MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #4

[Flutterby80]

After Flutterby's pics, I am convinced more than ever that it was the van in question, and that those witnesses had a birds eye view from the guitar shop. What I mean by this is if they were parked facing the Exxon, then yes, they would not have been able to see intricate details. However, they would've been able to see that something was awry or 'fishy'. If the perp then used that sideroad right by the strip mall as an escape route and drove right by them, which I now believe he did, then those folks would have been privy to a lot more detail at this point - especially since they suspected something was up and were paying close attention.

However, this changes things a little for me. Rather than use that route because it was on the way to wherever he was going, he could have used it simply because it was the most efficient escape. This brings in even more questions and possibilities.

I think the fact that he used the road that ran through the parking lot onto Grand Haven Rd instead of exiting the gas station onto Sternberg points toward someone local or very familiar with the area. Nobody who randomly exited the highway would know to do that.

 

[cluciano63]

They must know if the substance was blood by now, it is a simple test.

 

[OtherEyes]

Flutterby80...
Thank you so much for the photos and the perspective it gives us that are not in that area!
It's incredibly helpful!:gthanks:

 

[Flutterby80]

Thanks, Shutterby, for the terrific pics and analogy. AWESOME WORK!!!


-Would Jessica "normally" wear a jacket to have a cigarette?

-Where would Jessica smoke while working, was there a designated smoking area?

-Where did Jessica "normally" park her vehicle? Would she leave it there the whole shift, or move it near closing time?

-Can we list the publicly known evidence that was found at the scene?



http://www.grandhaventribune.com/article/376881

Im sure we can look up the temp at 11pm on April 26, but keep in mind that Michiganders don't consider 45 or 50 degrees cold. After a long winter, we are practically wearing our shorts and tank tops at 50 degrees. So just because someone from Florida or Texas thinks she would've worn her jacket to have a smoke that night, that's not neccesarily the case.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

You are correct Woe!

Jessica's mother, Shelly Heeringa, told ABC News that someone saw her daughter "walk out of the store with this guy like there was no problem," but when they got to his van, a struggle ensued.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jessica-he...-knew-abductor/story?id=19065157#.UYVpDbU3uGE

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/04/missing_gas_station_employee_n.html

At about the 1:40 mark in the video (link provided), is where SH talks about someone telling her he observed a struggle. Shelly says, "someone supposedly had seen". That sounds as if someone told her that - not sure who did though, the actual witness or LE. Also behind the gas station is mentioned too.

Thank you for checking. The two versions sound a tad different. One indicates a struggle inside the van and the other a struggle ensued (inside not specified). I mean, I've heard two different versions.

Why would Jessica get into someone's van when she needed to finish closing out the cash register. The struggle must have happened when someone was forcing her into the van. Just imo. If she caused those dents on the side of the van, that was a big stuggle. The person didn't all 911 at that time?

 

[longtallcold]

ya know, i sent them lunch today (instead of buying DD a new bike LOL) but I still feel so helpless and want to do more, but I am just stuck. I mean, there are no specific areas to search, nothing! I mean he could be anywhere with her! Florida, California, Mexico? It's just overwhelming, I so so so feel for her family so much.

 

[OtherEyes]

ya know, i sent them lunch today (instead of buying DD a new bike LOL) but I still feel so helpless and want to do more, but I am just stuck. I mean, there are no specific areas to search, nothing! I mean he could be anywhere with her! Florida, California, Mexico? It's just overwhelming, I so so so feel for her family so much.

What a kind and thoughtful thing to do!!!:heart:

 

[absentia]

BBM

I agree, I couldn't see one either. Does anyone else remember reading that the lights to the back door were off? I can't find it anywhere but I swear I read that! Here's my question, does anyone know where the light switch for the back door is located? If in a backroom storage area, or office then you would think this person is familiar with that area. (Delivery person or current/former employee or significant other of current/former employee.) IIRC, it has been said that those back lights were off when they should have been on.
IMO this perp could have come in earlier when there were others in the store and Jessica was busy and went back to shut off the back lights while Jessica assumed they were still on. Then he comes back later to the back door, knocks and possibly calls Jessica by name says he needs help, she opens the door and then he takes her. IMO, He would have thought this out, if those lights were out in the back of the store on purpose, it was to hide what he was about to do back there. If this is indeed a fact regarding the lights out back then this person knew where those light switches were, therefore had prior knowledge of the store and Jessica. JMO
Can someone help me out with this lighting question? I swear I read this. TIA

yes, it was early on. one of the first witnesses (the coworker?) said the back light was off and it was supposed to be on.

 

[Starry Night]

ya know, i sent them lunch today (instead of buying DD a new bike LOL) but I still feel so helpless and want to do more, but I am just stuck. I mean, there are no specific areas to search, nothing! I mean he could be anywhere with her! Florida, California, Mexico? It's just overwhelming, I so so so feel for her family so much.

In an interview with the Police Chief he had stated how much they appreciated the food being sent.

You are so wonderful to do that Long. Wonderfully supportive. Thanks.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

ya know, i sent them lunch today (instead of buying DD a new bike LOL) but I still feel so helpless and want to do more, but I am just stuck. I mean, there are no specific areas to search, nothing! I mean he could be anywhere with her! Florida, California, Mexico? It's just overwhelming, I so so so feel for her family so much.

That was very thoughtful of you.

Does LE have any organized searches going on today? It seems a little bit different to me from other cases, in that, they're not intensely searching the immediate area in a planned fashion.

 

[absentia]

WTH is the FBI not involved???

 

[Starry Night]

WTH is the FBI not involved???

There was an article with the Police Chief PIO which said that they are in daily contact with FBI. So that's a good thing.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Friday 2:30 pm

Yesterday, May 3, 2013?

TIA...:seeya:

 

[OtherEyes]

yes, it was early on. one of the first witnesses (the coworker?) said the back light was off and it was supposed to be on.

Thank you! That's what I thought but for the life of me I can't find it again. So thank you for letting me know I'm not going crazy!

So would you then agree this guy knew what he was doing? Knew where the light switches were and had to have been in the store prior that evening to turn the lights off out back in order to hide what he was about to do?

I really believe this guy is local and knew the inside of that store. JMO

 

[misterGwriter]

What happened to the silver van without plates a websluther reported on thread 3. I dont know how to link to closed threads. Does anyone?

As of this morning, the van still had not moved. I first saw it and called it in last Monday and followed up again on Thursday I believe. I did note that the van was traveling away from the apartment complex on the night of the abduction, so it may be that this van was not involved. It does seem a little too good to be true, but I have been keeping an eye on it.

 

[goldenbear]

As of this morning, the van still had not moved. I first saw it and called it in last Monday and followed up again on Thursday I believe. I did note that the van was traveling away from the apartment complex on the night of the abduction, so it may be that this van was not involved. It does seem a little too good to be true, but I have been keeping an eye on it.

if theplate is missing the vin number needs to be phoned in . The plate could be being used on a different van of the same type.

 

[LarkBunting]

Thank you for the photos, Flutterby. The gas station looks so...innocuous. Normal. Not sinister. Hard to believe that horrible, life-altering things can happen ANYWHERE.
I can't stop thinking about Jessica & this case. Where is she? Who took her? Who has her? When will she be found? What is happening to her?

 

[misterGwriter]

Flutteryby - great work with the pictures. I need to pick up a good camera so I can do the same. I saw earlier that someone requested pictures of the area at 11:00 pm. I will see what I can do. Hopefully I do not become a POI in doing so lol.

As far as Ross Park, I visited the park this morning. I am pretty confident that she is not there. The Park isn't as large as I remember it being, possibly because it is spring and the lack of leaves and other foliage has left everything wide open. I drove through and also walked along the beach and didn't see or smell (I hate saying that, but it's reality) anything.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

I think the fact that he used the road that ran through the parking lot onto Grand Haven Rd instead of exiting the gas station onto Sternberg points toward someone local or very familiar with the area. Nobody who randomly exited the highway would know to do that.

When considering a trucker or delivery person though, they could be familiar with the area because they frequently made/make stops there to do a job.

Just mentioning, peeps probably know, that LE begins investigations looking into the people closest to the victim working their way out. That's why it takes so many days in order for LE to get a read on the most likely scenario of a particular abduction. I'd always been under the impression that, statistics show, the perp is someone close to the victim. As time passes, I think that's more likely when a person is found murdered in their apartment, house or workplace - or removed but found nearby. I'm noticing that the abductions seem like they are, more likely, due to a stranger danger type (who may be local or not). For instance, Mickey Shunick, Jessica Ridgeway and Sierra LaMar - all local perps unknown to their victims.

Those cases were solved but it took longer than one week for LE to do so.
It's the cases where the person disappears and, even after extensive searches, isn't found that have me wondering if the victims were immediately taken far away from the point of abduction.

 

[Wondergirl]

Seriously, people, why in the heck aren't there searches going on? That boggles my mind. I find it, well, odd.