17-year-old Kemberly Ramer was a popular honor roll student and cheerleader who lived in Opp, Alabama, with her father, Kenny. Her parents were divorced and her mother, Sue, lived 30 miles away in Walton County, Florida with Kemberly's 19-year-old sister, Kristin. Kemberly played on the women's softball team and she was excited to begin her senior year when she suddenly vanished.
On August 15, 1997, Kemberly told her father that she was going to hang out with her friends after a softball game. Kenny told her to be back by 12 am and he went out to visit his girlfriend. When he returned home at 6 am the next morning, her car was in the driveway. Assuming Kemberly was asleep in her bed, Kenny went about his day. He became concerned later that evening when he realized that Kemberly wasn't in the house. He contacted her friends but no one had heard from her.
Frantic, Kenny contacted Sue and they reported Kemberly missing. They soon learned that Kemberly had a boyfriend of two weeks who was in his early 20s. The man, whose identity has never been revealed to the public, was divorced and had a small child. Kemberly's friends knew about her relationship but she kept it a secret from her parents because she knew they wouldn't approve. Her boyfriend passed a polygraph test and he was ultimately ruled out as having any involvement.
It was determined that after hanging out with her friends, Kemberly went to her boyfriend's house and they watched television. She left at 11:30 pm and was home before her midnight curfew. Her contacts had been removed and placed back into the case indicating she was getting ready for bed when something happened. Framed photos that hung on her bedroom walls were on the floor and there was a pillow wedged underneath her mattress. However, there were no signs of forced entry.
Suspicion was soon cast upon 27-year-old Jeremy Garth Anderson, the boyfriend of Kemberly's older sister, Kristin, and the son of a retired Walton County detective. Jeremy and Kristin had been dating for several months and he reportedly had a key to Kenny's home where Kemberly lived. A friend reported that Kemberly couldn't stand Jeremy but she never told her parents or her sister why.
Jeremy lived in Ponce De Leon, Florida and he was the only individual close to the case who refused to talk with investigators or take a polygraph test. Several phone calls were placed to different out-of-service numbers in Ponce De Leon from Kemberly's home at 5 am on August 16, 1997. Due to this, it was determined that Kemberly was taken sometime between midnight and 5 am.
It was determined that Jeremy borrowed a 1991 Dodge pick-up truck from his boss on August 15, 1997. At 6:30 am, he allegedly showed up at a friend's house in a panic and asked for help in getting rid of the truck. It was later found abandoned at a church and it had been thoroughly cleaned.
Jeremy has a lengthy record and was out on bond at the time. Kristin did not know about his history and they broke up after he was named a suspect. He is now 52, married, and a regular churchgoer.
25 years later, the search for Kemberly continues. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt that read "New Orleans" on the front, gray sweatpants, a gold bracelet, a gold necklace, and a gold anklet.
If you have any information, contact Opp PD at 334-493-4511.
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