MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #5

[absentia]

It was not known that Jessica R. was taken in a car, though. Most victims probably are taken into cars. But usually there is no evidence of it, so a search has to start from the last place seen or known to be. Even with Holly, while a vehicle was the assumption, no one saw one.

In this case no one saw JH get into a vehicle either.
or did they?????

 

[absentia]

I wonder how much more information that LE has about the sketch and the minivan, particularly since Dan Shaw said that "at this point anything other than this is a distraction and serves no valuable purpose".

well geeze. if he said that they better have a picture of her being forced into the van. otherwise they are blind.

 

[absentia]

I sure hope they polygraphed that witness or somehow have this abduction on video. :twocents:
What happens if this witness "recants" like the one in Leila Fowler's case did?

While I admire his certainty... it rubs me the wrong way at the same time.
For all he knows... this guy dropped off his minivan 3 miles down the road and got in his pick up truck.

He is encouraging people to have tunnel vision and that is rarely a good idea.
I hope they DO know more than we realize they know. A LOT more. lease:

Ditto.

 

[cluciano63]

In this case no one saw JH get into a vehicle either.
or did they?????

I thought at least at first, the witness said they did see her being put into the van, or saw a struggle and then she and the van were gone.

 

[absentia]

"The lack of a witness statement to law enforcement does not equal a questionable investigation! I stand by what I said - the task force has not received that information. If someone did witness a struggle, please come forward and provide information to the investigators." http://connect.mlive.com/user/nortonshoreschief/index.html

so, ah, why are you so damn convinced the witness is correct about the van and sketch, Shaw?

he also calls the case "tragic". it's not tragic until she turns up dead.
he also can't spell the word "advice".
sorry, I'm just pissed as all get out about this Chief and the investigation.

 

[absentia]

I thought at least at first, the witness said they did see her being put into the van, or saw a struggle and then she and the van were gone.

do we have a link to what the witness actually told police? she apparently did not see a struggle. did she see JH get in the van (and if so, why on earth did she not call 911? or did she not see HJ near the van?

has she been poly'd? have her relationships and history with JH been investigated?

 

[cluciano63]

The issue of a struggle has been printed both ways...some articles said one was seen, some say not. Perhaps the witness did say it, but backed off when it became obvious that if a struggle was seen, the witness should have done something. In any event, LE seems to be convinced she ended up in the van.

 

[Treelights]

The issue of a struggle has been printed both ways...some articles said one was seen, some say not. Perhaps the witness did say it, but backed off when it became obvious that if a struggle was seen, the witness should have done something. In any event, LE seems to be convinced she ended up in the van.

I just wonder, for now, this is all they have to go by, is the witness's statement of what they saw and the sketch, so therefore they believe she ended up in the van because of the statement that was made....and if this isn't correct, then is there nothing else for them to go on? I guess until that happens, this is the lead that they have for now....My opinion only....

 

[cluciano63]

I just wonder, for now, this is all they have to go by, is the witness's statement of what they saw and the sketch, so therefore they believe she ended up in the van because of the statement that was made....and if this isn't correct, then is there nothing else for them to go on? I guess until that happens, this is the lead that they have for now....My opinion only....

I can't imagine what else they can have to go on...with no cameras, they had to count on witness statements. Wonder what LE would be doing if there had been no witnesses of any sort? If she had simply vanished? Then they would probably at least be doing local searches.

 

[imamaze]

"The lack of a witness statement to law enforcement does not equal a questionable investigation! I stand by what I said - the task force has not received that information. If someone did witness a struggle, please come forward and provide information to the investigators." http://connect.mlive.com/user/nortonshoreschief/index.html

so, ah, why are you so damn convinced the witness is correct about the van and sketch, Shaw?

he also calls the case "tragic". it's not tragic until she turns up dead.
he also can't spell the word "advice".
sorry, I'm just pissed as all get out about this Chief and the investigation.

I think it is tragic and I can't say for sure its only my opinion but I'm sure he is saying its tragic because she is missing, her little boy doesn't have his mommy, her mom and dad don't have their daughter, and on and on. So yes in my opinion it is tragic, its heartbreaking to see this family going through this.

It is frustrating and I can assure you its just as frustrating for the Chief and everyone working on this case. I really believe they are doing everything they can to find Jessica

Ima

 

[SteveP]

I know that several people are worrying about the validity of the witness statement to LE, and are wondering if maybe LE is stuck on the silver van based solely on that while it could have nothing to do with the abduction of Jessica. I stated this a week or two ago, but I think it bears repeating. Surely everyone in that area has seen the videos of the van that was released by LE, and not just once. Every news channel and paper in the area has surely shown either the videos or still pics from two different cameras that picked it up, along with timestamps that were accurate to within at least a few minutes. I feel that, traveling on that road at that hour, that van was not driven by someone just passing through town, when there are highways very close by. So if the van is not involved, does it seem likely that the driver, almost surely aware that LE is looking for it, would sit quietly and allow this entire investigation to become derailed based on mistaken information. Surely if innocent, someone would have contacted LE and said "that was me in the van you have on video". JMO

 

[cluciano63]

Yes, the driver of the van, or someone who knows him or her, should have called in by now, if innocent.

 

[gregjrichards]

Have all the work colleagues remainder silent about the case? Allegedly one colleague is not being very nice at all. I read online about it I can't link due to rules. If its true it's totally out of order and I don't understand it.

At least a lot of people are on Facebook trying to find Jessica almost everyone in Norton Shores must know Jessica is missing at this point. The problem will be keeping this crime on people's minds before they move on.

Are there any cheap motels near by? Just trying to think where Jessica could have been taken without being seen if the perp didn't use his own place. If he did use a motel though they probably didn't stay long.

 

[Treelights]

Yes, the driver of the van, or someone who knows him or her, should have called in by now, if innocent.

And they may very well have. At one time LE detained someone and their van as well, I thought. Could this have been the van the witness saw?, but they released the person, and they are still looking for a van, so maybe it wasn't the van in question after all? I know that sounded confusing! This case confuses me!

 

[absentia]

The issue of a struggle has been printed both ways...some articles said one was seen, some say not. Perhaps the witness did say it, but backed off when it became obvious that if a struggle was seen, the witness should have done something. In any event, LE seems to be convinced she ended up in the van.

in which case the witness is questionable. either way.
she did see a struggle and didn't do anything is now CYA.
she didn't see a struggle or see JH get in the van so it's not concrete evidence.

 

[absentia]

Yes, the driver of the van, or someone who knows him or her, should have called in by now, if innocent.

unless they are both involved - silver van and dark suburban.

 

[absentia]

Have all the work colleagues remainder silent about the case? Allegedly one colleague is not being very nice at all. I read online about it I can't link due to rules. If its true it's totally out of order and I don't understand it.

At least a lot of people are on Facebook trying to find Jessica almost everyone in Norton Shores must know Jessica is missing at this point. The problem will be keeping this crime on people's minds before they move on.

Are there any cheap motels near by? Just trying to think where Jessica could have been taken without being seen if the perp didn't use his own place. If he did use a motel though they probably didn't stay long.

one colleague as in the co-worker witness who gave us the sketch and the silver van by chance?
you can link to FB. if it's not FB, please PM the link to me. TIA

 

[gregjrichards]

I know that several people are worrying about the validity of the witness statement to LE, and are wondering if maybe LE is stuck on the silver van based solely on that while it could have nothing to do with the abduction of Jessica. I stated this a week or two ago, but I think it bears repeating. Surely everyone in that area has seen the videos of the van that was released by LE, and not just once. Every news channel and paper in the area has surely shown either the videos or still pics from two different cameras that picked it up, along with timestamps that were accurate to within at least a few minutes. I feel that, traveling on that road at that hour, that van was not driven by someone just passing through town, when there are highways very close by. So if the van is not involved, does it seem likely that the driver, almost surely aware that LE is looking for it, would sit quietly and allow this entire investigation to become derailed based on mistaken information. Surely if innocent, someone would have contacted LE and said "that was me in the van you have on video". JMO

I respect your opinion but does everyone know at what particular time they went down a particular road during a journey. I wouldn't to be honest. Maybe the van driver is innocent but hates the police, or has a criminal record already, or doesn't want the crime to be pinned on them when they are innocent. I would come forward to law enforcement if it was me driving and I was innocent but it would concern me that I was going to be interrogated.

I understand the police are still waiting to hear back from Chrysler's lead designer about what type of van this actually is and the year. Maybe if they knew for certain the person driving would come forward and say that was me. I hope they find out soon.

 

[absentia]

And they may very well have. At one time LE detained someone and their van as well, I thought. Could this have been the van the witness saw?, but they released the person, and they are still looking for a van, so maybe it wasn't the van in question after all? I know that sounded confusing! This case confuses me!

they said there are like 30K silver vans in the area. I bet a lot of those owners have called in to clear themselves.

 

[cluciano63]

I respect your opinion but does everyone know at what particular time they went down a particular road during a journey. I wouldn't to be honest. Maybe the van driver is innocent but hates the police, or has a criminal record already, or doesn't want the crime to be pinned on them when they are innocent. I would come forward to law enforcement if it was me driving and I was innocent but it would concern me that I was going to be interrogated.

I understand the police are still waiting to hear back from Chrysler's lead designer about what type of van this actually is and the year. Maybe if they knew for certain the person driving would come forward and say that was me. I hope they find out soon.

If LE is still waiting on Chrysler, that is seriously ridiculous.