FL - Jennifer Kesse, 24, Orlando, 24 Jan 2006 - #5

Okay, now I see that Bo may have trailed a scent that led just up to the stairwell of Jennifer's apartment. That makes sense to me.

One thing that I find curious is that the dog trailed the scent to a fence line. I wonder if the person climbed the fence? Was the scent trail picked up again just on the other side of the fence?

Lion

LionRun said:

Okay, now I see that Bo may have trailed a scent that led just up to the stairwell of Jennifer's apartment. That makes sense to me.

One thing that I find curious is that the dog trailed the scent to a fence line. I wonder if the person climbed the fence? Was the scent trail picked up again just on the other side of the fence?

Lion

Click to expand...

Yes, the scent trail was picked up on the other side of the fence. Yes, there is agreement that the suspect climbed over the fence at the Mosaic Condominiums which is where Jennifer Kesse resided.

Link:
St. Petersburg Times
January 27, 2006
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/27/State/Car_of_missing_Orland.shtml

Excerpt from above article:
"The trail bypassed the complex's only entrance and led to a stretch of fence separating the public sidewalk from its private grounds. Once the 6 year old bloodhound entered the grounds, the dog picked up the scent inside the fence and went directly to a staircase leading to Kesse's second-floor condominium."

the cops should've found out when JK's cell phone stopped sending pings. it was turned off at some point the morning she disappeared. it might help the investigation if they know when it stopped sending pings, the location and the time might really help.

they also need to find out if her voice mails were listened to. i doubt it but it might help when the messages were listened to if they were.

Lion, one article stated the dog, Bo...tracked back to her condo door! There are 3 varying reports on where the dog went...1) a hit in the woods behind her condo 2) from the car to the wall/other side of wall to the stairway 3) her door upstairs.

Does anyone know if Jenn had a habit of stopping and getting coffee at a favorite spot on her way to work? I see the mention of the video taken from the 7-11. And where did she usuallly buy her gas I think they said she had half a tank, but some drivers fill up when the tank reaches half. Was her gas station on her way to work? Where was she vulnerable?

After just reading the info on Kelsey Smith, forced into her car in broad daylight in a target parking lot. These guys are so brazen.

I figure her to be a Starbucks kinda girl, but so far no one has been able to answer this question. I think I recall the reason stated for getting the 7-11 tape was to see if they could spot her car going down the street.

Enrique Sparta said:

the cops should've found out when JK's cell phone stopped sending pings. it was turned off at some point the morning she disappeared. it might help the investigation if they know when it stopped sending pings, the location and the time might really help.

they also need to find out if her voice mails were listened to. i doubt it but it might help when the messages were listened to if they were.

Click to expand...

If LE knows this info, they aren't telling. I doubt her messages were listened to.

SeriouslySearching said:

Lion, one article stated the dog, Bo...tracked back to her condo door! There are 3 varying reports on where the dog went...1) a hit in the woods behind her condo 2) from the car to the wall/other side of wall to the stairway 3) her door upstairs.

Click to expand...

There sure seem to be several contradictions concerning where Bo and/or other dogs stopped at. I assume that a dog, Bo or another, may have caught a scent from some beginning location to the woods either that day or another day. That is the only way I can make sense of this. The part I don't know is exactly where Bo stopped trailing at Jennifer's apartment. If he didn't trail to the front door, then it is yet another indication that it is possible that it was not Jennifer's scent. If it was Jennifer, the dog should have trailed her scent right to the front door and into the house.

I don't understand what you mean by this.

"2) from the car to the wall/other side of wall to the stairway."

Which stairway do you mean? Do you mean the stairway at the complex where Jennifer's car was found? If so, than I understand. It is possible that Bo and/or another dog was asked a second time or more to try to get a scent at the car, from the car seat, and that the dog picked up that scent.

Lion

Its good to see you back in here Lion..

In reading all of the posts, one thing that I've seen discussion about was the fact that Jenn's clothes were on her bed. Being around her age, I am the same way when I get up in the morning.

Usually I have an outfit that I think I want to wear and then try it on and for one reason or another, I decide that I want something else. I usually end up leaving the clothes on my bed. I also am the same way with the pjs on the floor and the make up on the counter, etc.

IMO, I don't think it was a "staged" scene. I think that is truly how Jenn left her condo. I think it was in the morning, but again, I can't tell you that for a fact.

Just some thoughts

Beyond Belief said:

Its good to see you back in here Lion..

Click to expand...

It's great to see you, too BB. Do you have any links with facts on the exact circumstances of Jennifer's disappearance? For example, I just read here that her clothes were found on her bed. But, I would like to know more, like what clothes(work, casual, etc..), and any other info.

Lion

I've also seen a lot of people questioning why her friends, etc haven't really been interviewed. In this Interview from "Rita Cosby Live" February 2nd, 2006, Jenn's best friend is interviewed.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11162052/
COSBY: And tonight, a desperate search for a woman who vanished from her home and an emotional plea for your help. Twenty-four-year-old Jennifer Kesse went missing early last week. She never showed up for work on Tuesday. And now investigators are looking for clues in a case they say has suspicious circumstances.

Live with the latest is Sgt. Barbara Jones with the Orlando Police Department. Sgt. Jones, is there any indication that she used her cell or credit cards? Is there any movement there?

SGT. BARBARA JONES, ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT: You know, they‘re not really talking about anything as far as trackable information, whether it‘s the use of her cell phone or any bank records. They are looking into that, and anything about that, they‘re really not wanting to release at this time.

COSBY: Now, her car was found, it was a week ago today. Do you know when her car was last driven? Do we know when it was last used?

JONES: Yes, actually, what they‘ve done is they have created a timeline between Monday at 10:00 PM, which was when she had the last conversation with her boyfriend via cellular telephone—that was at 10:00 PM on Monday. And then after we put out a flyer and got some media attention, a citizen located the car in a particular condominium complex about a mile from where she lives last Thursday at around 8:06. So we believe that between 10:00 o‘clock that Monday and 8:06 that Thursday that she or someone else was driving her black Malibu in the area of John Young (ph) Parkway, which is a major road on the southwest side of Orlando.

COSBY: And you pointed out—real quick—that that car was found in an apartment complex. I understand you have expanded the search. To exactly where? And why is that critical?

JONES: Sure. The car was crucial as far as moving forward with trying to locate her. Based on where that car was and where the track from the car to where she lived, it created what we believe to be about a 3-to-5-mile radius that we wanted to search. We conducted several grid searches in that area, and we‘re going to be expanding that out to the south after we do an aerial overview tomorrow, identifying other wooded, isolated areas where we believe somebody could have hidden her body.

COSBY: Well, Sgt. Jones, we wish you luck. Thank you very much.

Please keep us posted.

JONES: Sure. Thanks a lot.

COSBY: And tonight, a plea for help from Jennifer‘s family and also her friends, including from her best childhood friend. She‘s seen here together with Jennifer on this home video when they were just 10 years old, dancing, as you can see.

And joining us is Jennifer‘s father, Drew Kesse, also her brother, Logan Kesse, and her best friend, Lauren Daligan (ph).

Logan, let me start with you. How tough is it? You know, there‘s still so few—you know, so few leads, so few clues. How tough is it for you, Logan, as her younger brother?

LOGAN KESSE, JENNIFER KESSE‘S BROTHER: Well, it‘s extremely tough and

very, very frustrating. I know the cops, and everyone, all of our family,

friends are doing as much as they can. But I honestly feel that it is just

it‘s by far the hardest thing I‘ve ever done in my life, and gone through. And I can imagine the same thing for her. But it‘s—that‘s the toughest part, is not knowing anything and not being able to be told anything.

COSBY: Yes, I‘m sure. And Lauren, you know, as we look at these—you know, we‘re seeing the beautiful video of you guys together, younger. How close were you? And what do you think may have happened to your friend?

LAUREN DALIGAN, JENNIFER KESSE‘S BEST FRIEND: She has been my best friend my entire life. And I don‘t—I wish I knew what happened to her. I just want her to come home safely.

COSBY: Is there anyone that you can think of, Lauren, would have wanted to cause her harm or anything suspicious you saw in the recent weeks leading up to this?

DALIGAN: No.

COSBY: Nothing. Tell us about her, too. Tell us—you know, we‘ve heard so many good things about her. She seems like, even in the young video, just a happy, young, free-spirited woman.

DALIGAN: Yes. She‘s by far the best person I know in my life. I mean, she‘s been my closest friend for as long as I can remember. She‘s beautiful, obviously. You‘ve seen the pictures. She‘s smart. She‘s driven. She‘s just—she‘s just an amazing person.

COSBY: You know, Drew—let me bring in her dad because I understand you‘ve set up almost sort of a virtual command center in the home. What kind of information are you getting? Is there any substantive leads that you can hold onto?

DREW KESSE, JENNIFER KESSE‘S FATHER: Not really that we can hold onto, Rita. We‘re very optimistic, though. Really, she‘s alive. She‘s out there, and she knows we‘re coming for her. We‘ve been very lucky to have an organization come forward, Child Watch of North America, and they really help families going through this organize themselves. And they came on board with us yesterday, it‘s—we‘re going to have a huge search for her coming up this Saturday, and people are signing up for teams to go out and try and find Jennifer.

And it‘s just—the community here is unbelievable. The police are unbelievable. And the media yourself has just been so good to us. That‘s how we‘re going to help find Jennifer. And—and we‘re going to do it.

COSBY: Absolutely. We, of course, will do whatever we can, Drew, and whatever possible we can to help you get some answers, which you desperately deserve.

You know, Logan, when was the last time you talked to your sister?

Did you notice anything unusual?

LOGAN KESSE: No. I actually spoke to her on Monday night.

Obviously, Tuesday, she went missing. I spoke to her on Monday night. Everything was normal. She was telling me about her trip to St. Croix with her boyfriend. She seemed happy. Everything was cool, and nothing unusual at all.

COSBY: Do we know anything...

LOGAN KESSE: She was in very, very high spirits.

COSBY: Do we know anything, Logan, if, like, there was any sign of robbery, anything missing from her car, from her purse?

LOGAN KESSE: I wish I could tell you. I have no idea myself. No idea.

COSBY: Can you imagine her leaving for any reason at all, Drew?

DREW KESSE: No. Personally, no. She has recently had a promotion. She recently bought her first condominium, as Logan has said, went on a great vacation. She‘s right now on top of the world—not currently. But she just had everything going for her, and she was bubbly and really loving life.

COSBY: I can tell (INAUDIBLE) obviously had a lot of support. And Lauren, if somebody‘s out there who has any clues, saw anything suspicious, is there something you want to say? Hopefully, somebody‘s watching tonight that can help.

DALIGAN: I just want to say to find it in your heart to, you know, help us get Jennifer safely home. We miss her.

LOGAN KESSE: Please. I know someone out there had to have (INAUDIBLE) see something. So please, if you don‘t—you can be anonymous, anything. Just please let anyone know. There‘s numbers. We have the crime line, anything you can, please.

COSBY: And again, everybody, if you‘re looking at the top line there, 1-800-423-TIPS. Please call in. Please help this family and do whatever you can. Again, it‘s $115,000 reward. Please do what you can.

Thank you very much, and our prayers are with all of you tonight.

Thank you.

No I haven't gone through the facts they first presented. As far as I know there isn't any exact list of a timeline except digging through reports and statements listed on the family site.
Since the beginning the statements on the clothes and how they were laid out on the bed, and prior days clothes drapped over a chain, used towel and nightwear in the bathroom, all still seem to be the same. I am inclined to believe she left the condo on her own.

LION, here s the link with the photo of how the clothing was left in her bedroom. Just look at the photos. Look close at the desk top and see what those things look like sitting there.
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,817,00.html#7_0

Lion-

Check out the family's website at www.findjenniferkesse.com

Below is info on Jenn's disappearance. On the Jenn's website, you can also find information regarding the video of the now Suspect, pictures of her car, pictures of Jenn, and two interviews- one marking 1 year since Jenn was abducted and one from a dateline interview done in May of last year.

The Search For Jennifer Kesse

http://www.wesh.com/news/6431174/detail.html

Police Find Few Clues In Search For Missing Woman
POSTED: 11:17 am EST January 25, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando police are looking for a missing woman who never showed up for work on Tuesday.

Her family said that's not like her, WESH 2 News reported.

Jennifer Kesse, 24, and her 2004 black Chevrolet Malibu are missing. Police said she lives at the Mosaic Apartments on Conroy Road, near the Mall at Millenia.

"It's not usual for her not to have contacted anybody on her cell phone, and more importantly, for the cell phone to be turned off," said her mother, Joyce Kesse.

When Jennifer Kesse did not show up at work on Tuesday, her Ocoee investment office called her parents.

"'We don’t' want to alarm you, but Jennifer hasn't showed up for work. She hasn't called. She hasn't e-mailed, she hasn't shown up for work.' Jennifer is the type of person if she is running 15 minutes late, she's going to call you to say, 'I'm running 15 minutes late,'" her mother said.

Her parents called the staff at the Mosaic Apartments. The condo was checked and the door was locked and nothing was disturbed.

No one has heard from Kesse since she had a cell phone conversation with her boyfriend at about 10 p.m. on Monday. Her family said it is very uncharacteristic for her to lose contact with her family, and it's even more unusual for her to not show up for work.

Her brother said she just started living alone in November and was uneasy about the number of people around the complex daily.

"The workers were around all the time, and naturally a girl living alone for the first time …" said her brother, Logan Kesse.

Orlando officers who usually patrol other areas of the city went several hundred yards into the dense brush behind her building on Wednesday.

"Kind of working our way through it just looking for anything, anything of interest," said Sgt. Robert Anzueto, of the Orlando Police Department.

So far, they haven't found any clues.

The family said Jennifer Kesse was so safety conscious that she used to call a friend or family members while she walked through parking lots at night.

"Somebody has to have seen something. Somebody had to have heard something," her mother said.

"Imagine how they feel. They're trying to contact their daughter, they don’t get a contact with her, and then she doesn't show up for work," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, of the Orlando Police Department. "It's huge for a family not to know, especially if they have a close relationship with their daughter and they communicate on a regular basis."

Jones said if people do certain things routinely in their life and then all of the sudden they don't do that, that raises suspicions.

"If it's suspicious and concerning to them, we're going to take that very seriously," Jones said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Orlando Police Department or CrimeLine at (800) 423-TIPS. A $1,000 reward is being offered for any information about her whereabouts. Her car has Florida tags, license number H90-KYC.

Woman Mysteriously Vanishes On Way To Mail Package
http://www.local6.com/news/6443122/detail.html
POSTED: 6:47 pm EST January 25, 2006

Authorities in Orlando, Fla., are searching for a University of Central Florida graduate who did not show up for work Tuesday after she said she was going to mail a package, according to a Local 6 News report.

Investigators said Jennifer Kesse, 24, did not show up for work at Westgate Resorts in Ocoee, Fla., Tuesday morning.

Family and friends are concerned because she can always be reached by phone or by her family. Kesse's family has tried to call her cell phone but calls are immediately sent to voice mail.

"I don't think any mother, father or brother expects to stand in front of a camera and ask a community to help," Kesse's father, Drew, said.

Friends and family of Kesse are going door-to-door with flyers in hopes of generating some leads.

"We always, always hope that in these cases that it is just a matter of somebody just maybe going somewhere to have their own time," Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones said. "And we hope that maybe if she sees this even, she will contact the family and let them know."

Kesse told her friends and family that she was concerned about living alone at her apartment complex.

The woman's apartment complex has a security gate but the family said visitors are not monitored.

Kesse's car is a 2004 black 4-door Chevrolet Malibu with the license tag H90-KYC.

The last person to hear from her was her boyfriend but he does not know where she could have gone.

If you have any information concerning Kesse's whereabouts, you are urged to call Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS.

Missing Woman's Friends, Family Come Together

POSTED: 4:44 pm EST January 26, 2006
UPDATED: 5:26 pm EST January 26, 2006

http://www.wftv.com/news/6472527/detail.html
TIPS: Call Crimeline At 1-800-423-TIPS

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jennifer Kesse's family has been on pins and needles. Her father has been pacing all day as officers look for his daughter. Still, as everything unravels, the family said they believe Jennifer will come home alive.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2003 with a degree in finance. In college, she was well liked and was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Her sorority sisters have helped with the search by passing out flyers and standing by as officers canvass Orlando.

Her friend Kristen Luther is asking everyone to help.

"Please bring her back. If you have her, please bring her back. We would do anything to bring have her back, anything at all," she said.

All of her friends, as well as her family, said the circumstances were unusual. Jennifer had everything going for her. She bought a condo two months ago. She worked at Westgate Properties and had just gotten promoted. Friends said there is no apparent reason why she would have left the area.

Now, Jennifer's father said the only thing left to do is hope that finding his daughter's car will help them find Jennifer.

Jennifer’s relatives and friends have been coming in from all over the country to offer the family support. Many said they were in town to give the family encouragement and to help.

http://www.local6.com/news/6470611/detail.html

Search Continues For Missing Orlando Woman

Girl Vanished On Way To Mail Package

POSTED: 3:26 pm EST January 26, 2006
UPDATED: 6:08 pm EST January 26, 2006

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Officers performed a grid search in a wooded area Thursday afternoon after the car of a missing Orlando woman was found parked at a condominium complex hours earlier, according to police.

Investigators said Jennifer Kesse, 24, did not show up for work at Westgate Resorts in Ocoee, Fla., Tuesday morning.

Family and friends were immediately concerned because Kesse can always be reached by phone or by her family. Kesse's family has tried to call her cell phone, but calls are immediately sent to voice mail.

Thursday, about 15 officers went into a wooded area between where the car was located and where Kesse vanished at the Mosaic at Millenia condominiums.

"As we concluded that search, she was not located in that wooded area," Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones said.

Earlier, Kesse's 2004 Chevrolet Malibu was found abandoned at the corner of Texas and Americana at the Huntington on the Green apartment complex.

Officers responded to the car and did not find a person inside the vehicle, Jones said.

It was not known how long the car was parked at the condo, Local 6 News reported.

Detectives were going door to door asking residents if they had any information about the woman or the car.

Jones did not know if there was any surveillance video in the area where the car was found.

If you have any information concerning Kesse's whereabouts, you are urged to call Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...news-headlines

Police search for clues to woman's disapperance

Bloodhounds set loose after missing woman's car is discovered

Henry Pierson Curtis | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 26, 2006, 8:48 PM EST

The discovery of a missing Orlando's woman car this morning raised hopes that she might still be found alive, three days after she vanished.

By mid-afternoon, Jennifer Kesse's father spoke to more than a dozen TV, radio and newspapers reporters from across Florida before delivering the same message on national TV.

"She's out there. She's strong. She's smart," Drew Kesse said. "Just hang in there. We're close. And we'll get you."

The mystery of her disappearance deepened within an hour of the car's recovery at 8:10 a.m. not far from Kesse residence. Orange County sheriff's bloodhound Bo took a sniff of the driver's seat and pulled handler Sgt. Jeff Brown at a loping pace for a mile.

The scent led straight to the front door of Kesse's home in Mosaic at Millenia, an upscale, gated and fenced condominium complex with 24-hour security on Americana Boulevard.

The trail bypassed the complex's only entrance and led to a stretch of fence separating the public sidewalk from its private grounds. Once the 6-year-old bloodhound entered the grounds, the dog picked up the scent inside the fence and went directly to a staircase leading to Kesse's second-floor condominium.

Orlando police homicide detectives would not speculate on who abandoned Kesse's Chevrolet Malibu near the intersection of Americana and Texas Avenue and then walked or ran back to her home.

"Obviously, we get more concerned as time passes but we certainly are going to keep our hopes up," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, the department spokeswoman.

Missing persons cases are relatively common in Central Florida with more than 3,000 listed at least briefly each year in Orange County alone.

An impromptu search for the 24-year-old financial analyst began Tuesday when she failed to go to work at Central Florida Investments or answer her cell phone.

Extremely responsible since childhood, her uncharacteristic absence alarmed family members in Bradenton and more than a dozen former classmates at the University of Central Florida. By Tuesday night, they began distributing posters asking the public to help find the 5-feet, 8-inch tall, 135-pound blonde with green eyes.

"She's got the whole package. She's just one of those girls you go to for anything," said friend and college roommate Jenny Peppers. "She's got street smarts and book smarts. She's a very bright girl."

The last time anyone heard from Kesse was about 10 p.m. Monday when she called Rob Allen, her boyfriend who lives in Fort Lauderdale, her friends and police said.

Allen, 29, and Kesse met last year when she and several of her friends went to the Tiki Bar, a popular meeting place in downtown Orlando's nightclub district, said Cari McKibben, who roomed with Kesse for five years.

This afternoon, Allen, McKibben, Peppers and about 20 of Kesse's relatives and friends from as far away as Boston gathered at her condominium to wait for news from police. Many were UCF 2003 graduates, who described her with the same terms of determination, intelligence and ambition that had followed her since elementary school in Tampa when she received all A's on her report card.

At Gaither High School in Hillsborough County, where she belonged to the Fellowships of Christian Students, Spanish Honors Society and graduated in 1999, Principal Brenda Grasso told the St. Petersburg Times newspaper, "She left us with a very high GPA. ... What an awful shame.''

Today's investigation in Orlando included searches of storage closets in the 3-story building where she lives and a search of scrub pines and brush at the back of the property. Another search was conducted at Huntington on the Green condominiums, where the missing Chevy Malibu was found parked between a white Dodge pickup and a Jeep Cherokee.

Crime scene technicians picked through a nearby dumpster and photographed a gym-style bag along with several pieces of discarded furniture. Afterwards, Kesse's car was carried away by a flatbed tow truck for a forensic inspection of its interior and body.

Homicide detectives Emmett Browning and Glenn Gause returned to the complex late this afternoon to inspect a security camera system with a view of the spot where Kesse's car had been parked. They did not say if there is film of who abandoned the car.

www.wesh.com/news/6489961/detail.html

Friends, Family Search For Missing Woman

POSTED: 6:13 am EST January 27, 2006
UPDATED: 7:01 am EST January 27, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Friends and family will launch a major search Friday to find An Orlando woman who has been missing for nearly four days.

Police discovered Kesse's car, but that's the last big break, and it happened Thursday morning, WESH 2 News reported.

The search is set to begin at 7:30 a.m., and about 100 of Kesse's friends and family members will gather at the Huntington on the Green condominium complex, where her car was found.

They'll fan out to area intersections to distribute flyers. They're hoping someone might recognize Kesse and pass along some information about her disappearance.

There was a glimmer of hope Thursday when Kesse's car was found about a mile from where she lives. A bloodhound followed a scent from the driver's seat of her car right back to the condominium complex where she lived. An intense search in the nearby woods did not appear to turn up any new clues.

But Kesse's father had an emotional message for his daughter Thursday night, and he remains hopeful.

"Your family and your friends love you. We know you are there. We will find you. We will not stop, and God, we will find you, and just be smart, as we know you are, and be strong, as we know you are," Drew Kesse said.

A family friend said there has been no new activity on Kesse's cell phone, credit cards or her E-Pass. She was reported missing when she failed to show up for her job as a financial analyst Tuesday morning. The last known contact with her was a phone conversation with her boyfriend around 10 p.m. Monday.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...home-headlines

Father asks for help in search for missing daughter

Search for 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse continues into fourth day

Henry Pierson Curtis and Rich McKay | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 27, 2006, 7:27 PM EST

The search for a missing Orlando woman continued today with renewed pleas for the public's vigilance.

Drew Kesse asked that everyone keep an eye out for his 24-year-old daughter, not just in Central Florida but nationwide.

"Even if you're in Kansas or Massachusetts,'' he said, saying even the most seemingly inconsequential tip could help find her. "This is how it works.''

The search for Jennifer Kesse began Tuesday after she did not show up for work. The absence alarmed family and friends, who contacted police saying she wouldn't miss an appointment without notifying someone of her plans.

News coverage of her disappearance led to the discovery of her car Thursday morning, when a TV viewer recognized the black Chevrolet Malibu parked about a mile from Kesse's home at another condominium complex on Americana Boulevard.

Orlando police will not speculate on what happened to Kesse, a financial analyst who graduated from the University of Central Florida.

"We have a lot of work to do and the detectives are working methodically through all the information they have received up to this point to try to find Jennifer," police spokeswoman Sgt. Barbara Jones said this afternoon.

Three detectives are assigned to work on the case through the weekend and others will be called in as needed for fresh leads, according to police.

Jones confirmed that a bloodhound tracked the scent of whoever abandoned Kesse's car back to her home at Mosaic at Millenia, a condominium complex. She declined to say what clues, if any, were found in the car. Investigators are studying video from a surveillance camera for clues, but Jones would not comment on what it shows or where the video was shot.

However, the parking space where the car was recovered at Huntington on the Green condominiums is almost in direct line of sight of a surveillance camera mounted on the complex's pool house.

Kesse's network of family and friends spent today handing out fliers about her disappearance to motorists at intersections.

Posters with a photograph of the 5-feet, 8-inch, 135-pound blonde with green eyes are taped to mailboxes and signs in southwest Orlando and nearby neighborhoods in unincorporated Orange County. Each carries the telephone number of Crimeline at 800-423-8477, a clearinghouse for tips.

At a midday news conference, Drew Kesse spoke directly to his daughter while appealing for the public's help.

"Jennifer, I am going to find you," he said. "You stay (safe), be smart. I will find you.''

http://www.wftv.com/news/6786051/detail.html

Police: New Leads In Search For Missing Woman

POSTED: 12:12 pm EST February 6, 2006
UPDATED: 1:17 pm EST February 6, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando police told Channel 9 they have new leads in the search for a missing Orlando woman. The leads come from tips about a picture of a man police hope can help them crack the case and find Jennifer Kesse.

The image appears to have been taken from the cameras at Huntington on the Green apartments looking toward Texas Avenue. That's one of the reasons Orlando police want to talk to the man, because he may have seen something at the apartment complex where Jennifer's car was found.

Detectives were able to isolate the image and enhance them to get the best look possible of the man they're calling a "person of interest." They still have hours of video tape left to look through after collecting surveillance tapes from neighboring businesses. Now they're hoping for a better picture of the same man to help identify him.

Several leads have already come in and detectives are following up on those Monday.

Jennifer was last seen heading home from work two weeks ago. Her car was found three days after that, but police said the case is far from cold.

"It's staying pretty hot. As long as it stays hot, it's good. We've got some detectives focused on a lot of the very specific parts of it. Then we, obviously, have a sergeant running the search operation. So, as long as the information's coming in and it's a place we can go, we're always excited about it. We'll always be disappointed when something doesn't pan out," said Barbara Jones, Orlando Police Department.

Police said the massive civilian effort in the case has been extremely helpful. Over the weekend, the group Child Watch and Jennifer's family organized 1,000 volunteers to hand out flyers, spread the word and physically search several areas.

http://www.wftv.com/news/6817061/detail.html

Police Search Abandoned Hotel In Hunt For Missing Woman

POSTED: 4:47 pm EST February 7, 2006
UPDATED: 5:15 pm EST February 7, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was two weeks ago Tuesday that police got involved in the search for Jennifer Kesse when the 24-year-old woman didn't show up for work. Police are still following leads and, Tuesday, that included the search of an abandoned hotel on Vineland Road.

So far, the best lead is the surveillance photo of a person of interest. The camera that captured the image is on top of the clubhouse at Huntington on the Green apartments. The person of interest in the video was walking close to where Jennifer's car was found in a parking lot.

For the second day in a row, crime scene investigators used technology and science to learn as much as they could about the man in the pictures, using a laser for direction and distance to measure his height.

"Every time we get a lead, whether a tip, from the news saying, 'Hey, we heard this,' we get excited about it, 'cause we think there may be some hope here," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, Orlando Police Department.

At the abandoned Orlando resort, slated to be demolished, Tuesday a cadaver dog checked all of the rooms along with Orlando officers, but turned up nothing.

"We thought, once again, another isolated hidden area where, if somebody wanted to put something, it was a place we wanted to look at," Jones said.

For Jennifer's family that, too, brings hope. The fact that she hasn't been found in any of the wooded areas, despite a massive number of searches, they believe she's still alive waiting to be rescued.

"There is someone out there that knows something and please, feel, if that was your child or loved one that someone has taken, please just make the call," Jennifer's father, Drew, said.

Jennifer's parents never imagined a search this long, clinging to memories of their daughter within the comfort of her condo.

"The hole in our heart gets bigger, but we have to be strong for Jennifer," Jennifer's mother, Joyce, said.

Jennifer vanished two weeks ago, sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Her family has searched to the point of exhaustion, waiting for the one lead that pans out. The family is planning another massive search effort toward the end of this week.

Last weekend, 1,200 volunteers showed up. Starting this Thursday, they're hoping for even more. They said they would continue until they find Jennifer.

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http://www.local6.com/news/6810971/detail.html

CSI Teams Back At Complex In Search For Woman

'Person Of Interest' Sought

POSTED: 11:58 am EST February 7, 2006
UPDATED: 4:27 pm EST February 7, 2006

Crime scene technicians were back at an Orlando apartment complex Tuesday where a 24-year-old woman's car was found after she mysteriously vanished last month.

Local 6 News has learned that investigators have been focusing on a surveillance camera lodged in a roof of the clubhouse at the Huntington on the Green apartments.

The camera captured several images of a person of interest who may have information about Jennifer Kesse's whereabouts.

Two photos released Saturday show a man walking near a fence around noon last Tuesday after Kesse vanished.

The person was photographed through a gate that surrounds a pool at the complex.

Tuesday, investigators measured the area, including the distance from the gate to the camera. A laser detection device was videotaped being used by at least one officer.

Meanwhile, Kesse's parents sent a message to the person in the surveillance photos.

"You recognize yourself," Kesse's mother Joyce, said. "Come forward, you are a person of interest. You may have the key to the puzzle that is going to bring Jen home. We are begging the community to rack their brains. Study the pictures."

Detectives are looking at surveillance video from other locations as well, Local 6 News has learned.

Web Site Launched

Friday, the family launched a Web site last week to keep Kesse's name and story circulating.

The Web site contains photos, notes from the family and a guest book where visitors can leave messages.

Local 6 News reported that one of the Web site posts was from a concerned citizen in Anchorage, Alaska.

A $115,000 reward is being offered for information about Kesse's whereabouts.

If you have any information, you are urged to call Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS.

New Clue In Search For Missing Woman
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1294800.shtml

ORLANDO, Fla. Feb. 8, 2006
Jennifer Kesse was last seen on Jan. 24, 2006. (CBS/The Early Show)


(CBS) The disappearance of a young Florida woman had police scratching their heads, until a surveillance video tape surfaced that may shed some light on the case.

Jennifer Kesse, 24, has been missing for more than two weeks.

Police say Jennifer vanished shortly after returning from a trip to the Caribbean island of St. Croix with her boyfriend. She was last seen Jan. 24, 2006.

Investigators found her black Chevrolet Malibu at a condominium complex just a mile from her home. That in turn led to what investigators hope may be a big break in the case: surveillance photos of an unidentified person that was seen near Jennifer's abandoned car.

Police are asking the public to help them identify this "person of interest" in the case.

"We are hoping that there will be some there to recognize the clothing or something about it or maybe the time frame where we believe the picture was captured," says Sgt. Barbara Jones of the Orlando Police Department.

More than 1,100 volunteers have been handing out fliers and taking part in the search for Jennifer and, thanks to an anonymous donor, there is a $115,000 reward for any information leading to her return.

Speaking to The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith Wednesday, Jennifer's father, Drew Kesse, described his daughter as a young, "bright, beautiful, intelligent, really driven, focused young lady that we love."

Jennifer had recently moved into a new apartment and had gotten a promotion at her job.

Asked if Jennifer could have had an enemy, her mother Joyce said: "You know, honestly, no. As a matter of fact, so many of us have been trying to find a picture of Jennifer not smiling to put on a poster because, obviously, she would not be smiling right now, and no one — family, friends, her sorority sisters — there are none. That shows you what kind of person she is. You meet her and, really, you want to be her friend."

Jennifer's boyfriend, who had just returned with her from vacation, is not considered a person of interest in the investigation.

"To my knowledge, yes," says Drew Kesse. "I don't think any of us are marked out. But to my knowledge, I believe, yes, he's out of the picture on that."

Jennifer's brother, Logan, hopes someone will recognize something or spot a clue in the surveillance photo.

"To recognize, maybe, the person, the hair, their outfit — if they can make out what the outfit was; it some sort of uniform — or anything like that," he says. "Just to pick out any little thing from the photo, whether it be the hair, the shoes, or male, female, anything, and just, when they are out and about, just look for that little thing they can pick up."

"You know, sometimes you see something and at the time you might dismiss it," says Joyce Kesse. "And we're just really appealing to the public that anybody who has been in the Orlando area Jan. 24, the car was found on Thursday the 26th. Just try to rack your brain and, again, note — nothing is too insignificant. There are so many people that, 'Oh, I don't think it's of importance.' "


If you have information about Jennifer's disappearance, please call 1-800-423-TIPS. Click here for more information about Jennifer Kesse.

New Details Released In Disappearance Of Jennifer Kesse

POSTED: 4:37 pm EST February 10, 2006
UPDATED: 5:31 pm EST February 10, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Late Friday afternoon, Channel 9 confirmed new information about the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. The 24-year-old woman has been missing for more than two and a half weeks.

Police are confirming that Jennifer may have left her home at Mosaic at Millenia on Monday night or Tuesday morning looking for a roadside mailbox to mail a package. They will not say where or whether she made it there, but the package is also missing.

Jennifer's family now confirms her younger brother Logan had stayed at her condo with several of his friends while she was on vacation the weekend before she vanished. Police have had that information from the beginning.

"Absolutely they've looked at them. They've had multiple discussions with them. They will go through the same thing everyone else will go through," said Jennifer's father, Drew.

Channel 9 has also learned one of those friends left a cell phone at Jennifer’s condo and asked her to overnight it. The Monday night or Tuesday morning she disappeared, she may have left her condo looking for a roadside drop box to mail that cell phone. The package is missing and never made it to its destination.

"In the end, the detective believes he'll have a pretty good concept of what may have happened to Jennifer, but we don't know right now and we're gonna keep hope that we find her alive," said Barbara Jones, Orlando Police Department.

The best hope so far is a person of interest captured on a surveillance camera near where Jennifer's car was found. Channel 9 brought the images to expert Dominic Levasseur. He was able to enhance the contrast enough to guess that the person is likely wearing a hat, rather than having a unique hairstyle. He also said the clothing is probably light in color as police first thought.

At the search headquarters, volunteers were calling 1,200 volunteers from last weekend, hoping they'll return to help this weekend.

Family members said 400,000 flyers have gone out so far.

If you'd like to volunteer this weekend, go to the Mall at Millenia between 8:30am and 6:30pm Saturday or Sunday.

http://www.wftv.com/news/6912982/detail.html

www.crimelibrary.com/news/ori...e_missing.html

Jennifer Kesses Family looking for "One Tip"

By Chuck Hustmyre

ORLANDO, Fla. (Crime Library) — Family and friends of an Orlando woman, Jennifer Kesse, who has been missing for more than three weeks say they are confident she is still alive and that all investigators need is a break in the case.

Information from the searches and from a special tip line (1-800-423-8477) has generated hundreds of leads, according to investigators.

"The police are very hot on something," Jennifer's father, Drew Kesse, told Crime Library. "We truly feel she's right here somewhere and she's with us. It's just that we need that one tip."

Person of Interest

The most promising lead so far seems to be a grainy video image of someone investigators are calling a "person of interest" that was taken by a security surveillance camera on the day police believe Kesse disappeared.

The camera caught the image of what appears to be a man wearing a light-colored T-shirt, light—possibly tan—pants, dark shoes, and a cap walking past a metal fence near the swimming pool of the Huntington on the Green condominium complex, the complex where Kesse's car was discovered two days after she disappeared.

Investigators are being tight-lipped about the image, even refusing to confirm whether it is that of a man or a woman and whether the clothing is truly "light colored" or perhaps a bit darker.

"We don't refer to sex or race," said lead investigator Sgt. Rich Ring of the Orlando Police Department. "We want people, when they look at the picture, to call us whether it's a female or a male."

Ring refused to elaborate on the details of what led investigators to believe that the person captured on the video has specific information about the case. "It's an issue of strategy," he said.

Ring also declined to comment on specific evidence seized during the investigation, but he did say, "We do have information being evaluated by the FBI laboratory, as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement."

Investigators do not appear to consider Kesse's boyfriend, who lives about three hours away in Ft. Lauderdale, to be a serious suspect. Two days before she disappeared, Kesse and her boyfriend returned from a vacation on the island of St. Croix.

A family friend, who knows both Jennifer Kesse and her boyfriend, told Crime Library: "I know they're not focusing on him. He was in Ft. Lauderdale at the time and they've accounted for his whereabouts."

Drew Kesse said he spoke to his daughter by telephone for a few minutes Monday night and investigators have said that she spoke to her boyfriend at around 10 p.m. Monday. Drew Kesse said he is sure that Jennifer disappeared on her way to work Tuesday morning, Jan. 24.

Signs left inside Jennifer's condo have led family members to conclude that she spent Monday night at home and got ready for work Tuesday morning. "She was in her Condo all night," Drew Kesse said. "Once she walked out her door is really when the mystery started."

Acting on what they believed to be a very hot lead, members of the Orange County Sheriff's Office SWAT team raided a boarding house Sunday where they believed Jennifer was being held. The officers found six people inside the house but no sign that Jennifer Kesse had ever been there

"They had very credible information," Drew Kesse said. "They thought Jennifer was there but she was not."

Despite the heartbreaking setback, Kesse said he and his family believe that the officers assigned to the case are doing a remarkable job. "We have full trust in the detectives that are running this," he said. Many of them have worked without a day off since his daughter was reported missing. "These guys just don't stop," Kesse added.

One possible scenario that investigators do not appear to be seriously considering is that Jennifer Kesse disappeared voluntarily. Last spring, Jennifer Wilbanks of Georgia, dubbed the "runaway bride," set off a nationwide search when she vanished less than a week before her wedding. After police located her in New Mexico, Wilbanks spun a wild tale about having been kidnapped but later admitted she'd made the whole thing up and had just needed some time alone.

"I would be shocked," Sgt. Rich Ring said, if that turns out to be the situation in this case. "I'm talking about stepping all over my tongue shocked."

Despite the length of time that it's been since Jennifer Kesse disappeared, family, friends, and investigators remain hopeful that she will be found alive.

"It's a very critical point from what I'm being told," Drew Kesse said Tuesday, "and they (the police) hope to have results for us very soon."

Sgt. Ring believes in miracles. "We're going to get to the bottom of it," he said Tuesday. "We're still hoping that it can be a fairy tale ending."

Twenty-four-year-old Jennifer Kesse vanished Jan. 24, apparently after leaving her home in the Mosaic condominium complex in Orlando and heading to her office. When she didn't show up at the investment firm where she works, her co-workers became concerned and notified police.

Kesse's Car

Two days later, Kesse's 2004 black Chevrolet Malibu was found parked at another condominium complex less than a mile from her home.

Over the course of the last three weeks, more than 1,700 hundred volunteers joined police in several exhaustive searches of the area surrounding Kesse's home. Using bloodhounds, helicopters, horses, and four-wheelers, law enforcement officers and volunteers swept everything within a 10-mile radius.

According to a family friend, 60,000 flyers bearing a photograph and information about Kesse have been handed out since she disappeared.

Jennifer Kesse's family has set up a Web site with information about the case at www.jenniferkesse.com.

http://cfn13.com/StoryHeadline.aspx?id=13364

Jennifer Kesse: Day 24

The family of missing 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse is planning to get rid of her car today.

The car was found just a short distance from where the Orlando woman was last seen back on January 23rd. Police have processed it and turned it back over to the family.

In an exclusive one-on-one interview yesterday in the News 13 studios, the family said they can' not even bear to look at it.

A new search for Kesse is planned for this weekend. Interested volunteers can sign up to help at the Florida Mall.

http://www.wftv.com/news/7162648/detail.html
Investigators Collected Clues From Missing Woman's Car

POSTED: 4:42 pm EST February 17, 2006
UPDATED: 4:48 pm EST February 17, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Channel 9 has learned some of the clues investigators might have uncovered from Jennifer Kesse's car. The 24-year-old disappeared almost a month ago.

"Something happened there and that's my daughter, a living being, and she was taken from that car," Jennifer's father, Drew Kesse, said.

He said, even with the splashes of processing fluid used to check for evidence, his daughter Jennifer's car is cleaner than she ever kept it. Detectives likely have most of the items of clutter that used to be there, hoping for clues.

"I'm sure they took everything they possibly could out of it and I hope they pulled something off of something in that car to give them a direction," Drew Kesse said.

Fingerprint dust lines the steering wheel, gear shift, door handles and anything else a suspect might have touched. The seats and floors were likely vacuumed to collect hairs and fibers. Soil tests could show where the mud caked on the bottom of the car came from.

"It's just logical thinking of the technology they have nowadays that they have to have something within the car," Drew Kesse said.

Investigators do know, from Jennifer's credit card bill, that she filled her gas tank in Ft. Lauderdale before driving back to Orlando. She went to work, then home and should have had about half a tank left. That's about what's there now, so her attacker may not have taken the car very far.

"It seems to be right to us, but again we're not the professionals, we're letting them do their job and we're doing what we need to do on our end," Drew Kesse said.

Detectives said any evidence from the car has already been sent to a lab for testing. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement handles fingerprints and DNA. The FBI does trace evidence.

Channel 9 has learned there have been requests to expedite any results in this case.

The Kesse's did have a bit of a let down Friday. They were hoping specific information about the person of interest seen walking near where the car was found would be released Friday. The FBI is still calculating the person's height and show size. Those results won't be ready until Tuesday at the earliest.

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc...GNEWS/60221009

February 21, 2006

Police reveal Kesse 'person of interest' info

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A "person of interest" who may have information concerning the whereabouts of an Orlando woman missing since January is between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-5 inches tall, according to information released today.

Since Jennifer Kesse, 24, disappeared, investigators have continued to believe that a person seen in surveillance photos taken at the Huntington on the Greens apartment complex could offer information in the case.

Last week, Orlando detectives asked the FBI to assist in verifying the person's height and other characteristics from the photos.

Authorities admitted today they were not able to determine as much information as they hoped from the photographs.

Investigators are still not sure if the person is a man or woman and did not know the person's weight or shoe size, Local 6 News reported.

Investigators said they are certain that someone other than Kesse was driving her car around the time of her disappearance.

Evidence taken from the car last week was recently sent to labs, Local 6 News reported.

Detectives issued a warning today to the person who was driving Kesse's car.

"If the person who is responsible for doing this is watching, it is only going to take the smallest piece of evidence," Orlando police Sgt. Richard Ring said. "One little piece of evidence. DNA is not visible to the naked eye and other pieces of evidence are not visible to the naked eye. And, when you walk and you move throughout the planet, you leave traces of yourself everywhere you go."

A $115,000 reward is being offered for information about Kesse's whereabouts.

If you have any information, you are urged to call Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS.

http://cfn13.com/StoryHeadline.aspx?id=13484
Orlando Police say they're convinced Jennifer Kesse was abducted.

They think her car may be the key to breaking the case wide open. Yesterday for the first time detectives called Kesse's car a crime scene.

The 24-year-old hasn't been seen in a month and investigators say they need to know if anyone saw someone else besides the 24-year-old behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, with the help of the FBI we now know more about the person of interest in this surveillance video taken near where Kesse's car was found late last month.

Investigators say the person is between 5’3” and 5’5”but what we don't know is if the person is a man or a woman.

Police have said they want to talk to this person hoping they saw something that could help in the case.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...a-news-florida

FBI analyzes video in Kesse case

The 'person of interest' is 5-feet-3 to 5-feet-5, but little else is revealed.

Willoughby Mariano
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 22 2006

Investigators in the case of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse released the height Tuesday of a "person of interest" who appears in surveillance video near the parking lot where her car was abandoned.

The mystery figure is 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation analysis, homicide Sgt. Richard Ring said.

Ring released no other information about the person, who was captured on camera at Huntington on the Green condominiums, where the car was found, on Jan. 24, the day Kesse was reported missing. The location is not far from Kesse's home.

The person could be a man or a woman, Ring emphasized. "We don't want people to -- just based on height -- to jump off on whether we're looking at a male or female," he said.

Evidence shows that someone other than Kesse drove her four-door 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, he said. Ring would not say what that evidence is.

Jennifer Kesse's parents said that they have been waiting about 11 days for the release of the physical description. They had hoped for more.

"I think we were expecting weight and shoe size, but we'll take it," Drew Kesse said.

"The video was grainy. Unfortunately, technology is not CSI and Law and Order," Joyce Kesse said.

Ring's announcement came soon after the four-week anniversary of Kesse's disappearance. Kesse was last heard from Jan. 23 at 10 p.m., when she spoke to her boyfriend.

She failed to appear for her job as a financial analyst the next day.

No one has used Kesse's credit card or cell phone since, Ring said.

The case is generating a wave of local and national media attention and intense speculation. Detectives have received more than 1,000 tips and followed more than 70 leads.

Early on, police investigated the possibility Kesse's friends and family are involved in her disappearance, but the focus of their investigation has since moved away from them.

"We believe this is an abduction at this point," Ring said.

As time wears on, police have to devote resources to other investigations, Ring said.

"It's a fact of doing police business," he said.