Kriti Mehrotra
The entire world turned upside down for the Kalaher family on September 7, 2009, when Jessika Lynn Kalaher was found dead inside her vehicle (a white Kia) in Cedar Park, Texas. The 27-year-old’s death was quickly ascertained to be a homicide, leading to an extensive years-long investigation that initially raised more questions than it gave answers. Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil: Goodnight Jessika’ covers the case in great detail, shining a light upon how the authorities ultimately managed to secure justice.
Jessika Kalaher Dreamt of a Bright Future Before Her Life Met a Tragic End
Born on May 8, 1982, in Austin, Texas, to Linda Kalaher and Richard Kalaher, Jessika Lynn Kalaher grew up in a large, blended, happy, loving and supportive family. Her parents reportedly parted ways when she was relatively young, after which her father found love again and married JoGayle Henley Kalaher. She thus ended up with 3 parents, two brothers (Richard Kalaher III and Cody Clark), two stepbrothers (Jeremiah Henley and Joshua Henley), and a stepsister (Jourdan Henley), with whom she was close.
Jessika was an affectionate, hardworking and kind young woman whose priorities were her loved ones and her dream of making a name for herself. In fact, the 2000 Pflugerville High School graduate had put herself through Texas State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in 2007. She was saving up to pursue a Master’s degree by the time 2009 rolled around. At the age of 27, she served as a Manager at HEB, a substitute teacher at Union Hill Elementary School, and hoped to evolve into a full-time educator.
Jessika Kalaher Was Found Dead in Her Parked Car Outside a Strip Mall
With how busy Jessika’s life was, she enjoyed downtime with loved ones whenever she could, and the day before Labor Day 2009 was no different. She enjoyed a barbecue and swimming get-together with friends before dropping off her best friend/cousin, Melanie Lopez-Kilpatrick, at home at around 1:30 am. She refused to stay the night despite an open invitation because she had work early the next morning, only to miss her shift without prior notice. This was extremely uncharacteristic, as she was responsible, which prompted her family to raise the alarm.
One of Jessika’s work friends had contacted Melanie to ask where the 27-year-old was, making her so worried that she immediately contacted John Ridenour, her brother/cousin’s roommate. He was an officer with the Austin Police Department and already at work, but he still rushed to their shared apartment to see if his cousin was there, because her absence at work was a big deal. The moment he realized their place was empty, and her car was nowhere to be seen, he contacted the Cedar Police Department. John reported her missing and asked for a trace of her phone. That’s how her white Kia was found parked right outside a Little Caesars in a strip mall near the intersection of Highway 183 and Walton Way in Cedar Park, Texas.
It was Melanie who arrived at the scene first and found Jessika slumped over the wheel of her car, partially dressed in the same clothes she’d worn the day before. She was wearing only her terry-cloth swimsuit cover-up around her midsection, with the tie string missing. She also did not have her actual bathing suit on. Moreover, there were ligature marks around her throat, scratches underneath her chin, and bruises all across her arms as well as the upper half of her body. According to the show, Melanie opened the car door to check on her cousin, and that’s when she realized their worst dreams had become a reality. She called 911, but it was already too late. Jessica had died from heatstroke after being assaulted and strangled.
Surveillance Footage and Witness Statements Helped Trace Jessika’s Final Hours
When officials arrived at the scene shortly after 3:30 pm, they quickly got to work processing it because they were worried the Texan heat could dissolve crucial evidence. They also spoke with Little Caesars employees, asking whether anyone had seen anything or whether the store had any surveillance cameras facing the parking lot. It turns out neither they nor any nearby stores in the strip mall had any cameras, but two Little Caesars employees had seen Jessika all morning. According to them, her Kia had been in the parking lot when they arrived, and they could see her moving around inside. They claimed she was naked, and it appeared as if she was trying to crawl from the back seat to the front so as to get dressed. As per their accounts, her movements were “jerky” and “uncoordinated.”
One of the employees then claimed they next saw Jessika around mid-morning, standing outside her car, a little disheveled and searching for something inside. The other employee stated they also saw Jessika outside her car, looking as if she was “trying to put herself together,” but was not able to. According to them, she was so skittish that it seemed as if “everything scared her,” so they believed she was possibly “on something.” The next time they saw her was reportedly around noon, when she was back in the driver’s seat of her car, swaying back and forth, almost as if she were trying to calm herself. A little over 3 hours later, she was found dead in the same position, half undressed and with her hands near the steering wheel.
It wasn’t long after that that investigators realized the Walmart across the road from Little Caesars had surveillance cameras, whose footage broke the case wide open. While one camera angle showed Jessika arriving at Walmart and parking in her assigned space at 1:44 am, another showed her buying dog food inside and leaving around 2 minutes later at 1:46 am. However, the clips also showed a man walking out moments later, following her to her car, then getting into the driver’s seat right after her. The cameras also picked up the car, then driving away before returning to the area and ending up outside Little Caesars at roughly 2:53 am. The clips then showed the same man from before walking away from the Kia, walking towards his red pick-up truck in the Walmart parking lot, and driving away from the scene.
Crispin Harmel is Serving Life in Prison for Murder
Investigators tried to identify the man or get the license plate number of his red pick-up truck from the surveillance videos, but to no avail. All they could identify was that his vehicle had a silver plate on the back. Therefore, it wasn’t until a few weeks later that they got a lead, when Jessika’s stepmother contacted them to let them know she had her bank statements. This was crucial because her purse and bank cards were missing from the scene, and there had been a transaction from one of her cards at a gas station after 3 am. Surveillance footage from the gas station confirmed that the victim’s card was used by the same man who was caught following her inside and outside Walmart. A traffic stop from around the same time helped authorities identify their suspect as Crispin Harmel.
When Crispin was initially questioned inside his home, he claimed he and Jessika actually had plans to meet that fateful night. According to his statements, they had met on an online no-strings-attached hookup site and planned to meet at Walmart. He then added they had driven to a park for some alone time before returning and parking in the strip mall, where she let him borrow her cards when he opened up about being in financial distress. He also admitted he modified his truck and got the silver plate from the back removed upon hearing the news of her death because he was worried he would be considered a suspect. The ensuing investigations revealed no indication that Crispin and Jessika had met on the online dating site or that either of them had walked into Walmart looking for a partner. An analysis of the surveillance clips suggested they were not there for a pre-planned meeting.
Instead, with the evidence available and the inconsistencies in Crispin’s statements, authorities theorized he had followed Jessika, abducted her, assaulted her, and strangled her. As per their beliefs, he forced himself on her before driving to Little Caesars, where she died as a result of her injuries and heatstroke. He was subsequently arrested for murder, but he maintained his innocence. Hence, his first trial on the same charge ended in a mistrial, yet he was convicted of tampering with evidence and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Years later, in 2018, he stood trial again, and this time, the jury found him guilty of capital murder in the course of committing or attempting to commit kidnapping, robbery, or aggravated sexual assault. He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and his subsequent appeals were all dismissed. Therefore, today, at age 46, he is incarcerated at the Clemens Unit Detention Center in Texas, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his natural life.
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