322. The Murder Salon - The Death of Joleen Cummings

Summary

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Murder With My Husband – Episode 322: "The Murder Salon - The Death of Joleen Cummings"

Podcast Host: Peyton Moreland (A) & Garrett Moreland (B)
Release Date: May 25, 2026

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Overview

This episode dives into the chilling disappearance and murder of hairstylist Joleen Cummings in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The investigation uncovers a tangled web involving multiple suspects, a mysterious coworker with a false identity, and a strikingly calculated crime. Peyton and Garrett guide listeners through the events, highlighting the unnerving psychology behind the perpetrator and the lasting impact on those left behind.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Joleen's Life and Community

• Joleen Cummings: 34-year-old mother, beloved hairstylist at Tangles Hair Salon in Fernandina Beach, FL. Known for her warmth, community ties, and close family life ([05:21]).
• Family Dynamics: Married to Jason Cummings, later divorced, amicable co-parenting. Joleen had three children.
• Professional Life: Built a strong client base at her salon, described as a "therapist" figure to her clients ([07:11]):

  "As many of us know, hairdressers can quickly feel like therapists or close friends... they're like off-duty therapists or they're a therapist and a hairstylist." – Peyton ([07:11])

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2. The Disappearance

• Timeline:
  • May 12 (Mother’s Day weekend, 2018): Joleen works a full shift, planning to get her kids afterward ([10:40]).
  • Fails to show up to meet her ex-husband; family begins to worry.
  • May 14: Missing person report filed after Joleen has been unreachable ([12:15]).
• Police Response:
  • Immediate concern; search initiated due to out-of-character disappearance.
  • Joleen’s house found in disarray—“more than alarming,” with evidence of a struggle ([12:46]).

  "Items have been knocked off tables and onto the floor inside. Cabinets are ripped off their hinges. Holes have been just punched through walls. There is clearly evidence of... a fight." – Peyton ([12:51])

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3. Initial Suspects and Dead Ends

• Ex-husband, Jason Cummings:
  • Questioned; provides an alibi (with kids and parents). Not a suspect after verification.
• Joleen’s Boyfriend, Jason G:
  • Criminal record and recent domestic disturbance with Joleen. Alibi checked: wasn’t near her at time of disappearance ([19:27]).
  • Booked for probation violation but cleared as a suspect.
• Quote:

  "With both Jason's now crossed off their list, police are back to square one." – Peyton ([21:09])

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4. The New Coworker: Jennifer Seibert

• Background:
  • Worked only months at Tangles, “cagey” and closed-off. Only she and Joleen worked together the day Joleen vanished ([22:46]).
  • Behavior after disappearance: arrives to work, sees police, abruptly quits via text, refuses to return to the salon ([23:35]).

  "As soon as she sees that detectives are there interviewing coworkers, she immediately gets back in her car and doesn't come inside. ...Jennifer texts her boss at the salon: 'Hey, I quit.'" – Peyton ([23:35])

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5. Turning Points in the Investigation

• Discovery of Joleen's Car ([25:41]):

  • Found seven miles from the salon in a parking lot, days after her disappearance.
  • Surveillance footage: Not Joleen, but Jennifer seen leaving the vehicle in the early hours ([26:04]).
  • Jennifer appears nervous, covered in scratches, and pays for a cab to return to a location near the salon.

• More Alarming Clues:

  • Police trace Jennifer to a fake address, uncover her odd and secretive behavior at previous jobs.
  • Tensions between Joleen and Jennifer. Witnesses recall:

  "Jolene was apparently suspicious... She told one coworker that Jennifer was, 'not the person that she says she is.'" – Peyton ([28:51])

• Crime Scene Revelation:

  • Luminol tests reveal the salon covered in diluted blood, verifying the crime took place there ([30:42]).
  • Salon dumpster footage: Jennifer disposing of a large trash bag.

• Forensic Breakthroughs:

  • Storage unit registered to Jennifer contains bloodied items, a pair of scissors, and a fingernail (later confirmed to belong to Joleen) ([32:44]).

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6. Unmasking the Killer

• The Arrest ([36:48]):
  • Jennifer located hiding in her car, covered in fresh injuries (scratches, bald spot). Claims she "crashed her bike" into a tree ([37:12]).
  • Initially charged with grand theft auto.
• Identity Bombshell ([38:40]):
  • During police interrogation, Jennifer admits, "my name isn't actually Jennifer Cybert. ...I'm ready to go back to being myself: Kimberly Lee Kessler" ([39:20]).
  • Authorities discover 18 different aliases; Kimberly stole the identity of a deceased girl from her hometown ([39:57]).

  "This woman has been using 18 different aliases. She has lived in 30 different cities across 14 states." – Peyton ([39:41])

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7. Evidence of Premeditation

• Damning Digital Trail ([41:31]):
  • Prior to the murder, Kimberly (Jennifer) searched: “how to tie a tourniquet,” “how to inject someone,” “co-worker guilty of murder,” “missing person body not found,” “how long does it take for a body to decay,” and “how to dismember a body.”
  • After Joleen disappeared, Kimberly searched "Jolene Cummings, no body, no crime" and Joleen's name 457 times in two days ([42:56]).
  • Purchases before disappearance: zip ties, trash bags, electric knife, ammonia ([43:25]).

  "It's becoming abundantly clear that this wasn't just like a fight at the salon that day. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision. This murder was carefully orchestrated and intentional." – Peyton ([43:43])

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8. Arrest, Trial, and Aftermath

• No Body, But Enough Evidence:

  • Blood DNA matches prove Joleen was killed, despite lack of a body. Kimberly charged with first-degree murder ([44:09]).
  • Kimberly exhibits disturbing behavior in custody: hunger strikes, naked rampages, smearing feces, suicide watch ([44:47]), leading to initial ruling of mental incompetence.

• Trial:

  • Ultimately declared competent. Trial proceeds; Kimberly behaves erratically, sometimes participating remotely ([45:42]).
  • Verdict: guilty of first-degree murder and grand theft auto; sentenced to life without parole ([45:48]).
  • Motive theorized: Joleen was close to uncovering Kimberly’s real identity, triggering the murder ([44:32]).

• Aftermath for Family:

  • Joleen’s family and ex-husband forced to move; left with only a memorial bench as her body was never found.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Small Talk, Salons & Trust:

  "It's human nature to want deeper connections... When you see those people day in and day out, like coworkers... Some work hard to keep their stories close to the vest and are willing to do anything to keep the world from knowing too much about them. And I mean anything." – Peyton ([05:21])

• On Jennifer/ Kimberly’s Life of Lies:

  "This woman has been using 18 different aliases. She has lived in 30 different cities across 14 states... She kept [ID cards for those aliases]." – Peyton ([39:41])

• On Digital Evidence:

  "She googled... 'how long does it take for a body to decay?' and 'how to dismember a body.'... And then after Jolene went missing, she searched for Jolene's name 457 times in two days." – Peyton ([42:22])

• On Justice and Closure:

  "Unless Kimberly Kessler is ready to say what actually happened... we might not ever see that reality. And that is the case of Jolene Cummings." – Peyton ([46:30])

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction of Case: [05:21]
• Background on Joleen: [06:05] – [08:32]
• Marriage, Divorce & Co-Parenting: [09:44]
• Disappearance Details: [10:40] – [12:46]
• Initial Suspects & Alibis: [13:45] – [21:09]
• Introduction of Jennifer Seibert: [22:17]
• Jennifer’s Suspicious Behavior: [23:35]
• Discovery of Joleen’s Car & Surveillance Footage: [25:41] – [26:29]
• Forensic Evidence at Salon: [29:48] – [31:42]
• Jennifer’s Arrest & Unveiling Her Identity: [36:48] – [39:57]
• Digital Evidence & Premeditation: [41:31] – [43:43]
• Charges and Trial Process: [44:09] – [45:48]
• Closing Reflections: [46:30]

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Tone & Host Dynamic

• Conversational banter between Peyton (crime enthusiast, detailed) and Garrett (more casual, skeptical—"people are so stupid" ([23:54]), "that's crazy" ([35:37])).
• Frequent asides and casual jokes lighten the dark subject matter, e.g., debating the relative merits of desserts ([04:45]).

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Summary

This episode meticulously dissects the disappearance and murder of Joleen Cummings, exploring the trust and intimacy we extend to those close to us—and the dangers of those who guard their secrets too closely. With rich commentary, forensic details, and unflinching honesty, Peyton and Garrett illuminate both the horror of the crime and the resilience of those determined to seek justice.

Transcript

[A]

Jumping into an ad. It is Shopify. Like, if you've listened to this podcast, you've probably heard us talk about Shopify and our advertisements for Shopify, because I've been using them for years. It's actually crazy. I think it might be one of the products I've used the longest out of anything. I wouldn't say I'm a Shopify expert, but maybe I love Shopify. Anyone who's starting a business needs to check out Shopify. It is so useful, intuitive, easy to use. If you sell anything online, you need to check it out.

[B]

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[B]

hey friends, this sale's for you. The DSW friends and family event is on. DSW VIP members get 25%, almost everything in stores and online for a limited time. Don't miss out. This only happens twice a year. Not a vip. You're still family to us. Join for free to get in on the savings. Plus VIPs always get free shipping on anything. Save on must own shoes Today when you shop the DSW friends and family event at your DSW store or DSW.com you're listening to an Ono media podcast. Hey everybody, welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[A]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[B]

And he's the husband.

[A]

I'm the husband. Welcome back. Another Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Depending on when you are listening. Thank you for being here. Thank you for watching. Thank you for supporting. And I guess it's officially summer. Kinda.

[B]

Kinda. Yeah. School's out by us. Yeah, G and I are out of school for the summer. Except Gary. He got summer school.

[A]

Yeah, I got a lot going on. I smell like bagels right now. I smell like Asiago bagels. What do you got?

[B]

I'm eating sour strips. I need record into the dark. Need to give Daisy a bath. That's about it on my to do list. I mean, there's a lot more, but that's really all I got going on.

[A]

A lot.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Anyways, thanks for being here again. Thank you to anyone who has been saying hi to me at bagel shop. My brain's pretty fried, not gonna lie. So I'm not gonna go into any names because I'm fried right now. Brain completely fried. Guys, I. I'm gonna say it again. I hear your names when you tell me. I remember your. If you were to come in again, I would remember your face.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I wouldn't.

[A]

I'm good with faces. I'm bad with names.

[B]

So bad at both.

[A]

I'm sorry I don't have a shout out to give because it's. It's. A lot of it is too, is. I hear you guys names and I'm talking to you and I'm so excited and I'm so. Thank you so much for saying hi. And then also in two seconds later, I'm helping somebody else at the cashier with a different name and then another name and then. Yeah, it's just. It's a lot of names. And again, I'm sorry, but I promise I'm engaged and I hear what you're saying. If you ever come in again, I will remember your face, though.

[B]

That's a hefty promise.

[A]

No, I'll do. I remember it. I'm pretty good with faces as far as my 10 seconds goes. I don't like cookies. I'm not really a big fan of cookies, and I know that might be controversial, but, like, give me a piece of cake, give me brownies, give me cheesecake, give me candy. Cookies, for some reason just doesn't. It doesn't really do it for me. Like, some people are like, I love chocolate chip cookies. And I'm like, eh, I could probably go my entire life without eating a chocolate chip cookie ever again or any type of cookie. Like, I don't know, something about cookies just doesn't do it for me just fine. I mean, I'm sure a lot of you guys feel the same way about bagels. You're like, eh, I don't care about bagels. Yeah, cookies just doesn't do it for me. How do you feel about that?

[B]

I love cookies.

[A]

Peyton loves cookies. So she disagrees with me, but yeah. So my desert of choice would be like, brownies, cake, like cheesecake, regular cake, any type of cake.

[B]

You love cake.

[A]

I do like cake is something I

[B]

could go for like the rest of my life. Without eating.

[A]

Well, I like like a white cake or like a vanilla cake, not like chocolate cake or like a cheesecake. I like a good cheesecake. I do like brownies. I like candy. I love candy.

[B]

Yeah, you're a candy boy.

[A]

Anyways, just figured I'd let you guys know that. So your thoughts go ahead, let me know. But yeah, cookies, not really my thing. So on that note, let's get into today's episode.

[B]

Our sources for this episode are ABC news.com firstcoastnews.com jacksonville.com news4jax.com actionnewsjax.com jacksonville.com oxygen.com wokv.com wpxi.com all that's interesting and abc.com I think it's human nature to want to have deeper connections with the people in our lives. It's probably why small talk is so painfully uncomfortable. We have this desire or need to relate to others, to see ourselves in them, to form strong connections and bonds. Especially when you see those people day in and day out, like coworkers, for example. When you spend so much time in close quarters with someone, it's hard not to ask questions about their lives, to want to get to know more about them, their past. And not everyone is an open book. Some people work hard to keep their stories close to the vest and are willing to do anything to keep the world from knowing too much about them. And I mean anything. So for today's case, we are headed south to Nassau County, Florida, to a little area northeast of Jacksonville on the tip of Amelia island called Fernandina Beach. And it is here on Fernandina beach, right along the shores of the Atlantic coast, that 34 year old Jolene Cummings has built her life. And in case you're wondering, yes, Jolene is named after the Dolly Parton song. It's spelled a different way. But her mother, Ann Johnson, felt it was fitting for her little girl. Jolene was born in 1984 and she grew up in this area in Florida. She was the kind of girl who always had a large circle of friends, who was always popular and busy. And maybe because she had such a tight knit community at home, Jolene never really ventured far as she grew up. Instead of taking the traditional route of college, Jolene went to Jacksonville to study cosmetology after graduating high school. And it was around then that Jolene met someone. She fell in love. The two of them had a daughter together, but the young relationship didn't work out. Still, Jolene did everything she could to be a good mom and work Hard for her daughter, which eventually meant getting a job as a hair stylist at a place called the Tangles Hair Salon. The Tangles in Fernandina Beach. Now, Jolene quickly built a strong client base with how warm and open she was. She was a thriving hairstylist at this point. And as many of us know, hairdressers can quickly feel like therapists or close friends when you spend enough time in their chair. And I don't know if this is like the same for boys, but any type of beauty service, it's almost like that provider, there's this stereotype where they just become an off duty therapist where they just sit in the chair and talk and you get to know your clients entire lives and their trauma and everything going on. And it literally is just like what they say is they're like off duty therapists or they're a therapist and a hairstylist.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, kind of. I mean, I guess guys tend to not be as an emotional open up. I feel like they're going to a lot of that stuff. Do see a lot of talk about just sports and, you know, work and stuff like.

[B]

Oh, small talk.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

See, when I go get my hair done, I'm like, let me teach you everything I learned at therapy this week.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. So again, she has this thriving clientele. So things were going well for Jolene professionally, and soon her personal life followed. In 2012, Jolene reconnected with an old neighborhood friend of hers. On social media was this guy named Jason Cummings. And a little while after that, Jolene told him she was looking for a new roommate, and Jason was looking for a new roommate too. So these two old friends moved in together and quickly become more than roommates. Jason said one of the main reasons he actually fell in love with Jolene was because she was such a great mom to her daughter. And. And by 2013, the following year, Jolene and Jason were married. And after this, they added two little boys to the family. Now, unfortunately, again, things didn't last between Jolene and Jason. Cracks began to appear in their marriage, and by 2017, four years later, Jolene wanted out. Her only focus at that point was her kids and her career. And by this point, she'd been at this salon for almost five years. But that also meant Jolene didn't really have time for the drama of a divorce. So she and Jason co parented pretty well. As they separated and they went through the divorce, Jason moved out. Jolene was saving up for a new place of her own. And meanwhile, the two shared custody of their sons until the courts came to a final ruling. But in May of 2018, all of these plans for a bright and peaceful future with her kids came to a screeching Halt. On Saturday, May 12, Jolene showed up for her shift at the Tangles hair salon, and she was scheduled to work a full day. She was going to be working until 5pm now, that night, her two sons were staying with their father, Jason. But it was Mother's day, and Jolene's 34th birthday was the following day on May 13th. So the plan was actually for Jolene to meet up with Jason and pick their two young sons up so she could spend the special day with them, even though he technically had custody. So they set a time and a meeting place for after work. It was a grocery store parking lot near her salon. But that afternoon, Jason arrives with the boys and he waits, and waits, and waits. And Jolene never shows up. Now, I do have to say, it is not totally unlike Jolene to feel a bit overwhelmed with the job of being a single mom, a provider for three kids. So it does run through people's minds when she doesn't show up, that maybe she just decided to spend the day by herself. But when day turns to night and Jason still hasn't heard from Jolene, he decides to call her mother, Anne. And her mom also finds this strange because she hadn't heard from her daughter all day either. And again, it's Mother's Day. It's her birthday the next day. So she's like, I would have at least thought my daughter would call for Mother's Day or at least talk, because it's her birthday coming up. But there was nothing. So by the time they wake up on Monday, May 14, and neither of them still haven't heard from Jolene, and she has these kids that she shares with another man, they call the police. So it is 8:08am when her mother, Ann, files a missing persons report with the Fernandina Beach Police Department. And based on the family's level of concern, they actually do start looking into this missing mother right away. They do confirm that the last time anyone spoke to Jolene was when she worked on Saturday the 12th. And that appears to be the last time she used her cell phone, too. So it's now the afternoon of the 14th. This is hours after she's been reported missing. And police finally go to her house. Now, Jolene's stepfather actually has a key, so he's the one who lets police inside. And what they find is more than Alarming items have been knocked off tables and onto the floor inside. Cabinets are ripped off their hinges. Holes have been just punched through walls. There is clearly evidence of a struggle or a fight that happened in this house. In fact, it looks like a domestic disturbance. So who's the first person police immediately want to speak to to despite the fact that he was heavily involved in reporting her disappearance? Obviously Jolene's ex husband, Jason. Now, things weren't necessarily great between the two of them, or they probably wouldn't have gotten divorced in the first place. But apparently things had gotten a little bit more contentious by this point, mainly because the couple was still going through the courts to determine a fair custody agreement for the kids. But when Jason comes in for questioning, he insists he had nothing to do with Jolene's disappearance. He said, yes. I mean, obviously, we're. We're getting divorced. We've had our disagreements, but we've been working together as amicably as possible for the sake of the kids, just trying to make this work. He's like, I actually still love her. We just weren't a good match for the long term. He also said it wasn't completely unheard of for Jolene to go AWOL for some time without explanation, which again, is why they even waited those two days before reporting her missing. In fact, he claimed that those disappearing acts were part of the reason he wanted out of the marriage, because he assumed when she would just, you know, go ghost for a little bit, that she was sneaking off to be with someone else. Now, after hearing this, police also confirmed that Jason has a pretty solid alibi on the day Jolene was last seen or heard from. Literally all day, when she was supposed to be at work, he was with his kids and his parents at his place. So he has two children who can be like, dad was home and then his own parents. But it is during this first interview that Jason actually steers police in a new direction, because he's like, listen, I'm not the one you should be looking at for my ex wife's disappearance. Turns out Jolene had been seeing someone new. It was another Jason who was referred to as Jason G. So this is her, like, next love affair, but he's also Jason.

[A]

That would be. Be kind of interesting not being with someone and then your new person you're with has the same name as your ex.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know.

[A]

I just think it'd be a little weird.

[B]

So this one is Jason G. Okay. And this Jason has a criminal history, and he does run around with A pretty dangerous crowd. Okay, said it before and I'll say it again. Skims keeps reinventing intimates. Everything they drop immediately becomes my go to. And I am not kidding you guys when I tell you that yes, Skims is a sponsor of this show but I every drop am ordering things from Skims because I believe in their products and their quality is just that good. From their bras to their underwear to their loungewear. I even have a Skims robe. Like everything is good quality. I was actually at a PT appointment the other day and the physician was like touching my pants and she goes ooh, these are so soft. Cotton 100 cotton from Skims. I literally told her. I was like, oh, be sure to let them know I sent you. First they gave us the stretchiest underwear ever, then the cutest push up bra and now honestly they have the life changing cotton fabric. I'm talking about every one of my favorites. I went and ordered it in this cotton fabric because it is so nice. I love it in the pants, the shirts, the underwear, everything. I have so much cotton underwear from them. I love it and trust me, I put it to test. This is the underwear, this is the bras, this is the loungewear you want. Shop everyday cotton and all of my favorite bras and [e-mail] and after you place your order be sure to let them know we sent you. Select podcast in the survey, select our show in the drop down menu that follows. Again, this is after you pay, just do that extra final step letting them know Murder with my husband sent you supports the show. All right, let's get to the episode.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

I think this is an amazing idea. I would have loved this. Loved this. Like waiting for your paycheck sometimes or especially like when you're starting a new job too. But waiting for your for your paycheck is super frustrating. And having Earn in solves that. I think it's amazing.

[B]

Download Earn in on the app Store or Google Play Spelled like earning money, but without the G. Earn in type in murder with my husband under podcast. When you sign up, it just really helps the show. Let them know we sent you. Earnan is a financial technology company, not a bank. Access limits are based on your earnings and risk factors. Standard cash out takes one to two business days with no mandatory fees. Expedited transfers available for a fee. Tips are voluntary and don't affect the service. Available in select states. Terms and restrictions apply. Visit earnan.com for full details. So when police begin looking into Jason G, they find he had an outstanding warrant for violating his probation. And this guy had been arrested plenty of times before, from everything to drug offenses to domestic charges. So knowing this, having seen the state of Jolene's place and the fact that she's still missing, police look into whether there were any reports filed recently between the two. And sure enough, just a few days prior to her disappearance, 911 was called to a domestic violence situation at Jolene's home. Apparently, Jason G. Had showed up at her house wanting to spend the night, but Jolene told him she thought it was going to cause more problems in her divorce and for her custody arrangement. And when Jason G. Felt rejected, they got into a fight. He ended up destroying her place, the remnants of what police saw in her home when they went to investigate. So they realize, okay, they've like, the cops were called because of these two, so they need to get this guy down here for questioning. But the problem is they can't find Jason G. His cell phone's off, likely so he can't be tracked. And he doesn't have a car registered to him, so running his plates really isn't an option. They do learn that his parents live in the area, though, and through his parents, they end up finding Jason hiding out in some friend's bedroom somewhere. And that's when they're able to place Jason G. Under arrest for that warrant and then drag him to the police station to do an interview in Jolene's missing person's case.

[A]

Okay, got it.

[B]

Now, the fact that this guy was hiding from the police to, like, begin with is not a good look. But he insists he would never do anything to hurt Jolene, which seems strange considering he has some scratches on his hands and wrists that look like they came from fingernails. Though he swears the last time he saw Jolene was the night that the argument occurred at her house, a few days before 1911 was called. And he also says he has an alibi, too. He says that entire weekend after the fight, he went to Jacksonville for a barbecue at a friend's place and stayed there until Sunday. This was the day of Julene's birthday and the day after she went missing. So not really buying his story or wanting to trust him, police book him anyway for violating his probation. They keep him behind bars and they add him to the suspect list for now. But it doesn't take long for them to realize this is an easy alibi to check out. And it does. He was nowhere near Jolene or her salon the weekend she disappeared. And with both Jason's now crossed off their list, police are back to square one. For now. Now, meanwhile, detectives are also at Tangles salon talking to Jolene's co workers to see kind of just like, what's up? What's been going on with her life. She's worked here for a long, long time, so these people might know her. And I mean, when you're trying to find someone, the best thing to do is dig up their life. And her co workers say that there was only one other person working at the salon with Jolene that Saturday, May 12, the day before her birthday. Her name was Jennifer Seibert. Now, Jennifer hadn't been working at the salon for very long, actually only a couple months. But other hairdressers at Tangles said, we actually don't really know that much about Jennifer beyond what was kind of on a resume. And they said she was a bit cagey about her past. She didn't really open up to them about her personal life. She wasn't the friendliest. It was strange. But they're like, I mean, she's only a couple months old here. Maybe it's just her personality. And she was the only one who was working with Jolene that day. What's even stranger, though, is what Jennifer did when she saw the police at the salon talking to people. So they notice that Jennifer pulls into the parking lot that day for her shift, but as soon as she sees that detectives are there interviewing co workers, she immediately gets back in her car and doesn't come inside.

[A]

Interesting. Okay.

[B]

And everyone, I mean, the coworkers are like, well, that's who last worked with her. And now she's not coming inside. Instead, Jennifer texts her boss at the salon saying, hey, I quit. She'll mail her back the salon key and they can put Jennifer's check in the mail.

[A]

People are so stupid.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Like, people are so stupid.

[B]

Okay, so at this point, people are a little like, what is going on? Her boss texts her back, is like, is Everything okay? Like, this is so out of the blue. Why are you randomly just quitting? And Jennifer tells her it's because an ex of mine, she's like, I'm terrified for my life. I can't be involved with anything having to do with the police. So. Because, like, we have a co worker who's missing, and they're, like, asking around the salon, I don't want to be here. Like, I don't want to talk to police because I'm scared of this ex.

[A]

I'm not sure that makes sense to me, but. Okay.

[B]

So naturally, detectives are like, hey, we need to get a hold of this woman because she was the only other person working, and now she's acting weird. And after they do, Jennifer tells them she wants to help, but she can't be part of the investigation because, again, it might put her life in danger. So she explains it further to police, saying her ex is a stalker and a computer expert who will track her down and find her if her name is written on any police report. So she's like, I can't have, like, my name on any file anywhere. But this reeks of suspicion. Detectives are certain this isn't the full story. They think there's something Jennifer isn't telling them. Now, unfortunately, there is no security footage inside the salon that can cue them into what might have happened that day. There's only one camera above the desk, and it's not even hooked up. But things become a bit clearer the following day on May 15, because that is when officers get a call that Jolene's car has now been found. Okay.

[A]

I mean, that's a big deal. It's a huge deal. Where. Where's this car?

[B]

Her beige 2006 Ford Expedition was in a parking lot near a Home Depot in Yulee, Florida. This was about seven miles away.

[A]

It's not far from the salon. I always expect these cars to be extremely far away, and I feel like they're always within 10 miles, which is just weird.

[B]

Now, when police get to the car, they don't find anything too out of the ordinary. There's no blood or signs of a struggle inside the vehicle. So they decide to start canvassing the area. Like, maybe, why is it parked here? And police find a credit union whose cameras face the parking lot. Now, what those cameras show is that on May 13, the early morning hours of Jolene's birthday, her car pulled into that parking lot around 1:17am this was seven hours after Jolene's shift would have ended at Tangles on Saturday. But in this footage, it is not Jolene who gets out of Jolene's car. It's another shadowy figure that's a different height and size. Now, they walk off screen in the direction of a convenience store, and another camera shows that same person who appears to be a woman speaking with a clerk who is on break outside. And then they go into the convenience store. And so when police check footage from inside this convenience store, it clearly reveals who this mystery person is, the one who dropped Jolene's car in the parking lot. And of course, it's Jennifer Seibert. She's dressed in all black with combat boots, and she appears to be overly chatty with the cashier there. So next detectives are like, hey, we need to track down this employee from the convenience store. And when they talk to this employee, they say they remember Jennifer clearly from that day. That night, she came in and said she had been out drinking with some friends, and she seemed rather scared or nervous about something. She asked if they could just call a cab for her. So they do. And a few minutes later, the cab shows up, and she darts off and gets into the passenger seat. They said she didn't really seem to have a purse or a phone. And even weirder, Jennifer told the store employee that she needed the cab because she didn't have enough money to pay for gas. But then she prepaid for the taxi using a credit card, and she apparently had scratch marks all over her face. So now they track down the taxi driver to find out, okay, where did you take Jennifer after this convenience store? And he says he dropped her off at a strip mall, but he wasn't sure what business she was there for. However, in this strip mall was the Tangles hair salon. After that, he said, Jennifer got out of the cab, got into a small black car, and drove off. Now, obviously, after discovering Jolene's car, police realize they have a big problem on their hands because they go to Jennifer's address, the one that the salon had for her from her employment paperwork. When they arrive, they realize this address doesn't even exist. It's a fake. So now police start to wonder, who is Jennifer? And what if Jolene was starting to catch on to this kind of suspicious co worker? What if she realized Jennifer had something to hide? Which, according to some of the people who worked and went to Tangles, might have been the case. When police speak with witnesses who knew both Jennifer and Jolene, they said there was actually some tension between the two of them, that everyone who worked at the salon was friendly and close. But Jennifer never opened up to any of them. She mostly shut them out. Like I said, she was standoffish. She was kg. And Jolene was apparently suspicious and pushy about this. She told one co worker that Jennifer was, quote, not the person that she says she is. She also hinted that she was going to look more into her background. And friends of Jolene's said when she gets an idea about something, she is like a dog with a bone. She's not going to give up till she gets answers. So this whole theory of, like, maybe she learned something she didn't was because of just this past gossip that had been going on. When police spoke to the employees at the salon Jennifer had worked at before Tangles again, they're now trying to unravel Jennifer's life. The people there say the same thing. Jennifer's behavior was strange. She was cagey, and she also had these fits of rage. When she got fired from that last salon, she threw her keys at her boss, left around 3pm, got into her car and then sat there until the salon closed at 9pm her former boss was so sketched out about this, the fact that Jennifer just wouldn't leave, she actually thought Jennifer was waiting to follow her home. So there's just all these bizarre little details that are starting to add up to detectives, which is why they decide there's one place they need to search for clues, and that's at the salon where Jennifer and Jolene were working alone that Saturday, May 12, the day Jolene was last seen or heard from. Now, when police had first scanned the salon, they didn't find much. But now they're back and they're looking and they find something in the break room. Along the bottom of the sink is what appears to be diluted blood. And so detectives call their forensic unit out there and when they come in and spray the place with luminol, the honestly, entire salon lights up. There's blood on the walls, the cabinets, in the sink drain, on a sign and display stand around a vacuum cleaner on the floor, which was clearly like wiped up using a mop. And while I said there was no surveillance cameras inside the salon, there was one pointing at a dumpster near the salon. So sure enough, when police pull that footage, they see Jennifer on the evening of May 12th throwing out a white trash bag they assume to be Jennifer's belongings or even her body. So they haven't even gone to Jennifer yet. They're trying to really get answers to this case and they're doing a good job so far. So, like why question the way they're investigating they're trying to do it with before even having to question her. They decide to end up searching landfills in Georgia, hoping to find this trash that was thrown out by Jennifer. And while reports say they found a few items of interest, there's no sign of Jolene's body. Detectives do, however, discover that Jennifer actually had a storage locker that she rented. And when they search it, they find a pair of boots, a sock, and a pair of scissors, all with blood on them. And they also discover a fingernail in this storage unit. And they later confirm this fingernail belongs to Jolene. So, obviously, at this point, police feel pretty confident that they know who did this. The only thing is, they can't find Jennifer. Luckily, they do have a correct phone number for her. It was the one she'd given to the salon. So they start by trying to track down her cell phone. And they also do put a BOLO out for her and her black Kia Soul. And in the meantime, they scan every rest stop, beach, and campsite in the area with a bathroom, thinking maybe she's hiding away somewhere that has access to those facilities. And then on Wednesday, May 16, police get an updated alert that her phone pinged an area about 75 miles south of the salon and near St. August. So detectives and two FBI agents head out to this rest area, and sure enough, they find a Kia Soul parked between two giant trucks. So, I mean, this manhunt, they now have basically found the car. So they carefully approach it, and there's Jennifer lying down inside. When they finally get her out of her car and get her talking, she insists she has no idea where Jolene is. She has nothing to do with her disappearance. But obviously, police, like I said, have done a bunch of investigating before even talking to her, so they know this isn't true. And also, Jolene's face tells a different story because she has claw marks all over her face and band aids trying to cover them up. She's also got scratches all over her hands, arms, and thighs, as well as a chunk of hair missing from her head. I mean, everything about this screams this woman was in a really bad fight. But her excuses, she was riding a bike and crashed headfirst into a tree.

[A]

Kind of crazy. Sometimes it's really who you least expect.

[B]

Yeah, especially considering she had this, like, 91 1, call domestic violence situation before, like, couple days before this. That's so, like, that would be your number one. Everyone would be like, one plus one equals two. And now we're at the co worker.

[A]

Yeah, it's not. That's crazy.

[B]

Now obviously none of this really matters. Police already have a warrant for her arrest, one for grand theft auto for taking Jolene's vehicle because they know for 100 surety she's the one who left it in the parking lot. Hey, you guys were getting into an ad and why do most of us want to learn a new language? It's probably not about memorizing grammar tables or topping a leaderboard. It's because we want to speak it out in the real world with real people and Babel gets you there fast. Learning a language with Babel is all about small steps, big wins and progress. You can actually track and feel. Their bite sized lessons fit easily into your daily routine and are also easy to remember. Just 10 minutes a day is enough to start seeing real results. And I can definitely testify to that because I often will use Babbel to brush up on Spanish before we travel anywhere. And the 10 minute lessons really do get you far. And Babel is more than just lessons. They even offer a large collection of podcasts where Babbel experts reveal language secrets and offer an inside look at local cultures. However, you learn best by listening, speaking, reading or writing, Babbel adapts to your style and keeps you motivated with personalized learning plans, real time feedback and progress tracking. Here's a special limited time deal for our listeners. If you've ever wanted to try learning a new language right now you can get up to 60% off your Babel subscription at babbel.com forward/husband if you use the forward slash husband you can get up to 60% off. Get up to 60% off at babble.com husband spelled B-A-B-B-E-L.com forward/husband rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. This mental health awareness month therapy just got even more affordable. BetterHelp is now accepting insurance in many states with average co pays around $23. So if you've been thinking about trying online therapy, now is a great time to get started. Visit BetterHelp and fill out a quick questionnaire to check your coverage in minutes and get support for whatever's been keeping you up at night. As you guys know, Garrett and I both go to therapy. We love therapy. We've used it and I think therapy should be covered. And knowing that it can be covered makes it so much easier. Members love better help. Therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the U.S. betterHelp is in network with major health plans like UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna and more. With average co pays around $23 for eligible members. Fill out the questionnaire and check your coverage [e-mail] husband that's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P.com husband average copay is based on eligible members. Actual cost and coverage may vary by plan. So Jennifer is arrested and taken to their station for questioning. But what's strange is her behavior. Like she doesn't really seem stressed during the interrogation. She's calm, she's cool, she's collected. And then just a few minutes in, she drops a bomb on detectives. Okay. So they bring her in there like, hey, we, we know you had something to do with this. What's going on? And she says, well, to start, my name is an actually Jennifer Cyber out of here. She says, quote here I'm ready to go back to being myself Kimberly Lee Hessler. And from there she starts telling them these stories. She claims ex boyfriend is wanted by the FBI because he robbed banks and she used to be a topless dancer. That she used to be married, she has a son, but she's been running from her life for the past 20, 25 years trying to leave all of that behind. And meanwhile, police are looking into this, like off camera to see if any of this is true. And they do find that this woman has been using 18 different aliases.

[A]

Holy crap.

[B]

She has lived in 30 different cities across 14 states for the last bit of her life. Many of the ID cards for those aliases have been found inside her kia. Like she kept them.

[A]

That's insane.

[B]

So who is Jennifer Cybert then? Turns out Kimberly had stolen the identity of a 13 year old girl who was killed in a car crash and buried in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Kimberly was originally from. So she's like, ah, this girl died in a car crash in my hometown.

[A]

Name.

[B]

Ah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna take her identity. But obviously they're not even there to unravel Jennifer or Kimberly's twisted past and why she's even doing this. They're there to confirm that she murdered Jolene Cummings. But when that becomes the topic of conversation around hour two of the interrogation, Kimberly's demeanor changes. Like she's opened up, being like, this is my life. I'm not even who I say I am. Then they're like, hey, what about, what about Jolene? And she's like, nope, I'm refusing to talk. I need a lawyer. Now. At the moment, they have her in custody for grand theft auto charges. But if she's not going to confess to murder, they're going to need as much evidence as they can to indict her on those charges because unfortunately, the one thing they don't have is a body. So detectives keep digging, and that includes now looking into Kimberly. Now, remember, Kimberly and Jennifer are the same person. I'm going to call her Kimberly because that's her real name. They look into Kimberly's computer and phone history, and what they find is less than 10 days before Jolene went missing on May 4, Kimberly had made some incriminating searches. Ten days before the disappearance, she googled on her phone how to tie a tourniquet.

[A]

Bro, the amount of people that just google this stuff on their phone.

[B]

She also searched for how to inject someone with something. Also, co worker guilty of murder. Missing person, body not found.

[A]

You know, pretty soon what's going to happen instead is people are going to start taking chat GPT.

[B]

Oh, it's going to come out.

[A]

Yeah, it's going to happen.

[B]

It's going to.

[A]

It's going to happen.

[B]

And it's not just going to be like, in the sense of murder, it's going to also be to like, prove where their head was at the time. Like, it's going to be almost used as a personal journal.

[A]

I think I could see that 100,

[B]

like, at trial where they're going to be like, well, we can like prove where they're like frame of mind was. Because look at their, look at their conversations.

[A]

I wonder the legalities behind that. Like, what's going to.

[B]

I know, right?

[A]

Yeah, it'll be interesting.

[B]

Yeah. So the searches just get worse after this. They escalate to how long does it take for a body to decay? And how to dismember a body. Now, if you're the number one suspect for a murder and these are the search how to dismember a body is your. On your. On your computer. And then after Jolene went missing, she searched for Jolene's name 457 times in two days.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Obviously waiting to. She wants to be involved. She wants to know where the investigation is at. Are they onto her? Like, has she been found?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Including search terms like, quote Jolene Cummings, no body, no crime. There it is in writing. On May 5, a week before the murder, they also found Kimberly bought large zip ties from a boating supply store. And around the same time, a bunch of trash bags, an electric knife and a bottle of ammonia from a Walmart. Now, as Police, like, discover this. It's becoming abundantly clear that this wasn't just like a fight at the salon that day. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision. This murder was carefully orchestrated and intentional. So despite not having a body, the state attorney's office feels like they have more than enough to move forward with charges. And finally, on September 7, 2018, almost five months after Jolene's death, Kimberly Kessler is charged with first degree murder.

[A]

Just an announcement to hop in here. Daisy is really sick. We're not sure what's going on, so Peyton is going to finish the rest of this case. Keep listening. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with Daisy because something is not right. Thanks, everybody.

[B]

Poor girl. Just not feel good. I don't think. I think she has a tummy ache. Okay, so they move forward with the charges. On September 7, 2018, she is charged with first degree murder. In 2019, DNA analysis confirms the blood on Kimberly's boots and sock and the blood in the salon were a match for Jolene Cummings. But the question still on everyone's mind is why Kimberly never really gave a motive herself. Which only left police and prosecutors with one viable theory. Jolene was getting dangerously close to uncovering Jennifer slash Kimberly's true identity. It was clear the two didn't get along. They would yell at each other. And when Jolene started talking about unraveling Kimberly's secrets, exposing her for who she truly was, I guess that was enough to set Kimberly off. But it didn't explain why she would go to such great lengths to hide that past, especially when she confessed to police who she was almost right away. Then again, maybe there doesn't need to be much more than that. Because what Kimberly did while she was in custody made everyone believe she was living with a pretty serious mental health condition. In July of 2019, a judge even declared that Kimberly was too mentally incompetent to stand trial. She was being sent to a Florida state hospital for treatment. This was based on the evaluations of doctors who had seen her behavior while she had been incarcerated. And it had been pretty disturbing. For example, at one point, Kimberly dropped from 170lbs down to 80lbs in jail while she was on a hunger strike. Another time, she ripped her clothes off. She got completely naked. She started smearing feces on herself, throwing it at the guards. She accused jail officials of trying to poison her. She was later put on suicide watching. It was then that her attorneys were like, we don't even know if this woman can cooperate in her own defense. However, months later, there's another trial to redetermine her competency. After she's been in the hospital, a psychologist tells the court that Kimberly is, quote, strategic and intelligent, claimed it was totally possible for someone to have a mental health disorder and still be competent to stand trial. This time, the judge agrees Kimberly was actually more than able to understand the charges she was facing and the crime she committed. So much so, she was able to manipulate the people around her into thinking otherwise. So the trial goes forward, though ultimately Kimberly had to watch the proceedings from a remote video link. This was after she came into the courtroom previously strapped to a chair, yelling that the public defender was Jolene's cousin. She was being treated unfairly, by the way. This is not like he had no relation to Jolene. So that December 2021, jury selection was over. Kimberly's trial began. But, I mean, with all of the evidence stacked against her, deliberating only took an hour. The jury found Kimberly Kessler guilty of first degree murder and grand theft auto for taking Jolene's car. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. And then Jolene's family is left to pick up the pieces of that loss, including her ex husband, Jason, who was forced to move after facing such media scrutiny in the case. He and his sons relocated, looking for a fresh start. Jason has said that even though they were going through their own issues at the time, he still misses and loves Jolene, that she taught him how to be a better dad. The family often visits the bench dedicated to Jolene in Buchanan park in Hilliard, near her home without her remains. It's one of the few places they have to feel close to her. Obviously, the hope is that one day this will change. You know, when they can find Jolene, they can lay her to rest. That way, they can have what every family deserves. A place that holds all of her. A place to grieve, a place to maintain that meaningful connection. But unless Kimberly Kessler is ready to say what actually happened that day with Jolene, we might not ever see that reality. And that is the case of Jolene Cummings. I'm sorry Garrett had to dip out, but thank you guys so much for listening to today's episode. And I will see you with another one. I love it and he hates it. Goodbye. Insurance isn't one size fits all. That's why customers have enjoyed Progressive's Name your Price Tool for years. Now. With the Name youe Price Tool, you tell them what you want to pay and they'll show you options that fit your budget. So whether you're picking out your first policy or just looking for something that works better for you and your family, they make it easy to see your options. Visit progressive.com find a rate that works for you with the name your price tool Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and Coverage match limited by state law.