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

[jenstar]

Hey I've tried going through the Media Links and Maps but can't remember if the van was headed north or south. Does anyone remember? My brain is so frazzled lol

 

[missgulfsouth]

I am so confused by this case. Are we sure that a van was, in fact, the vehicle she was abducted in? And if so, did anyone get a good enough look at the driver to create that sketch? Are we chasing a red herring here?

 

[jenstar]

Drive offs? Is that what he was worried about? He may have a murdered employee whose blood is on his hands now because he couldn't be bothered to install cameras for the safety of his customers and employees. That is why you install cameras. NOT for drive offs.

That's most likely why his atty told him not to talk to the Media. Because there may be some liability there if she was found in ahem..less than perfect condition.

 

[jenstar]

I am so confused by this case. Are we sure that a van was, in fact, the vehicle she was abducted in? And if so, did anyone get a good enough look at the driver to create that sketch? Are we chasing a red herring here?

Witness #2 (IDK of she was the co-worker/husband duo)~ I believe she was referred to.. was the one that helped make the composite sketch. Confirmed that was the man in the vehicle that she'd seen. IIRC correct me anyone if I'm wrong.

 

[Treelights]

I don't think the statement meant she was closing early, I think it meant that she was going to get out as quickly as she possibly could once the store closed.

You can do a lot of pre-work to assure that you get out as fast as possible if your closing. I've closed businesses before, you can clean ahead of time, and then just spot clean after anybody comes in. You can even count your drawer out ahead of time, and then just keep track of money coming and going on new transactions. Saves you time from counting the entire drawer when you close, now you just deal with the last half hour or 15 minutes of transactions.

But how many people actually count the drawer a half an hour before closing? I have been in retail for 3 decades, and not once did I or my coworkers count out the money about a half hour before closing. If there was counting the money out before closing, it was done right before closing.

 

[MsFacetious]

Drive offs? Is that what he was worried about? He may have a murdered employee whose blood is on his hands now because he couldn't be bothered to install cameras for the safety of his customers and employees. That is why you install cameras. NOT for drive offs.

That's what my Dad said.
"I have never had a gas station owner call me to install cameras for GAS."

That's why I said, his priority was PROFIT.
Only when the gas drive offs were affecting the PROFIT margin was he going to install cameras.
When it hit $5,000 in LOSS he would install cameras... because the loss made it worth it. :twocents:

 

[jenstar]

But how many people actually count the drawer a half an hour before closing? I have been in retail for 3 decades, and not once did I or my coworkers count out the money about a half hour before closing. If there was counting the money out before closing, it was done right before closing.

I used to work 3-11pm. And they told me I could "close out my cash" at 10pm.

 

[Treelights]

I used to work 3-11pm. And they told me I could "close out my cash" at 10pm.

I guess different strokes for different folks.......

 

[MsFacetious]

But how many people actually count the drawer a half an hour before closing? I have been in retail for 3 decades, and not once did I or my coworkers count out the money about a half hour before closing. If there was counting the money out before closing, it was done right before closing.

I don't think she was counting the money (I do think she would have been allowed to if they were not busy.)

Though I am guessing there would be evidence if she was that would prove me wrong.

Can we have someone ask the Chief that, if she was counting the money?


I think she pulled out the entire drawer when he came in with a weapon.

I think she was giving him that cash drawer for one of two reasons.

Either she believed it was a robbery initially, so handed him the whole drawer to take the money.

Or she was trying to convince him to take the money instead of her. lease:

 

[FlyerFan28]

I used to work 3-11pm. And they told me I could "close out my cash" at 10pm.

I worked retail 15+ years. It was common to start counting drawers early, especially when your slow. All jobs at major chains.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Ok, I get the owner now. He has tunnel vision. Never in his life did he imagine that this would ever happen to one of his employees, at his business. Muskegon is not crime ridden (by some standards), it's a relatively sleepy town. Abductions happen elsewhere. Robberies, too. So the owner was dozed into complacency. Routine. Any talk of installing security cameras was scoffed at because it would cost him money and no one was really in any danger. Not in Muskegon. I feel sorry for him. But not as sorry as I feel for Jessica and her family. No security cameras? They paid the price for that.

 

[amandab]

Part of me wonders (and I apologize if this has been discussed already) if there was something of value *under* the cash drawer and that's why it was taken out?

 

[Treelights]

Also what gets me, is I understand multi-tasking, but it is strange that the cleaning supplies were left out at the same time the money was left out. That sounds like a 2 person job, meaning maybe she had a helper with the cleaning, while she counted out the money? Or was in the process of counting the till.
Where I worked, the cleaning was done, then put away, then lastly the cash register, Z tape, and credit card machine were then totaled up.

 

[jenstar]

Ok I found the article. The vehicle in question was seen heading North.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...veillance-video-suspect-van-article-1.1331465

 

[goldenbear]

Ok, I get the owner now. He has tunnel vision. Never in his life did he imagine that this would ever happen to one of his employees, at his business. Muskegon is not crime ridden (by some standards), it's a relatively sleepy town. Abductions happen elsewhere. Robberies, too. So the owner was dozed into complacency. Routine. Any talk of installing security cameras was scoffed at because it would cost him money and no one was really in any danger. Not in Muskegon. I feel sorry for him. But not as sorry as I feel for Jessica and her family. No security cameras? They paid the price for that.

Many businesses are failing still during this recession. He had to cut corners to survive.:seeya::seeya:

 

[jenstar]

Also what gets me, is I understand multi-tasking, but it is strange that the cleaning supplies were left out at the same time the money was left out. That sounds like a 2 person job, meaning maybe she had a helper with the cleaning, while she counted out the money? Or was in the process of counting the till.
Where I worked, the cleaning was done, then put away, then lastly the cash register, Z tape, and credit card machine were then totaled up.

I want to say she was cleaning until she was surprised by a would be burglar (in her mind).
She probably already totaled up everything beforehand.
Then when she's surprised she pops open the register and puts the tray on the counter.
JMO

 

[Treelights]

I worked retail 15+ years. It was common to start counting drawers early, especially when your slow. All jobs at major chains.

I worked at one franchise that is a major chain that it was absolutely forbidden to count out money early, in fact when that did happen, and we closed 2 minutes before actual closing time, the girl got fired, because a customer came to the door and she said we were closed. This was in the 1980's, so maybe things have changed in major chains now. I have worked in smaller mom and pop businesses (my retail career), that they did not allow it, either. So different strokes for different folks.

 

[missgulfsouth]

It really gets me thinking about our complacency as a nation, as well. Case in point: the 3 girls who were just recovered after a decade - they all accepted a ride from a stranger named Ariel Castro. Why? Because it's Cleveland. And nothing bad will happen to me. I truly believe that the majority of us on WS actually THINK differently than the majority of Americans. I know that many of us, including myself, come from a family of law enforcement. We take "panic buttons" and "panic rooms" seriously! How many of us have actually thought about building a panic room in our home? I know I have. But the average person just doesn't think that way. While we on WS can't believe that there are still businesses without security cameras, business owners shrug their shoulders and think "it won't happen to me." We aren't just a group of paranoid citizens, we know what can happen when we let our guard down. I think out goal on WS is about so much more than trying to solve crime, it's about educating people out of their stupor. Thousands of victims cry out for society to wake up! It's long overdue to take the blinders off and accept that evil is always present, lurking in every town.....even our own.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

And I got to thinking, with the last transaction being at 10:55pm, and the call to police being at 11:15pm, then she was probably taken pretty close to 11pm, if I recall correctly that the 911 caller actually arrived at 11:07pm, and that is way early, to me to be counting the money, if she weren't planning to leave before close, because she could do all the cleaning and such before closing and leaving the counting of the money to be the last thing as who would know how many customers would be showing up, and my recollection is that the gas station stays open until 11:30pm on a Friday night, so if it stays open a half hour longer than during the week, then possibly it is busier on Friday nights after 11pm. My Opinion Only.

I'm a stickler, I am. It's been reported the last transaction was 10:50 p.m., 10:51 p.m. and 10:55 p.m.

Five minutes makes a difference in a tight timeline such as this. I read 10:50 p.m. first.

Jessica said she'd be home sooner rather than later via phone call to fiance between 10:00-10:15
(LE will know for sure because I'm sure they've reviewed the phone records from the gas station).

Christian VanA purchased gas shortly after 9:00 p.m. (witnessed man in silver van) Jessica was changing receipt tapes outside.

Jessica spoke to fiance between 10:00-10:15 p.m. (Do they have a wedding date set?)

Jesse A. stopped by between 10:15 and 10:30.

Last transaction 10:50 (see above).

what time did "she" witness say she spotted van driving through the alleyway?

What time/s was the silver van captured on two separate cameras, 11:04? and ????.

Craig H. says he arrived at gas station 11:07 p.m., called 911 at 11:15.
(would he know it was precisely 11:07? - he may after he thought about it if it takes 7 mins to drive to the gs from his workplace.)

Can you drive from the Exxon to the first van sighting within 12 minutes? Or how long minimum and maximum? Factor into this the time it would take to complete the abduction. The abduction couldn't have happened earlier than 10:50 (add a minute for that guy to leave the scene) and had to be before 11:00 if the van was captured at 11:04. Locals, is this possible?

Also if the gas station didn't officially close until 11:30, does it seem like Jessica began closing even earlier than necessary to leave right on time? I mean, did she have authority to lock up earlier than 11:30 on the dot?

It seems as if she was gearing to close at 11:00. Trash bag ready to be carried out, cash drawer already on the counter, her purse and coat right there for her to walk out with. Pumps already locked (when 11:07 guy got there). To me, it seems someone grabbed her immediately before closing. They thought there wouldn't be anymore regular customers at that late hour.

 

[Treelights]

Ok, I get the owner now. He has tunnel vision. Never in his life did he imagine that this would ever happen to one of his employees, at his business. Muskegon is not crime ridden (by some standards), it's a relatively sleepy town. Abductions happen elsewhere. Robberies, too. So the owner was dozed into complacency. Routine. Any talk of installing security cameras was scoffed at because it would cost him money and no one was really in any danger. Not in Muskegon. I feel sorry for him. But not as sorry as I feel for Jessica and her family. No security cameras? They paid the price for that.

I am wondering if he had an alarm system, and when Jessica was supposed to close, did she have the code to set the alarm, or was someone else supposed to come along and set it?