The focus of the investigation into the Nassau County mother who disappeared two months ago has shifted from a local landfill to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab.
Friday, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper announced investigators found a few items of interest during a seven-day search of the Chesser Island Road Landfill in Folkston, Georgia.
Sheriff Leeper said it could be weeks before that evidence comes back.
Found “a few items” that they’ll send to the lab for analysis. Says weather has been “brutal.” This is last day of search. @WOKVNews @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/v0y0q62Ztk
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) July 13, 2018
Joleen Cummings' mother, Anne Johnson, embraced the investigators working to get to the bottom of her daughter's disappearance.
It has been two months to the day since Cummings was supposed to pick up her kids and never showed up.
For Johnson and the search crews, it's been a long, hot week.
“I want answers more than anybody else wants answers, and I feel confident that we'll have those answers soon enough,” Johnson said.
Friday, the FBI and the Nassau County Sheriff's Office also announced it would be their last day searching the landfill.
Investigators said they sifted through 3,300 tons of trash. That’s more than 6.5 million pounds and more than originally intended.
During Friday’s news conference Action News Jax Reporter Russell Colburn asked Sheriff Leeper about the items that were found.
“Can you say if (those items are) more consistent with maybe a murder weapon or something that would be (Kimberly) Kessler's prints - or any suspect's prints - or are they more consistent with remains?”
“I'm not going to get into what we found,” Sheriff Leeper said. “They have to be tested at the lab first to see if there's any relation at all.”
In the meantime, Johnson has a request.
“I ask that everyone, everyone, join us in prayer, prayer for my daughter to be found, for more evidence and, most of all, for justice to be served,” Johnson said.
"We will continue, we will not cease praying. My daughter will be found, & there will be more evidence."
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) July 13, 2018
The #JoleenCummings investigation has shifted from a local landfill to the FDLE lab, where certain items found are heading for testing.
WATCH @ActionNewsJax at 5 & 6. pic.twitter.com/TuXeDHXxqB
Sheriff Leeper said the prime suspect in the case, Cummings’ former co-worker, Kimberly Kessler, is in the Duval County Jail and is not cooperating.
.@NCSO_FL Sheriff Bill Leeper's face during today's news conference seems to show he has put his heart & soul into this investigation. #JoleenCummings @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/J0ElpnQMJj
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) July 13, 2018
FACEBOOK LIVE: FBI Jacksonville and Nassu County Sheriff's Office joint news conference
FBI update on Joleen Cummings landfill searchPHOTOS: It's the final day of search for evidence in the Joleen Cummings case: http://bit.ly/2NMZCCY
Posted by Action News Jax on Friday, July 13, 2018
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