MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #1

[trenchmouth]

The media and police need to get a common story out to the public. Kind of rediculous all the misreported information from the car to stuggle or no struggle etc.

 

[trenchmouth]

Besides the photo bucket image posted earlier, this one is pretty clear .

http://news.sky.com/story/1085102/jessica-heeringa-abduction-cctv-search

The police will need more tips. That image or the video isn't going to be very useful in terms of identifying the exact car or perp. Best hope is that someon recalls seeing it or there is additional surveillance video from other businesses in the direction he was going.

 

[Treelights]

"Police are analyzing grainy surveillance video and a DNA sample in the search for a missing gas station clerk.

Investigators say Jessica Heeringa, 25, was abducted from the Exxon Mobil gas station late Friday night. Her keys and purse were found at the scene a short time before she was supposed to close the station for the night. There was no surveillance video from the Mobil station and no signs of struggle. or theft"

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/254807/14/Minivan-driver-sought-in-Jessica-Heeringa-abduction

Was there a cup left behind on the counter? Was that in the initial reports, or am I just confusing this with another case?

 

[LarkBunting]

This is such a horrible story...a mother working to support her son, doing what she was supposed to be doing, not out drugging or partying, then ABDUCTED FROM WORK. I feel sick even thinking about what has happened to her. I wish I had any faith that she will turn up safe somewhere, but sadly, I doubt that will be the case. May her loved ones find peace & justice.

 

[JoCoKSEyes]

Whoever did this is not going to be sticking around, he is going to get out of there ASAP.

I don't agree.

 

[trenchmouth]

I don't agree.

Anything is possible, could be someone local or someone far away. My guess is the person lives within one hour's drive of the gas station. If the perp is in fact the gray van seen, he likely knows the roads based on the route he took which would likely be someone local.

On the other hand, I could see how jumping on the interstate would be a bad idea as road blocks can be easily set up. Taking back roads or common state routes instead of the highway to get away is plausable.

Did anyone see whether the plates on the van were MI or out of state? Typically something easily distinguished from a distance.

 

[Flutterby80]

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.

from this link

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

There was a struggle outside the store, not in the store

If the witnesses are indeed saying they saw a struggle by the van, then this the first I've heard of it and makes this witness account even more suspect to me! Who in the world would witness that and then just drive away?!

 

[trenchmouth]

If the witnesses are indeed saying they saw a struggle by the van, then this the first I've heard of it and makes this witness account even more suspect to me! Who in the world would witness that and then just drive away?!

I agree 100%! I would have followed, called police, got the license plate number!

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by iluvmua; page 2 of this thread:
"I heard it was a man driving the van (they are saying a Town & Country white van). Some reported it was a grey van.

One post said a co worker drove by and noticed the lights in a van being turned off and they (van) went by Miejer's (sp) and then turned around and came back."

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

"There's no sign of a struggle, no sign of anything inside the store being disturbed," Shaw said. "The cash drawer was sitting out and no money was missing. Her purse was in the store with 400-some dollars in it. It's just odd how that occurred."

http://news.yahoo.com/mich-police-believe-gas-station-clerk-abducted-193634709.html

:waitasec: I wonder why Jessica had so much cash in her purse? Could her employer have paid her in cash, or had she just cashed her paycheck? Maybe it's just me, but this seems like a lot of money to carry around. I would never carry that much cash in my purse. :moo:

That said, it's obvious that Jessica was the target and that this incident was not about money. No money was taken from the store, and Jessica's purse was not touched.

 

[Flutterby80]

"There's no sign of a struggle, no sign of anything inside the store being disturbed," Shaw said. "The cash drawer was sitting out and no money was missing. Her purse was in the store with 400-some dollars in it. It's just odd how that occurred."

http://news.yahoo.com/mich-police-believe-gas-station-clerk-abducted-193634709.html

:waitasec: I wonder why Jessica had so much cash in her purse? Could her employer have paid her in cash, or had she just cashed her paycheck? Maybe it's just me, but this seems like a lot of money to carry around. I would never carry that much cash in my purse. :moo:

That said, it's obvious that Jessica was the target and that this incident was not about money. No money was taken from the store, and Jessica's purse was not touched.

I am not convinced that she was the specific target. This was not her regular shift. She might have been the target, or it might have been that the suspect knew a female would be working alone and didn't specifically target Jessica.

About the money in her purse...I think it's possible she was paid in cash. It would explain the owner's attitude to some degree...he wouldn't want his finances looked into. Or it was Friday..maybe she picked up her check and cashed it before her shift.

 

[LWoods]

Re: not sticking around. A rational person probably wouldn't, but IMO (and MOO) people that commit these types of crimes aren't necessarily rational. They often like to stay around and watch the results of their actions.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

If the witnesses are indeed saying they saw a struggle by the van, then this the first I've heard of it and makes this witness account even more suspect to me! Who in the world would witness that and then just drive away?!

ITA. Isn't the witness an employee of the Exxon station who works different shifts? What was this individual doing in the vicinity at the exact time that the abduction took place? Sees something strange going on but doesn't pull into the gas station lot to inquire about Jessica's safety and watches from a parking lot adjacent to the Exxon station :banghead: Very suspicious. :moo:

 

[Flutterby80]

ITA. Isn't the witness an employee of the Exxon station who works different shifts? What was this individual doing in the vicinity at the exact time that the abduction took place? Sees something strange going on but doesn't pull into the gas station lot to inquire about Jessica's safety and watches from a parking lot adjacent to the Exxon station :banghead: Very suspicious. :moo:

I agree with this entire statement! I mean, it's possible they could have been in the area at that time, but the rest of it makes NO SENSE.

If these witnesses are doing this just to be in the spotlight, then they are creating a huge barrier in the search because now everyone is looking for this particular van and this particular man on their word alone! As far as I know, these two, the fellow employee and her husband, are the only people saying they witnessed this van in the Exxon parking lot and that Jessica was near the van at all.

 

[mikkismom]

Identifying Jessica Heeringa's alleged abductor focus of investigation as police field more tips

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

 

[otto]

Re: not sticking around. A rational person probably wouldn't, but IMO (and MOO) people that commit these types of crimes aren't necessarily rational. They often like to stay around and watch the results of their actions.

If I was in the area, I would start looking in a 20-30 mile radius from the gas station.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

April 30, 2013 at 11:32 am

Chief: West Michigan police believe they can find missing gas station clerk

By Associated Press

Norton Shores — A West Michigan police official says he believes authorities will find a 25-year-old gas station clerk who went missing last week while working the night shift.

Norton Shores Police Chief Daniel Shaw said Tuesday it gets harder as time passes to solve the case involving the disappearance Friday of Jessica Heeringa. But he says investigators continue to pursue leads and examine limited evidence.

Among the evidence is surveillance video from a nearby tavern in the Muskegon suburb where police say the mother was abducted. The short clip shows a silver or gray Chrysler minivan driving away from the scene and traveling north...

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130430/METRO/304300406#ixzz2RxuHDcfe

 

[cebee]

I agree with this entire statement! I mean, it's possible they could have been in the area at that time, but the rest of it makes NO SENSE.

If these witnesses are doing this just to be in the spotlight, then they are creating a huge barrier in the search because now everyone is looking for this particular van and this particular man on their word alone! As far as I know, these two, the fellow employee and her husband, are the only people saying they witnessed this van in the Exxon parking lot and that Jessica was near the van at all.

Totally my thought as well. Too much detail for someone parked in an adjacent lot. In the dark. Down to the hair parted in the middle? Really?

 

[absentia]

The station Jessica worked at, did NOT have video. At all.
Not the night she was abducted, not before that night.
The video would have cost more than the owner lost in gas drive offs, so it wasn't worth it.

The day after Jessica was abducted, he installed video. :banghead:

that's ridiculous. Lifeshield has a camera for $139 and the whole system costs less than $800.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Totally my thought as well. Too much detail for someone parked in an adjacent lot. In the dark. Down to the hair parted in the middle? Really?

I hope that LE has interviewed the witnesses separately and asked some of the questions that I posted above. Sounds like the description of someone known to them, or it's made up. :moo: