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

[Coldpizza]

Another missing pg

https://www.facebook.com/FindJessicaHeeringa

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Her purse and other belongings were found undisturbed, along with cash in her purse, according to police. The cash register was also left out and there was no money missing, police said.

There was no struggle inside the store and it is apparent that “burglary or robbery was not the cause of this incident,” Shaw said during a press conference Sunday, April 28.

snipped

"Last time we can absolutely say for sure she was seen in the store was at approximately 10 minutes before 11," Shaw said. "We received a call about 11:15, so there is about a 20-minute window time there, so it could've happened anywhere in that time."

"I wouldn't want to assume making an assumption that she did or did not know who this was," Shaw said.

snipped

“At this time four persons of interest have been interviewed and cleared in this disappearance,” Shaw said.

The department has also contacted FBI.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/04/norton_shores_police_departmen_5.html

I am glad the FBI has been called in!

 

[Flutterby80]

Thank you for your post and local input. Can you tell us a little more about the poker room, its location? TIA.

I wish I could draw a picture on here, but the best way to describe it is the strip mall is L shaped with the poker room being on the short end of the L. The Exxon gas station is all they way at the end of the long leg of the L, sitting in front of and apart from the whole strip mall. Visible by sight for sure, but someone in the parking lot by the poker room would probably not be able to see something like this happening in the parking lot of the gas station.

I saw a poster earlier who said they never go to that station because its creepy. I have only been there once and never went back. One reason is the price of gas is always a couple of cents higher than everywhere else, but there really is something off-putting about the place. Maybe its the isolation...not sure. I go to that strip mall quite often though, my favorite Chinese restaurant is there.

The Exxon station is literally the first thing you see coming off US31 onto Sternberg Rd.

 

[LotusPawprint]

Hi everyone. I haven't read or posted here in some time, but it's the first thing I thought of when I heard about Jessica. I don't know her personally, but I live in Roosevelt Park, which neighbors Norton Shores, both in Muskegon County. I know the area very well, former Norton Shores resident and lived here all of my adult life.

To answer a couple of questions I saw on past posts, yes this gas station is near the highway exit. It is literally right off US 31 and very near I96. It is near a strip mall, but yet sits off on its own with nothing within shouting distance really. Most of the businesses in that strip mall are not open at night. There is a 24 hour gym and a poker room, otherwise everything is closed. There is a G&L Chili Dog directly across the street, but I would guess they would be closed by 9 or 10.

Jessica left behind her purse, her cigarettes and her vehicle. The police are now treating it as an abduction, but it was pretty apparent from the beginning that was what it was. Police are looking for a man in a silver van.

My sister manages a drugstore near here, and I have always been so worried about something like this happening when she, or one of her employees, goes out to the dumpster at closing time. I wonder if this could be what happened to Jessica. She was reportedly cleaning up and getting ready to close at 11 pm. Last transaction recorded at 10:55, customer reported the store empty at 11:15.

NO CAMERAS were installed!! The owners installed them yesterday, AFTER Jessica disappeared. They are not allowing media on the property, so the news vans have been parking at G&L across the street.

I am very worried for this woman.

Thanks for your post with local insight.


bbm - I've been thinking about the same scenario since hearing about the cleaning supplies being out, the timing of the abduction near closing, and the supposed eyewitness account of Jessica encountering someone out back.
Taking the trash out would be regular routine, an employee wouldn't think twice about it, and this would give someone an easy opportunity to abduct whether they planned it or not.

I feel sick for her

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I hope they have Jessica safe... And the identified perp... By the 6:30 p.m. Presser!

lease:

 

[margarita25]

I wish I could draw a picture on here, but the best way to describe it is the strip mall is L shaped with the poker room being on the short end of the L. The Exxon gas station is all they way at the end of the long leg of the L, sitting in front of and apart from the whole strip mall. Visible by sight for sure, but someone in the parking lot by the poker room would probably not be able to see something like this happening in the parking lot of the gas station.

I saw a poster earlier who said they never go to that station because its creepy. I have only been there once and never went back. One reason is the price of gas is always a couple of cents higher than everywhere else, but there really is something off-putting about the place. Maybe its the isolation...not sure. I go to that strip mall quite often though, my favorite Chinese restaurant is there.

The Exxon station is literally the first thing you see coming off US31 onto Sternberg Rd.

Thank you. Another reason why I was wondering about the poker room is bc maybe they have surveillance footage; also, sometimes these places are robbed. If they had a burgulary there (if the guy was on some kind of "spree", they may not have reported it since gambling is involved...just brainstorming, grasping at straws, I know...or maybe he was there earlier in the night...<chances are slim, I know, sorry, this is a dumb post, lol)

 

[Woe.be.gone]

When I heard the news report this a.m., the first thing I thought was another young, petite blond has been abducted - now up north.

http://pibillwarner.wordpress.com/2...-indiana-katelyn-last-seen-in-fairfield-ohio/

The fact that this happened at an isolated gas station near a highway makes it more likely that an opportunist is the abductor.

I hope the investigators are savvy in the area of social media and know how to investigate any clues that might be found in her phone (a recent picture, tweet?) and if it connects to FB, mylife.com (a no-no), etc. These devices can show someone's location and a young woman can unknowingly advertise her whereabouts and/or schedule making her a target for someone who is 'shopping'. I sense someone is scoping out targets ahead of time and, in the furture, when they arrive in the area they have a plan already in place.

What kind of phone does Jessica have?

 

[Flutterby80]

Not a dumb post! But this is a reputable poker room, not something underground. It has been there for years. The 24 hour gym is pretty new though.

I really have kind of a feeling that this is someone who knows Jessica's routine. A regular customer? They would know store hours, the lack of cameras, the fact that only one employee was on duty. They would know the area. If it was a crime of opportunity, then they got very lucky.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Thank you. Another reason why I was wondering about the poker room is bc maybe they have surbeillance footage and/or sometimes these places are robbed. If they had a burgulary there (if the guy was on some kind of "spree", they may not have reported it since gambling is involved...just brainstorming, grasping at straws, I know...or maybe he was there earlier in the night...<chances are slim, I know, sorry, this is a dumb post, lol)

Not dumb...

Maybe he was gambling there earlier.... Noticed Jessica.... Maybe even got gas/munches earlier?

Receipt could be very helpful!

JMO

 

[LotusPawprint]

This guitar place is right next to the poker room and has been robbed in the past. I bet they do have cameras!!!

Is the guitar place in The Pointes Shopping Center?

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Good the FBI is involved. They're assuming he's crossed state lines then? Is there a toll system?

 

[iluvmua]

I hope they have Jessica safe... And the identified perp... By the 6:30 p.m. Presser!

lease:

I think if she was found unharmed, they would not wait until 6:30 to report it.

It would be breaking news.

I'm think they have more information about what the suspect looks like, maybe additional details about what went down etc.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Good the FBI is involved. They're assuming he's crossed state lines then? Is there a toll system?

No toll roads. How far into Canada?

http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9618_11070-25258--,00.html

 

[margarita25]

There should be a resource online which shows the active traffic cameras in the area. I'm willing to bet there is something on one of those cams in the 360 radius. It takes time to obtain and sift through surveillance footage (traffic cams and security cams)...since the FBI is involved it shouldn't take too long...its being done as we speak, I'm sure....looking for the link to active traffic cams in the area now, should be on one of the transportation websites...if not, will refer to Terrilynn's thread; Bessie and others posted a lot on this that could be useful...

 

[margarita25]

Good the FBI is involved. They're assuming he's crossed state lines then? Is there a toll system?

I could be wrong, but I believe the FBI can be called in, even if state lines are not crossed, in missing persons cases. I know that various state agencies are also working this (mentioned upstream in one of the videos).

 

[margarita25]

FWIW, link to the shopping center closeby:

https://www.facebook.com/ThePointesShoppingCenter

(I see the Chinese place you like Flutterby

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Good the FBI is involved. They're assuming he's crossed state lines then? Is there a toll system?

That and/or "kidnapping"?

JMO

 

[margarita25]

I see Otto in the house...hopefully he will get a chance to post some rockin images!

 

[LotusPawprint]

There should be a resource online which shows the active traffic cameras in the area. I'm willing to bet there is something on one of those cams in the 360 radius. It takes time to obtain and sift through surveillance footage (traffic cams and security cams)...since the FBI is involved it shouldn't take too long...its being done as we speak, I'm sure....looking for the link to active traffic cams in the area now, should be on one of the transportation websites...if not, will refer to Terrilynn's thread; Bessie and others posted a lot on this that could be useful...

http://mdotnetpublic.state.mi.us/drive/cameraviewer.aspx


Are local county/town cameras usually available for public viewing? I didn't think they were, thought those were typically only for LE for traffic/official purposes. The closest major highway to the gas station covered by mdot cameras looks to be 96.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

That and/or "kidnapping"?

JMO

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/faqs

LE must have more info about the perp's identity - maybe someone they've had on radar? (I hope, I hope, I hope)

From what I read on the FBI site, (should know this by now!), they get involved when a child of tender years goes missing. It's unusual for the FBI to be involved this soon when a woman goes missing.

Considering the number of young females who seem to be disappearing right out of regular life activities, could this guy be on their cyber related radar?