In 2003, Jessica falls in love with Cristian's brother, Llanview Police Detective Antonio Vega (Cristian had married her sister Natalie before being presumed dead). During the summer, a returned-from-the-dead Mitch is desperate for his daughter to love him. When his efforts are continually rebuffed, he finally kidnaps Jessica and keeps her drugged at his mysterious estate. Antonio and Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan find Jessica; a short while later, Mitch is found dead on the docks. Ultimately Jessica remembers hitting Mitch in the head with a pipe to save her uncle, Todd Manning (who had been posing as Mitch's brother, Walker Laurence). Due to the multiple suspects and conflicting evidence surrounding the case, Bo drops the investigation.