MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #4

[Lalettab]

I just don't think this guy went real far, JMO. Every mile is an increased chance of being caught. I think if he isn't a local, he is familiar with the area enough that he felt he could get away with something like this, because he didn't have far to go. He had to know that his window of getaway time was small, someone was bound to notice she was missing fairly quickly so his options would have been try to get real far, real fast; or get someplace nearby that is safe for him. It just seems more likely to me that he's not real far away.

 

[thesaint]

I think anyone looking can tell if a gas station has security cameras in a few minutes of walking around inside the store?

Unless this gas station had placebo camera set ups without working cameras.

The cameras are usually blatantly obvious, there visible presence providing some level of deterrence by itself.

Besides robberies and shoplifting and drive-offs, low paying retail establishments usually like cameras to keep an eye on what is often the biggest source of loss: the employees, unfortunately.

Not saying anything about these particular employees, just pointing out this guy had a multitude of reasons to have cameras.

 

[gregjrichards]

I hope the local hospitals and doctors have been on alert for suspicious injuries. In the Mickey Shunick case she fought for her life and caused a lot of injuries on the perp.

 

[Lalettab]

We have to remember that this perp brazenly kidnapped her in a place that most folks - including criminals - would assume had cameras in every nook and cranny. Most joints like this have cameras at the pumps, all entries and exits, and even pointing away from the facility (or at least giving the impression that they have such deterrents). A random RSO or criminal would not do this at a location like this if he did not already know the place did not have cameras. He would have picked another spot, IMO. That keeps bringing me back to not just a local perp, but one close enough to the store's characteristics that he knew this was the ideal time and place.

If it was random and he was not worried about cameras, then he is either an idiot asking for jail or entirely off the grid. I'm talking Unabomber/Eric Rudolph off the grid.

If I'm not mistaken, there's supposed to be signs posted if you have cameras that aren't easily visible (here in Mi) so people know they're on camera. It's really not that uncommon at all for a business not to have cameras in the upper midwest, and for places that do have cameras to have outdated or faulty equipment, etc.

 

[Hejlena]

I wish I would have chimed in with this thought when it was first brought up, but I sure am bothered by co-worker seeing what she (she?) thought was suspicious when she just happened to be right near the store, but then not calling it in or at least checking in with Jessica. IIRC, co-worker was not alone?

 

[Flutterby80]

This guy. What was he convicted of?
The way his nose and eyes fit on his face look like the sketch to me.

Boy I was thinking the hair in that sketch was a style we'd never see on an actual person but this is an exact match.

 

[Flutterby80]

I wish I would have chimed in with this thought when it was first brought up, but I sure am bothered by co-worker seeing what she (she?) thought was suspicious when she just happened to be right near the store, but then not calling it in or at least checking in with Jessica. IIRC, co-worker was not alone?

She was with her husband.

 

[Tonto]

To tell you the truth, I'm wondering if the store really did have cameras but LE didn't want to tip off the perp. The owner is pretty adamant that cameras were in use, no? His "putting them in the next day" could be a cover story of sorts.

Just speculation, as everything thus far leads us to believe the opposite to be true.

 

[cluciano63]

I think if they did have cameras, they would have a better idea of who they are looking for by now. Honestly, I have seen or heard nothing that leads me to believe they are onto anyone or anything at all.

 

[K.jill]

It seems to me that if the sketch was a 10 out of 10 they would have a positive ID by now.
I fear that the sketch and/or vehicle description are off.

 

[Bythebook]

If you log in to the Michigan sex offenders site, search by zip code, which Norton Shores is 49441, you will get over 100 SO's On the 2nd page, a person with the last name beginning with a C, initials TAC reminds me quite a bit of the sketch. I do not know how to do pictures, but if someone looks and thinks it might be a possibility, it would be great to see it next to the sketch.

 

[thesaint]

Yeah, if not for the video images of the van (apparently) matching the van the witness(es) saw, I'd be questioning the entire witness account.

That they had to get a 2nd sketch artist in makes me wonder what the first sketch looked like. Police and lawyers always say that eyewitness descriptions of people are horribly unreliable, yet they hold out sketches as tho they are gospel truth.

It's possible the van was at the gas station and the witness saw what she saw but that the van was just some randsom person who stopped to get something out of the back or something like that and the actual abductor was either long gone and had yet to arrive...far out possibility.

I'm going with the witness saw the abductor and that the van on the videos is the perp's van...not so much faith in the sketch at this point.

ccard transaction data. names, dates/times, cross referenced with dmv records. pay special attention to repeat customers who live at a distance from the station (if they have that data, I imagine the police can get the billing adddresses from the card companies, and some stations require zip code entry to process pay at the pump).

zip codes alone are enough to sort people out by distance from the station.

 

[Kweenahartz]

I don't think you always have to use tolls to get into Chicago. I usually don't, it is time consuming. Which I believe you go through Gary IN on I94. If he is from there he would know the roads better than I.
Great point about the cameras though. There most likely is traffic cameras as soon as you get to the city.

Unless you're driving on the side streets, you MUST use the toll road to get from Indiana to Chicago. You'd either use 80/94, which is a the tollway, or you can use the "Skyway", which is also a toll road.

 

[mrsu]

If the witness remembers this person from the gas station previously, shouldn't it be as easy as showing her the pics to confirm the identity? I don't get it? I am beginning to doubt her info? If he was a frequenter of the station while she worked there, you would think she would at least know a first name, no??

 

[thesaint]

If the witness remembers this person from the gas station previously, shouldn't it be as easy as showing her the pics to confirm the identity? I don't get it? I am beginning to doubt her info? If he was a frequenter of the station while she worked there, you would think she would at least know a first name, no??

I don't know if we know that that is the case, that the witness recognized the suspect
from being a customer. I think that was floated out there early on, similar to the mother's statement that there was a struggle outside, but I haven't seen either or those (or several other claims) confirmed.

It seems like all the coverage now minimizes that witness account.

If anyone has a link to a longer description of that witness account, that'd help.

I've looked and have found very little about it.

 

[WideOpen]

If the witness remembers this person from the gas station previously, shouldn't it be as easy as showing her the pics to confirm the identity? I don't get it? I am beginning to doubt her info? If he was a frequenter of the station while she worked there, you would think she would at least know a first name, no??

I think that LE could have interviewed the other gas station workers in the area to see if they had information or could back up the sketch, idk but there should be some way to trace the perp back prior to this night that he abducted Jessica.
jmo

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/article/376881

The Chrysler minivan raised suspicion because it may have been there in the past.

"Other people have contacted them from other gas stations about a gray van pulling up to their gas station and just sitting there staring at the girls who are working inside. And then they take off," Shelly said.

 

[cluciano63]

The thing is, someone knows they have a creepy guy as a friend or family member who has access to a van. It is a matter of picking up the phone and calling it in.

 

[mrsu]

I don't know if we know that that is the case, that the witness recognized the suspect
from being a customer. I think that was floated out there early on, similar to the mother's statement that there was a struggle outside, but I haven't seen either or those (or several other claims) confirmed.

It seems like all the coverage now minimizes that witness account.

If anyone has a link to a longer description of that witness account, that'd help.

I've looked and have found very little about it.

We'll to that i would say how could she give a description of the person if she was at last a parking lot away? Down to the description of the eyebrows. I thought that was provided based on the fact that she recognized him as a previous customer and recalled his features.

 

[WideOpen]

I am wondering WHY the FBI hasn't been called in.
I am getting very impatient. Shaw and his LE need help, I can not stand a day without forward movement. These cases go cold so fast as it is, but it has only been 8 days and it is so quiet. I hope the community will continue to keep this on the HOT BURNER. Peace & love to Jessica... and her family.

I found an interesting resource on the FBI and will ink to it.
FBI Involvement - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
Why doesnt Jessica's case get these guys working on it?

 

[cluciano63]

I am wondering WHY the FBI hasn't been called in.
I am getting very impatient. Shaw and his LE need help, I can not stand a day without forward movement. These cases go cold so fast as it is, but it has only been 8 days and it is so quiet. I hope the community will continue to keep this on the HOT BURNER. Peace & love to Jessica... and her family.

I found an interesting resource on the FBI and will ink to it.
FBI Involvement - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community
Why doesnt Jessica's case get these guys working on it?

They did say they are using the FBI to some extent I believe...and now have "secret agents" on the case as well. I hope they are using all of their resources. Also state police and marshalls should be in on this.