The Girl Who Disappeared Without A Trace
The Disappearance of Jennifer Kesse
Jennifer Kesse seemed to have it all. She was a successful 24-year-old finance manager working for Westgate Resorts, with a supportive family and a loving boyfriend. She had recently purchased a condo in Orlando, Florida, all on her own and, by all accounts, “was just really happy” in her life at the time. She was a smart and responsible woman, so when she suddenly failed to show up to work one day, naturally, her family assumed something terrible must have happened.
Jennifer had just returned from a relaxing vacation to St. Croix with her boyfriend, Rob Allen, on January 22nd, 2006. She decided to stay that night and drove to work the next day. Jennifer Kesse was a year into her long-distance relationship with Rob Allen. “She was in love,” her mother Joyce said. Although Rob lived about three hours away in Fort Lauderdale, the two of them would see each other every weekend.
The Day Jennifer Kesse Disappeared
But the following day, Tuesday, January 24th, 2006, Jennifer never showed up for work for the first time ever. The real estate company knew this wasn’t like their responsible manager and decided to notify her parents. But when her parents tried to reach her, her phone went straight to voicemail, which was odd. That was when they knew something was seriously wrong.
“Her cell phone that she had since she was 16 years old went to voicemail for the first time. That is how we knew something horrendous had happened,” Joyce Kesse said.
They immediately rushed to her condo to find a recently wet shower, makeup all over her counter, and clothes folded on the bed — a clue that she had been in the condo that morning with the intention of getting ready for work. By all accounts, everything seemed normal. But Jennifer, her phone, or her car were nowhere to be found.
A Break in the Case
Two days later, on Thursday, January 26, 2006, a resident of the Huntington on the Green condominium complex reported to the Orlando police that a car had been parked in the guest parking bay. The car, which was identified as belonging to Jennifer Kesse, was located just a mile from her complex.
The inside of Jennifer’s car provided more frustration for investigators and her family: there was no sign of a struggle, no blood, no identifiable fingerprints except for Jennifer’s — Source: CBS article Stolen Beauty
The police found a DVD player in the car. This made it clear to them that it was not a carjacking and that the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse was suspicious.
Person of Interest
Luckily, investigators working on the case found that the complex had surveillance footage. However, there was a twist. The camera was set to take a photo every three seconds, and unbelievably, the suspect was blocked by the wider parts of the fence in every photo taken by the camera. The suspect is often reported as “the luckiest person of interest ever.” The gender of the suspect can not even be confirmed. Police could only discern that the person was between 5’3″ and 5’5″. The investigators went as far as involving NASA to enhance the quality of the images. It is believed by many that the suspect is possibly a man in white workers' clothing or possibly golf clothing.
In the video below, you can see the camera's two angles. The first angle is a blurry view of the complex pool, but in the background, you can slightly make out someone parking Jennifer’s car. The second angle shows the same suspect walking past the fence, with every frame obscuring the person’s identity.
Interrogations
Jennifer’s boyfriend cooperated well with the police and was ruled out as a suspect in her disappearance. The police also investigated her ex-boyfriend, who was reportedly in a jealous rage after hearing his ex-girlfriend had gone on a vacation with another man, but the police don’t believe he is a suspect in the case either. A married co-worker was also looked into, who had been giving Jennifer unwanted attention at the office. He was persistent enough that Jennifer arranged to meet with him one day to tell him she was uninterested in him.
The parents told the police that Jennifer had complained months before about construction workers making her uncomfortable. “She complained to her parents of leering looks and ‘catcalls’ and whistling, (which) made her feel very uncomfortable,” the private investigator told Van Sant about the construction workers. There were a lot of workers around the complex at that time; there were 447 units in the complex, but only 250 of them were occupied at the time of her disappearance. There was a lot of renovation, even in Jennifer’s apartment, just a week before her disappearance.
The police also had another important potential suspect to investigate: handymen and construction men working at the complex. They tried talking to as many workers as they could, but they admit that they may have missed some. It was a tricky situation as many of them were undocumented workers who fled before the police had a chance to talk to them.
Detective Joel Wright took over as lead investigator six months after Jennifer Kesse vanished and formed a theory about what happened on January 24, 2006. “I believe Jennifer got ready for work. She showered and got dressed. She went outside of her condo—locked the door on the way out—and made it as far as her car. After that, I believe she was abducted,” he said.
For Information leading to Jennifer Kesse’s Whereabouts: Kesse Family Tip Line 941–201–4009 www.gofundme.com/help-us-find-Jennifer-kesse
If you have any theories you want to share, please post them in the comments.
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*** Disclaimer: I cannot guarantee that the information is accurate. Due to the nature of these articles, which involve real-life disappearances, I understand that providing inaccurate details can detriment these investigations. Where possible, I have utilized verifiable sources. However, this is not always possible in certain circumstances, as with some lesser-known cases. However, I make every effort to utilize the most precise data available.
