Breakthrough in Case of Missing Florida Woman Jennifer Kesse

ORLANDO, Florida — Nearly two decades after Jennifer Kesse vanished from her apartment, authorities have announced new evidence that could revive the investigation into her disappearance. Kesse, who was 24 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen on January 24, 2006.

Drew Kesse, her father, issued a statement after receiving a call from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) last month. The FDLE informed him that they obtained new DNA evidence and have narrowed down their list of persons of interest in the case.

“[FDLE] said that they no longer consider Jennifer’s case cold,” Drew Kesse told Fox News Digital. “It is active. They are on what they need to do and they truly believe that they are getting somewhere.”

After Jennifer failed to show up for work on the day she went missing, her family became alarmed. “I knew something was wrong immediately,” Drew Kesse said. He and his wife, Joyce, drove two hours from their home in Tampa to Orlando, only to find their daughter’s apartment empty, with several outfits laid out on the bed.

Initial investigations by the Orlando Police Department faced criticism for their handling of the case. “They looked around her apartment, shrugged their shoulders and said, ‘She had a fight with her boyfriend probably, she’ll be back,’” Drew Kesse said.

In the years since, the Kesse family has pursued legal action against the City of Orlando due to what they defined as a botched investigation. This lawsuit ultimately resulted in the release of 16,000 pages of documents regarding the case.

In November 2022, control over the case shifted to the FDLE, prompting fresh investigative efforts. The latest advancements utilize technology and methods that have helped clear previous roadblocks concerning evidence.

Kesse’s family has worked with a team of former law enforcement officials to explore leads. They even sought help from NASA to enhance surveillance footage of Jennifer’s car, which was taken from her apartment complex on the day she disappeared and later found abandoned three days later at a location one mile away.

“We have film of that [car] being parked,” Drew Kesse said. “A person stays in it for 32 seconds, gets out and walks away.”

Additionally, two witnesses reported seeing Jennifer arguing with a man in her vehicle, while evidence shows that her car had signs of a struggle and dust from construction at the apartment complex.

“An unidentified person of interest was photographed parking Jennifer Kesse’s vehicle,” the FDLE noted. This individual is described as being approximately 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-5 and wearing white clothing.

As attention returns to Jennifer’s case, her family remains hopeful for answers. “I want to know where Jennifer is,” Drew Kesse stated. “Dead or alive.”

Those with information about her disappearance are encouraged to contact the FDLE’s Orlando office at (407) 245-0888.

The Florida House of Representatives recently passed “The Jennifer Kesse and Tiffany Sessions Missing Persons Act,” aimed at improving how missing persons cases are handled by law enforcement agencies.

“We keep moving forward with the authorities, hopefully to bring her home someday,” Drew Kesse said.