Two decades after 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse disappeared on Jan. 24, 2006, her parents say they search for her daily and have renewed hope as new technologies are applied to the investigation. Her car was found about a mile from her Orlando apartment, and surveillance captured a person of interest parking the vehicle. The FDLE now oversees the case; new DNA testing and AI analysis of the 16,000-page file and video have brought investigators closer to potential leads.
New Tech Revives Search: Parents Renew Hope in Jennifer Kesse Cold Case After 20 Years
Florida investigators have reignited the search for Jennifer Kesse after her Orlando disappearance Jan. 24, 2006.(Fox News)
Two decades after 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse disappeared, her parents say renewed investigative technology and fresh DNA testing have given them new hope in a case that has haunted their family since 2006.
Jennifer Kesse, 24, was reported missing after she failed to show up for work Jan. 24, 2006.
Jennifer Kesse vanished on Jan. 24, 2006, after failing to report to work in Orlando, Florida. Her car was later found about a mile from her apartment, and surveillance footage captured a person of interest parking the vehicle and walking away — though the individual’s face was not visible on camera.
Jennifer Kesse and her father, Drew, open presents in an undated family photo.
Drew and Joyce Kesse drove from their Tampa home to Orlando the day she disappeared and found Jennifer’s apartment empty, with several outfit choices laid out on the bed. After reporting her missing, the family says their initial interaction with the Orlando Police Department felt dismissive. The Kesses later sued the OPD to obtain the investigation file, which now exceeds 16,000 pages.
Drew and Joyce shared with Fox News affiliate WTTV that they will never stop searching for their daughter, Jennifer, who disappeared Jan. 24, 2006.
‘We look for Jennifer pretty much every day,’ Drew and Joyce told WTVT, a Fox affiliate, on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance.
Drew: "I knew something was wrong immediately."
Jennifer Kesse smiles alongside her mother, Joyce.
With the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) now overseeing the investigation, the family has pursued new investigative avenues. They are working with an artificial intelligence firm to analyze the enormous case file and enhance surveillance footage, focusing on distinguishing physical characteristics visible in the video — for example, ear shape — which investigators believe can be as identifying as a fingerprint.
The Kesses also said new DNA samples were tested last year and that investigators are closer than ever to identifying several people they would like to interview. Drew said he believes Jennifer was taken soon after she disappeared and may have been removed from the area — possibly out of state or even the country.
Now nearing 70, the Kesses emphasize their unwavering determination.
Joyce: "Till we die. Whatever it takes. There’s no quit in us."
Anyone with information about Jennifer’s disappearance is asked to contact the FDLE’s Orlando office at 407-245-0888 or email OROCColdCaseTips@fdle.state.fl.us. The OPD and the FDLE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
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