Katharina Buczek
At the time Kemberly disappeared, Jeremy had been living in Ponce De Leon, Florida. He was also the only person close to the missing person case who refused to take a polygraph test or speak with police.
Nonetheless, phone records showed that various calls had been placed from Kemberly’s home at 5:00 a.m. on August 16, 1997, to varying numbers in Ponce de Leon that were out of service. This led investigators to conclude that Kemberly had been taken at some point between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Authorities also discovered that on August 15, 1997, Jeremy had borrowed his boss’ car– a 1991 Dodge pick-up truck.
Then, at 6:30 a.m., he allegedly went to a friend’s house– appearing panicked– and asked for assistance to get rid of the truck.
The vehicle was later discovered abandoned at a church, and the truck had been very well cleaned.
Jeremy also had an extensive record and was even out on bond. Kristin, Kemberly’s sister, was unaware of her boyfriend’s history. And once Jeremy was named a suspect, he and Kristin broke up.
But today, Jeremy is 52-years-old, married, and regularly attends church. And Kemberly’s case still has never been solved.
In the years following her disappearance, countless people– from community members to the FBI and local law enforcement agencies– searched miles of land stretching from Alabama to Florida.
“There were all kinds of search efforts. You know, with 4-wheelers, on foot. And the searches went on for several years. The FBI even brought the infrared plane, and they had all kinds of dogs,” Sue recalled.
“Every single weekend, we would go out and search.”
While Kemberly’s loved ones have held onto moments of hope, though, each year that passes becomes more difficult to bear.
