Podcast Summary: Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore

Episode: Introducing: The Final Hours with Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole
Date: February 25, 2026
Focus: In-depth feature of "The Final Hours" and its debut episode, which investigates the 2006 disappearance of Jennifer Kesse.

Overview of the Episode

This episode of Clues serves as a double introduction:

• Hosts Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore introduce listeners to "The Final Hours," a new Crime House original podcast hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole.
• The debut episode of "The Final Hours" is played in full, with Sarah and Courtney dissecting the final moments before Jennifer Kesse vanished, highlighting the critical—but often overlooked—details that can shape a criminal investigation.
• The podcast focuses on "micro-analyzing" the final hours before disappearances, drawing from the hosts' own lived experiences with crime and advocacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Philosophy Behind "The Final Hours"

• Victim Advocacy and Personal Connection:
  Both Sarah Turney (whose own sister disappeared) and Courtney Nicole (whose family was affected by crime) emphasize their drive to explore cases empathetically and thoroughly.

  "[...] the truth often lives in the smallest details. [...] After my sister disappeared, I learned how those final hours, the last conversations, the last decisions can haunt families forever."
  – Sarah Turney (00:01)

• Focus on Last Moments:
  The show's premise hinges on the belief that the most crucial answers often exist not in what happened after someone vanishes, but in the overlooked routine moments before.

  "Each episode of the Final Hours examines the moments just before a person disappears [...] Every disappearance has a moment when everything still feels normal. [...] Until it doesn't."
  – Kaylin (Host of Clues, 00:53)

2. The Case of Jennifer Kesse

Background and Timeline

• Jennifer Kesse, 24, disappeared in Orlando, FL on January 24, 2006, after returning from a vacation with her boyfriend.
• Known for her meticulous attention to personal safety and independence, Jennifer was living alone in a newly built, but not entirely finished, condo complex that saw frequent comings and goings of construction workers.

The Timeline (Key Moments)

• Morning of Disappearance (Jan 24, 2006):
  Jennifer follows her usual routine—shower, makeup, selecting work clothes (16:29–17:41). She collects her friend's phone to mail back, grabs her bag, and leaves for work.

  "Jennifer lays out a few different outfits on her bed and chooses one for work. Then she turns on the shower and hops in, going through that same autopilot routine we all do afterward...[...] She tosses her damp towel on the bed."
  – Sarah Turney (16:29)

• Deviation Noted:
  "It's stories exactly like Jennifer's that really make us realize that you're never guaranteed any moment in life."
  – Courtney Nicole (17:41)

• Immediate Aftermath:
  Jennifer fails to call her boyfriend Rob at the usual time (18:56). Both boyfriend and coworkers grow concerned quickly; Jennifer's family rushes to her apartment after being contacted by her employer (19:52).
  Her apartment is found neat and undisturbed—her bag, keys, and car are all missing, leading to initial confusion and delayed police action (20:16–21:25).

3. Investigation and Early Missteps

• Police Response:
  Law enforcement initially downplays the seriousness, influenced by the knowledge of a disagreement between Jennifer and Rob the night before. They speculate she left voluntarily, losing precious investigative time (21:09–22:27).

• Family's Immediate Action:
  The Kesses begin their own investigation—questioning construction workers and distributing flyers—while urging police to act more quickly.

4. Key Evidence & Theories

Vehicle and Surveillance Video

• Jennifer's Chevrolet Malibu found abandoned at a nearby complex two days later. Security video captures a short man in a light-colored uniform leaving the car (03:18, 26:46). However, footage only cycles every few seconds, always obscuring the individual's face due to a gate post, even after NASA attempts to enhance it (26:46–28:08).

  "Because of that, the driver's face, the suspect's face is always blurred or blocked by the fence..."
  – Courtney Nicole (03:18) "They turned to NASA to see if they could improve the quality of the video. But as it turns out, this is a problem even NASA can't solve."
  – Sarah Turney (26:46)

• Possible Struggle:
  Palm prints and possible drag marks on the car hood suggest a struggle. Her personal belongings (phone, briefcase) never recovered (24:28).

Construction Workers as Suspects

• The complex was under construction, with unvetted laborers moving freely. Reports of women being harassed, stalked, or finding evidence of unauthorized entry increase suspicion (32:43).

  "Police hear a few more... unsettling details, like the fact that many of the workers slept in the unoccupied condos overnight after their shifts [...] women said they were harassed..."
  – Courtney Nicole (32:43)

• Possible Human Trafficking Angle:
  Given the context and lack of evidence, abduction for human trafficking is discussed, though it's left an open question.

The "Chino" Lead

• A maintenance worker named Chino (w/ keys to all units, prior suspicion) becomes a focus, but is ruled out due to height and polygraph results (37:24–38:59).

5. Failures and the Family’s Fight for Answers

• Lack of Police Progress & Lawsuit:
  By the mid-2010s, the case stagnates. The Kesses file a lawsuit to access all police files, becoming the first Americans to successfully do so in a still-open case, but only after paying over $18,000 (39:24–41:02).

  "I was stunned when we found out they were the first to sue for these documents and win..."
  – Sarah Turney (41:02)

• Effect of Access to Files:
  Relatives found crucial, previously ignored leads—including a tip about carpet disposed of in a nearby lake (43:11–43:34).

• On Family Involvement:

  "It helps the case, too. Like when I got my sister's case file for the first time...it sparked new memories..."
  – Sarah Turney (42:40)

6. Critical Reflections on Law Enforcement and Forensics

• Delay in Classifying as Missing Person/Cold Case:
  The family's appeals to include Jennifer's case in cold case programs were resisted by Orlando PD, stymieing progress and resource allocation (38:59).

• Technological Advances:
  The narrative ends on optimism for modern DNA testing and genetic genealogy (45:08), bolstered by previously untested DNA in Jennifer's file (43:50).

  "Nowadays we have things like genetic genealogy, which can link DNA profiles to potential relatives or suspects through public databases..."
  – Courtney Nicole (45:08)

7. Human Toll and Legacy

• The persistence of the Kesse family is highlighted as both inspirational and a criticism of the system's inertia.
• Jennifer’s routine, aspirations, relationships, and careful nature are revisited to humanize her—the "wet towel on the bed" becomes a symbol of interrupted normalcy, eliciting empathy for listeners (18:29).
• The final segment summarizes Jennifer's details and how listeners can help (47:04–47:50).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Revisiting Last Conversations:
  "You always imagine the last time you see somebody that you’re going to have these amazing words of affirmation...and that's just not reality...you just never want to have that be the last thing you say to someone."
  – Sarah Turney (11:51)

• On Reporting Missing Persons:
  "There's actually no legal requirement that says you have to wait 24 to 48 hours to file a missing persons report. If you think something is wrong, it probably is. And speak with police immediately. Don't wait."
  – Courtney Nicole (22:03)

• On Surveillance Footage:
  "Because of that, the driver's face, the suspect's face is always blurred or blocked by the fence."
  – Courtney Nicole (03:18)

• On Regret and Reflection:
  "I know from firsthand experience that you go back and you think about those last moments and you overanalyze and ... you always wish that you did more, you said more, and especially loved them more."
  – Sarah Turney (12:13)

• On Family’s Fight for Answers:
  "Let the family look at it. It's just another pair of eyes. I mean, usually multiple pairs of eyes from someone who knew this person best."
  – Sarah Turney (40:43)

Timeline & Timestamps of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:01 | Sarah & Courtney introduce themselves and "The Final Hours" | | 00:53 | Kaylin (from Clues) introduces Jennifer Kesse’s case preview | | 02:42 | Start of "The Final Hours"—Jennifer Kesse timeline begins | | 07:21 | In-depth background on Jennifer’s life and routines | | 11:32 | Discussion of Jennifer & Rob’s last phone call | | 16:29 | Detailed recap of Jennifer’s morning routine | | 19:52 | Family rushes to Jennifer’s apartment after concern | | 21:25 | Police’s initial dismissive attitude | | 24:12 | Car is found, evidence details emerge | | 26:46 | Surveillance video described, NASA attempts enhancement | | 32:43 | Issues at condo complex: construction workers, possible threats| | 34:43 | Human trafficking theory introduced | | 37:24 | Focus shifts to suspect Chino and subsequent dead ends | | 39:24 | Family sues for case files, discovers investigative neglect | | 43:11 | Discovery about rolled up carpet tip and missed lead | | 43:50 | News of untested DNA found in case file | | 45:08 | Advances in forensic technology and genetic genealogy | | 47:04 | Recap of Jennifer’s physical details and plea for tips |

Closing Thoughts

"The Final Hours" distinguishes itself by giving voice to the lived experience of victim families, anchoring each discussion in both empathy and factual rigor. The Jennifer Kesse case, as presented, is not just a chronicle of procedural missteps—it's a meditation on the haunting weight of small details, the devastation of uncertainty, and the enduring need for community advocacy.

If you have any information on Jennifer Kesse, listeners are urged to contact the Find Jennifer Kesse Facebook page or their local FBI office.