Kriti Mehrotra
It was on May 12, 2018, when everything turned upside down for the Johnson-Cummings family as 34-year-old Joleen Johnson-Cummings suddenly went missing, never to be seen again. She was actually a professional hairstylist working at Tangles Hair Salon in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and that’s where she was last seen alive, as explored in ABC’s ’20/20: The Final Cut.’ Unfortunately, despite no remains ever having been found, she is believed to be dead owing to the available evidence and the assertion that she never would have willingly left her family behind.
Joleen Cummings Was a Proud Daughter, Sister, and Mother of Three
It was reportedly on May 13, 1984, in Hilliard, Florida, that Joleen Rebecca Jensen was born to Ann Joseph Johnson as one of her two daughters, the light of her life, and her close confidant. According to the latter’s own accounts, her daughter was always very ambitious and strong-minded, which seemingly didn’t change even after she started her own family in her early 20s. The relationship she was in at the time sadly didn’t pan out, but she did have a beautiful baby girl out of it, and then decided to enroll in a cosmetology school to provide for their little young family.
Joleen believed things would soon start looking up for them, and they did as she not only evolved into a professional hairstylist but also found love again with a man named Jason Cummings. The fact that he even treated her daughter as his own was undeniably a significant aspect for her, so their connection naturally progressed, and they happily tied the knot sometime around 2012. That’s the same year they welcomed a baby boy into the world as their first child, followed by another son roughly two years later in 2015 – they completed their household as a family of five.
Joleen Cummings’ Mother Fought to Give Her Daughter Justice
Even though it appeared as if Joleen was thriving by the time 2018 rolled around, as a devoted mother of three and a well-respected hairstylist based out of Yulee, the reality was a little different. Unfortunately, after several tumultuous moments during their 5 years of marriage, she and Jason chose to separate in 2017 before officially filing for divorce while continuing to share custody. As per records, they had remained amicable while co-parenting their children throughout the legal process, so it was strange when she failed to pick them up as scheduled on May 13, 2018.
It was Joleen’s birthday and Mother’s Day on that fateful date, so her not showing up without any prior information was even more troubling, especially since her kids were admittedly her entire world. Therefore, once Ann learned all of this after initially growing worried because her daughter had not wished her or sent her flowers for Mother’s Day as was her routine, she reported her missing. What ensued was an extensive search for the 34-year-old mother of three, with her loved ones vehemently stating she never would have willingly left her kids – 3, 5, and 10 at the time – but to no avail.
In the aftermath of the belief that Joleen had been killed at the hands of a co-worker named Kimberly Kessler on May 12, 2018, her mother chose to be public about her fight for justice. While Jason decided to keep away from the limelight to seemingly protect his own privacy and the privacy of his sons, Ann remained vocal to ensure her daughter’s case never went cold. She released statements detailing the impact of the family’s loss and how tough it was for them to even grieve since they had no gravesite to go to because no remains have ever been found. Moreover, both she as well as Joleen’s sister gave victim impact statements after Kimberly was convicted of murder.
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While Ann Johnson Leads With Faith Today, Jason Prefers to Remain Away From the Limelight
While the grief and pain of losing Joleen continue to hang over Ann Johnson’s head like a dark cloud, even 7 years later, she has been doing her best to deal with the despair and move forward in life. It’s her religious belief that has been guiding her through this at every step, helping her learn that forgiveness frees one from the past and that people can change their lives with just a bit of faith. So, although she still grapples with what transpired with Joleen, she appears to be currently primarily focusing on self-growth in order to be the best version of herself for her remaining family.
In fact, from what we can tell, Ann is on a spiritual, mental, and physical journey as of writing, for which she has been consistently exercising, dieting, and remaining alcohol free. She has actually been completely sober for exactly a year and a half as of writing, which has further enabled her to persevere in life and maintain strong relationships with her family. The Hilliard resident seems particularly close to her dog, her mother, her remaining daughter, and Jolene’s granddaughter, who is likely 17 years old now.
Coming to Jason, he too is based out of Hilliard, Florida, as of writing, where his focus seems to be on providing for and raising his two young sons, who are likely 10 and 12. He has actually always preferred to keep away from the spotlight for the sake of protecting his family from prying eyes, but he did give a rare interview to News4Jax in 2022. He revealed that while their sons know their mother is no longer with them in the world, they don’t know all the details behind what transpired because they are just too young. “(They) ask questions about her,” he said. “They know she’s in heaven being looked after. They think that’s their guardian angel.”
