1991 North Carolina Teen Murder Solved

On December 19th, 1991 in a small town in North Carolina, a teenager goes missing from a local mall. At the mall holiday shopping with some friends around 9 in the evening, her friends had decided they had finished their shopping and were leaving the mall and returning home. Jennifer, however, decided that she would stay awhile and finish her holiday shopping. Leaving Jennifer at the mall, the friends left and returned home to their families. Jennifer did not return home that night or many nights following Dec. 19th, 1991. Five weeks later, her remains were discovered by some local boys off a beaten path used by many teenagers to access the mall from a local neighborhood.

Her parents reported her missing on Dec. 19th, 1991 when she did not return home from the mall with her friends. The first 48 hours of a missing persons case is crucial in law enforcements investigative work. After the first 48 hours with no clues to the missing girl, it is doubtful that Jennifer would still be alive.
But her parents and local law enforcement never gave up hope that they would find her-one way or another.

The investigation started by interviewing the friends that she accompanied to the mall that night and anyone at the mall that night was urged to come forward if they had any information about Jennifer that would help the investigation. Several people came forward with information. They had seen Jennifer in the company of 2 men around the time that Jennifer's friends had left the mall. One witness said that, when leaving the mall, they had seen Jennifer get into a red pickup with these same 2 men.

The parents were ruled out as suspects immediately as both of them had solid alibi's as to their where abouts that night. The new Un-Sub's (unknown subjects) and persons of interest were the two men Jennifer had been seen with leaving the mall that night.

Assuming that she was still alive, officials treated the case as a routine runaway teenager who would eventually turn up somewhere, call and come home.
Her parents had stated that Jennifer was looking forward to Christmas Day and would not leave her presents under the tree. Jennifer was like a little kid when it came to Christmas Day and opening of presents was her favorite family tradition.

Days went by and now weeks had passed, Christmas holiday had come and gone and still noone had heard from Jennifer and no body had turned up. Investigators feared that they had a cold case on their hands.

One cold January day in 1992 a group of teenagers were traveling a well worn path behind the mall. This path was used by the neighborhood locals for quick access to the very same mall where Jennifer had disappeared. They saw "something" just off the path they were traveling in a bushy area that stood out. Knowing that a teenager was missing, the decided to have a look. They found human remains apparently dumped beside the path and off into some bushes.

Local law enforcement officials were called in, forensic photos were taken and the immediate area surrounding the remains were canvassed for any clues or evidence that might leas them to a suspect in the case. An autopsy was performed and it was determined that the remains were indeed Jennifer's and cause of death was estangunation.

Forensic evidence found on the remains and around the area Jennifer's remains were discovered, led investigators to the neighborhood behind the mall.
During the five weeks of her disappearance this wooded area behind the mall had been searched by cadaver dogs and search and rescue volunteers. They did not discover any remains. The remains had been left there sometime after the search party had finished with the area and had remained their until it was
discovered by the teenagers traveling the path to the mall.

Police officials focused their investigation into the homicide in and around the area of the mall and the nearby neighborhood which was accessed by this beaten path. The neighborhood was a local trailer park, During this part of their investigation, they focused on finding the red truck and the 2 men who were considered to be suspects in the case. Eventually police investigative work lead them to the red truck and to the 2 men living nearby in the trailer park.
Both men were questioned, they both admitted to the murder of Jennifer and that they placed the body off the path after a search had been done in the area. They assumed that no one would be searching that area again as it had already been done.

The two men offered this explanation of the events that took place that night:

They both had approached Jennifer at the mall. Since she seemingly was alone, they offered her a ride home and she agreed. Jennifer lived about a 15 minute walk from the mall and it was a cold night in Dec. that 1991. Jennifer's 1st mistake, she accepted a ride from strangers, assuming that they would take her home. After leaving the mall in the red truck that witness's had seen, the 2 men decided to make a side trip to their trailer in the park behind the mall. They convinced Jennifer ( a 17 year old) that they wanted to pick up a couple things they left at the house to take to a buddies. So Jennifer agreed. Jennifer's 2nd mistake-to go with them to their house. They invited Jennifer into the trailer for a cold soda while they gathered up the items they needed to take to their Buddy's house. While in the trailer the two men decided to snort some cocaine and invited Jennifer to do the same. Jennifer was not into drugs and she threatened to tell the police on these guys who were offering area kids drugs. When Jennifer threatened to tell the police they decided to kill her so she would not talk.
They hid the body for several weeks until the odor overcame them, and then place the remains in the nearby woods next to the well traveled path.

Both men received life without the possibility of parole for the murder of 17 year old Jennifer.

A word to teenagers and parents of teenagers. There are so many predators out on the streets and on the Internet that prey on young girls like Jennifer. Parents, set ground rules for your teenagers, stick by them. Arm them with a cell phone and instruct them to call you at certain intervals so you know where they are and whom they are with. Teens, travel in packs of two or three-and never go places alone or without someone you know. Never strike up a conversation with a stranger-that stranger may be the predator of young teens. Know who you are with and where you're going at all times.

Incidentally, Jennifer was my 17 year old niece who died December 19, 1991.