Post by HeadMarshal on Jan 16, 2014 11:31:10 GMT -5
Jennifer Pentilla has been missing for over 20 years. I don't know if she was ever profiled on AMW, however the msn.tv description for the last Final Justice episode aired in 1996 mentions one of the cases being a "missing missionary". An AMW episode from Sep 25, 1992 mentions a "missing missionary in Texas", however that could be an error by saying Texas instead of New Mexico. Anyway....
In September 1991, 18-year old Jennifer left her home in Missoula, Montana with plans to travel to San Diego, California to meet with a missionary group. The last time she called her mother was on October 17, 1991 in Deming, New Mexico. She had planned on biking to Mexico to work with another missionary group assisting the poor, but heard that Mexico could be dangerous for a woman travelling alone. Her mother offered to help her travel to Minnesota after Jennifer was thinking on going to Minnesota to visit a friend. Jennifer agreed to call back later that evening but never did. In September 1992, Jennifer's camping gear, bicycle helmet, journals, and backpack were discovered by hunters 46 miles northeast of Deming on New Mexico Highway 26. There have been some leads that may indicate that Jennifer is living in the Western US, but none of the leads ever led to Jennifer being found.
It should be noted that New Mexico Highway 26 apparently is used by drug and immigrant traffickers, truckers and US border patrol agents. Deming, New Mexico is also pretty close to Mexico.
Thoughts? I really do not know what to make of this case. Apparently there's evidence to indicate that she's still alive although I'm rather curious as to what this evidence is and why Jennifer wouldn't be in contact with her family. The case got national media coverage so unless she was being held captive she probably would have been located by now. If she was abducted then I wonder if her abductor(s) put her belongings off Highway 26 as a way to confuse investigating authorities. New Mexico serial killer David Parker Ray was also looked into regarding this case, however authorities couldn't link him to Jennifer's disappearance. I also wonder if Jennifer was taken into Mexico, possibly by criminals that travel between the border town of Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico and the Highway 26 area. Puerto Palomas also isn't that far from Ciudad Juarez. All of this is speculation of course, since there's really not much to work with here.
www.elpasotimes.com/ci_22512840/woman-missing-since-1991
www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pentilla_jennifer.html
h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=H-Borderlands&month=0908&week=c&msg=Ol0Lslsdru%2BT%2BKG%2BCfjTSg
www.dps.nm.org/index.php/media/cold-case-files/
www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14939804
tv.msn.com/tv/series-episodes/america's-most-wanted-final-justice/?si=1&ipp=40 (Episode #135)
tv.msn.com/tv/series-episodes/america's-most-wanted/?ipp=40&si=201 (Sep 25, 1992 episode)
Admin Note #1: According to the Charley Project website, anyone having information should call the Deming Police Department (New Mexico) at (505) 546-3481 or (505) 524-6111
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
