Jennifer Morris was 20 years old when she went missing, and more than two decades later, she was found murdered in Monterey, California, and the person responsible for her murder has yet to be brought to justice.
On Jan. 24, 1983, Morris and her best friend, Jody Turner, were supposed to go shopping together, but after an argument ensued, Turner decided not to go, according to the Monterey Police Department.
Morris left her home alone in Pacific Grove and headed to the Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey; she never returned home. The following day, her parents contacted the police department and reported Jennifer Morris missing.
During a police investigation, it was discovered that Morris was last seen around 3 p.m., purchasing an item at Saks Fifth Avenue. Her vehicle, a 1971 Ford Pinto, was found in the parking lot.
Police questioned several witnesses, but none of the information they gathered led them any closer to finding out what happened to the part-time college student, who was still living at home with her parents.
Morris remained a missing person until her body was found 28 years later.
On Aug.18, 2011, a land surveyor was in a wooded area near the Del Monte Shopping Center when they encountered skeletal remains buried in a shallow grave.
The remains were identified through dental records as those belonging to Jennifer Morris, The Mercury News reported.
Evidence at the scene suggested that Morris had been murdered, but the circumstances leading up to her death or how she died are unknown.
Monterey police Lt. Leslie Sonné said, “Whatever happened to her, it happened to her at the time she went missing.”
At the time she was found, her parents weren’t alive, but police officials stated that her two older brothers were still alive.
“I think they are both relieved to know where she was,” said Sonné. “They were pretty shocked and are trying to come to grips with it.”
When Turner found out that her best friend was found dead, she said, “I have mixed feelings. I’m shocked and I’m angry to think she had been in the same place all this time.”
Sonne said, “Now the questions are who, when, and what happened. Obviously, it’s going to be a puzzle. But in this era, with the technology that is available, anything’s possible.”
In September 2011, NBC Bay Area reported that local authorities had reopened Morris’ case and applied new technology in hopes that it would lead to a possible suspect.
An investigation into Morris’ death continues.
Anyone with information regarding the unsolved murder of Jennifer Morris is encouraged to contact the Monterey Police Department’s Investigations Division at (831) 646-3814 or by email at montereysuggest@monterey.org.