Jessica Masker disappeared from Indianapolis 10 years ago. Her family is still looking.

Some nights Ashley Masker will lookup on the sky and take into consideration her sister, who went lacking 10 years in the past.  

“What if Jessica can see the moon,” Ashley Masker requested. “I do know that’s loopy. If Jessica reads this, I simply need her to be sturdy as a result of we aren’t giving up till she is house protected.” 

Jessica Masker was 24 and had not too long ago given beginning to her second son when she went lacking on the east aspect of Indianapolis on April 15, 2013. Even after a decade gone, the lacking lady nonetheless feels near her dad and mom and seven brothers and sisters. 

‘Generally I … cry … generally I smile ear-to-ear

When Ashley Masker appears down at her arm, she sees a tattoo of her lacking sister’s face. She smells sure perfumes or hears “Finest Buddy” by Brandy and the reminiscences flood again. 

“Generally I begin to cry however generally I smile from ear-to-ear as a result of it makes me so blissful that we have now these reminiscences,” Ashley Masker stated. “It’s so laborious. She was once right here for me on daily basis.” 

The lacking lady’s household is aware of Jessica Masker made errors and suspects her historical past of drug abuse performed a job in how critically investigators took the case initially.  

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“At first, they stated there was no foul play as a result of Jesse was on medication,” stated the girl’s mom Cheri Edwards. “She was making an attempt to get assist. She had been to rehab 3 times.”  

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Division declined a request for an interview with the detective assigned to the lacking lady’s case.  

“Individuals will say she overdosed,” Ashley Masker stated. “If that’s the case then anyone would’ve discovered her by now. The place is she going to overdose on medication that no person is ever going to search out her?” 

Earlier than she went lacking, Jessica Masker was working with household to discover a program to enroll in to complete college and get her highschool diploma.  

The second oldest of her siblings, Jessica Masker has already missed 21^st birthday celebrations, household weddings and the beginning of her nieces and nephews. The lady’s household has celebrated each one in every of her birthdays collectively, even after her disappearance.  

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Her mom nonetheless lives within the household’s house close to Garfield Park on the south aspect of Indianapolis.  

“That is the one home left that she would know individuals at since everybody else has moved or handed away,” Ashley Masker stated. “My dad and mom keep right here for Jessica.”  

What occurred to Jessica Masker?  

The lacking lady’s household nonetheless remembers how they felt on April 15, 2013. 

“We knew one thing was flawed,” Ashley Masker stated. “We stored making an attempt to name her and name everybody to see if they’d heard from or seen her.”  

Earlier than the disappearance, it was by no means tough to get in contact with Jessica Masker or discover her.  

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After giving beginning to her second son prematurely, she visited the child on the hospital virtually on daily basis. She shared music movies on her Fb web page typically. She would spend a lot time making cellphone calls, she ran out of minutes every month.  

Jessica Masker lived together with her mom and made certain to name if she was going to be away from house longer than anticipated.  

“I knew one thing was not proper,” Edwards stated. “You understand how dad and mom simply have a sense? I acquired a sense inside that one thing was not proper.”  

The day earlier than she went lacking, Jessica Masker was hospitalized due to a prescription drug overdose. She was picked up from the hospital by her aunt and dropped at her cousin’s house close to Dequincy and East Washington Streets.  

It was within the early morning hours, earlier than the solar got here up, when Jessica Masker left her cousin’s house on foot. She had gotten upset after males within the house checked out her humorous then started arguing together with her cousin earlier than leaving, in keeping with the household.  

Jessica Masker known as her brother to choose her up and walked to a close-by gasoline station. He couldn’t come as a result of he was operating late for work that morning. Jessica was captured on surveillance video contained in the gasoline station then strolling away, her mom stated.  

Relations imagine the final individual Jessica Masker known as earlier than her disappearance was her boyfriend. The person was later convicted on a home battery cost for beating Jessica Masker simply days earlier than the disappearance.  

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Proof within the case in opposition to the boyfriend, from a paramedic and forensic nurse, was sturdy sufficient to convict him with out testimony from Jessica Masker. She was lacking when the bench trial befell in December 2013, courtroom data present.  

“He was controlling and obsessive,” Ashley Masker stated. “He wasn’t a very good man.”  

The lacking lady’s household believes her boyfriend could have been concerned in her disappearance or have information of what occurred.  

“He known as us again and stated he couldn’t discover her,” Edwards stated. “That is the final cellphone name we ever acquired from him. He by no means known as after that. For a person who was obsessively calling for my daughter it was uncommon.”  

Efforts to succeed in the person for remark earlier than publication of this story have been unsuccessful. IndyStar is just not figuring out him since he isn’t charged with a criminal offense in reference to Jessica Masker’s disappearance.  

‘Consider your personal household’ 

For Ashley Masker, the youngest sibling within the household, shifting ahead after the disappearance was tough. She was 16 when her sister went lacking.  

“I form of simply broke down and generally youngsters at school have been nasty,” she stated. “They might inform me that Jessica was useless.”

Ashley Masker tried on-line college then needed to drop out as a result of it was too tough. Since then, she’s gotten her highschool diploma in addition to her driver’s license. She nonetheless thinks of coming house from college when Jessica was round and doing the chores collectively.

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“I’d sweep, and he or she would mop, and we’d act like we have been holding microphones,” Ashley Masker stated. “We will not sing however we’d sing on the prime of our lungs.”  

Ashley remembers adorning clothes with Jessica with puffy paint then sporting the garments to go curler skating.  

She retains lacking individual posters, with Jessica’s picture and phone data for investigators, in her automotive. She hangs them up round city when she has free time and palms them out to individuals when filling up her automotive at gasoline stations.  

“You see these individuals who have been lacking for 10 or 15 years then they’re discovered protected in basements and stuff,” Ashley Masker stated. “I simply attempt to preserve my religion that she is going to come again house.” 

On the similar time, if Jessica Masker is deceased her household must know.

“It is laborious to say but when my sister is gone and he or she is handed away, my sister deserves a funeral,” Ashley Masker stated. “We deserve that.” 

For the lacking lady’s mom, she inspired anybody with data to contact investigators.  

“I need my daughter right here,” Edwards stated. “Consider your personal household. Consider how you’d really feel if this was your personal child lacking. Life’s laborious out right here. Simply give them a name and assist us.” 

Anybody with data on the disappearance of Jessica Masker is requested to dial 911 or contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Division’s lacking individuals unit at 317-327-6160 or missingpersons@indy.gov. 

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Observe him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.