One of the people he spoke to was a former housekeeper at Jennifer's condo complex. Peter Van Sant: You had nothing to do with her disappearance? I'm Peter Van Sant with CBS News. I have a meeting. This tip was especially interesting to him because on the day Jennifer went missing, there were workers laying down carpet in the apartment across the hall from Jennifer's condo. Rob had no idea that it would be the last time he would ever hear her voice. Joel Wright: She did look at the photo and said, "That looks like Chino.". The suspect was short and slight. And also had people of different heights walk by. 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. "Her cell phone that she had since she was 16 years old went to voicemail for the first time. Joel Wright: Unfortunately, the witnesses couldn't say which way the car went once it got out onto the surface road. In January 2006, Jennifer Kesse's family and friends say she was on top of the world. Now we have some of our own questions we'd like to ask. Drew Kesse: I think they wanted to open the trunk in front of him to see his reaction if, in case Jennifer was in there. Lauren McCarthy: She was extremely safety conscious. In an unexpected move, detectives summoned boyfriend Rob Allen to meet them at Jennifer's car. It could be a crucial detail. She was born on May 20, 1981, to her parents, Drew and Joyce Kesse in New Jersey. For those of you who don't know, Jennifer Kessie was a 24 year old woman who vanished in Orlando Florida in 2006. And then, Tami says she caught a "peeping Tom" a man she believes was a worker at the complex. by Sarah Jae Leiber Oct. 21, 2020 Jennifer Kesse was. More than 15 years after Jennifer Kesse vanished, her parents Drew and Joyce Kesse are leading the investigation into their daughter's case. 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. When investigators arrived, they found a DVD player in the back seat, so it didn't appear that the motive for taking the car was robbery or a carjacking. In my opinion, leaving fingerprints, possible DNA, or eyewitnesses who may see you dropping the car off far outweighs trying to fool police into the idea the abduction did not happen at Mosaic at Millenia by moving the car. After all the interviews and reviewing the case file, Torretta says he now has a new theory as to what could have happened to Jennifer Kesse. I just can't give it up unless I know of a stronger alibi, because 14 years later there still aren't any answers as to what happened to Jennifer Kesse, and it had to have been someone. It does not explain why the car was moved. He says when he reviewed the files, he was amazed at what police didn't do and who they didn't speak with. We just want our daughter back, for the good or the bad, Drew Kesse told FOX News. But under the agreement, the Orlando Police Department would no longer lead the investigation. . The case centers on Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared on January 24, 2006, when she didn't show up for work. Ashley: I always wanted to ask him. Lauren McCarthy: The searches were massive. We were very frantic. He was wearing a backwards baseball cap, a plain white T-shirt and what appeared to be coveralls or overalls of some kind. Joel Wright [2008]: We didn't find any fingerprints on the steering wheel. Rob Allen: We did the long distance, but after the initial date we started spending virtually every weekend together. "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. Tami: There was creepy things like my underwear drawer was tossed one time the shower was wet. Sgt. In December 2018, Joyce and Drew Kesse sued the Orlando Police Department for Jennifer's case files. 4 . it was like she walked in the night before and just dropped her suitcase right where it was. But Torretta struck out when he tried to find those workers who he believes lived in the vacant apartment across from Jennifer. This has been backed up by the FBI who also are down and checked out the figures. A viewer recognized the vehicle as one that was parked in a nearby apartment complex and called police. She's locking the door and never sees it comin She probably was attacked immediately upon exiting. One of the most popular theories is that Kesse was abducted by a construction worker, who may have been working for her condominium complex. Roger Brennan [2008]: We're going through canvases of areas that she would travel or that she might be at. Unfortunately the witnesses could not say which direction her car went once it got to the road that runs by her complex. Michael Torretta has a new theory as to what he thinks might have happened to Jennifer Kesse on the day she vanished. She moved into the complex just weeks after Jennifer disappeared. Sgt. We are so grateful for those who have come, Posted by Find Jennifer Kesse onMonday, November 11, 2019. I'm not with you " and a little insecurity. "OK, call the hospitals again. 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. He was serving time in a Florida prison for statutory rape of a teenage girl a crime he committed two years after Jennifer disappeared. Torretta says he knew he had to get this tip checked out. "You have keys to all the apartments. DETECTIVE WRIGHT: how did you get into the condo? "I always told the Kesses what I'd like to do with this investigation is put a puzzle together, one piece at a time," said Mike Torretta, the Kesses' private investigator. That day, Chino took a polygraph test and he passed. JENNIFER KESSE - EPISODE 3: CHINO (MINDSHOCK TRUE CRIME)Examining the most prominent Person of Interest in the Jennifer Kesse disappearance, condo worker "Ch. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The family of a missing Florida woman who vanished nearly 15 years ago hopes new clues may finally lead to answers about what happened to her, FOX News reports. Or this person felt they had to correct their parking position when they parked Jennifer Kesse's car. Peter Van Sant spoke with several women who lived at the same condo complex as Jennifer Kesse. When Tami, who also asked to only use her first name, moved into the complex years later, she believed workers often entered her apartment when she wasn't home. The most significant clue to date is a grainy surveillance camera image of someone calmly parking her car. Peter Van Sant [2008] What do we know was going on around Jennifer's condominium at that time? To report information about the case, visit theFind Jennifer Kesse Facebook page. reported by "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. According to Torretta, "It's impossible to find those individuals. Ashley: He had the opportunity to tell me and he didn't. Jennifer Kesse was very close with her entire family, but she was a true Daddy's girl. Those closest to Jennifer would confirm that, not . DET. 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: And we just wish that one person that knows something in Orlando would just finally say it. 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. Louis Bolden: Technology then was not what technology is now. Kevin Dean and Gary Winter are the editors. Several items were located inside the vehicle her cellphone, charger sandals and shoes Nothing appears to be disturbed in the vehicle at all. DETECTIVE WRIGHT [2009 audio tape]: Nobody mad about anything? Joyce Kesse: I refuse to let her be forgotten until she is found. WORKER: Everybody getting along fine, regular conversation. 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. But he told me there was really nothing that he personally could do. Kesses father, Drew Kesse, added, Whenever workers entered her apartment for painting and repairs, Jen was always on the phone with us. The story of Jennifer Kesse has been featured on 48 hours mysteries, there are documentaries about her and countless news outlets have covered Jennifer's mys. there was footprints in my closet. But upon further investigation, police realized the cell tower data was misinterpreted, and she actually wasn't out that night. JENNIFER KESSE - SUSPECTS and THEORIES and NEW EVIDENCEJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIM7B3NhioaqwNyHnu9YL0g/join. Rob Allen: You've got the bug. Workers that live there would certainly be aware of her presence and her car parked in its numbered spot. Here is a related episode. Start to work. It wasn't hard to find Chino. That witness, who spoke anonymously to the news outlet, said she believes she saw the black Chevy Malibu swerving near the exit to Kesses condominium on the morning of January 24, 2006. Sgt. But that evening Jennifer spoke with Rob. Continue with Recommended Cookies. It seemed like she almost disappeared out of thin air. He said they were uncooperative. First Republic Bank seized by regulators, then sold to JPMorgan Chase, Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, ISIS chief killed by Turkey's intelligence agency, Erdogan says, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, General Mills issues Gold Medal flour recall over salmonella concerns, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident. Peter Van Sant: Based on your experience is there a possibility what this person threw in that pond was her body? July 10, 2021 / 11:06 PM The only peice of evidence ever uncovered was Security Camera footage of the likely suspect parking her car. Unless Jennifer Kesse's car went in the opposite direction when she left for work on the morning of January 24, 2006, then this abductor really did a lot of walking or bus travel that day, especially in order to get to the location where he/she encountered Jennifer Kesse. 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. You unfortunately take things for granted. "If you had told me then in 14 years we would still be looking for Jennifer Kesse, I would not have believed it," says Louis Bolden, an investigative reporter for WKMG-TV in Orlando. He thinks it was one or more of these workers who abducted her on January 24, 2006. At around noon on the day Jennifer went missing, the person drove into the parking lot, sat in the car for about 30 seconds and then walked away. It's a guide to the Wicked movie. FOX News recently obtained evidence photos that suggest a struggle occurred on the hood of the car. BroadwayWorld collected all the information we could about the upcoming film - including who's starring, what roles haven't yet been cast, and what will change from stage to screen. She was very aware of her surroundings. Roger Brennan [2008]: This is the interior of Jennifer's car as we found it. Ex boyfriend struggled to get over Jennifer, ex stayed at her apartment that weekend while she was away, Jennifer had an unpleasant conversation with her boyfriend about neither of them being willing to move for the relationship, while on the phone Jennifer heard a knock on the door, ex was noticeably drunk at a bar nearby the night she was last seen and this has been the only alibi I remember hearing from him (again, I'm a mere casual). July 10, 2021 / 10:00 PM Lauren McCarthy: [emotional] seeing that tape of Jennifer's car that was probably the worst moment. By sundown, many of Jennifer Kesse's family and friends gathered at her condo and started to search for her. When police searched the lake, nothing was found. Joyce Kesse: Her travel bag. 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. She had a younger brother named Logan, and the Kesse family moved to Florida when Logan and Jennifer were a bit older. The surveillance video took a photo every 3 seconds and each time, the person's face was obstructed by a fence post. "She needs to come home to her family.". In 2009, Detective Wright decided to take a fresh look at the case. Whatever happened to Jennifer, happened fast., No tip is too small, unimportant, or insignificant. Everyone loved being around Jen.. And you could sense that, and you can feel that . And that was part of the development of him as a person of interest. I just think of Jennifer all the time. Didn't appear that it was a car theft. Louis Bolden: People just wanted to help them. Just letting us know what she wanted to be done in her unit. Chino agreed to take a lie detector test. 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. The abduction did not take place at Mosaic. Monday evening, January 23, 2006 ,at around 10 p.m., Jennifer Kesse spoke to Rob Allen on the phone. When they arrived at the condo in the early afternoon, a building manager opened Jennifer's locked apartment. NEWS REPORT: For the past two days dive crews have been out on the water. Scan this QR code to download the app now, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUwhUPGXeUE. In 2018, Orlando Rolon became the Orlando police chief. 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. There's no lease. Det. She says they never talked about Jennifer's disappearance. He spoke to six other women who all were made uneasy by the workers. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. If it was car trouble, it does not explain why Jennifer Kesse stopped. If foul play was involved, there were no obvious suspects. But to the Kesses' frustration, the person caught on that camera could not be identified. The phantom figure walked away in the direction of Jennifer's complex. OK, call the police again.". "48 Hours" agreed not to use his full name. We immediately started asking everybody walking around if they had seen anything. Drew and Joyce Kesse said they will never stop looking for their daughter and have launched aGoFundMe pageto help with the investigation. 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.". And now with the case files in their possession, they are more determined than ever to keep their daughter's story alive. Drew Kesse: I'm like, "Come on! And how fast can we find that person?". The condo complex where Jennifer lived was going through a renovation, and many of the construction workers were also living in the empty apartments at the complex while they were doing the renovation. Chief Orlando Rolon: I can understand why they're frustrated. "I want to do my best and bring Jennifer Kesse home to them one day," he said. On March 18, 2009, Wright interviewed Chino in prison and asked him about that time he worked in Jennifer's condo. Det. The hit Broadway musical Wicked is officially coming to the big screen! She might not have had a chance to fight back, Torretta told FOX News. No named suspects. A pair of work shoes she had spoken to her mom about were gone, along with her cellphone, the friend's work phone, her briefcase (which was often left in her car), and her car. She was a successful 24-year-old finance manager working for Westgate Resorts, who had a supportive family and loving boyfriend. It was like being hit with a ton of bricks. She deserved that. And no tip is too late. Chino said Jennifer let him inside her condo. We try to answer these questions and start to put together a theory of the events as our Tracy Ocasio investigation continues. Cell tower data was analyzed, and it indicated Jennifer was out of her apartment and not at home. Michael Torretta is the Kesses' private investigator. Joyce Kesse: A lot of your day laborers are, um, not here, uh, legally. "It's very, very hard to move forward," Joyce Kesse says. With the HOTG surveillance video and dog track back to Mosaic, I would have thought police would have focused their investigation at Mosaic, especially after the car was found. The DNA testing they did on the car was inconclusive, but the car did lead to a very important clue. Before we left, Chino even agreed to talk with the Kesse team. Actress Donna Benedicto has been accepted into the Performers Peer Group of the prestigious Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the organization that presents the Emmy Awards. Jennifer had shared with family and friends that the workers made her uneasy. subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Det. It explains how the workers knew she arrived back on the night of January 23rd from her vacation. It explains why none of Jennifer Kesse's items were left on the ground near her car indicative of a struggle. However, the suspects face was obscured in all frames captured by the footage . So, I'm heading now to his last known address where I'm hoping we can find him. Michael Torretta: There's never been one quarterback on this case. Complicating the investigation many of the workers disappeared before police could talk to them. The OPD handed over more than 16,000 pages of documents and 67 hours of video and audiotape to the Kesses. Jennifer Kesse failed to report to work on Jan. 24, 2006. And now with the case files in their possession, they are more determined than ever to keep their daughter's story alive. That's a really hard question to ask somebody that's sitting on the couch next to you. 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. My heart is here. If it was one of them, how did they know she had returned? Mayim Bialik shares what she knows about upcoming spin-off of The Big Bang Theory coming . But a woman -- who wants to be called Ashley had a different opinion of Chino. Jennifer Kesse was a fun-loving, responsible and career-minded young woman. I estimate he was about 5,6. She had a great job. Jennifer Kesse was last heard from at around 10 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2006. Michael Torretta is a private investigator who works for the Kesses. The surveillance footage does tell us that there was about 30 seconds of time when the person was inside the car. And the HOTG video shows someone who seemed to have trouble being able to park her car around noon on January 24, 2006. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. While observing the front of the victims vehicle, these detectives observed what appeared to have been someone being pushed across the head of the vehicle, Orlando Police Department Detective Julius Gause wrote in a report obtained by the news outlet. The next morning was when Jennifer didn't show up for work and didn't answer her phone. It wasn't a great feeling. But it is highly unpopular. " she was in love. Joyce Kesse: It's very, very hard to move forward. They want the police department's files?" By the gait And someone with pretty big feet for his height is the information we've been getting. Manage Settings But then there comes the argument that ex couldn't possibly have done this and covered it up so well while drunk. Det. I didn't like it.". It didn't appear that is was a carjacking. That was the last time he would ever speak to Jennifer again. Jennifer Kesse is a beautiful 24-year-old financial analyst with a constant smile. But why care about moving the car because an abductor like that does not lay any sort of claim to a particular location since most everyone tends to agree, that whether the abductor was from Mosaic at Millenia or elsewhere, the reason to move the car is to fool the police into looking elsewhere from a particular location where the abduction itself took place. Michael Torretta: That's why it's very interesting to me. Peter Van Sant: The last time police officially questioned Chino was back in 2009. And we've come up with a height between 5'3" and 5'5". When Detective Wright found Chino, he was serving time for a statutory rape charge. Exclusive shows & extensions. Police say they did not believe Jennifer's case met the criteria for declaring her missing. Six months after Jennifer Kesse disappeared, Detective Joel Wright became the lead investigator and developed a theory of what happened to her on January 24, 2006. The car was moving erratically, the witness told FOX News. They would just stop and leer when they saw her, Joyce Kesse told FOX News. They kept suggesting that she must have had a fight with her boyfriend and would be back. Det. "She had just bought her first condo with her own money," said Jennifer's father, Drew Kesse. The parents of Jennifer Kesse say they are "closer than ever" to uncovering answers in the disappearance of their. Rob Allen: Because someone must have seen something. When detectives reviewed surveillance video from the complex where Jennifer Kesse's car was discovered, they saw a person parking her car. Joyce Kesse [2008]: She slept for sure. 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. CBS News reported Kesse told her parents some of the construction workers "made her feel uncomfortable" while they were making repairs in her apartment, just one week before she was reported missing. Rob Allen, left, walks with an Orlando detective at the site where Jennifer Kesse's car was found. In fact, some of them had done work in her condo one week before she disappeared. 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? Her face was everywhere. Jennifer Kesse seemed to have it all. Det. Drew Kesse: That was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. / CBS News. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She spoke to her friend, parents, and boyfriend on the phone the night before she disappeared, and was reported missing the next morning when she didn't show up for work. JOYCE KESSE: Where is she? Joyce Kesse: I think that my heart stopped Sheer panic. 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. On Monday, January 23, on her way into work as a project manager for a time-share company, Jennifer called her mom. Who knows what would've happened if this heinous crime hadn't been committed? I believe he was cleared by LE. Sgt. 48 HOURS: "Where is Jennifer Kesse?" They sued the Orlando Police Department to get Jennifer's case files. Chino: I don't have to answer any questions, but that's for sure. This is where things get unpopular. Jennifer Kesse was a successful young woman with a good job and a loving boyfriend when she simply vanished from her Orlando, Fla., condominium. Joel Wright: There were an unbelievable amount of man hours went into this case. But according to Torretta, the police files don't list everyone who was questioned. One week before Jennifer Kesse disappeared, she took a weekend trip to St. Croix with her boyfriend Rob Allen. Louis Bolden: You could go to any part of town, and everyone knew Jennifer Kesse's name and they knew her face. There have been no arrests, no named suspects, and a grainy image of a person parking her car remains the most important clue as to who may have abducted Jennifer. Joel Wright: However, the logs that we went through didn't appear to be complete. 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. In fact, they said it looked like she had just been there. But the Kesses refused to give up on Jennifer. On a Tuesday in Orlando at the Huntington on the Green in 2006, if you were to take the bus by standing at the bus stop around noon, how long would you have to wait there before a bus showed up? But she says once workers started living in empty apartments around the complex, she felt uneasy. The reason I won't let it go is because of my own personal experience. They also couldn't count on getting any reliable forensic evidence from Jennifer's condo. You know aliens didn't abduct her. Detective Joel Wright was still trying to solve this confounding mystery. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. They were immediately worried. We dont care when. Joyce Kesse: Police kept insisting that Jennifer went out in the middle of the night And we're like, "you don't understand that is not how our daughter's brain works.". A damp towel was on the floor near the shower, the unit was locked and her mobile phone, iPod, purse, and briefcase were not in the condo. Maybe he tossed his sweater in the hamper before passing out. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. I'm just projecting my own experience onto Jennifer, but people make unusual decisions sometimes. 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?". . He was dressed very much like someone involved in heavy and messy indoor work such as moving and renovations. It's actually a complex that's been known where stolen cars were -- would be recovered from. Even though there is no facial features to look at, the HOTG video gives a good description of the POI build and height. Det. [Takes a deep breath with tears in her eyes]. He also learned that 10 months after Kesse disappeared, a person was seen dumping a rolled-up piece of carpet into a lake not far from her condo. Later that day, she is declared missing when family members cannot locate Jennifer or her car at her apartment complex. Ashley says, at first, she didn't reach out to police. As the hours went by, their panic became unbearable. Jennifer Kesse's parents refused to give up. The Kesses told police that Jennifer had complained to them about the workers at the building who occasionally made her feel uncomfortable. Roger Brennan [at the parking lot]: This is the camera that caught the person that parked Jennifer's vehicle here. For those unfamiliar, Jennifer Kesse went missing in 2006 from Orlando Florida. Maybe the ex was really intoxicated and thought that visiting his ex was a good idea and he showed up to Jennifer's apartment right when she was questioning her and her boyfriends relationship. Det. And I said, "are you kidding me?". 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. DREW KESSE: We don't have her. And what about that photo taken by security cameras? Jennifer Kesse was first reported missing on January 24, 2006. 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.