Melissa Jeltsen

From iHeart Podcast, I'm Melissa Jeltsin, and this is What Happened to Talena Zarr. Episode one, alone time.

From iHeart Podcast, I'm Melissa Jeltsin, and this is What Happened to Talena Zarr. Episode one, alone time.

Jess's life can be divided into two parts. Before she read Talena's Facebook post and after.

Jess's life can be divided into two parts. Before she read Talena's Facebook post and after.

Jess emailed me in 2023 asking me to look into the disappearance of her friend Talena Zar. She'd come across the earlier seasons of this podcast. What happened to Sandy Beal? What happened to Libby Caswell?

Jess emailed me in 2023 asking me to look into the disappearance of her friend Talena Zar. She'd come across the earlier seasons of this podcast. What happened to Sandy Beal? What happened to Libby Caswell?

Jess and I emailed back and forth a little bit and had a few phone calls. I learned she was using a loose definition of the word friend when she first reached out to me. She hadn't met Talena. But from what I was able to understand about Talena and Jess's multi-year investigation into her life, I was convinced I needed to learn more. And so I flew to Minnesota to meet with Jess in person.

Jess and I emailed back and forth a little bit and had a few phone calls. I learned she was using a loose definition of the word friend when she first reached out to me. She hadn't met Talena. But from what I was able to understand about Talena and Jess's multi-year investigation into her life, I was convinced I needed to learn more. And so I flew to Minnesota to meet with Jess in person.

Jess lives in an old farmhouse surrounded by cornfields, about a 50-minute drive from Minneapolis. Hey, we are just about three minutes away. Passing some more cornfields. No grocery stores, no gas stations. Nothing. I think it's maybe this house.

Jess lives in an old farmhouse surrounded by cornfields, about a 50-minute drive from Minneapolis. Hey, we are just about three minutes away. Passing some more cornfields. No grocery stores, no gas stations. Nothing. I think it's maybe this house.

Jess doesn't grow vegetables or raise farm animals, but her walls are dotted with signs like Farm Sweet Farm and Farmhouse Ish. Jess does have a lot of pets, three dogs, two cats, and a lot of kids, and about a dozen wall clocks that chime at different times of the day. And, well, there's a lot going on. I'm 41 years old.

Jess doesn't grow vegetables or raise farm animals, but her walls are dotted with signs like Farm Sweet Farm and Farmhouse Ish. Jess does have a lot of pets, three dogs, two cats, and a lot of kids, and about a dozen wall clocks that chime at different times of the day. And, well, there's a lot going on. I'm 41 years old.

Jess was born and raised in Minnesota and has spent most of her life working in bars and restaurants. She had her first child when she was 17. I was a dumb teenager.

Jess was born and raised in Minnesota and has spent most of her life working in bars and restaurants. She had her first child when she was 17. I was a dumb teenager.

And went on to have three more. What have we got over here? We've got some family photos. We do.

And went on to have three more. What have we got over here? We've got some family photos. We do.

Jess had wanted to be a writer, she told me. But becoming a young mom meant she wasn't able to finish high school. Eventually, she got her GED and took some college-level writing classes before ultimately getting a more practical degree in business. Since then, Jess has worked in various capacities in the hospitality industry, from bartending to large event planning.

Jess had wanted to be a writer, she told me. But becoming a young mom meant she wasn't able to finish high school. Eventually, she got her GED and took some college-level writing classes before ultimately getting a more practical degree in business. Since then, Jess has worked in various capacities in the hospitality industry, from bartending to large event planning.

She likes the work, but it's not her calling.

She likes the work, but it's not her calling.