New evidence released in case of local woman accused in Fla. mother's murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New evidence was released Thursday against the only suspect accused in connection to the death of a Florida mother, shows her wearing all black, going into a convenience store around the time the woman went missing.

Kimberly Kessler, who is originally from Butler County, is accused in the disappearance of Jolene Cummings. Investigators believe Cummings is dead even though they haven't found her body.

The surveillance video showed Joleen Cumming’s vehicle driving near gas station outside of Jacksonville. Minutes later, Kimberly is seen on video walking into the convenience store around 1:20 a.m. on May 13.

It’s the same day that investigators said Cummings never showed up to meet her ex-husband and pick up her three children.

In an interview with an investigator, the store clerk said that Kessler told him she had been out with friends that night and she asked him to call her a cab.

“She said something about how she was out with a couple of friends drinking and one of the friend’s ex-boyfriends came around there have been some kind of problems she didn’t go into much detail after that,” the clerk said.

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The clerk also claimed to have seen a red fingermark on her cheekbone.

“It didn’t look like someone hit her, maybe grabbed her by the face or pushed her or something like that,” the clerk said.

Her demeanor was described to investigators as irritable, as he said she waited for a taxi. “She looked anxious, like she kind of thought something, but she didn’t want me to leave her alone either,” the clerk said.

The cab driver told an investigator that she was dropped off in a parking lot next to Woody's.
Deputies said two days later, Cummings' abandoned Ford Expedition was found in the parking lot of Home Depot, about 2 miles away from where the cab driver dropped Kessler off.

The cab driver also told an investigator that she seemed like a nice woman and she was questioning him about his religion and if he went to church.

Cox Media Group