Imagine going to work, only to be bullied and targeted by someone you have to be alongside all day… someone hiding a deadly secret.  For stylist Joleen Cummings, that nightmare was real. At Tangles Hair Salon in Fernandina Beach, Florida, Joleen was a lively spirit, devoted to her loyal clientele. As a single mother, she poured her heart into her children, her work, and the community she loved. But on Mother’s Day, 2018, which was also her birthday, Joleen didn’t show up to pick up her kids. Knowing something was seriously wrong, her mother, Ann, reported her missing, and detectives began tracing her last known movements. It led them to a coworker at the Salon with a secret life. When questioned, she revealed her true identity: Kimberly Lee Kessler—a woman who had been running for decades, moving from state to state under multiple aliases. Kimberly tried to appear insane, but psychologists testified she was fully aware of her actions. In this smaller town known for its charm, Joleen’s disappearance unraveled a web of lies, blood, and a killer hiding in plain sight.

Sources:

“Woman Who Lived Under Multiple False Identities Murders Coworker Who Threatened To Expose Her” by Becca van Sambeck on Oxygen True Crime on September 25, 2022 (https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/kimberly-kessler-murdered-coworker-joleen-cummings-why)

“Dismemberment experiment with knife purchased by Kimberly Kessler lasted just 73 minutes” by Ann Schindler on First Coast News on December 15, 2021 (https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/dismemberment-experiment-with-knife-purchased-by-kimberly-kessler-lasted-just-73-minuteslocal/77-ec23e176-ff73-4419-99c7-b6ddd6ac58c6)

“Closing arguments in Kimberly Kessler murder trial to begin Thursday morning” by Corley Peel on News 4 Jax on December 8, 2021 (https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/12/08/prosecutors-expected-to-rest-case-today-in-kimberly-kessler-murder-trial/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

“Murder case of Nassau County mother Joleen Cummings highlighted in new show hosted by rapper 50 Cent” by Aydian Ahmad on News 4 Jax on September 16, 2025 (https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2025/09/17/murder-case-of-nassau-county-mother-joleen-cummings-highlighted-in-new-show-hosted-by-50-cent/)

”Murder at the Beauty Salon” on Killer Cases Season 3, Episode 4 on Hulu