ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — "She's more than a missing woman," Latifa Jackson said tearfully as she pleaded with the St. Petersburg community to help find her sister.
Detectives are searching for 42-year-old Kelli Fisher, who has been missing for two weeks.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Detective Shannon Halstead provided more details surrounding Fisher's disappearance and provided a timeline of events.
Halstead said Fisher's aunt was the last person to see her. The aunt reportedly told police she heard the car leaving the morning of July 16, and by the time she was able to look outside, the car was already driving down the street. However, Halstead said the aunt is confident Fisher was in the car.
Taking her aunt's car isn't out of the ordinary, Halstead said, adding Fisher would frequently use it to run errands. However, when she left the Prescott Street South home she shared with her aunt, she never came back. And, no one in her family has heard from her since, which Jackson said isn't like her at all.
Fisher's aunt then filed a police report. The next day, on July 18, the car was found in an abandoned lot near 803 28th Ave. S. There was no sign of Fisher. Police said they found the car with the door slightly ajar and inside found three phones and a small amount of cash on the dashboard. Halstead said none of the devices appear to belong to Fisher; police are working to learn what they contain.
When police were looking into Fisher's disappearance, they first spoke with a man and a woman who on July 4 reportedly were in a "minor dispute" with the 42-year-old. A police report was filed, which Halstead explained led them to the two individuals. However, neither person had any information pertinent to the missing persons case.
On July 28, a small kitchen fire erupted at 1720 Prescott St. S, Halstead said. This home is next door to 1710 Prescott St. S, where Fisher lives with her aunt. The 1720 address is also owned by Fisher's family, and she has been known to be there from time to time.
While there's no evidence suggesting Fisher was in the house when the fire happened, Halstead said the investigation is leaving more questions than answers. And, the timing of the fire is suspicious.
"This is not my sister," Johnny Murray, Fisher's sister, said during the news conference, referencing her disappearance.
"The streets talk," he added, urging people to come forward with any information about his sister's disappearance and whereabouts.
Fisher is 5'8 and weighs approximately 200 lbs, according to police. She has brown eyes and shoulder-length black hair. Police aren't sure what she was wearing the day she left.
Anyone with information on Fisher's whereabouts should contact the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780 or call 911. Those who wish to stay anonymous can submit an anonymous tip by texting SPPD to TIP411 (847-411).