Claudine Gifford still missing:Family, friends remain hopeful,sheriff’s investigation continues

Clau­dine Gifford’s fam­ily has gone 32 days with­out know­ing what hap­pened to her, but they refuse to give up hope that she may still be safe and sound. Mon­day, August 4, the sheriff’s depart­ment named James Todd Kessler, 53, of Cox’s Farm Road in Weems “a per­son of inter­est” in Claudine’s dis­ap­pear­ance.

Last week­end, Richard Gifford, daugh­ter Gabrielle and Claudine’s sis­ter, Julianne , drove from Orlando to Kil­marnock for the sec­ond time in two weeks to check on the inves­ti­ga­tion and to par­tic­i­pate in a can­dle­light vigil to pray for her return.

Clau­dine was last seen leav­ing the tiki bar at Pel­i­cans at the Point at Wind­mill Point with Todd Kessler around 8:30 p.m. July 6. In his own quest for infor­ma­tion, Richard Gifford said witnesses at the tiki bar told him that after two or three drinks Clau­dine was so inca­pac­i­tated, Kessler car­ried her to his car. How­ever, the wit­nesses put the depar­ture time two hours ear­lier, at 6:30 p.m.According to the Lan­caster sheriff’s depart­ment, the inves­ti­ga­tion is still ongo­ing.

Kessler is being held with­out bond in Lan­caster jail on charges of mali­cious wound­ing and assault in an unre­lated case.