Mother of Joleen Cummings shares message for daughter’s convicted killer

YULEE, Fla. – Minutes aft she got the justness she had been praying for successful the 3½ years pursuing the disappearance of her 34-year-old daughter, Anne Johnson offered a connection for her daughter’s killer:

“I bash person a connection arsenic from 1 parent to different mother. I cognize that you consciousness the symptom of not being capable to spot your son, but if you could find it wrong your bosom to archer america wherever the remains of my girl -- wherever are the remains of my daughter? Give america immoderate closure. I’m asking you from 1 parent to another. That’s each I person to say, and that’s each I commune for.”

Kimberly Kessler was found blameworthy Thursday of first-degree murder successful the decease of Johnson’s daughter, Joleen Cummings.

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“Today we praise God, praise God, that we got the verdict and that it gives america immoderate benignant of closure. While my girl Jolene has not been found, we have, astatine least, the verdict of the indictment of first-degree premediated murder,” Johnson said Thursday day extracurricular the Nassau County Courthouse. “We miss Joleen each 2nd of the time — my family, our families, the Cummings’ families, the children. Not a time goes by. But I truly consciousness similar Joleen is with america today. I felt similar she’s really been successful that courtroom with us.”

Cummings, who worked with Kessler astatine a Nassau County salon, disappeared successful May 2018. Her remains person ne'er been found.

After the verdict came down, Johnson, who has intimately followed the case, took the clip to convey Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper, State Attorney Melissa Nelson, the assemblage and everyone other who was progressive successful the prosecution.

“Our prayers person been answered,” she said.

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PREVIOUS STORIES: Missing woman’s parent makes affectional plea for information | Family marks 3 years since Nassau County ma Joleen Cummings past seen alive | ‘Justice for Joleen’: Mother awaits result of execution proceedings for daughter’s accused killer

Johnson was one of the archetypal witnesses called to attest successful the trial. She said it wasn’t her daughter’s property to conscionable disappear. “She didn’t adjacent admit her birthday,” Johnson said.

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Cummings was past seen live connected May 12, 2018, astatine Tangles Hair Salon, wherever she worked with Kessler. Johnson said the adjacent day, Mother’s Day, would person been Cummings’ birthday, but instead, she was reported missing erstwhile she didn’t prime up her children to walk clip with them that day, arsenic she was scheduled to do.

Much of the grounds during the proceedings has been astir the carnal grounds recovered astatine the salon that investigators said points to Cummings being killed there.

Despite a lengthy search, including 1 astatine a Georgia landfill, nary hint of Cummings’ remains has ever been found.

Johnson has said she conscionable wants to beryllium capable to laic her girl to rest.

“A beingness has been chopped abbreviated done an enactment of cruelty,” Johnson wrote successful a connection earlier this year, marking 3 years since Cummings’ disappearance. “The disregard for quality beingness adds overwhelming feelings of turmoil, distrust, injustice, and helplessness to a mean consciousness of nonaccomplishment and sorrow. The satellite nary longer feels arsenic harmless arsenic it erstwhile did. When your kid is murdered, grief is lone the beginning.”

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