New Theories Into Disappearance of Florida Woman on 48 HOURS

Jennifer Kesse was a successful young woman with a good job and a loving boyfriend when she simply vanished from her Orlando, Fla., condominium. It's been more than 14 years since she was last seen. Peter Van Sant and 48 HOURS investigate the disappearance of the 24-year-old, raise new theories and go inside her parents' search for answers in "Where is Jennifer Kesse?" to be broadcast Saturday, Oct. 24 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

What is known is that when Kesse didn't show up for work on Jan. 24, 2006, her co-workers and family knew something was wrong. There were no signs of forced entry. No blood evidence. In the 14 years since, there have been no arrests. No named suspects.

The broadcast includes new theories on what may have happened to Kesse and the family's own investigation into the search for their daughter.

"It's very, very hard to move forward," Joyce Kesse says. "The hole in our heart is forever there until we have an answer. We just want an answer."

The most significant clue to date is a grainy surveillance camera image of someone calmly parking her car. The phantom figure then walked away in the direction of Jennifer's complex. But the person could not be identified because the surveillance video captured a photo every three seconds and each time the figure's face was obstructed by a fence post.

"There are people out there who know exactly what happened to Jennifer Kesse," says Michael Torretta, a private investigator hired by Kesse's parents.

48 HOURS: "Where is Jennifer Kesse?" takes viewers inside the family's desperate search for answers and features interviews with women who lived in Kesse's condominium complex, some who speak out for the first time.

"If you had told me then in 14 years we would still be looking for Jennifer Kesse, I would not have believed it," says Louis Bolden, an investigative reporter for WKMG-TV in Orlando.

The Kesses have taken on the investigation themselves after being frustrated with the lack of results from law enforcement. THE FAMILY filed a civil complaint and took the Orlando Police Department to court in order to get the case files. After months of wrangling, a settlement was reached and the Orlando Police Department handed over the file - more than 16,000 pages.

At the time of her disappearance, Kesse's condo complex was undergoing renovations. Her family says she told them the workers made her feel uneasy. Torretta believes that one or more of the construction workers may have taken her by surprise the morning she vanished. He also learned that 10 months after Kesse disappeared, a person was seen dumping a rolled-up piece of carpet into a lake not far from her condo.

"What's intriguing based on your investigation is the men that were in the apartment across from Jennifer's were putting down carpet that day," Van Sant says to Torretta.

"That's why it's very interesting to me," Torretta says.

When police searched the lake, nothing was found.

"This is something that is haunting me," Torretta says. "We need to see what's inside that carpet."

48 HOURS: "Where is Jennifer Kesse?" is produced by Chris Young Ritzen, Tamara Weitzman and Gabriella Demirdjian. Doreen Schechter is the producer editor. Kevin Dean and Gary Winter are the editors. Peter Schweitzer is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

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