(NewsNation) — The family of Jennifer Kesse, who vanished nearly two decades ago, reports that her case has made progress, as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has uncovered new details regarding her disappearance.
Kesse’s father told local media the department has a short list of persons of interest and has uncovered evidence that has never been tested.
Jennifer Kesse went missing in 2006, just days after she had returned to Orlando following a trip to Saint Croix with her boyfriend, Rob Allen. When she didn’t arrive at work, her colleagues alerted her family.
Concerned for her safety, Kesse’s parents, unable to contact her, went to her condo where they realized she was missing. The scene suggested she had left for work, with personal items like clothes and hair tools scattered around, while her car, keys, cellphone, purse, and iPod were also gone.
None of Kesse’s personal belongings were ever found, but her car was discovered abandoned outside another apartment complex down the road.
Kesse was 24 when she disappeared and had been hired to work at a timeshare company following her graduation with a finance degree in 2003. She’d earned enough money to buy her own condo, in a gated community with a guard for added safety.
In January 2006, Kesse and her boyfriend went on a trip to Saint Croix before returning home, Kesse to Orlando and Allen to his home in Fort Lauderdale.
On Jan. 24, 2006, Allen didn’t get his usual text or call from Kesse in the morning. He tried to reach her and couldn’t, but left messages, assuming she was busy with work.
By then, Kesse’s parents were already looking for her after being contacted by her co-workers. Kesse’s parents convinced authorities she had not left of her own free will, and that evening, police began investigating her disappearance.
Kesse’s car was found a few days later, where security footage showed it had been parked since the day she went missing. Police did not find any forensic evidence in the car, but security camera footage showed the person who was driving the car get out and walk away, though their face was obscured.
Police also found incomplete security records from Kesse’s condo complex, along with a lack of security footage because cameras had not yet been installed. They also discovered that a set of keys to the complex had been stolen a month before.
Other evidence included photos showing markings on the hood of Kesse’s car that could indicate a struggle.
NASA even became involved in the case, using advanced technology to try to get a better look at the security footage of the car.
One theory about Kesse’s disappearance is that a construction or maintenance worker from her condo complex was involved. There were renovations going on at the time, and Kesse and other women had reported feeling uncomfortable after comments and encounters with the workers.
Kesse’s family believes she may have been the victim of human trafficking.
