Some nights, Ashley Masker looks up at the sky and thinks about her sister, Jessica Masker, who went missing 10 years ago. “What if Jessica can see the moon,” Ashley wonders.
“If Jessica reads this, I just want her to be strong because we are not giving up until she is home safe.” Jessica Masker, a 24-year-old mother of two, disappeared from the east side of Indianapolis on April 15, 2013.
Despite the passage of time, Jessica’s absence continues to weigh heavily on her family, including her parents and seven siblings.
The Investigation
Jessica Masker was known for being in frequent contact with her family. She had overdosed on a prescription drug the day before she went missing, and her aunt later picked her up and took her to her cousin’s house near Dequincy and East Washington Streets.
Early in the morning, before sunrise, she left her cousin’s home on foot after getting into an argument. Jessica’s brother was the last family member she spoke to, requesting a ride from a nearby gas station, but he was unable to come. Surveillance footage captured her inside and leaving the gas station, marking the last confirmed sighting of her.
The Disappearance
From the moment Jessica disappeared, her family knew something was wrong. She had maintained regular routines, such as visiting her prematurely born baby in the hospital almost daily, and always made phone calls if she was staying out longer than expected. The search for Jessica has been fraught with challenges.
Her family’s efforts have included hanging missing person posters, organizing vigils, and keeping her story in the public eye. Complicating matters, Jessica’s boyfriend at the time, who had a history of domestic abuse, was believed by the family to have been connected to her disappearance, though he has not been charged in relation to the case.
The Case Today
Nearly a decade later, Jessica Masker remains missing, leaving her family in a painful limbo. They continue to celebrate her birthdays and honor her memory, but the lack of answers about her fate is a constant source of distress. Despite the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s reluctance to consider foul play, Jessica’s family staunchly believes that she did not just walk away from her life and responsibilities.
They hold on to hope, emphasizing both their need for Jessica’s safe return and their acceptance of the grim possibility that she may no longer be alive. “If my sister is gone and she has passed away, my sister deserves a funeral,” Ashley said. The family urges anyone with information to contact authorities, hopeful that one day they will finally get the answers they desperately seek.
Anyone with information on the disappearance of Jessica Masker is asked to dial 911 or contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s missing persons unit at 317-327-6160 or [email protected].
