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FBI searching landfill for evidence to tie Butler native to coworker disappearance

Federal Bureau of Investigation investigators search Chesser Island Landfill for evidence related to the disappearance of Joleen Cummings. A woman formerly of Butler County, Kimberly Kessler, is a suspect in the case.

Authorities are searching a landfill in Nassau County, Florida to resolve a case involving two missing women, at least 18 aliases and a 14-year-old link to Butler, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Kimberly Lee Kessler, 50, was arrested this May in Florida on grand theft auto charges. She was linked to the May disappearance of one of her coworkers, 34-year-old Joleen Cummings.

Kessler was linked to Cummings’ stolen vehicle using surveillance footage at a Home Depot, where the vehicle was found abandoned.

Authorities are searching a landfill after finding security camera footage showing Kessler dumping a white bag into a dumpster near the salon where Kessler and Cummings both worked, according to an FBI spokeswoman. The garbage company was able to direct investigators to a general area of the Chessler Island Landfill near Folkston, Georgia.

Over the weekend, a search of a football field-sized area of the landfill began, according to the spokeswoman.

The area being searched has narrowed but is still considerable. Between the FBI and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, 35 workers are actively searching the area in 12 hour shifts. Including supporting staff, about 50 personnel are involved.

The search is scheduled to last through Friday but could be extended.

The landfill has not yielded any notable findings yet.

A full story will appear in the Butler Eagle.

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