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

[vega]

Again I ask-where do you start? What area would be beginning of the search? Or the end even?

Or do you call for an all-out search by hundreds of volunteers in a specific mile radius? If so-where?

I would start with some good old fashioned local knowledge and some basic common sense. Roll out the topo map and ID some high probability locations based on that local input. Keeping in mind, a silver mini-van is not an all terrain off road vehicle. Where ya gonna go with a mini-van in the middle of the night ? Your in a hurry and under a lot of stress, think straight lines radiating out from the Exxon station. We do know the van was seen on video traveling North bound. This is where the profilers can provide statistical parameters in terms of probable distance driven from an abduction site to the site of the crime/dump site. They might also be able to steer the search toward water or not.

Mona lake was the first point of interest on the map that caught my attention on day one of this case. Maybe a search party can take a look there and we can X that off the map as searched and cleared ?

 

[4csns]

To respond to a few posts- yes there are a few motels around here that are not know as a classy place, on Airline road (which can be reached by turning right on airport). Another idea that came is seaway drive north ( also business 31, also accessible from a right on airport road) there are 2 abandon hotels in a row. Both in a poor area, you can see from seaway but honestly I have never been close enough to tell you more about them.

I believe ( this is my opinion) ground searched are being strongly discouraged..... To the point of LE stepping in and saying it is not ok. I think that some have taken it upon themselves to hike Hoffmaster, walk the shorelines, see what they can see..... I really feel like if LE could step in and give the "rules" for a search and send people out we would all comply and be more than willing to help. Ultimately the goal is to get Jessica home the whole community wants to see that.

We are a small town community with a large heart and I speak for many when saying most citizens take the words "one mission" with them everyday....just wanting answers for Jessica and sweet Zevin.

 

[TxLady2]

One reason LE discourages volunteer searches is to keep people from trampling over places that the ordinary citizen would not recognize as a burial/dumping site, and destroying possible evidence. Another reason is to prevent anyone else from being hurt or even lost themselves. I've heard of this happening in other searches.

Also, and this is a long shot... but let's say IF they believe she is alive and they have an idea where she is being held, the last thing they need is a group of searchers stumbling upon that site and possibly causing the perp to panic and shoot someone. It would be a serious risk to her life and possibly everyone else. Not saying this is the case here, just saying it could be a possibility.

I can understand the frustration about wanting to find her, but as Starry pointed out, where do you start? Without some organization, you could have ten groups of people all searching the same area at different times, not knowing it, and other areas not even touched. Until they have some idea of where she may be, there are a million places one could look. She could be in another state.

 

[jenstar]

I've read the comments on the "Live Chat with cheif shaw" (link Posted a few pages back) and he addressed that no "struggle" had been reported being seen but if anyone knows anything please call.
Also he addressed that all local hotels had been canvassed.

 

[vega]

One of the reasons used for not doing a ground search is the idea that JH is alive and being held captive presumably in a house. Given that assumption, obviously there is no reason to conduct any ground searches. But, what is the basis for making that assumption ? Is there any evidence leading anyone to assume JH is alive and being held captive against her will ? So far, I see no evidence on the table supporting that supposition at all. None.

In fact the video evidence of a mini-van suggests exactly the opposite conclusion. A mini-van could point toward a married male with children. I also think it possible the owner of the mini-van may in fact be female , either the wife or mother of the suspect. In this scenario the suspect would have no means or motive to "keep" JH beyond an hour or two after the abduction. Especially considering the late time of the abduction, he would be pressed for time to get home to his family. In which case the dump site will very likely be near a road, within 20 yards of the mini-van. Thus a ground search would be highly beneficial.

What if the male used friday night at the poker room as his cover story with his wife, and just happened to take an interest in JH working the late shift alone on Friday nights. Instead of playing poker he was studying the Exxon from the vantage point of the parking lot across the street. Worked out the timing and then one night got up the courage and moved in when the opportunity presented itself. It might be a good idea for LE to interview the poker room employees and regulars for anyone that is semi-regular on friday nights that may not live locally and may even have stopped showing up recently.

I wonder now what search parameters the investigation used when scanning the registered mini-van owners. I sure hope they considered the possibility of a female owner.

 

[WideOpen]

This is such a disturbing case.
I always try to give LE the benefit of the doubt. I'm sitting on my hands, having nightmares and worrying about Jessica, if she is even still alive. I happen to believe she was killed shortly after the abduction but LE is usually reluctant to say they are looking for a body without evidence.

I do not think the public should be searching without organized involvement from LE. With that being said, LE IMO really has no clue where to start looking and if Jessica is found at all it will most likely be by a private citizen accidentally. I still feel it would be a positive event for the public and could be of help for the community morale.

How helpful are State Police Profilers? Is it possible they are just comparing and looking for connections to other similar crimes. I would like to hear what they are coming up with but doubt we will hear anything. I better google for my answers.

I pray I am so wrong.
If I was family I could never give up hope and can't imagine how they cope living in this he!!.


jmo

 

[WideOpen]

One of the reasons used for not doing a ground search is the idea that JH is alive and being held captive presumably in a house. Given that assumption, obviously there is no reason to conduct any ground searches. But, what is the basis for making that assumption ? Is there any evidence leading anyone to assume JH is alive and being held captive against her will ? So far, I see no evidence on the table supporting that supposition at all. None.

In fact the video evidence of a mini-van suggests exactly the opposite conclusion. A mini-van could point toward a married male with children. I also think it possible the owner of the mini-van may in fact be female , either the wife or mother of the suspect. In this scenario the suspect would have no means or motive to "keep" JH beyond an hour or two after the abduction. Especially considering the late time of the abduction, he would be pressed for time to get home to his family. In which case the dump site will very likely be near a road, within 20 yards of the mini-van. Thus a ground search would be highly beneficial.

What if the male used friday night at the poker room as his cover story with his wife, and just happened to take an interest in JH working the late shift alone on Friday nights. Instead of playing poker he was studying the Exxon from the vantage point of the parking lot across the street. Worked out the timing and then one night got up the courage and moved in when the opportunity presented itself. It might be a good idea for LE to interview the poker room employees and regulars for anyone that is semi-regular on friday nights that may not live locally and may even have stopped showing up recently.

I wonder now what search parameters the investigation used when scanning the registered mini-van owners. I sure hope they considered the possibility of a female owner.

Great post because I believe that the perp was lying in wait somewhere for Jessica. This is a very good example and you explain it in an easy to understand, thoughtful way.

Thanks wasnt enough.

jmo

 

[cluciano63]

I am trying, and so far failing, to think of another case where a vehicle is the main clue in an abduction/missing persons case and yet local,ground searches were conducted. I know in Holly's case, it is believed she was taken into a vehicle and they did ground searches, but she was seen walking into a wooded area by a witness. Also, no one saw a vehicle. Can anyone think of a case with a vehicle alert and ground searches?

 

[LarkBunting]

Mickey Shunick's case had a vehicle alert & ground searches, yes?

 

[Cherry]

I think a grid search should be done 2 miles out in all directions from where she was abducted via car or not. Killers don't go far, no usually. What I'd also like to see is all of her reciepts pulled for the last two months. Every single customer she served that used ID of any kind and or a Credit Card. They must rule out if someone was coming in that store at the same time on her shift....continually.

 

[Marilynilpa]

I am trying, and so far failing, to think of another case where a vehicle is the main clue in an abduction/missing persons case and yet local,ground searches were conducted. I know in Holly's case, it is believed she was taken into a vehicle and they did ground searches, but she was seen walking into a wooded area by a witness. Also, no one saw a vehicle. Can anyone think of a case with a vehicle alert and ground searches?

Mickey Shunick comes to mind. She was riding her bike and disappeared. A white truck was seen on video and LE suspected it was connected to her disappearance. Many ground searches took place - Texas Equusearch participated in some of them.

 

[absentia]

One of the reasons used for not doing a ground search is the idea that JH is alive and being held captive presumably in a house. Given that assumption, obviously there is no reason to conduct any ground searches. But, what is the basis for making that assumption ? Is there any evidence leading anyone to assume JH is alive and being held captive against her will ? So far, I see no evidence on the table supporting that supposition at all. None.

In fact the video evidence of a mini-van suggests exactly the opposite conclusion. A mini-van could point toward a married male with children. I also think it possible the owner of the mini-van may in fact be female , either the wife or mother of the suspect. In this scenario the suspect would have no means or motive to "keep" JH beyond an hour or two after the abduction. Especially considering the late time of the abduction, he would be pressed for time to get home to his family. In which case the dump site will very likely be near a road, within 20 yards of the mini-van. Thus a ground search would be highly beneficial.

What if the male used friday night at the poker room as his cover story with his wife, and just happened to take an interest in JH working the late shift alone on Friday nights. Instead of playing poker he was studying the Exxon from the vantage point of the parking lot across the street. Worked out the timing and then one night got up the courage and moved in when the opportunity presented itself. It might be a good idea for LE to interview the poker room employees and regulars for anyone that is semi-regular on friday nights that may not live locally and may even have stopped showing up recently.

I wonder now what search parameters the investigation used when scanning the registered mini-van owners. I sure hope they considered the possibility of a female owner.

I am just grumpy with the status quo these days. So, she could have been trafficked. Why don't the cops go to the parts of the cities (Grand Rapids, Green Bay etc) where they know girls are being trafficked? WHY? b/c there is a sexual war on women and children. I have an investigator friend who is now in the Phillipines ( was in WA) working against sex trafficking. We need more units devoted to this. There are probably a lot of missing women in houses and motels in "red light" districts, being drugged and used for prostitution.
The cops and even PI's should go to those areas to find any and all missing girls and women. abducted women's poor (inevitable) kids are being raised in those environments.
ground searches may not be useful, but raiding brothels might.

 

[cluciano63]

Yes Mickey is probably the best example, although being on a bike it was possible to think she had been hit and left someplace locally I guess. If LE is sure as can be that Jessica entered this silver van, she could have been taken who knows where.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jessica's family and fiancé must be getting very frustrated by the lack of information and progress in this case. Jessica's been missing for three weeks now, and it seems like LE is still stuck on the silver minivan and a sketch of a possible suspect. I hope that there's more going on inside the investigation than has been reported by the media. I also hope that LE and other agencies involved in the search are not limiting the possibilities to the silver minivan that might or might not be involved in Jessica's disappearance and an artist's rendering of a possible perpetrator. :moo:

 

[Treelights]

I am trying, and so far failing, to think of another case where a vehicle is the main clue in an abduction/missing persons case and yet local,ground searches were conducted. I know in Holly's case, it is believed she was taken into a vehicle and they did ground searches, but she was seen walking into a wooded area by a witness. Also, no one saw a vehicle. Can anyone think of a case with a vehicle alert and ground searches?

In Kyron Horman's case, I know that LE was showing photos of the white pick up truck that the step mom was using the day that Kyron disappeared, and I know there were ground searches, but whether that answers your question I don't know...

 

[Tonto]

I'm fairly positive the mini van is the perp's. It fits the timeline and eyewitness accounts. No one has come forward stating that they are the owner. If it was an innocent local in a 'wrong place at the wrong time' scenario, police would have ruled it out by now. I think speculating that it is not involved is doing more harm than good.

IMO.

 

[Treelights]

I'm fairly positive the mini van is the perp's. It fits the timeline and eyewitness accounts. No one has come forward stating that they are the owner. If it was an innocent local in a 'wrong place at the wrong time' scenario, police would have ruled it out by now. I think speculating that it is not involved is doing more harm than good.

IMO.

I don't understand how speculating can do more harm than good, being that we are on a forum discussing things.
I understand what you are saying about if it was an innocent person in a mini van that was in the wrong place at the wrong time, they would have come forward already, but who is to say they didn't come forward already?
It could very well be true that there is a perp in a mini van, that was already talked to by police as well.
We only have what the witness has offered, and video supports that there was a mini van, but is there a witness account of Jessica being put in the van?
When the witness gave a description of the person in the van, they did not see Jessica in the van, as it was "presumed" she was already in the van.
If it was "presumed" she was already in the van, it was reported the next day to LE I thought. This is all my opinion only, folks.

 

[Tonto]

I don't understand how speculating can do more harm than good, being that we are on a forum discussing things.

Because it takes the focus off of what we know to be the most compelling lead and a 99.99% likely scenario.

I understand what you are saying about if it was an innocent person in a mini van that was in the wrong place at the wrong time, they would have come forward already, but who is to say they didn't come forward already?

The police are saying they didn't come forward already, in that it is still the central focus of their case.

It could very well be true that there is a perp in a mini van, that was already talked to by police as well.

True, but how would this encourage speculation that the van is not involved and/or the primary focus?

We only have what the witness has offered, and video supports that there was a mini van, but is there a witness account of Jessica being put in the van? When the witness gave a description of the person in the van, they did not see Jessica in the van, as it was "presumed" she was already in the van. If it was "presumed" she was already in the van, it was reported the next day to LE I thought. This is all my opinion only, folks.

Occam's razor.

 

[cluciano63]

LE seems obsessed with the van, therefore I doubt they have found the right one, or if they did, they do not know it, i.e the person bluffed their way out. Either way, they apparently want van-related tips, primarily.

 

[Treelights]

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/05/police_chief_jessica_heeringas_1.html

"Police Chief: Jessica Heeringa's abduction task force to remain intact as long as 'credible leads' come in."


“We don’t know how long the profiling process will take,” Shaw said. “It could take several weeks to review all the data that we’ve provided them. They have all the reports written so far. They have videos of interviews of people and everything else. They are reviewing everything they have from us.”

From the article at the link above.