Michigan : Jessica Phelps

Mar 25

Flint, Michigan, is located in the eastern part of the state, about 66 miles northwest of Detroit. It's historically known for its association with the automotive industry, particularly General Motors (GM). However, it has gained national attention in recent years due to its water crisis. I feel like most Americans have heard of Flint for one reason or another. Flint has faced economic challenges due to the decline in the automotive industry and has many rough areas because of this decline in jobs. That is why we are navigating advocacy in Flint, Michigan, this week.

Jessica Phelps, known as Jessie to those close to her, was born on December 22nd, 1992. She was an intelligent girl, fiercely independent, and happy by all accounts. She had a big smile and loved all things sparkly. Her single mother, Tamara, raised her alongside her little brother Jordan, and her cousin Angie was Jessica’s primary babysitter before the horrible date of Tuesday, July 1, 1997, when Jessica vanished from her home at 1621 Maryland Avenue in Flint, Michigan. Earlier that day Tamara, Jordan, and Jessica went to a store and then stopped by McDonald’s on the way home. This day was in the middle of summer and relatively warm out at a high of 82 degrees with zero wind and just a sprinkling of clouds. When the family of three arrived home, the children sat in front of the TV while they ate their food. Tamara went to take a shower. Being a military spouse, I was often alone for months with my toddlers, and finding the ideal time to shower was always one of my biggest hurdles. All of you parents understand it is challenging to get that few minutes to wash up while your little ones are awake. Leaving them alone for five minutes could be disastrous, and that was the case for Tamara because her four-year-old daughter Jessica was nowhere to be seen. This was in the early 90s, parenting was different back then, so Tamara assumed her daughter went out to play, so she went outside expecting to see her, only to once again come up empty-handed. She asked neighbors if they had seen Jessica, and each one stated they hadn't seen her. At 7 pm, after a while of searching without any luck, Tamara called the police to report that her daughter was missing. Family, neighbors, and law enforcement scoured the area for this missing four-year-old. The area that this family lived in was a close-knit community, so Jessica's gone was hard for the whole neighborhood. It seemed as if this little girl had vanished into thin air, and no one had seen her leave alone or with another person; there were so few leads, even in the very beginning, that it made law enforcement's job so much more challenging. They just had nothing to go on. The fact that severe storms rolled into the area the next night prevented continuous searches, which could have washed away vital evidence. Once the tornado sirens died down and the coast was clear for searches to start up again safely, the teams were back at it, making up for lost time.

Police reviewed surveillance footage of every place in the area. They needed more insight into what happened that day, but nothing panned out. Hundreds of volunteers were on foot, people were on horseback, helicopters were used, and even people searched with tractors. The public was doing everything they could to find Jessica.

Unfortunately, daily searches ended on June 11th, 1997, a week and a half after Jessica Phelps vanished. One of the most heartbreaking aspects for a parent is knowing that even though law enforcement isn't technically giving up, they have nothing left to investigate. And unless someone comes forward or a piece of evidence is found, it doesn't look hopeful.

There would be little reporting because of the lack of updates on Jessica’s disappearance, and the public didn't know what to think. Things changed in that community, where once children ran from neighbor to neighbor to play, suddenly all was quiet. Parents were cautious, and their kids were terrified of being alone. That summer changed everything. Jessica’s case would air on the ever-popular America that is most wanted, generating some tips. One that looked promising about a sighting of a little girl that resembled Jessica with a man. Police thought it was credible enough to investigate, but unfortunately, it was not the little girl they were looking for.

Nine months and about ten miles away, the skeletal remains of a child were found by a road crew working on a ditch. This was at 1:15 in the afternoon on April 2nd, 1998, when these workers would see the unthinkable. Laying near the remains, there were clothing items that matched what Jessica was wearing the day she disappeared. Pink and blue shorts and a white top that said I Love Ballet. The remains would be positively identified as Jessica Phelps by dental records.

*Photo: Zachary Clingenpeel | ZClingenpeel@mlive.com*

The medical examiner was not able to 100% confirm how she was killed because of the state of the remains, but it was likely she died of asphyxiation. I wonder if they came up with this because there was no other cause of death or if they had actual evidence of this. Police believe Jessica was likely killed the same day she was taken back in July.

Two other kidnappings occurred around the same time in the same area. There is the disappearance of Andre Bosse, age 11, in June 1997. She vanished from Metamora Township, just 30 minutes outside of Flint. Her remains wouldn't be found for five years. A man by the name of Dean Metcalfe was convicted of her disappearance and murder.

Then we have Brittany Beers, who went missing on September 16th, 1997, in Sturgis, Michigan, when she was just six years old. It is just over a two-hour drive from Flint to Sturgis. Authorities have someone in mind for Brittney's disappearance and possibly murder but have never found her remains.

There is a Justice for Jessica Phelps's Facebook page. Angie, Jessica’s cousin, runs this. In an interview with Dateline, Angie said this about Jessica, and I quote, “She had some real sass in her. But she was such a special child and had this thing about her. That’s what kills me. Her future was whatever she would have made of it. And it was taken from her” end quote.

That page is pretty active and Jessica's family celebrated what would have been her thirtieth birthday in 2022 and are looking for answers about what happened to four year old Jessica.

If you know anything about who kidnapped Jessica and murdered her on July 1st, 1997, please reach out to the flint police department at (810) 237-6800

Sources:

True CrimeTrue Crime PodcastPodcastTrue Crime CommunityUnsolvedUnresolvedUnsolved MysteryCold CaseTrue Crime JunkieMichiganJessica PhelpsMurderUnsolved Murder

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Michigan : Jessica Phelps

Minnesota : Cassandra Rhines

Massachusetts : Rita Hester