Actually, tomorrow. My little sister Jennifer Servo was born on September 23, 1979. Tomorrow would be her 45th birthday. Tragically, she was murdered just days before her 23rd birthday in 2002. I am older than her by four years. It was just the two of us growing up together as siblings in our house. We were close, and I still miss her terribly, even 22 years since her death.
About a year ago, my mom and I were interviewed for the show Cold Justice. Then, in October of 2023, the show flew us to Abilene, Texas (which was where my sister lived when she was murdered) to reveal the results of their investigation. They told us that day that they felt that they had enough evidence to make an arrest of the suspect who had been the main “person of interest” the entire time. The retired detective on my sister’s case even gave my mom my sister’s dog tags from the Army that he had kept hanging in his office as a reminder that her cold case would one day be solved. He had promised himself he would give those back to my mom when the case was solved. So, with renewed hope, my mom and I flew back to Montana believing that finally, after 21 years, there might be some form of closure in her case.
When we were in Abilene, they had warned us that it was going to be a long process. That they still had a few things to “button up.” They said it might be spring or maybe mid-summer at the latest. They had to make sure they chose the right time because they would “get one shot at this.”
Well, here we are closing in on October, a year later, and we still have heard nothing. I haven’t heard that they aren’t working on it, but I also haven’t heard anything about any progress towards an arrest. I don’t know what is slowing the process down, and I don’t want to call and be a bother when they are busy, so I just continue to trust in the detectives that they know what they are doing and will reach out to us when they have news. It’s hard, though. And very frustrating.
So, while we wait, I just continue to hold Jen’s place in my heart. We celebrate her birthday every year by going to Moose’s (one of her favorites and a family tradition) for pizza. Moose’s has the best pizza in town and is a local landmark and watering hole where there is sawdust on the floor. A carton of peanuts is the standard appetizer, and you can just throw your shells on the floor. We would always have “red beer” with our pizza when Jen was alive, and so we still do that every year on her birthday. If you don’t know what “red beer” is, just ask a Montanan. They’ll explain it. I thought everyone knew what that was until I moved out of state after college. But it’s delicious, in my opinion, and goes perfectly with pizza.
Forty-five years old. She’s almost been gone as long as she was alive. It’s hard to believe, and one always wonders what her life would have become if she had been allowed to continue living it. Would she have kids? Would she still be a journalist? Would she have gotten married? Would we all have been great friends and spent vacations together? It’s difficult not to go down the rabbit hole of what ifs on these missed birthdays and anniversaries. It’s better to focus on the time you did have, I think. And we had a lot of those for which I am so grateful.
Happy (early) birthday in Heaven, my sister. I love you and miss you every day. Cheers to our memories!
