Her FB page. A post from Dec 22, 2019.
Justice for Jessica Phelps
Happy birthday, Jessie. It's hard to believe she would have been 27 years old today. It's impossible to imagine what she would look like or what her, and our, life would be like.
Another year has passed without any leads or information as to how Jessie was killed or who killed her.
This is a hard day for my family. We may not speak too much about it, but our hearts are all crying out. We lost such a beautiful soul. Her future would have been a great one, I have no doubt. She was SO smart, beyond her years, and brought a smile to anyone she came into contact with. Her smile and her laugh were infectious.
I don't know who the monster is that took her from us, but I do know that they will be judged one day, if not in this world, when they meet our Maker.
To Jessie in Heaven, we will be reunited one day. I miss you every single day. I treasure the many moments I was able to spend with you on Earth. We had a bond that was extraordinary for "only" being cousins. You are in a better place than the rest of us and my sadness is selfish.
Jessica Phelps was my 4-year-old cousin who was kidnapped from her home in Flint, Michigan on July 1, 1997. For 9 long, grueling, heartbreaking months we searched for our Jessie. We searched in abandoned houses, buildings, dumpsters, the river by her home was lowered, and everything else you could imagine had been searched. While we held on to the hope that she would be found alive and well, as the days and months passed by, our hopes were dwindling and the reality that she wouldn't be found alive was starting to set in. Even still, we couldn't help but hope for good news.
That is, until the phone call. On April 2, 1998, a road commission worker found Jessie's skeletal remains. Let that sink in for a second. Her BONES, which was all that was left of her, were found in a drainage ditch... 20 miles from her home. Police speculate she died the day she disappeared. No definitive cause of death has been determined, though it is believed she died by asphyxiation.
I can't tell you how many times I have been told "well, at least now you have some closure." No, we don't. More than 22 years later, the pain is still there. It still feels fresh. We don't speak of Jessie much at family functions. Not because she has been forgotten or because we don't care. Quite the opposite. We are still affected heavily by the loss of this sweet, innocent child.
The story doesn't end there. Our family doesn't have the closure that we deserve. Her killer has not been found. We have no idea what caused her death. Maybe others don't want to know, but I do. The details of her kidnapping and death and anything in-between cannot possibly compare to the things I imagine in my head.
I don't understand how someone could kill such a small, innocent, defenseless child. Jessie deserves justice and our family deserves answers. Who, why and how? I was 19 at the time of her death. I was a young adult with no children of my own. I babysat Jessie a lot. I took her to church often. She was the closest thing I had to a child of my own and I treated her as my own child. Today, I have 4 children of my own, and losing one of them is my biggest fear. You think it can't happen to you but it can. It can happen to anyone, even an over-protective mother like me. We can't protect our children all day, every day. There are sick people in the world.
It seems highly unlikely that she was taken from her yard without a single person seeing a single thing. This was the east side of Flint. It was common for residents to be sitting on their porches on summer days in the early evening, especially on such a bright, clear, sunny day during the daylight hours. The houses in the neighborhood are literally spaced a couple arms lengths apart from each other. The east side culture at that time, for the most part, was one of which most people watched out for their neighbor, and especially kept watch over the children of the neighborhood. It was not uncommon to see young children walking alone down the street safely to and from friends' houses.
With your help, we could make sure that the person or people who took Jessie's life are not still living a free life or hurting other children. Please keep sharing this page with your friends. It only takes one small, or seemingly small, detail to blow this "cold case" wide open. You or one of your Facebook friends could have the missing puzzle piece needed to help us find answers. To begin the healing process and to find closure, if that's possible.
It only takes one seemingly small detail to blow this cold case wide open. You or one of your Facebook friends could have the missing puzzle piece needed to help us find answers and ensure he killer is not preying upon other children.
Circumstances change. Maybe you didn't feel safe speaking up 22 years ago. It's not too late. Please call.
If you know something - anything - please message me or call:
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City of Flint Police Dept.
Violent Crimes Task Force (810-237-6945)
or
#CrimeStoppers of Flint & Genesee County
(800-422-JAIL)
(800-422-5245)
P3tips.com
You can remain anonymous when you call.
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Thank you so much. Your support means everything to my family and me.
I realize nothing will bring Jessie back. I also fully realize and have accepted that I may never know the who, how, or why. This doesn't mean I won't fight for the answers until the day I die. I can promise you I won't stop looking for answers. Her voice was taken. Mine was not.
To the great people who have liked this page and continually share Jessie's story, I thank you!
Please keep sharing. Please don't forget her.
***DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT JESSICA'S MOTHER. I AM HER COUSIN.***
***NEGATIVE COMMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL BE DELETED. THERE IS NO ROOM HERE FOR COMMENTS SUCH AS 'IF S/HE WOULD HAVE...' OR 'SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE ALONE.'
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT IF ANY ONE OF US COULD HAVE CHANGED ONE SMALL THING THAT DAY TO PREVENT THIS TRAGEDY, WE WOULD HAVE. WE CAN'T TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO DO THAT. PLEASE KEEP THE FOCUS ON HELPING TO FIND WHO KILLED HER. PLACING BLAME ON ANYONE EXCEPT THE MURDERER(S) IS UNNECESSARY AND UNACCEPTABLE***
#justiceforjessicaphelps
