for an American white man is 5'9 and a half. / CBS News, [This story first aired on October 24, 2020. Try our coffee!! In January of 2006 she had just purchased a condo in Orlando, . But he learned Chino used to live in another building at Jennifer's condo complex and was a former maintenance worker there. I called the crime line back then and told them and they took my statement. Michael Torretta: She's locking the door and never sees it comin'. Drew Kesse: We were probably on the road within 5 minutes. As usual, when Jennifer left at around 6 p.m., she called her father while driving home. In an update on their GoFundMe page, the Kesse family said they would never give up searching for her. 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. They also couldn't count on getting any reliable forensic evidence from Jennifer's condo. It will be a miracle if she is, we just arent willing to say Oh well and leave it.". Drew Kesse: Yes. 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. Drew Kesse: In my mind, it was "that person took my daughter. The day before she disappeared, Jennifer and her fianc returned from a cruise. The Kesses are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to Jennifer's whereabouts. 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. 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. 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. She had complained of inappropriate remarks and catcalls from them, and it was also found that she had been approached by a manager where she worked, who she had turned away, but questioning of these potential suspects . . TRANSLATOR [2009 audio tape]: Yes, she remembers the case. The phantom figure walked away in the direction of Jennifer's complex. Joyce Kesse: I think that my heart stopped Sheer panic. And I said, "are you kidding me?". 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. Drew Kesse [2008]: A wrong has been done and a person has been taken against her will and that's my daughter and she needs to come home to her family. As the hours went by, their panic became unbearable. Lauren McCarthy [at the 2008 gathering]: There's just no other place I could be today. It's about Jennifer. 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 got ready for work and left. She graduated with honors from the University of Central Florida and landed a. Det. In the years since her disappearance, her family and law enforcement have continued to search for clues to her whereabouts. Jennifer attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, was in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Jennifer had complained about construction workers who had been living and working near her condo and had recently made her feel uncomfortable. 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. Det. In December, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began a cold-case review of Jennifers disappearance to generate new leads. 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. Chino: I don't have to answer any questions, but that's for sure. For the Kesse family, Jennifer has not aged in their eyes since the day that she vanished. In December 2018, Joyce and Drew Kesse sued the Orlando Police Department for Jennifer's case files. What was concerning about this was the area it was located is not an area frequented by Jennifer. 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. Joyce Kesse: A lot of your day laborers are, um, not here, uh, legally. Joel Wright [2008]: It's difficult to tell. 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. Kesse was last seen at her Orlando condo near Mall at. 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. Chino with "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. So I think they were scared. Roger Brennan [2008]: We didn't come up with any solid leads of anybody who saw Jennifer, saw anybody park her vehicle here. She was reported missing on January 24, 2006. And the forensic examination produced just a little as well a latent print and a small DNA fiber. Sgt. Many of these workers were non-English speakers, so due to the language barrier, the investigators had quite a bit of trouble interrogating them. Of course, she has her back to the apartment behind her. by the walk. And then at 10 p.m., she talked to Rob. Later that night when there was still no sign of her, police officially declared Jennifer missing. That's a really hard question to ask somebody that's sitting on the couch next to you. Sgt. Jennifer Kesse- Missing from Orlando since 2006 by Nikki January 23, 2020 Florida Jennifer Kesse was a successful, hard-working, bubbly, family oriented 24 year old when she vanished January 24th, 2006. And their conversation didn't end well. of negligence in the investigation. ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. This week will mark 17 years since Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her Orlando area apartment complex on Jan 24. On that day, the Kesses learned their daughter did not report for work at Central . Today marks six months since Orlando's Jennifer Kesse was reported missing, after she did not show up for work. Returning on Sunday, she stayed the night at her boyfriends home and then drove straight to work on Monday morning, January 23, 2006. In 2008, Detective Wright and Sergeant Brennan analyzed the surveillance tape with "48 Hours.". (Drew Kesse) ORLANDO, Fla. - Drew Kesse, whose daughter Jennifer Kesse has been missing since Jan. 24,. She had just returned from a 5-day trip to St. Croix with her long-distance boyfriend of one year. It was like being hit with a ton of bricks. Orlando, Florida - Home of Mickey Mouse and sunny beach vacations, a city that 60 million people flock to every year whether it's for the theme parks or just the sun and heat that South Florida is known for. 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. Chino: Believe me, if I did know anyone that was involved in that, the Kesse family would be knowing as well. Private Investigator Michael Torretta says he has gone through the more than 16,000-page case file at least three times.