RICHMOND, Va. -- On September 26, 2016, 21-year-old Keeshae Jacobs disappeared.
Now, seven years later, Keeshae's mother has not given up the fight to find out what happened to her daughter.
The man that Keeshae was last seen with, Otis Tucker, was recently sentenced to life in prison in Florida for the murder of a Jacksonville mother of three, Ashley Fowler.
The question now: Will Tucker's conviction prompt him to tell police what he knows about Keeshae's disappearance and whereabouts?
"Right now I'm just waiting for the Commonwealth Attorney to extradite him here," Keeshae's mother, Toni Jacobs said.
On September 15, Jacobs listened in via Zoom, to Tucker's murder sentencing in Jacksonville. During the trial, detectives testified
to Tucker's involvement in the cold and calculated killing of 34-year-old Ashley Fowler.
Fowler was beaten to death with a hammer and strangled with an electrical cord.
"It took me a couple of days to bounce back from that because there were so many details about what happened to Ms. Fowler's daughter," Jacobs said. "And I'm like, 'What did he do to Keeshae?'"
Tucker was last seen with Keeshae at a Church Hill home seven years ago. In 2022, detectives confirmed that they would reopen Keeshae's case, where Tucker is the suspect.
"He was given a life sentence down there, so he's not going anywhere, but boy we are hoping that sentence has been imposed on him that he may say something about his part in Keeshae's disappearance," Jacobs said.
Ever since Keeshae disappeared on September 26, 2016, her mother has relentlessly searched for clues on Keeshae's whereabouts.
Jacobs was stunned that the Commonwealth allowed Tucker to serve his probation in Florida after he was released from the Department of Corrections in 2022.
Police have suspected foul play in Keeshae's case, but without a body, Richmond has declined to prosecute. Jacobs hopes this will change now that Tucker has been put away for life.
"Just to know where my daughter is or what happened to her so I can have some kind of closure in my life with this episode because I'm tired. I'm tired, but I can't stop fighting because I have to get this closure for my baby," Jacobs said.
"That's what we are hoping for is we can play on his conscience and he will share what he knows," the lead detective in Keeshae's case Clarence Key said. "My grandmother used to always say, 'Son what happens in the dark, always comes to light,' and I'm a firm believer in that. We are hoping one day to bring closure to this case."
The Church Hill home where Keeshae was last seen is currently under renovation. It's also the first place that Keeshae's family and friends think of when they discuss her disappearance.
If you have any information, you can call detectives at 804-780-1000 or Reopen the Case at 83-RTCFNVA and email tips to @reopenthecase.org.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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