My sophomore year...I didn't know it at the time, but that would be an important year in my life. I walked into Humanity's class and saw a friend of mine sitting by Jessica, whom I wasn't too acquainted with. I had seen her and heard people talk about her, but had never really gotten to know her. Most people couldn't stand the fact that she dressed in black most of the time, wore long skirts, and wore dark make-up, but I chose not to judge her. In fact, she is the only person I have ever idolized. I love her for believing in something so much that she didn't care what people thought. And I'm glad I didn't judge her in any way because she was the sweetest person I will ever know. She was the type of person that would get along with anyone as long as they gave her a chance.

I looked up to her, which I have never done with anyone before. I listened to all of her CDs, and admired all the gorgeous skirts she had made, and watched her put on her make-up with such ease. She dressed differently, but she also acted differently-she didn't judge people. I have never met a sweeter person in my life. There are so many wonderful memories of her locked away inside my heart....

I want so bad to be able to say the things I never got to say. Sometimes I just lay on the ground beside her and talk to her, hoping she hears me, and wishing I could see her just once more. I've seen her in my dreams before, sometimes alive and sometimes as a spirit of sorts, handing me a book. She tells me, "Read this, it'll explain everything that happened." But before I get a chance to read the book, I wake up. I hope that when I wake up it's all been a dream, that she's still alive, and she'll call me and ask me to go get a donut with her or go to the store. But it doesn't happen. For a while I thought, "Maybe she's trying to tell me something," but the dreams stopped. So I just go on, hoping and praying she'll haunt my dreams just one more time....

I know she is watching over us though. I never really believed in spirits and such, but my heart says there are. There are certain things that happen and it seems like there is no way it could only be coincidence. When she was still missing, my parents and I were going somewhere and we drove by the road she would later be found on (only about 3 miles from my house.) No other time the whole way did I start crying until we reached that road. Another occurence happened just recently when I went to the cemetery to see her. My friend and I were there and her mom showed up mentioning that her and her husband had just arrived the night before from being away for awhile. The thing is, she said wasn't going to go to the site but something told her to go. She said she was glad she did because she had a book for me to read and also told me she found my site, which I caught as odd for one reason: my friend had asked me if I had told her parent's about this page and I said I hadn't given them the address yet, and then she said they found it. So I know in my heart she is here, and I have yet to contact her, which I hope to try soon with the help of the book her mom lent to me.

Jess called home from school on March 5, 1997, at about 8:00 a.m. to ask her mom if she could go home because she felt sick. Jess left school, but never arrived at home. She went to get gas on her way home and while at the gas station was car-jacked and kidnapped. I will not go into the details being as it is very gruesome. On April 18, 1997, the long-awaited question was answered, but not in the way we wanted it to be. Jessica's body was found and a funeral service attended by over 400 people was held 5 days later.

A new beginning to the end has finally arrived. Tim Spencer's trial started on May 6th. On May 21st, Spencer was charged and as of June 21st, Timothy Ray Spencer is in prison for life, without parole, charged with first-degree murder. I knew Jess would be there, watching over everything to get her justice. But this is an end to all the waiting, but definitely not an end of the pain for any of us.

Well, here I am again to update the page in an unfortunate way. Spencer has decided to appeal his case on the ground that he thinks a witness' testimony was not grounds enough to charge him. Don't know a whole lot more at this point in time, but I will update.