After Traveling To A Convention In Chicago, This College Student Vanished Without A Trace, And His Case Remains Unsolved Nearly 18 Years Later
In 2006, Jesse Ross was a 19-year-old sophomore attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City. While majoring in communications and minoring in politics, he was an active member of his school’s Spirit Committee, helping to organize different events on campus.
At the time, Jesse was also working an internship at a local Kansas City radio station known as 95.7 The Vibe. There, he was part of “Shorty and the Boys,” a morning show, and was nicknamed “Opie Cunningham.”
Yet, after going to Chicago, Illinois, to participate in a mock United Nations convention as one of 1,200 students in November of that year, Jesse mysteriously disappeared.
It all began on November 18, 2006, when he and 13 other students from his college traveled to Chicago for the four-day convention. The UN convention took place at the Sheraton Towers Hotel, located on North Water Street; meanwhile, Jesse stayed at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel.
Things were all fine at the convention until the very last evening. That night, November 21, Jesse went to a dance that was hosted by conference organizers. There was also a party in a Sheraton Tower Hotel room, where alcohol was reportedly served.
Jesse did not party all night, though. Rather, just before 12:30 a.m., there was a late-night emergency meeting for the mock UN’s Security Council, and Jesse left to join it.
He was later seen at about 2:30 a.m. in the hotel lobby. This marked the last sighting of Jesse.
No hotel surveillance footage caught Jesse exiting the hotel. However, a staff door located on the south side was able to be used by conference attendees and wasn’t covered by security cameras.
According to one of his friends, Ralph Parker, who was at the late-night meeting, Jesse had been drinking but didn’t seem intoxicated when he left. Ralph claimed Jesse headed out around 2:00 a.m., saying he needed a break.
Facebook – pictured above is Jesse
Jesse is believed to have been heading back toward the Sheraton Four Points Hotel, where he was staying. Yet, the route from the convention location to his hotel, which was only about a half-mile, well-lit, and covered by surveillance cameras, captured no footage of Jesse walking back.
The teen never arrived at his hotel room and has remained missing ever since.
When Jesse was nowhere to be found later that morning, his professor became worried and checked with students, conference organizers, and security at the hotel. No sign of him was found, and Jesse’s father was ultimately contacted. A missing person report was also filed at 4:00 p.m.
“I was sleeping, and [a phone call] woke me up. At first, I was not quite sure what was going on, and then I remembered Jesse was supposed to call me whenever he was coming home,” Jesse’s father, Don, recalled.
“Instead, it was one of the sponsors for the trip, and they told me they were not sure where Jesse was. They could not locate him.”
The Chicago Police Department sprung into action, and investigators believed that Jesse may have fallen into the Chicago River. It’s also located in the opposite direction of the Sheraton Four Points Hotel, which might explain why no security cameras saw Jesse walking to his hotel that night.
However, the pedestrian esplanade had an iron security barrier that was four feet tall. Plus, even after investigators conducted extensive searches in the neighborhood, sent multiple divers into the Chicago River, and interviewed staff members at the hotel, no evidence of Jesse’s whereabouts was uncovered.
His parents, Don and Donna Ross, have another theory regarding why authorities jumped to that conclusion.
“I think the reason they liked that is because if he went into the river, it’s not really a crime, and there’s really not all that pressure on them,” Don said.
Instead, Jesse’s family suspects something more sinister occurred. When he left for Chicago, Jesse, who was known for his love of both music and politics, brought music mixes with the goal of networking. Don and Donna think their son might’ve come into contact with the wrong person.
But it has been nearly 18 years since Jesse vanished, and his case is no closer to being solved. He didn’t have a history of running away and had no problems in his personal life or at home at the time he went missing.
So, the exact circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear, and his parents hope he is at peace.
“I choose to believe that he is happy, safe, and he’s in heaven,” Donna expressed.
She issued a message to community members as well, urging them not to walk alone at night.
“Try not to go out by yourself. You know, go in twos. Be aware of your surroundings,” she stated.
Jesse was five foot ten, weighed 140 pounds, and had red hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt, a green jacket, and a black pair of sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding his case is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department at (312) 744-8266.
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