IL IL - Jesse Ross, 20, Chicago, 21 Nov 2006

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I just saw this case on Beth Holloway's Vanished. I never heard of it before. I did some research. Just some thoughts. Jesse's dad said Jesse had over $400 in cash on him. His mom told Jesse it was too much to take and suggested just $150, according to Jesse's dad. Jesse still took the higher amount of cash with him. I think someone close to Jesse at the mock UN meeting saw him with the money wad. I believe Jesse made it back to his hotel room that night, and either interrupted someone taking his money, or he actually went to bed and awoke to see someone taking his money. JMO. I feel for his family. So maddening all these years later and no answers. I would like to know if there was any surveillance footage of Jesse going into his hotel when he left the UN meeting. Does anyone know? Probably not, as we would have heard about it by now.
 
fullmoon said:
I just saw this case on Beth Holloway's Vanished. I never heard of it before. I did some research. Just some thoughts. Jesse's dad said Jesse had over $400 in cash on him. His mom told Jesse it was too much to take and suggested just $150, according to Jesse's dad. Jesse still took the higher amount of cash with him. I think someone close to Jesse at the mock UN meeting saw him with the money wad. I believe Jesse made it back to his hotel room that night, and either interrupted someone taking his money, or he actually went to bed and awoke to see someone taking his money. JMO. I feel for his family. So maddening all these years later and no answers. I would like to know if there was any surveillance footage of Jesse going into his hotel when he left the UN meeting. Does anyone know? Probably not, as we would have heard about it by now.
Click to expand...
He may have been killed for his wad of money, but I wouldn't assume that his hotel room was the crime scene. I think that there would have been some evidence of that. If he was murdered, it's more likely that he was followed and killed outdoors.
 
Cook County sheriff restarts search for longtime missing persons

A team of three detectives will be dedicated to working the cases, and the list compiled by investigators using the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database, has been posted to a website, www.cookcountysheriff.org/person/. People with information about any of the missing persons can contact the sheriff’s office at (773) 674-9490 or email CCSO.MissingPersons@CCSheriff.org.

Detectives will focus on any cases more than three years old, with a focus on individuals who have disappeared in the past 10 to 15 years, Dart said.
 
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03378499-71be-46f7-bdcd-29ed2ef170ba-large36x25_Jesse1.jpg

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Sept 30 2021 by Elise Person
Parents of missing child speak out about heightened awareness of missing persons
''Don and Donna Ross’ son, Jesse, was 19 years old when he disappeared at a Model United Nations conference in Chicago. Still today, the Ross’ have no leads as to what happened to their son that fateful day in November.

“Oh Jesse, he was a busy boy. He was involved in school, and sports, and track,” Donna Ross said.

The Ross’ said the national coverage of the Gabby Petito case should wake Americans up to something that can quite literally happen to anyone.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there are a total of 1,245 active missing people in the state of Missouri. Since 2017, an average of about 11,650 people are reported missing in Missouri alone each year.''

''The Ross’ said they understand it’s sometimes difficult for people who don't have missing loved ones to have the same awareness as those who do. However, the Ross’ emphasized this can happen to anyone and highlighted the importance of being aware.

“I would say that people need to be more and more aware that this is an epidemic,” Don Ross said. “And they might not be that aware of what's going on but the day you go to pick up a child or visit an elderly relative and no one’s there, That's the day you become all too aware.”

Learn more about how you can further educate yourself on missing person cases or become more involved in helping families with a missing loved one here.''
 
Time for another search of the river?
2019 re post rbbm.
https://www.investigationdiscovery....se-ross-went-missing-from-model-UN-conference
''Don Ross, Jesse’s father, said that Jesse joined the others for the sudden session and, at around 2:30 A.M., they decided to take a break. Jesse then reportedly stepped out a back door, which allegedly led to a “shortcut” that the students said they’d been using.''
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Jesse Ross on Sheraton security video [Chicago Police Department]

''The next morning, as the participants were getting ready to head home, Jesse was nowhere to be found.

The Chicago Police Department reportedly flew into action quickly, employing helicopters, cadaver dogs, and divers to search the surrounding areas. Authorities also checked all available security footage and allegedly turned up nothing.'

''One police theory, cited by Don Ross on The Missing, is that Jesse had been drinking, wandered over near the Chicago River, and accidentally toppled into it. Still, no body has ever been recovered, nor have any of Jesse’s personal items. His disappearance remains a total mystery.
Jesse's family believes that it's a possibility that after he left the meeting room, he went out into the city with his CDs of music mixes, looking for some sort of opportunity.''

2020
Jesse Ross - Disappeared
"In the predawn hours, Ross was seen by a surveillance camera in the hotel lobby at about 2:30 am. None of the hotel surveillance footage captured Jesse leaving the hotel, but a staff door on the south side that was out of range of cameras could be used by conference-goers.

He didn’t appear to be intoxicated at the time and was presumably believed to be headed toward the hotel where he was staying, about a half-mile away northwest of the Sheraton Towers. The well-lit short route between both hotels covered by surveillance cameras failed to record Jesse walking to his hotel.

He never made it to his hotel, and has not been seen nor heard from again.''

''The Chicago River was in the opposite direction of the hotel where he was staying, so that would explain why surveillance cameras failed to record Jesse walking to his hotel.

Authorities conducted an extensive search in both hotels and its neighborhood, collected videos, interviewed the hotel staff and sent multiple divers in the Chicago River, but none brought up any clues. The pedestrian esplanade along the river also had a four-foot tall iron security barrier.

Ralph Parker, a friend of Jesse who was present at the meeting was interviewed by the police. He confirmed Jesse had been drinking but did not appear intoxicated and left at 2:00 am, stating he needed a break''
 
Sorry to say I've never heard of this case even though I'm from the area.

A few things jump out at me but keep in mind I was a teenager during the time when Jesse went missing, so maybe things were different then.

1) I'm glad the emergency meeting was explained because it did seemed weird that they would have it at such an odd hour. Despite the reasoning making sense (that politics happen at any hour), what still DOESN'T make sense is having these young adults walk a major city streets to go back to their hotels at 2-3am. I'd get it if everyone was staying in the hotel and they didn't have to go outside, but since some of them did (like Jesse) so it just seems like a safety concern at that hour.

2) Despite what some people may think about the city, Chicago on the whole is more of a family-friendly town, definitely not a Vegas type town that "never sleeps." Chicago does sleep, particularly downtown Chicago. There aren't many (any?) clubs or raves there. It's mostly a business district with restaurants. Even the pubs close promptly at 9pm. Oh don't worry, we definitely party it up on the weekends when the pubs don't shut down until 10pm! Wooo! Point being that at 2am, downtown Chicago is virtually a ghost town. I can't tell you how many times I've finished watching a show at the theater and was dying for something to eat and had to go into the Union Station McDonalds because it was the only thing open at 10pm in downtown except the corner Walgreens. The people moseying about at that time are usually trying to get to the train stations or catch a taxi home. Not to say Chicago doesn't have raves or parties at all during that time, but you'd have to catch a ride into the farther out neighborhoods for that, if you can find it and know where to go. So something like this stood out to me:

dotr said:
Jesse's family believes that it's a possibility that after he left the meeting room, he went out into the city with his CDs of music mixes, looking for some sort of opportunity.''
Click to expand...

Where was he looking for this opportunity and with who in downtown Chicago at 2:30am? Was he hoping to just stumble across someone or stumble across a party? He'd be wandering around for a long time and would most likely not find anything. Or did he already have someone he was talking to who was going to pick him up and take him somewhere?

(Sorry I'm making Chicago sound really boring, I promise you it's not! We're just a "have fun during the day, sleep at night" type of city!)

3) That hotel is literally right next to the river but as that article said, with huge barriers up so you can't really fall into the river easily. But maybe if he was goofing around, trying to climb up the barriers....it's not like anyone would be out and about at that time of night to see him fall if he did....
 
Gloomy Bear said:
2) Despite what some people may think about the city, Chicago on the whole is more of a family-friendly town, definitely not a Vegas type town that "never sleeps." Chicago does sleep, particularly downtown Chicago. There aren't many (any?) clubs or raves there. It's mostly a business district with restaurants. Even the pubs close promptly at 9pm. Oh don't worry, we definitely party it up on the weekends when the pubs don't shut down until 10pm! Wooo! Point being that at 2am, downtown Chicago is virtually a ghost town. I can't tell you how many times I've finished watching a show at the theater and was dying for something to eat and had to go into the Union Station McDonalds because it was the only thing open at 10pm in downtown except the corner Walgreens. The people moseying about at that time are usually trying to get to the train stations or catch a taxi home. Not to say Chicago doesn't have raves or parties at all during that time, but you'd have to catch a ride into the farther out neighborhoods for that, if you can find it and know where to go.
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Snipped.

I tend to agree. The last time I was in Chicago late at night (after arriving on a late train), the downtown area was basically a ghost town. The only person I ran into was a homeless guy who was hanging around the train station and wanted to sell me some sort of newspaper. Nothing was open.
 
Gloomy Bear said:
Sorry to say I've never heard of this case even though I'm from the area.

A few things jump out at me but keep in mind I was a teenager during the time when Jesse went missing, so maybe things were different then.

1) I'm glad the emergency meeting was explained because it did seemed weird that they would have it at such an odd hour. Despite the reasoning making sense (that politics happen at any hour), what still DOESN'T make sense is having these young adults walk a major city streets to go back to their hotels at 2-3am. I'd get it if everyone was staying in the hotel and they didn't have to go outside, but since some of them did (like Jesse) so it just seems like a safety concern at that hour.

2) Despite what some people may think about the city, Chicago on the whole is more of a family-friendly town, definitely not a Vegas type town that "never sleeps." Chicago does sleep, particularly downtown Chicago. There aren't many (any?) clubs or raves there. It's mostly a business district with restaurants. Even the pubs close promptly at 9pm. Oh don't worry, we definitely party it up on the weekends when the pubs don't shut down until 10pm! Wooo! Point being that at 2am, downtown Chicago is virtually a ghost town. I can't tell you how many times I've finished watching a show at the theater and was dying for something to eat and had to go into the Union Station McDonalds because it was the only thing open at 10pm in downtown except the corner Walgreens. The people moseying about at that time are usually trying to get to the train stations or catch a taxi home. Not to say Chicago doesn't have raves or parties at all during that time, but you'd have to catch a ride into the farther out neighborhoods for that, if you can find it and know where to go. So something like this stood out to me:



Where was he looking for this opportunity and with who in downtown Chicago at 2:30am? Was he hoping to just stumble across someone or stumble across a party? He'd be wandering around for a long time and would most likely not find anything. Or did he already have someone he was talking to who was going to pick him up and take him somewhere?

(Sorry I'm making Chicago sound really boring, I promise you it's not! We're just a "have fun during the day, sleep at night" type of city!)

3) That hotel is literally right next to the river but as that article said, with huge barriers up so you can't really fall into the river easily. But maybe if he was goofing around, trying to climb up the barriers....it's not like anyone would be out and about at that time of night to see him fall if he did....
Click to expand...

I agree. I lived in Chicago most of my life and most of the late night partying happened up north near the cubs stadium (wrigleyville) or the boys town area. Those bars would stay open til 4am. Downtown clubs usually closed around 2am and there were only a few
 
Sorry if I missed this in the forum but I recall the podcast stating the friend Jesse stayed in a room with at the hotel stated he always noticed Jesse previously leaving the conference building through some back stairs into a parking lot area, which probably was not caught on camera, (though it seems odd to me there would not be any cameras there), so he likely left the same way that early morning. I don't recall the police stating anywhere they thoroughly checked this area. Given the cold temperatures that night, I find it hard to believe there would be weirdos hanging outside in hidden dark areas waiting to stab someone instead of staying inside somewhere, but I am wondering if there was something shady going on in the parking garage and Jesse was in the wrong place at the wrong time? He could have easily been taken against his will in a car by someone. Police keep seem to be focusing on looking in the river
 
ekardh said:
Getting drunk and falling into the lake still sounds like the most plausible explanation to me.
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I don't believe he was close enough to the lake for that to be the case, and access to it isn't exactly simple. The river seems very plausible to me- it was right there, and I know some article mentions a 'fence' but it is pretty easy to access in that neighborhood. Bodies from the lake tend to wash up fairly quickly, certainly after this long. The Chicago River flows into the Des Plaines river and then eventually the Mississippi, so it is possible that he did end up there but is not there any longer.
 
orangesandapples said:
I don't believe he was close enough to the lake for that to be the case, and access to it isn't exactly simple. The river seems very plausible to me- it was right there, and I know some article mentions a 'fence' but it is pretty easy to access in that neighborhood. Bodies from the lake tend to wash up fairly quickly, certainly after this long. The Chicago River flows into the Des Plaines river and then eventually the Mississippi, so it is possible that he did end up there but is not there any longer.
Click to expand...
Precisely. If he went for a midnight stroll along the river, it would have been very easy for him to fall in if he got close to the water.

I don't know what fence people are talking about, but the last time I was in that part of Chicago, there were certainly places where the river was easily accessible. The fence could be something new (if there even is a fence). I don't remember ever seeing anything that I would call a fence, and I used to have a job that took me to downtown Chicago from time to time. In 2006 I was still traveling there semi-regularly. Maybe by fence they mean a very short wall or balustrade that wouldn't even stop a determined toddler?
 
orangesandapples said:
I don't believe he was close enough to the lake for that to be the case, and access to it isn't exactly simple. The river seems very plausible to me- it was right there, and I know some article mentions a 'fence' but it is pretty easy to access in that neighborhood. Bodies from the lake tend to wash up fairly quickly, certainly after this long. The Chicago River flows into the Des Plaines river and then eventually the Mississippi, so it is possible that he did end up there but is not there any longer.
Click to expand...
I understand that investigators considered the possibility Jesse may have ended up in Lake Michigan but it was ultimately ruled out because the floodgates were locked.

The curious thing about the river theory is that Jesse should've been captured on surveillance camera if he took the exit that led to the river, whereas the only route from the hotel that wasn't surveilled was one that went away from the river. The fact that Jesse wasn't picked up on camera suggests that he took this exit. Unless he went back on himself, but in that case, how did he evade the security cameras?
 
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