VANISHED: Jennifer Kesse

Summary

Up and Vanished Weekly: VANISHED — Jennifer Kesse
Hosted by Maggie Freeling and Payne Lindsay | Released January 29, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

In the episode titled "VANISHED: Jennifer Kesse," hosts Maggie Freeling and Payne Lindsay delve into one of Florida's most perplexing missing person cases. Jennifer Kesse, a 25-year-old from Orlando, vanished without a trace in January 2006, sparking the largest unsolved missing person search in the state's history. Despite extensive investigations and various leads, Jennifer remains missing nearly two decades later.

Timeline of Events Leading to Disappearance

January 18-22, 2006: Pre-Disappearance Activities

Jennifer Kesse and her boyfriend, Rob Allen, embarked on a long weekend trip to St. Croix, seeking a respite from their long-distance relationship challenges. Upon their return to Fort Lauderdale on January 22, Jennifer opted to stay at Rob's residence instead of driving back to Orlando.

January 23, 2006: The Day of Disappearance

• Morning (06:00 AM): Jennifer departs from Fort Lauderdale to return to her apartment in Orlando, arriving around 09:00 AM.

• Evening (06:00 PM): After a day of adjusting back to her routine, Jennifer leaves work and makes several phone calls to her family and friends. Notably, during a conversation with Rob around 10:00 PM, Jennifer mentions a late-night knock on her door, which she did not answer. This unusual event raised initial suspicions (Timestamp [06:20]).

Investigation and Key Findings

Immediate Responses and Concerns

The following day, Jennifer fails to attend work and doesn't respond to calls. Her family, alarmed by her uncharacteristic behavior, visits her apartment complex, Mosaic Millennia, only to find her belongings seemingly untouched but missing essential items like her keys and phone. This discovery intensified fears about her well-being (Timestamp [08:09]).

Suspicious Activity at the Apartment Complex

A significant development occurred when Jennifer's black Chevy Malibu was found abandoned in a nearby parking lot. The car was locked, undamaged, and untouched, save for a visible DVD player in the backseat—raising questions about why Jennifer would abandon her vehicle without apparent reason (Timestamp [30:23]).

Security Footage and the Person of Interest

Security camera footage captured a mysterious individual near Jennifer's car shortly after her disappearance. The man, dressed in what appeared to be a painter's uniform with long hair tied back, entered and exited the vehicle but remained unseen due to the camera's limitations (Timestamp [34:39]). This footage led investigators to focus on construction workers, particularly painters, who were active in the apartment complex at the time.

Suspects and Evidence

Chino — The Maintenance Man

A maintenance worker named Chino emerged as a key suspect due to his resemblance to the unidentified individual in the security footage and his familiarity with Jennifer's residence. During a polygraph test, Chino awkwardly stated, "I was in her apartment a week before she died" (Timestamp [44:15]), which raised further suspicions despite his claims of innocence.

Interviews with the Family and Key Individuals

Jennifer's Family's Perspective

Jennifer's parents, Drew and Joyce Kesse, have been relentless in their pursuit of answers. They expressed frustration over the initial lack of urgency from law enforcement and highlighted the meticulous nature of Jennifer's disappearance, which contradicted her cautious and prepared personality (Timestamp [07:39]).

Payne Lindsay's Insights

Payne Lindsay, creator of the Up and Vanished series, provided expert analysis, suggesting that Jennifer's disappearance was likely a premeditated act by someone familiar with her routine and residence. He emphasized the possibility of a construction worker being involved, given the suspicious behavior of workers at the Mosaic Millennia complex following Jennifer's vanishing (Timestamp [24:34]).

Progression of the Investigation

Search Efforts and Challenges

Despite extensive searches, including aerial hunts and canvassing efforts, definitive evidence remains elusive. The use of cadaver dogs at a suspected disposal site yielded no results, and many leads, such as potential connections to human trafficking rings, were dismissed due to a lack of supporting evidence (Timestamp [46:35]).

Ongoing Theories and Speculations

The case remains open with prevailing theories pointing towards a possible serial offender among the construction workers. The abrupt disappearance of numerous workers from the complex shortly after Jennifer's vanishing adds another layer of mystery, although connections remain unproven (Timestamp [22:51]).

Open Questions and Current Status

Nearly two decades later, Jennifer Kesse's disappearance continues to baffle investigators and her family alike. Key questions that remain unanswered include:

• What triggered the individual's action to abduct Jennifer?
• Are there other potential victims linked to the same suspect?
• Why did many construction workers vanish following her disappearance?

The persistent hope for uncovering the truth keeps the Kessie family and investigative teams engaged in seeking justice for Jennifer.

Conclusion

The "VANISHED: Jennifer Kesse" episode offers a comprehensive exploration of a deeply troubling case, highlighting the complexities and challenges inherent in missing person investigations. Through detailed timelines, expert analysis, and emotional interviews, listeners gain profound insights into Jennifer's disappearance and the enduring quest for answers. As the episode concludes, the enduring mystery of Jennifer Kesse serves as a poignant reminder of the unresolved cases that still seek closure.

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Notable Quotes:

• “She was not unaware. And for someone like that to fall victim like she did, it just tells me that there was a real element of surprise and some form of premeditation...” — Payne Lindsay (Timestamp [11:32])

• “Anyone who's capable of murder and gets away with it is very likely to do it again.” — John Street (Timestamp [38:20])

• “They don't take women to sit them in a corner and look at them. They take women to rape them, to use them, abuse them, and then kill them if they don't want them anymore.” — Drew Kesse (Timestamp [50:58])

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Further Resources:

For those interested in delving deeper into Jennifer Kesse's case or similar mysteries, consider exploring the Up and Vanished series available on major podcast platforms or exclusively through Tenderfoot Plus.

Transcript

[Maggie Freeling]

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[Payne Lindsay]

A few miles from the glass spires of Midtown Atlanta lies the south river forest. In 2021 and 2022, the woods became a home to activists from all over the country who gathered to stop the nearby construction of a massive new police training facility nicknamed Cop city.

[John Street]

At approximately 9:00 this morning, as law.

[Maggie Freeling]

Enforcement was moving through various sectors of.

[Payne Lindsay]

The property, an individual, without warning, shot.

[John Street]

A Georgia State Patrol trooper. This is We Came to the Forest.

[Payne Lindsay]

A story about resistance. The abolitionist mission isn't done until every.

[Maggie Freeling]

Prison is empty and shut down.

[Payne Lindsay]

Love and fellowship.

[John Street]

It was probably the happiest I've ever.

[Payne Lindsay]

Been in my life and the lengths will go to protect the things we.

[John Street]

Hold closest to our hearts.

[Payne Lindsay]

Follow We Came to the Forest on the the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of We Came to the Forest early and ad free right now by joining. Wondery plus up and Vanish Weekly is released every Wednesday and brought to you absolutely free, but for one week early access and ad free listening. Subscribe to Tenderfoot plus at tenderfootplus.com or on Apple Podcasts.

[Maggie Freeling]

This podcast discusses mature and sensitive content, including descriptions of violence that may be triggering for some audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

[Payne Lindsay]

It's early Morning on Tuesday, January 24, 2006. 25 year old Rob Allen looks at the clock and realizes he's running late for work. As he rushes out the door, he starts making his way through the gridlock of Fort Lauderdale's morning traffic. He picks up his phone and dials his girlfriend Jennifer, who lives in Orlando. The phone rings and goes to voicemail. Noticing the time, he thinks it's odd she didn't answer. Maybe she's tied up with something. As the morning progresses, a Nagging voice swells in the back of his mind. It's not like Jennifer to miss his calls. The two speak every morning. Was everything alright? The two had talked the night before. They reminisced about their recent trip to St. Croix and the amazing time they had. They talked about how much they hated the three hour distance between them. And then it hits him. While they were talking, there was a knock at Jennifer's door. Who was knocking so late at night? And was that somehow related to her not answering the phone? After 20 years in one of the largest unsolved missing person searches in Florida history, these questions remain unanswered. From Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta, you're listening to up and Vanished Weekly with Payne, Lindsay and Maggie Freeling.

[Maggie Freeling]

Hey, y'all. Welcome back to up and Vanished Weekly. I'm Maggie Freeling. Today's case, Jennifer Kessie is one that I have personally thought about since I heard about it. I think about her daily because for the first time, I am living in an apartment complex where there are maintenance workers around all the time, different people coming in and out, doing different jobs. And I can't help but think, what if one of these people notices me? What if they notice that I'm coming in and out alone frequently? What if someone follows me in? What if someone snatches me before I can get in? All of these things go through my mind and I all of them make me think of Jennifer and what could have happened to her. So I really want to tell Jennifer's story because I think not only can we try and push the needle to get answers about where she is, what happened to her, but I also think for anyone listening, it's just a really good reminder to take all the precautions possible because even when we do, things can still go terribly wrong. So today I have a very special guest. Payne. Welcome.

[John Street]

Hey.

[Maggie Freeling]

So you know this case super well. You covered it for the up and Vanished TV series. Why did you choose to look into Jennifer's case?

[John Street]

Her case was always on my mind because she went missing around the same time that Tara Grinstead went missing. And so when I was looking into Tara's disappearance way back in the day, season one of up and Vanished, her case was almost synonymous with Terra's. Both cases were always mentioned because they were similar age. And it didn't make sense that this person who doesn't seem to know anyone nefarious, just completely vanishes.

[Maggie Freeling]

Well, kind of both from their homes.

[John Street]

Yeah, exactly. Like they vanish from their own home, There isn't really a solid person of Interest. That makes sense. And they happened around the same time. And so I'd heard a lot about her case just from the news articles at the time. People who have reached out and over the years kind of drew similarities even though they were unrelated. So I was very well aware of Jennifer's disappearance and the case in general.

[Maggie Freeling]

This reminds me so much of Jodie's case. They both went missing from their apartment complex and it seems like Jennifer might have also been walking to her car, going to work. It just scares me that we've covered so many cases. Women going missing from the safest place they know.

[John Street]

Yeah. In like a seemingly normal town that doesn't have a lot of crime like that. I got a chance to sit down with Jennifer's parents who have been fighting for decades now.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yeah, they've been looking for justice for decades and to this day they still feel like they haven't gotten any answers. Here was their reaction when you sat down with them for the up and Vanished TV show. There were no laws at the time that indicated that you had to look for someone over the age of 18.

[Payne Lindsay]

We met officer Coutray and he came in and we explained, I mean, look around, she's vanished, Jennifer's vanished. And he said, oh, she probably had a fight with her boyfriend and he walked out.

[Maggie Freeling]

There was no sense of urgency. None. All right, so let's dive right in specifically to the days leading up to Jennifer's disappearance so we get a better understanding of what could have happened.

[Payne Lindsay]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2006, 24 year old Jennifer Kesse made the three hour trek from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale where her boyfriend Rob Allen lived. The couple had made arrangements to take a long weekend trip to St. Croix with some friends and were excited to unplug for a few days. They spent the weekend enjoying the change of scenery and time away from the normal hustle and bustle of life. At the close of the weekend, Rob and Jennifer made the return flight back to Fort Lauderdale, arriving back in the States on the evening of Sunday, January 22nd. Because of the time, Jennifer decided to spend the night at Rob's instead of making the drive back home to Orlando. The following morning, Monday, January 23, Jennifer left Fort Lauderdale around 6am and drove straight to work. She arrived in the Orlando area around 9:00am it was a mostly normal day. Jennifer tried to settle back into the groove after her trip and she Left work around 6pm that evening. Jennifer called her parents and her brother to catch them up on her vacation. Later that evening, Jennifer also called her friend Lauren the two caught up about Jennifer's trip and she confided in Lauren about some things that were heavy on her mind. Jennifer was sad her vacation was so short, and she expressed some frustration about the fact that she and Rob lived so far away. Around 10pm, Jennifer called Rob from her apartment's landline. Jennifer was tired from the weekend travel and the long drive back to Orlando earlier that day. At one point, the conversation got a little heated because of how challenging it was living so far away from each other. But overall, it was a typical conversation you'd expect from a dating couple who were trying to navigate the challenges of a long distance relationship. But one thing did stand out about their conversation. Rob says that while they spoke, someone knocked on Jennifer's door because of the time and Jennifer's wiring to always be on guard. She didn't answer. But they noted how odd it was that someone would be stopping by unannounced so late at night. When Jennifer didn't make contact with loved ones the following day, fear started to mount. Before long, the nature of Rob and Jennifer's last conversation and the alleged late night knock at the door would begin to raise some eyebrows.

[Maggie Freeling]

So there are some really concerning things we need to dig into right away. Everything we know about Jennifer kind of raises red flags, right? She's a very prepared, cautious person. That is something that her parents said. She regularly carried pepper spray and a whistle. What other things did you find out about her? And kind of some safety precautions she.

[John Street]

Takes based on everything that her friends and family and her parents told me about her. There was definitely an element of surprise here. It was a random occurrence because she was the kind of person who was very aware, very intelligent, would look over her shoulder if it was a weird, you know, walk to the car at night.

[Maggie Freeling]

She and her mom actually watch Law and Order and would talk about how to handle vulnerable situations.

[John Street]

This is stuff that she'd even discussed before. Right. She was not unaware. And for someone like that to fall victim like she did, it just tells me that there was a real element of surprise and some form of premeditation in terms of somebody was watching her and chose a moment to approach her and do what they did when she was least expecting it.

[Maggie Freeling]

So she's on the phone with her boyfriend the night we think she goes missing. The night into morning, she's on the phone with him and she gets a knock on the door. She doesn't answer it, but it's made note of that someone knocked on her door that night. The next morning she's gone. What do you make of that? Did that come up in your investigation?

[John Street]

If that is true, I mean, if that was a real knock on the door, she clearly wasn't expecting anybody. She's on the phone with her significant other and he didn't know about it either. And so I think that it was somebody she wasn't expecting to be there. If there was somebody knocking on her door and she opened it and there was somebody in the picture, it's pretty weird because she hasn't been seen or heard from really since then.

[Maggie Freeling]

That person could have knocked again, maybe and she answered it.

[John Street]

Sure. Yeah. Like you know what happened to her. It could have happened to her that night. She was never heard from after that.

[Maggie Freeling]

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[John Street]

If you're a listener of.

[Maggie Freeling]

True crime, then you've probably thought about.

[John Street]

What you would do if you found.

[Maggie Freeling]

Yourself in a dangerous situation.

[John Street]

Here are a few tips from bestlifeonline.com.

[Maggie Freeling]

That you might find helpful.

[John Street]

First, if you're traveling, carry a fake.

[Maggie Freeling]

Wallet with a few dollars inside. Keep your real wallet, cash and ID hidden securely where it's concealed. Second, create a strong room in your home that can be secured from the inside in case you can't escape during a home invasion. It's even better if you can keep a dedicated phone there to contact authorities. Third, make a crisis package for every.

[John Street]

Member of your household to use in the event of a medical emergency or or if a loved one goes missing. The packet can include a recent photo.

[Maggie Freeling]

Copy of fingerprints, emergency contact information, a photocopy of their passport or ID and a list of medical conditions, allergies and medications taken.

[John Street]

Always remember, awareness and preparedness are key.

[Maggie Freeling]

All right, now back to our case.

[Payne Lindsay]

Around 9am the next morning, Tuesday, January 24, Rob called Jennifer on his way to work. Immediately the call went to voicemail. Jennifer was usually up and out the door before Rob, so we found it strange that she didn't pick up. Rob had an early morning meeting on his schedule and afterwards he tried calling Jennifer a second time. Again, his call went directly to voicemail. Jennifer was very safety conscious and always had her phone on, so this struck Rob as very unusual. Sometime between 10:30 and 11:00am, Rob tried to contact Jennifer at her office hoping he would reach her there. But when he called, her co worker told him she still hadn't shown up for work that morning. Around 11:15am, Jennifer's employer called her parents, Drew and Joyce Kessie. They explained that she'd missed a morning meeting and they hadn't been able to reach her and they wanted to make sure everything was alright. When Drew and Joyce shared they hadn't heard from her since the previous day, everyone felt this unusual behavior was concerning. Jennifer's family immediately tried calling her cell, but like Rob, their calls were sent to voicemail. By 1pm the family's unease was growing. So Drew and Joyce and Jennifer's brother Logan began the several hour drive to Jennifer's condo in Orlando. A few months earlier, Jennifer had moved into Mosaic Millennia, a newly renovated apartment complex that had a gate and a security guard. It was supposed to be a safe and quiet neighborhood. The building was still undergoing renovation and always had workers coming and going. While en route to Orlando, Jennifer's family called the condo to see if someone could check on her. A short time later, two employees entered Jennifer's unit. But to them, nothing looked out of the ordinary. After checking the parking lot, they noticed that her black Chevy Malibu was not there. Fearing the worst, the family called Jennifer's friends as well as Orlando area hospitals and prisons to see if anyone may have information on her whereabouts. But the calls didn't turn up any helpful details. Around 3pm, Jennifer's family arrived at her condo. Inside, things looked mostly normal. They even found signs that she may have been there recently. The shower was wet and they found a used towel. Her curling iron and makeup were left out. There were clothes laid on the bed. It seemed as though she had gone through her typical morning routine. However, the family noticed that Jennifer's keys, purse, cell phone, ipod and briefcase were all missing. These were all Items she took with her when she left for work. Unsure of what to make of the condition of her apartment and the fact that they could not reach her, the Kessie family contacted the Orlando police department and Orange county sheriff to share their concerns. When authorities arrived, they said that since Rob and Jennifer had gotten into a fight the night before, Jennifer was likely taking some time to clear her head. But to the family, that didn't sound like the Jennifer they knew. As the evening unfolded, the pit in their stomachs continued to grow. Friends and family began canvassing the area with signs and flyers. Authorities checked for card activity on Jennifer's account and tried to ping her cell phone. They issued a bolo or be on the lookout report and eventually entered Jennifer into the system as a missing person. The family urged authorities to launch a search for Jennifer to see if anyone had seen or heard from her. They began by asking neighborhood units and employees if they had seen or heard anything. Their concerns quickly escalated when the workers in Jennifer's complex began exhibiting strange behavior and avoiding answering questions. And concern shifted to suspicion. When many of the workers disappeared from the apartment complex in the following days, the question on everyone's mind was whether there was some kind of connection to Jennifer's sudden disappear.

[Maggie Freeling]

So her family was extremely concerned, but they felt like the police kind of brushed them off at the beginning. They said that she was fighting with her boyfriend and needed some time away.

[John Street]

Yeah, it's tough because everyone was baffled. They didn't know what happened. She literally had just vanished. I talked to her ex boyfriend. Anytime somebody goes missing or is murdered, the significant other, especially a boyfriend or husband, is immediately under fire. Statistically, it's common that they're the perpetrator. And so doing their due diligence, they looked into him very thoroughly and they were able to eliminate him because he couldn't have been there at that time based on where he was. And they were able to confirm that there was evidence of her potentially showering in the morning and had her clothes.

[Maggie Freeling]

Laid out like she was getting ready for work.

[John Street]

Maybe that also could have been somebody. I mean, this sounds morbid, but like cleaning evidence off of a body, right? Laying the clothes. I mean, if the clothes were laid out, it's not like she put them on. It looks a little staged in that way then. I mean, did she run to her car for a second before she got ready? And that's what happened.

[Maggie Freeling]

I'm also like, if something happened in her apartment, then guess when did this person get her body out of her apartment?

[John Street]

Right. I mean, if it happened the night before, then it would have been easier for this perpetrator to get rid of evidence because they would have had. They would have had all night, in the middle of the night when it's dark to do that. In the morning. It would have been a little more difficult to go undetected entirely with all these different people, other tenants in the apartment complex, the staff, there's just people around awake in the daylight that could have and should have seen something. If it happened to me, it kind of tells me that there's a high possibility that it happened to her the previous night.

[Maggie Freeling]

Unless she was ambushed, going to her car pretty early, which would make sense. Like someone maybe has a gun and is like, get in the car. No struggle, she's just in. That's how that all goes down.

[John Street]

Yeah. Either way, it happened in that eight to ten hour window, I think. So whatever happened to her was definitely a planned attack.

[Maggie Freeling]

So 48 Hours spoke with the Kessie family in 2023, and this is what they had to say about what they saw in Jennifer's apartment when they first arrived.

[Payne Lindsay]

What did you see the first time.

[John Street]

You walked in her travel bag?

[Maggie Freeling]

It was like she walked in the night before and just dropped her suitcase right where it was. The rest of the home looked like a maid had been there. So I want to talk about the community that Jennifer lived in, because what we know is she likely disappeared from her apartment. It's a gated community in Florida. It was very nice looking when you see all these pictures, little waterfalls and palm trees. But there was a lot of renovations happening, and workers were allowed to stay in the unoccupied units during the renovation. And Jennifer had made mention of this to her friends and family, that they would stare at her and she catcalls. The reports say that in the days after she went missing, actually, allegedly, half the workers from the complex disappeared. Does that seem weird to you?

[John Street]

It does. I highly doubt that they just completely wrapped up and were done right then. I think that one of those workers or a couple of them are responsible for her disappearance and at least know that one of the other workers did something or was witness to it. And whether they were subcontracted, whatever, they scattered and moved on away from this place.

[Maggie Freeling]

I mean, that makes sense to me. Pretty white girl goes missing and there's a bunch of workers there. I would also be like, I gotta get the fuck outta here.

[John Street]

It's not like all these workers went to police and said, hey, we saw somebody.

[Maggie Freeling]

Mm.

[John Street]

I mean, it's almost like, if anyone should have seen anything, it is them.

[Maggie Freeling]

It is them.

[John Street]

Unless it was one of them.

[Maggie Freeling]

So the interesting thing is a lot of them have been hard to find because a lot of them were undocumented, which is kind of a detriment to this case. I mean, and just to clarify, like, just because someone's undocumented, you know, this climate that we're living in now, does not mean that they are violent or did anything wrong. But how do you track down workers when you don't even know who you were employing?

[John Street]

You're gonna have to get somebody at a company to give you the names of people who may be undocumented. And if they have, could be a murderer. And they don't want them to be a murderer. They don't want that to tarnish their company. Even if they don't know for sure anything happened, they're probably weary of doing that. If they were here illegally, they could have fled back to somewhere like Mexico, and now it's, you know, that would be damn near impossible to find them. They also could still be here. I think that. Sure, they may have fled, but I think they would have came back.

[Maggie Freeling]

A lot of construction jobs, especially back then, too, where, you know, there might not have been a lot of regulation. Someone could just pick up a group of guys, bring them in for the day. Cash. No, Exactly. And it's like, how do you. They might not even gotten their names.

[John Street]

Exactly. There might not even be a list of names.

[Maggie Freeling]

That's my concern.

[John Street]

That's probably more likely is that you're talking about a group of people who are undocumented in a literal way where there isn't a list of employees with their Social Security numbers. It's just a group of people that may have been picked up from the local coffee shop that morning and paid in cash.

[Maggie Freeling]

They have real fears for their own safety, deportation, stuff like that. So a bunch of immigrant workers, undocumented workers, packing up and leaving right after pretty white girl goes missing doesn't seem that strange.

[John Street]

It doesn't. Maybe they just simply saw police activity. It's the first officer who rolls up and they're like, oh, and they just leave. Right. It has to be as simple as that. If it's not, then it's more nefarious. It could have been as simple as they saw the cops there. They discovered that, hey, something may have happened to this woman, and they all got spooked and they left. Or one of them did something, and they're. And the other people are like, I think this person may have done something too. I didn't. But I'm out of here because I.

[Maggie Freeling]

Well, I don't want to be questioned. Then they find out I might be.

[John Street]

Undocumented, wherever they are. And I don't want to go to jail for nothing. You know what I'm saying? Because I didn't do anything, which is a tough spot to be in. But, you know, I do understand that.

[Maggie Freeling]

Right. And it's tough because we can't find these guys. I will say this case literally caused me to Fort Knox, my apartment. Because I see workers all the time in empty apartments. And I actually said to someone the other day, I know this case where workers, likely undocumented workers, people we don't know who they are, have no record of, were staying in an apartment next to her.

[John Street]

Right.

[Maggie Freeling]

That is scary.

[John Street]

Yeah. I mean, when you hear a story like this, you can't help but think and look over your shoulder when you're in a situation like that. Right.

[Maggie Freeling]

Because these people know your routine. They can watch you. They're there every day. Like, that's really scary.

[John Street]

Yeah. They're strangely close. And if there are any bad apples in there that are capable of doing something like that, it's a scary thought.

[Maggie Freeling]

Absolutely. Seeing that tape of Jennifer's car, that was probably the worst moment. It was like being hit with a ton of bricks. And then also anger, just anger, because the person was so casual. Something really bad obviously happened. And they were just so casually dropping this car off like they were, you know, getting home from work. More of our discussion after a quick break. You're listening to up and Vanish Weekly. So it's a new year, 2025, and you're thinking, how am I going to make this year different? How am I going to build something for myself?

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[Maggie Freeling]

18/ DNC supply Hey listeners, if you have a tip or theories about a case you want to share or a case of interest you'd like to recommend to us, then we want to hear from you. Email us casesenderfoot tv DMUS on Instagram avweekly or give us a call at 770-54564. Now here's John with this week's critical missing case.

[Payne Lindsay]

Hey Maggie.

[Maggie Freeling]

So here's what I have this week.

[Payne Lindsay]

From what we know, 42 year old Casey Lynn Mitchell recently moved to the Plano, Texas area.

[Maggie Freeling]

Casey was reportedly dropped off at a hotel in Plano near Willow, Ross Way.

[Payne Lindsay]

And Notre Dame Drive on October 18th of 2024.

[Maggie Freeling]

The hotel was checked but Casey wasn't.

[Payne Lindsay]

There and it's been reported that Casey may have been going towards towards Florida or Ohio, but we're not sure. Casey is of Caucasian ethnicity with a height of 4 foot 11 inches and a weight of 105 to 110 pounds. She has strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes.

[Maggie Freeling]

Now Casey has a scar under her.

[Payne Lindsay]

Chin as well as a scar on.

[Maggie Freeling]

Her right ankle and she walks with a limp.

[Payne Lindsay]

So listeners, if you have any information.

[Maggie Freeling]

About Casey's whereabouts Please contact Detective Kobe.

[Payne Lindsay]

Janell with the Plano Police Department at 972-424-5678, and you can reference case number 202-400-22-5903.

[Maggie Freeling]

All right, now back to our case.

[Payne Lindsay]

Over the next several days, the search for Jennifer intensified. News of her disappearance had started to circulate around the area. Authorities were desperately searching for any kind of lead as to where Jennifer may have gone or if anyone had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary. Then, on Thursday, January 26, two days after Jennifer lost contact with loved ones, authorities received a tip that narrowed the focus of their investigations. A resident in a complex about a mile from Jennifer's apartment noticed a strange vehicle in their parking lot. The area surrounding the complex was known to have a lot of crime and drug activity, and this parking lot was a common place for stolen cars to get dumped. The resident had heard the description of Jennifer's car, a black Chevy Malibu, and wondered if it could be linked. When authorities arrived, they quickly confirmed it was Jennifer's car. But the condition of Jennifer's car was puzzling. The vehicle was locked, and the keys were nowhere to be found. There were no signs of damage, and nothing seemed to have been stolen. Authorities even noted that there was a DVD player clearly visible in the backseat. These signs didn't seem consistent with a car that had been stolen and dumped. As authorities secured the scene, they recovered a fingerprint from the car and a boot print on the carpet by the gas pedal. K9 units were brought in, and they tracked ascent from Jennifer's car back to the Mosaic Millennia complex where she lived. It seemed as though they were finally on the right track. Very quickly, authorities began the largest aerial search in the southeast. They expanded their door to door search efforts to see if anyone in the area had seen or heard anything. But as authorities search for a lead on where Jennifer may have gone, they also focused efforts on her vehicle. Eventually, authorities obtained security camera footage from the parking lot, which gave them some critical information. The video shows Jennifer's car entering the lot at 11:59am the day she went missing. The driver pulls into a parking space, backs out, straightens the car, parks the vehicle, and remains in the vehicle for 32 seconds before getting out. Things become more alarming when the driver begins walking towards the direction of Jennifer's complex. Authorities quickly analyze the video to put together a detailed description of the driver. They determine the man to be 5:3 to 5:5, with long hair tied back in a bun, wearing some kind of hat and work uniform. His Feet seem abnormally large due to the boots or high tops he's wearing. Because of the timing of the frames captured on the video, authorities were unable to get a clear view of the driver's face. Despite this breakthrough evidence, authorities would now be tasked with tracking down this mysterious driver to determine if he knew what happened to Jennifer. Perhaps then they could determine whether the dodgy behavior of the workers in Jennifer's complex was somehow connected or simply a red herring.

[Maggie Freeling]

So when her car is found, there's no fingerprints. It's, like, clean. It also doesn't look like it was ever robbed. Like, everything's in. Seems like this person knew what they were doing, like getting rid of evidence. My question is, why move the car unless she was transported in that car? Do you think that's what happened?

[John Street]

They probably did. They probably used the vehicle to dispose of her body and then they just ditched the car somewhere else. Obviously not back at the apartment complex. Also, you know, this could have been happening in the early morning hours when they were starting to wonder where she was. So they likely went away from her complex because of that reason.

[Maggie Freeling]

I think one of the reasons a lot of people have heard about this case and it kind of got a lot of attention was because this video, the security footage was found of the main suspect. I think the police call him a person of interest.

[John Street]

You're looking at the guy who did.

[Maggie Freeling]

This was seen where her car was found. Right. He's caught in this footage. But what makes the footage so interesting is that it's stills. I guess our technology at this time was not recording a full video. It was taking stills. And every couple seconds, when it would take the still, he was hidden behind a bar of the.

[John Street]

Yeah.

[Maggie Freeling]

And then this outfit that this guy is wearing that we see looks like a painter's outfit. He's an all white. What do you make of this situation where we have a lot of workers here? This guy looks like he might be a worker.

[John Street]

It's long been thought by the parents and even the police collectively that it was likely some sort of construction worker that was there working on the apartment complex that killed her. He does have that strange outfit on. It looks like a uniform. It doesn't look like a casual outfit. It looks like a uniform, an all white painter's outfit. And I think that makes sense because whoever took her car from her apartment complex to this apartment complex, they're wearing a. What looks like a painter's uniform. And sure enough, at that time, where she vanished from, they were painting and doing construction the other Night I was half asleep and watching Unsolved Mysteries, the old school Robert Stack. And I just kind of woke up half awake, half asleep. And I look at the TV and I see this reenactment of a guy who was wearing an all white outfit and he had this like stereotypical painter's hat on. It was like a person of interest in the Boston Strangler case, which was eerily similar in a way, where these women were murdered and this same painter was at their complexes. I just looked at it and my first instinctual thought was that looks just like the guy in the security footage. The outfit and the hat. For me, it kind of clicked that, okay, this isn't just a construction worker, it's specifically a painter.

[Maggie Freeling]

A painter.

[John Street]

To me, it's like that kind of narrows down the search where who were the painters in Orlando at that time. And I bet you he's still a painter today. Whether he's in Orlando or not is a different question, but I bet you this guy is still around and has painted other houses and apartment complexes.

[Maggie Freeling]

Do you think then that this person is like a serial killer?

[John Street]

I don't know. I mean, if he got away with it, which he so far he has, unless he's been arrested for something else, that and they've not made the connection to this case. I think anyone who's capable of murder and gets away with it is very likely to do it again.

[Maggie Freeling]

It is incredible that we have the security footage and we can't see anything else but this still. But at the same time that we have this uniform at least leading us in a direction. Right.

[John Street]

What's crazy is that you're staring at the guy who likely killed her and you just. At least the person that moved her car, which at the very least is somebody who knows that she's dead. Like you're looking at the answer.

[Maggie Freeling]

Someone who knows something.

[John Street]

Yeah, definitively. Because no one should be moving her car at all on the morning that she goes missing.

[Maggie Freeling]

So there is one man who was identified. He is the maintenance man at the complex. His name is Chino. And when some people saw this surveillance video, they thought this person looked like Chino. That would maybe be my first thought, specifically because Chino has long hair. And it looks to me like this person has a ponytail, like a. Like a bun on their head. So Chino is questioned. He took a polygraph. During the polygraph, Chino admitted that he was in her apartment a week before she passed away. Like he's saying she passed away.

[John Street]

He shouldn't think that she's dead. Maybe it's just a little slip. And just the way that he phrased it. I do think that sometimes humans do that when they're lying. They accidentally say the truth and they don't even hear themselves say it. Really?

[Maggie Freeling]

Oh, you think it was a Freudian slip? I was thinking, like, just maybe, like, fill in the blanks. Like he just was, like, assuming she's like, he's.

[John Street]

It could be, yeah. It's either that, that he just. It was just. It's benign and he just said that because that's the assumption.

[Maggie Freeling]

Right.

[John Street]

Or he shouldn't be saying that he's in a polygraph.

[Maggie Freeling]

He's probably nervous.

[John Street]

He's not saying, I don't know where she went. He's saying that he was in her apartment a week before she died.

[Maggie Freeling]

Sounds like you might need to pop up on Chino.

[John Street]

I mean, maybe I do. He fits the bill. The outfit the person is wearing in the security footage matches what he would have been wearing. He was in her apartment, so would have known the layout. Like, seen some of her stuff, seen her and maybe he's the maintenance guy.

[Maggie Freeling]

You see the maintenance people. Like, yes, he would know her. Like, to me, that's like, okay, you now know her schedule, you know the workings of her apartment, her day, her life. Like that Chino, to me, is very interesting. More on this case after a quick break. Start fresh in the new year. As you set resolutions for 2024, consider how learning a new language can enrich your life, whether through travel, career advancement, or cultural appreciation. Keeping in mind everything you've learned over the last year, it's time to build on that. And learning a new language can help you connect with others and explore new cultures. With that in mind, there's no better tool than Rosetta Stone, the most trusted language learning program available on desktop and mobile. Rosetta Stone immerses you in the language so you truly learn to think, speak, and understand it naturally. With Rosetta Stone's intuitive approach. There are no English translations. You're fully immersed. And the built in truaccent feature acts like a personal accent coach, giving you real time feedback to make sure you sound just right. Don't put off learning that language. There's no better time than right now to get started. Start the new year off with a resolution you can reach today. Listeners can take advantage of this. Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership. For 50% off, visit rosettastone.com Rs10. That's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the Rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% [e-mail] Rs10 today. Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?

[John Street]

Yeah, sold it to Carvana.

[Maggie Freeling]

Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.

[John Street]

The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency. No interest over 36 months.

[Payne Lindsay]

Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes.

[John Street]

Picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient.

[Maggie Freeling]

Just like that?

[John Street]

Yeah.

[Maggie Freeling]

No hassle? None. That is super convenient. Sell your car to Carvana and swap. Hassle for convenience. Pickup fees may apply.

[Payne Lindsay]

Hey, it's John from the up and Vanished team.

[Maggie Freeling]

If you're enjoying this episode, then you should check out season one of the Tenderfoot original series, up and Vanished.

[Payne Lindsay]

In 2016, documentary filmmaker Payne Lindsay stumbled across the decade old disappearance of beloved.

[Maggie Freeling]

Beauty queen and high school teacher Tara Grinstead. Tara mysteriously vanished from her home in.

[Payne Lindsay]

The small rural town of Ocilla, Georgia. And after 11 years and the largest.

[Maggie Freeling]

Case file in Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

[Payne Lindsay]

History, the case had grown cold. Driven to find out what may have.

[Maggie Freeling]

Happened to Tara, Payne began investigating and documented everything in the podcast.

[Payne Lindsay]

The result was an award winning number one series which drew nationwide attention as well as leading to two arrests.

[Maggie Freeling]

The series was then adapted to television as Payne investigated a fresh batch of.

[Payne Lindsay]

Unsolved cases, including the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. Listen to the flagship Tenderfoot TV series, Up and Vanished, wherever you get your podcasts or binge ad free exclusively on Tenderfoot Plus.

[Maggie Freeling]

Now back to the show. Peter Van Sant from 48 Hours actually knocked on Chino's door when they investigated Jennifer's case. And I want to play part of their interaction. Hey, how are you, Chino?

[John Street]

I'm Peter Van Sant with CBS News.

[Payne Lindsay]

We agreed not to use his full name. When we asked about Jennifer Kessie, Chino quickly reiterated that he was innocent.

[John Street]

I even did a lie detector test. I mean, everybody knows for a fact that I had nothing to do with Jennifer Kessie. You had nothing to do with her disappearance?

[Maggie Freeling]

Not at all.

[John Street]

Where were you the moment of January 24, 2006?

[Maggie Freeling]

I don't have to answer any questions.

[John Street]

But that's for sure. He needs to be eliminated better than he has been. Maybe it's somebody who knows him. Somebody else who was working there at least has a suspicion about somebody. They have to. But maybe they were too scared to say anything or were just not around anymore because they were trying to protect their own family.

[Maggie Freeling]

Her dad has brought up that he thought maybe she was abducted by human traffickers. There was a Human trafficking ring uncovered in Orlando shortly before Jennifer went missing. So that is something that happens.

[John Street]

The thing is we don't know so much, so it's hard to rule anything out. But I will say that I didn't find any strong evidence to support that theory. Not to say it isn't possible. That gets tossed around a lot when it's a complete mystery like movies taken that kind of just exaggerate some things and sort of have put that in the mainstream media or just like a narrative that's from Hollywood a little bit. Of course it does happen, unfortunately, but it's usually not what happened in a case like this. It's usually something way closer, way less elaborate and close to home. It's like the simplest answer is usually correct. I think that's the deal here. I think it's somebody who is working in that complex, likely a painter. If you're her father and it's 20 years past now nearly and there's no answers. I'm sure he's thought of every single possibility in the world that could have happened to her.

[Maggie Freeling]

Seeing you with her dad when you guys were searching the lake was.

[John Street]

It was really tough. There have been all kinds of random tips over the years, none of which have really panned out to anything. But there was one that had not been followed up on about a possible location for her body.

[Maggie Freeling]

Right. Here's how Jennifer's dad drew explain the tip when you spoke with him for the up and Vanished TV show.

[Payne Lindsay]

This particular lead came in from one of our court dates. She reached out to our lawyer and our lawyer took a statement from her. And then our investigative team went to her and basically she was visiting a friend's house and she was sitting outside enjoying a sunny morning and looked across this body of water and saw a.

[John Street]

Car pull up across the lake.

[Payne Lindsay]

And it's not too big of a piece of body of water and saw a gentleman get out, take something out.

[John Street]

Of the car, walk it to the lake. Presumably something that looked like rolled up.

[Payne Lindsay]

Rug and dropping in a lake. Hurriedly looked around, got in his car and took off.

[John Street]

We brought cadaver dogs out there and to our surprise they made a hit. And you know, when they hit on cadaver, the dog sits down, they find something, they sit and they can smell.

[Maggie Freeling]

Off of the water.

[John Street]

Yes, they can smell insanely far. They can smell cadaver hundreds of years old deep within the ground. Yeah, this cadaver dog picked up on a scent and he sat down. Next thing you know, hours later and throughout the following next day the police department is combing the lake with diversity, and they searched it extensively, but didn't find anything. Seeing a grown man cry is always, you know, like, knowing it's the dad. It's just.

[Maggie Freeling]

Well, what got me was seeing his hope, Right? Like, you guys are at that lake, and I'm watching, you know, now, years later, knowing you're finding nothing. So seeing his face as you're searching like that, hope in his face, but I know nothing's gonna be found. Yeah, that was like, the last lead. Yeah, that was the last unchecked lead that we have.

[John Street]

That was the last unchecked lead that I'm aware of. But I do know that the case file is enormous, and the Kessie family eventually did get it from the police, and I know they've been going through it, but there's probably other things in there that point this way or that way. I know that the Kessis are fighters, and they're going to never stop looking for Jennifer, and they will run these down, and I would be glad to help again in any way I could.

[Maggie Freeling]

What are the next steps in this case? What do you think could break this case open? You've been on the ground, you've done dogs, you've done lake searches. What will break this case?

[John Street]

It's tough to say, but I think if there's a concentrated focus back on who it could have potentially been back then, who were the painters back then in that part of Orlando, that business, you know, your competition, you know, these people. I think that somewhere in the network, generally of people who painted professionally in Orlando, somebody, sometime, somewhere has discussed this and learned that so and so may have been involved in this. I think the answer lies in there. And it's as simple as having heard a name or so and so rumored this, maybe that points us directly to the suspect, But I think that they're likely still around. If they fled to a different country for a long period of time, going on 20 years now, have never been caught, they probably would eventually feel safe again, safe enough to go back to the States to make more money. Would not be surprised at all if he's not even that far away, that he's still doing the same job somewhere in the States.

[Maggie Freeling]

Payne, thank you for coming on and sharing your experience working this case and with Jennifer's family. Really appreciate it.

[John Street]

Of course.

[Maggie Freeling]

It'S been almost 20 years since Jennifer Kessie went missing. And her father, Drew, for better or worse, is aware of that reality.

[Payne Lindsay]

They don't take women to sit them in a corner and look at them. They take women to rape them, to use them, abuse them, and then kill them if they don't want them anymore. That's why women get taken. Period.

[Maggie Freeling]

And with Jennifer, I think it's pretty clear she didn't leave on her own. Someone did something bad to her, Drew told Channel 10 Tampa Bay News in multiple interviews. He and his family will not stop until they get answers.

[Payne Lindsay]

We know how many law enforcement officials have looked at Jennifer's case and have come up with absolutely nothing. But now it's our turn. We're not going to stop until we take our last breath or she comes home to us. For the good or the bad.

[Maggie Freeling]

Jennifer is described as being 5 foot 8, 135 pounds, with green eyes and sandy blonde hair. Identifying marks include a green shamrock tattoo on her left hip. She would now be 43 years old. If you have any information about Jennifer Kessie's disappearance, contact the FBI's Violent Crime Apprehension Program unit at 800-634-4097. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of up and Vanish Weekly. Be sure to tune in next Friday as we dig into another new case. Until next time.

[John Street]

Up and Vanish Weekly is a production of Tenderfoot TV in association with Odyssey. Your hosts are Maggie Freeling and myself, Payne Lindsay. The show is written by Maggie Freeling, myself and John Street. Executive producers are Donald Albright and myself. Lead producer is John Street. Additional production by Meredith Steadman and Mike Rooney. Research for the series by Jamie Albright, Celicia Stanton and Carolyn Tallmadge. Edit and mix by Dylan Harrington and Sean Nurney. Supervising producer is Tracy Kaplan. Artwork by Byron McCoy. Original music by Makeup and vanity set. Special thanks to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at uta, Beck Media and Marketing and the Nord Group. For more podcasts like up and Vanish Weekly, search Tenderfoot TV on your favorite podcast app or visit us@Tenderfoot TV. Thanks for listening.