Kelly Dwyer in her own words: Father shares "last communication" he had with his daughter
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- For the first time, we are hearing the words of Kelly Dwyer -- missing since October 2013. Dwyer's father shared with FOX6 News the last voicemail he received from his daughter -- not long before she disappeared.
Dwyer's father says they had been playing phone tag, missing calls from each other as they tried to keep in touch despite busy schedules. The last voicemail he received from her is now a precious keepsake.
Kelly Dwyer
This is the first time the public is hearing Kelly Dwyer's voice.
In the voicemail message, Kelly says: "Hey Dad, it's Kelly. It's about 9:45 my time. I think you're in Chicago so it's 9:45 your time too. You told me to call and I said I would call."
40-year-old Kris Zocco was the last person to been seen with Kelly Dwyer.
Surveillance video from Zocco's East Side apartment building shows Dwyer entering the building on October 10th, 2013. Dwyer and Zocco leave the building and re-enter twice -- but Dwyer is never seen leaving again.
A Milwaukee police detective testified that Dwyer and Zocco were partying that night.
“He said she partied with him. Those are the words he used. That consisted of doing lines of cocaine. He said they may have smoked a bong, which meant marijuana — in a pipe used to smoke marijuana and that they were going to have drinks,” the detective said in court.
Kris Zocco
Dwyer’s mother has said Zocco told her he last saw Dwyer on the morning of October 11th — when she was leaving his East Side apartment. But the apartment building's surveillance video never shows Dwyer leaving.
Zocco was arrested on drug and child pornography charges that came to light as police were investigating Dwyer's disappearance.
He was convicted of 16 counts of possession of child pornography and the following drug charges: maintaining a drug trafficking place, possession of THC and possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to serve 19 years in prison on January 30th, 2015.
Zocco has never been charged in connection with Dwyer's disappearance.
Kelly Dwyer
In the voicemail message she left for her dad, Dwyer talks about going to visit a friend who needed someone to talk to.
"I wanted to go out with her and help her and listen to her, but I didn't mean not to call you, so I just literally walked into my house, so I'm calling you first thing. I love you so much Dad, and I'm sorry if my lack of calling you came across as anything disrespectful or anything like that. I definitely didn't mean to. I know you've been busy. I've been trying to be respectful of that," Dwyer says in the voicemail.
It's a voicemail message Dwyer's father says he's grateful to have.
"I thank God I have what little I have, because it's real, and it's the last communication I had with my daughter, so I cherish it. I always will. I'll probably play it on her birthday every year," Tony Dwyer said.
Tony Dwyer says his daughter's parting words replay in his mind and heart.
"Love you so much and I'm so thankful for you and all the things, and I don't want you to be sad because you can always pick up and call me. I'll call right back if I don't pick up. I love you and I hope to hear from you in the morning," Kelly Dwyer says in the voicemail.
The voicemail doesn't reveal any clues as to Dwyer's disappearance, obviously, but it does provide some insight into the young woman's life, demeanor and why her father isn't giving up in his effort to find her.
Kelly Dwyer