However, things looked suspicious. Kessler had a troubled relationship with Gifford, was a heavy drinker and cocaine user, and acted strangely unconcerned after her disappearance. He gave conflicting accounts of what happened that night.

Police found Gifford’s blood in Kessler’s car and house. A text seemingly from Gifford’s phone said she’d gotten a job in South Carolina, but her friend suspected Kessler sent it. Kessler also angrily said Gifford was dead to a couple at the bar, then got into a fight with them.

Cell phone records put Gifford’s phone near Kessler’s family home the night she disappeared, not where he said he left her. Kessler was seen cleaning a dock where concrete pieces were found. The prosecution’s theory was that Kessler killed Gifford, likely by beating and strangling her, then disposed of her body in the water.

Kessler denied killing Gifford, claiming she ran away. Though the prosecution lacked direct evidence of the murder’s specifics or Gifford’s body, Kessler was convicted of second-degree murder and concealment of a body, receiving a 40-year sentence. The case relies heavily on circumstantial evidence and Kessler’s inconsistent statements.