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The lost sister: Where is Jessica Masker?

The young mother vanished in 2013

By Marc HooverPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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What happened to Jessica Masker? She vanished from Indianapolis in 2013

For many of us, our siblings are our closest friends. As kids, we may fight and disagree over things that now seem so trivial. But our siblings will often watch our backs. But what happens if one of your siblings disappears? It’s not like there is an instruction manual that prepares us for this situation. I recently spoke to a young woman named Christina Masker, who has spent the past eight years searching for her missing sister.

Her older sister Jessica Masker disappeared during the early morning hours of April 15, 2013. Jessica’s aunt had given her a ride to her cousin’s residence. After Jessica arrived at her cousin’s home, the two argued. Jessica left and walked to a nearby gas station and called her brother. She asked him for a ride. She told him that “two men came at her wrong.” He didn’t know what to make of the phone call, but he was headed to work and couldn’t pick her up. He asked her to call their mother for a ride. For unknown reasons, Jessica didn’t ask her mother for help. She left the gas station and was last seen in the 2100 block of Napoleon in Indianapolis.

No one has ever seen or heard from her since.

Jessica has been missing for over eight years. What happened to her? The family filed a missing persons report on her, but it has produced no results. Christina said Jessica would never abandon her family. Christina, her mother and Jessica had a tight relationship. Jessica also had two children and many friends who cared about her.

Christina fears someone may have abducted her sister. She told me that prostitutes and drug dealers often frequent the area where Jessica was last seen. It wasn’t a safe place for a lone girl. The family has so many questions and no answers. To better understand Jessica’s disappearance, it’s best to explain what led up to her disappearance.

Although everyone has problems, some people seem to always live on the edge. Jessica seemed to have taken residence on it. As a youngster, she struggled in school and was held back twice. This resulted in Christina and Jessica both being in the fourth grade together. Although Jessica was older than her classmates, Christina said it drew the sisters closer. Christina thought her sister was possibly deaf in one ear, which may have hampered her ability to learn.

Jessica left high school without earning her diploma. Instead, she pursued her GED. For many teenagers, receiving a high school diploma is a rite of passage. Christina said Jessica developed a complex about not completing high school.

Jessica also had a drug problem and became the mother of two children at an early age. To complicate matters even more, one was born premature. She also struggled with maintaining employment and finding a loving relationship. Christina said the father of her first child was a good man. But the relationship didn’t last.

Jessica then met the father of her second child. He was much older, abusive and incompatible with Jessica. I asked Christina if Jessica ever reached out to her for help with her drug problems. She said Jessica never asked her or anyone else for help. After listening to Christina discuss her lost sister, I felt the dejection in her voice.

Hardships of being a struggling mother

Although Jessica had many problems, her family always loved and supported her. Whenever Christina shares Jessica’s story, she believes people will often unfairly judge her sister. They may think since she had a drug problem, her life isn’t meaningful. Christina isn’t trying to gain sympathy for her sister. She just wants people to realize that Jessica’s life matters. She’s still a mother, daughter, sister, and friend too many.

Although Jessica made her share of youthful mistakes, many of us were fortunate enough to outgrow our years of foolish youth and learn from our mistakes. Besides, you might have a parent, sibling or close friend battling their own inner demons. Just because you don’t know about someone’s inner battles doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Some people are better at hiding their weaknesses. Although Jessica vanished eight years ago, her family remains hopeful that Jessica is still alive. I ask that you share this story and keep an eye out for Jessica Masker. If you have any information about this young mother, please contact the Indianapolis Police Department at 317-327-6184.

You can also learn more about Jessica’s story by visiting the Charley Project website or join the “Where is my sister Jessica Masker” Facebook page. You can also say a silent prayer for Jessica’s safe return.

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About the Creator

Marc Hoover

Marc Hoover is a Hooper award winning columnist for the Clermont Sun newspaper in Ohio. Contact him at [email protected]. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer.

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