The family of Jennifer Kesse still holds onto hope that DNA evidence may one day lead to answers in her 2006 disappearance. Jennifer went missing from her condo in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2006, when she was just 24 years old. According to her uncle Bill Gilmour, she had left several outfit choices on her bed that morning before leaving for work. Her condo was located in a complex called Mosaic at Millenia.
Two days later, authorities found her black 2006 Chevy Malibu at a different residential complex called Huntington on the Green, about a mile away from Mosaic at Millenia. A neighbor had spotted her missing car on television and informed the police. Initially, the Orlando Police Department (OPD) claimed that there was no evidence of consequence in her car, as Gilmour explained. However, after Jennifer’s sister and brother sued the OPD and obtained records, they discovered that DNA had been collected in the car, despite the department’s denial.
The records obtained through the lawsuit also included images of Jennifer’s vehicle, which showed signs of a struggle against the hood. Gilmour expressed frustration with the OPD, stating that his family had not been made aware of these details. Despite their frustrations, the family hopes that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, who took over the case in November, will conduct new testing on potential DNA evidence from Jennifer’s car.
Aside from the potential DNA evidence, another crucial aspect of the case is the surveillance video images of a person of interest. Although the person’s face is obstructed, they can be seen walking away from Jennifer’s car after parking it at the Huntington complex. The person has yet to be identified.
Jennifer’s family remains in the dark about what exactly happened to her. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer had a successful job and a healthy relationship with her boyfriend. Her colleagues at Westgate Resorts in Ocoee reported her missing on the same day because it was unlike her to not show up for work without calling. Gilmour emphasized that Jennifer had shown no signs of discontent in her life, relationships, or work environment. The last people she spoke to on the phone the night before her disappearance were her parents and her boyfriend.
Due to the ongoing construction at Mosaic at Millenia, workers had access to the building. This makes it unclear how Jennifer disappeared after leaving for work that day. Gilmour’s new book highlights Jennifer’s predictability, intelligence, and awareness of her surroundings. It emphasizes that whatever happened to her was entirely out of character.
The Kesse family continues to hope for answers and prays that the DNA evidence in Jennifer’s car will bring them closer to the truth. They are determined to find out what happened to their beloved Jennifer and bring those responsible to justice.