GUILTY OR - Whitney Heichel, 21, Gresham, 16 Oct 2012 #1

[Knox]

Whitney Heichel missing person press conference update - 10/18/12

The following are items shared during the press briefing held at Gresham City Hall on October 18, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. Participants at the briefing were Gresham Police Lieutenant Claudio Grandjean, Whitney Heichel's husband Clint Heichel and Clint's Family spokesman Jim Vaughn.

* East County Major Crimes Team Detectives, Oregon State Police Forensics and Multnomah County Search and Rescue have been searching the area of Larch Mountain all day and continue to search as of the time of the press briefing.

* The Search and Rescue (SAR) provided 10 members today; they provided 15 members for searches yesterday.

* All members are trained in search and rescue as well as evidence recovery. All members are volunteers.

* Multnomah County also provided air support in the form of an airplane to assist in the search, as Larch Mountain is heavily wooded and steep terrain.

* There have been an additional 21 tips called in today to our tips line since the last press briefing at 10:00 a.m.

* The Gresham Police wanted to recognize Starbucks and Walmart for their support in this investigation as both have contributed numerous man-hours and large amounts of video to support the investigation.

* A persistent rumor that I was asked about at least three times today: The Medical Examiner is not on Larch Mountain and a body has not been found.

There are no further updates to report tonight. The next briefing is scheduled for tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., unless there is some breaking development, in which case I will notify all immediately.

http://www.flashalert.net/news.html?id=1278

 

[KellyConQueso]

Just a few observations and questions:

• Clint's smile during the press conference really bothered me. He wiped his eyes but they never appeared wet. His face was not red.
• Whitney's mother talked about how bad her daughter wanted to be a mom. I don't understand why her mother made that statement. Is is possible that Whitney was pregnant?
• Multiple small purchases at multiple locations does not make sense to me. Maybe somebody wanted to make sure they were caught on camera.
• Does anyone know if Clint grew up in the JW church or is he a convert?
• Why didn't Whitney attempt to get help or exit the vehicle at the gas stations(s)? Getting shot at in a parking lot usually has a better outcome than going to a remote location with a criminal. Although this might not be the case for a JW since they refuse blood transfusions. But I would still bank on the fact that the gun would jam or the perp's got bad aim.
• There are so many things bothering me about this case!

 

[Knox]

Hmmmm. 7 minutes ago on the facebook page, someone posted that there are many police vehicles, news broadcasters, and forensic vehicles headed up Larch Mountain. The person who posted this says she lives near there.

No one is tweeting that yet? My heart sank when I read your post though.

 

[sarx]

As much time as they're spending up on Larch Mtn., there has to be a reason.

 

[pugglesworth]

Just a few observations and questions:

• Clint's smile during the press conference really bothered me. He wiped his eyes but they never appeared wet. His face was not red.
• Whitney's mother talked about how bad her daughter wanted to be a mom. I don't understand why her mother made that statement. Is is possible that Whitney was pregnant?
• Multiple small purchases at multiple locations does not make sense to me. Maybe somebody wanted to make sure they were caught on camera.
• Does anyone know if Clint grew up in the JW church or is he a convert?
• Why didn't Whitney attempt to get help or exit the vehicle at the gas stations(s)? Getting shot at in a parking lot usually has a better outcome than going to a remote location with a criminal. Although this might not be the case for a JW since they refuse blood transfusions. But I would still bank on the fact that the gun would jam or the perp's got bad aim.
• There are so many things bothering me about this case!

In that KGW link, it said her husband had a prior for MJ possession. Not a big deal to most of the population, but JWs can get disfellowshipped for smoking tobacco, let alone anything else! I wouldn't take note of MJ on his record except for that, which really doesn't fit with the "upstanding JW church couple with no problems" narrative.

 

[Inspector Gidget]

No one is tweeting that yet? My heart sank when I read your post though.

I believe they said at the press conference they were going back out there tonight to search some more.

 

[DairyGirl]

I live on the other side of Portland in a super suburby suburb, but wanted to chime in on this point. I have NEVER seen so many homeless people hanging around businesses near the highway as I see here. I live within sight of 26, which is the highway where Whitney's apartment is located, and there are "regulars" at all the major businesses/intersections in the neighborhood. None of them are threatening or sketchy looking, but it's definitely a weird thing that I noticed right away.

Not sure if this is just my area (again, close to the highway and major roads, lots of businesses and traffic) or if it's a Portland suburb thing or what. This is a fairly decent area and I imagine they feel safer here than they would in NE Portland. There's one in particular who is a girl a little older than I am, and whenever I see her I feel this bizarre mixture of relief that she's still okay enough to be standing there and fear for what might happen to her if she continues.

I hope Whitney is okay. I don't have a good feeling about this one and I don't like it when these cases hit so close to home.

I live on the east side and there are people with signs at just about every busy corner, intersection, freeway exits and streets, anywhere there are a lot of people there is someone (or more) with a sign asking for money. Even when I go shopping there is a family near the parking lot with a sign. I think they probably make more money then I do.

 

[sweetsavi]

Hi all, just popping in real quick to offer my two cents. I don't know every detail of this case, but have been reading a bit on the Find Whitney Heichel page, and I watched the most recent news conference. I really apologize, but I can't possibly catch up on all 30 pages of this thread! I'm sorry!!

I really just want to say that my gut feeling at this point (seriously, my opinion only!) is that LE feels she potentially took off on her own, and staged a disappearance. This feeling is based mostly on the press conference. When someone asked if the community needed to be worried (or something to that effect), the detective stressed how rare stranger-on-stranger abductions are. I think if he thought there was someone out there who had randomly adbucted her, he would have stressed the need for vigilance among citizens. Secondly, didn't he say something about not even being certain that a crime had occurred? I don't have the exact quote, sorry. Thirdly, I don't believe he offered any info in terms of a suspect to be on the lookout for. Out of all the video surveillance everywhere her card was used, I would think that by now they would have determined whether she was with someone and under duress.

Again, JMO!!!!!! Someone mentioned upthread about the Tiffany Tehan case, I believe. This definitely strikes a similar bell to me.

I don't think she took off, because it sounds like she is very close to her mom and siblings. Her mom is clearly traumatized, someone that close to there mom would have told her she was leaving, and mom would have known there was trouble.

 

[bdawk20]

That's funny, cuz the first time I tried to break a car window all I did was jam my leg all up and have it hurt for days. Clearly you hit the sweet spot!!

The FIRST time? LOL!

 

[krey]

I don't think she took off, because it sounds like she is very close to her mom and siblings. Her mom is clearly traumatized, someone that close to there mom would have told her she was leaving, and mom would have known there was trouble.

I'm pretty skeptical of missing persons cases at this point, I will admit, and this is why.... Ivy Merck was also very close to family and friends, everyone loved her, no one thought she would do what she did - yet she up and took off, left town, left a couple of notes that she needed time to work some things out, and completely vanished off the face of the earth for 3 whole weeks. No one thought she would stay gone that long without letting people know she was safe, so they thought surely something bad must've happened at some point. However, she was found, safe and alive, and had indeed let people worry and wonder for 3 weeks. You just never know about people. There have been other similar cases as well.

 

[sarx]

The FIRST time? LOL!

Don't ask. lol

 

[Marilynilpa]

just like I have to say every time: until or unless a family member is named a person of interest or a suspect they are considered a victim here at websleuths: no speculation about the husband at this time.

Just thought I'd bump this up in case we have some newbies who aren't familiar with the WS rules regarding not speculating about family members.

 

[Marilynilpa]

I'm pretty skeptical of missing persons cases at this point, I will admit, and this is why.... Ivy Merck was also very close to family and friends, everyone loved her, no one thought she would do what she did - yet she up and took off, left town, left a couple of notes that she needed time to work some things out, and completely vanished off the face of the earth for 3 whole weeks. No one thought she would stay gone that long without letting people know she was safe, so they thought surely something bad must've happened at some point. However, she was found, safe and alive, and had indeed let people worry and wonder for 3 weeks. You just never know about people. There have been other similar cases as well.

I followed that case as well, so I can understand your skepticism.

However, I get a very different feel about Whitney. I know appearances are deceiving, and that sometimes even those closest to you might not always know what is going on in your life. But I just don't see Whitney walking away from the life she seemed to be so happy with. JMO

 

[kwatmac]

I believe this is the video you were referring to http://www.katu.com/news/local/Police-search-Clackamas-County-park-for-missing-Gresham-woman-174660661.html?tab=video&c=y
They found tire tracks, broken car window glass and a BLACK apron.
Ive read "glasses" in many places (but didn't see her wearing them in any photos) Not sure if "glasses" came from another video or if its a misunderstanding.

Also, I'm not near any Starbucks, but I thought they wore GREEN aprons - anyone have more knowledge as to this?

I worked at Starbucks in 2007, and most of us wore green aprons, but there were black aprons around. They were for people who had passed a certain coffee course and the black aprons said something to the effect of 'coffee master' on them. Sometimes the shift supervisors wore them too.

 

[Camdenres]

Hi all, just popping in real quick to offer my two cents. I don't know every detail of this case, but have been reading a bit on the Find Whitney Heichel page, and I watched the most recent news conference. I really apologize, but I can't possibly catch up on all 30 pages of this thread! I'm sorry!!

I really just want to say that my gut feeling at this point (seriously, my opinion only!) is that LE feels she potentially took off on her own, and staged a disappearance. This feeling is based mostly on the press conference. When someone asked if the community needed to be worried (or something to that effect), the detective stressed how rare stranger-on-stranger abductions are. I think if he thought there was someone out there who had randomly adbucted her, he would have stressed the need for vigilance among citizens. Secondly, didn't he say something about not even being certain that a crime had occurred? I don't have the exact quote, sorry. Thirdly, I don't believe he offered any info in terms of a suspect to be on the lookout for. Out of all the video surveillance everywhere her card was used, I would think that by now they would have determined whether she was with someone and under duress.

Again, JMO!!!!!! Someone mentioned upthread about the Tiffany Tehan case, I believe. This definitely strikes a similar bell to me.

Hu Krey!:seeya:...that would be Hi!

 

[krey]

Hu Krey!:seeya:

Hey Camden!!! My friend!! :seeya:

 

[pdxmama]

Ewww! No, thanks. I prefer to pump my own. I never go inside, and prefer to have no contact with anyone. Pull up, pay, get what I need, leave. I would absolutely HATE to pull up and have an interaction with a man every time. He could know my name by looking at my card, and could easily find me. Maybe in Oregon it's different, but these would not be college graduates working there. Here, it would be a bottom of the barrel job.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Being a college graduate doesn't make you a better person. Just sayin'

 

[No Stone Unturned]

It is so strange to me that LE hasn't put out a sketch or description of the perp.

There is ONE eye witness account, TWO gas station attendants that LE won't even confirm, and let's not forget the ATMs- (plural meaning at least TWO), which all have cameras. Then there is the grainy security camera from Walmart.

That is at least SIX opportunities to make a composite sketch of this guy.

Should we be asking ourselves why they haven't released one?

 

[krey]

It is so strange to me that LE hasn't put out a sketch or description of the perp.

There is ONE eye witness account, TWO gas station attendants that LE won't even confirm, and let's not forget the ATMs- (plural meaning at least TWO), which all have cameras. Then there is the grainy security camera from Walmart.

That is at least SIX opportunities to make a composite sketch of this guy.

Should we be asking ourselves why they haven't released one?

I find this odd as well. Which brings me back to my theory that perhaps they believe she staged a disappearance and isn't with any abductor. Again, pure speculation based on the news conference that I watched.....

 

[princessk]

I totally think LE knows who the perp is, and I believe (from the statement that starbucks was helpful video) that the perp knew Whitney and frequented her at Starbucks. There is no need to release video if they know who the perp is and are perhaps trying to find him or tracking him to find Whitney. I don't think she was attacked while arriving to work since the LE seems focused on glass in her apt complex. JMO