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

[Starry Night]

I bet he is Wide. A regular to the store-and maybe people are afraid of him.

I guess I have to say that is my opinion only.

This is what he/she was referring to folks

 

[WideOpen]

Repeating myself here...sorry

Could it belong to someone he is house sitting for? Isn't this a resort community, think I read that. If so, are there homes that a family might vacation in that are empty, and have a family car (van) in the garage?

DBF and I are looking into buying a small second home 900 miles away so that we can be available to care for an aging parent. Anyway, because of the distance it would make sense to buy vehicle to keep there...so we can fly instead of drive 20 hours when we visit. If we were wealthy and had kids a mini van would be perfect. And, we would need someone to care for the home if we don't visit for months at a time. This person would have access to an empty home...

I am not sure how much of a resort community Norton Shores is. Where I am living it is very common for people to have vacation homes and they also rent them out by the week/longer and then have a cleaning/maintenance person come in between visitors. Both of my sisters live in other states and have beach houses here which they rent out most of the time.

I think its very possible the perp could be flying under the radar in a situation like this.

jmo

 

[cluciano63]

I hope our leaders in Washington pass a bill soon, that becomes law, that requires no less than two people working together at any place of business that's open to the public. Ideally, it should require two employees at any time of day or night, but at least during evening hours. They could call it, Jessica’s Law. But, in reality, they could name it for probably a million different people that have been taken by force.

Right now, it is state by state. Here in Nm, they have a choice of two workers, or the worker is behind a bullet-proof glass and does not come out. That would be pretty awful, I would think. The counters are really high in those stores and you just slide your money into a little opening.

 

[Starry Night]

I'm always in trouble on these boards lol. Sorry Starry............

 

[WideOpen]

I don't see how they can draw any conclusions, other than if they are basing their opinions solely on witness statements. And those are not too reliable, especially if they told LE "it seemed like she knew him" or something like that. She may have responded in a friendly, casual way to anyone who called to her or asked for help at the pump, for example. I really can't imagine how or why they say this, unless he was heard to call her by name.

Exactly. How can they say for certain that Jessica knew or was acquainted with the perp, I just find this hard to understand. Now you are correct it could imply that the perp knew Jessica if he called her by name. Then again, we are relying on the witness and/or their opinion. Its just me, but I wouldnt trust the guitar guy (detail wise) as far as I could throw him.

jmo

 

[cluciano63]

I think it is possible he noticed earlier in her shift that she was alone, either he came in, or just came by and looked around. Then he returned close to closing time, when it was possible that he would be the only "customer". He may have spent the hours in-between thinking up a place to take her, as well as a ruse to get her close to the van. Maybe he pretended his tire was low and he could not figure out how to remove the cap. This may have been his first abduction; they all have a first, if they go this route. I think it was Friday night, he wanted a woman, and he was going to get one. Maybe he asked her out and she refused or maybe he just grabbed her when her defenses were down. If this scenario is at all true, I do not think she remained alive for very long, unfortunately, as his plan would not have included long-term arrangements to hide and keep her. Very much like what happened to Mickey, Jessica would have been a victim in the wrong place, wrong time, when a lurking maniac was on the prowl.

My guess is he pulled over as soon as he felt safe, probably to a place he already picked out, five to ten miles away. It might be difficult to contain her for a longer drive, as I doubt he took the time to tie her up at the station. He would have been nervous and rushed. He could have been back home or wherever he would normally be on a Friday night within an hour or two.

This is all assuming that LE is wrong about her knowing him in any personal way.

 

[Starry Night]

Clu-what kind of a person do you think did think did this-and also-do you think he is local? And further-what kind of background crimes do you think he has committed-on record or off?

TIA

 

[CatFancier]

Exactly. How can they say for certain that Jessica knew or was acquainted with the perp, I just find this hard to understand. Now you are correct it could imply that the perp knew Jessica if he called her by name. Then again, we are relying on the witness and/or their opinion. Its just me, but I wouldnt trust the guitar guy (detail wise) as far as I could throw him.

jmo

At first, I believe the implication was that she must have been acquainted with him in some way due to the lack of evidence of a struggle. Once they identified the blood spot, that theory doesn't hold water with me.

I'm also a bit bothered with (although I understand) the wording here:

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

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

The comments the chief made about some members of the task force moving away from it in the near future, etc. is almost a warning to me that they are slowly running out of leads to chase down.

:twocents:

 

[cluciano63]

Clu-what kind of a person do you think did think did this-and also-do you think he is local? And further-what kind of background crimes do you think he has committed-on record or off?

TIA

Probably at least semi-local and may not have much of an adult criminal record at all. Maybe he decided to act on a long-held fantasy. Maybe he had been recently dumped or rejected. Or if he committed other crimes (peeping, stalking, etc.) he had not been caught.

 

[Starry Night]

That article if full of hope and promise too. LE is not stopping their efforts-nor must we.

 

[cluciano63]

At first, I believe the implication was that she must have been acquainted with him in some way due to the lack of evidence of a struggle. Once they identified the blood spot, that theory doesn't hold water with me.

I'm also a bit bothered with (although I understand) the wording here:

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

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

The comments the chief made about some members of the task force moving away from it in the near future, etc. is almost a warning to me that they are slowly running out of leads to chase down.

:twocents:

The only way the blood makes sense with it being someone she knows, IMO, is if LE believes she was being revenged for something she did or was believed to have done. You might see this in a drug deal gone bad, for example. But there is no indication that Jessica had anything to do with drugs. So I agree, the blood does not make sense, if she knew this person and no visible struggle occurred.
Sounds more like a quick punch to the nose or something like that, to stun her for a moment and bundle her into the vsn.

 

[Scout66]

Right now, it is state by state. Here in Nm, they have a choice of two workers, or the worker is behind a bullet-proof glass and does not come out. That would be pretty awful, I would think. The counters are really high in those stores and you just slide your money into a little opening.

It would likely be pretty awful, but it would keep a lot of people alive and safe.

My suggestion was to require a minimum of two people working together. That wouldn't be so bad.... However, cameras and recording equipment should also be required.

With all the reports of creeps hanging out, watching other women at other gas stations, I think cameras were likely a big reason for them to move along (likely, to other gas stations without cameras). It doesn't make sense that the silver mini van is not seen on any of the other gas station video camera recordings from that night (or recent nights).

 

[cluciano63]

OT but in this show I am watching, they use some sort of device like a mini vacuum cleaner to capture the scent of the perp from a car they knew he drove and parked and then released the scent for tracking dogs to absorb. The dogs led them to the house of their POI, more than three miles of trotting along the streets. Pretty amazing and a device I have never heard of.

Also, this perp drove her about an hour from where he took her...where her body was found six weeks later by an electrical worker. And once again, those dogs did their job and tracked his scent right to where her body was found, including scenting which exit he would have taken off the highway, to prove he was there and also they track the scent in her house, where he took her from.

 

[goldenbear]

The abductor may have a second car. He can go about his day to day schedule and feel safe from discovery. Websluthers need to look at all car drivers, get the plate numbers of look alikes and phone them in. imo

 

[margarita25]

OT but in this show I am watching, they use some sort of device like a mini vacuum cleaner to capture the scent of the perp from a car they knew he drove and parked and then released the scent for tracking dogs to absorb. The dogs led them to the house of their POI, more than three miles of trotting along the streets. Pretty amazing and a device I have never heard of.

Also, this perp drove her about an hour from where he took her...where her body was found six weeks later by an electrical worker. And once again, those dogs did their job and tracked his scent right to where her body was found, including scenting which exit he would have taken off the highway, to prove he was there and also they track the scent in her house, where he took her from.

Wow, that's crazy! Never heard of such a thing! That's really cool!

 

[margarita25]

Still not a trace of Jessica? This is terrible. I thought she would have been found by now. Her poor little boy at home.

 

[absentia]

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 might agree if I saw a poly from the witness.

 

[absentia]

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

On May 15, Chief Shaw reviews the status of the case and explains how the investigation is shifting and that personnel changes will take place but the investigation is ongoing. Following are the main points from the article.

May take weeks for the special unit profilers based in Lansing to draw any conclusions. They have all of the data, written reports, videos of interviews and everything else LE has gathered so far.

No motive has been pinned down.

No poi/suspect has been identified.

The van is DEFINITELY linked to J's abduction.

The man who was driving the van holds the key to J's current location.

The secret service person is still working on J's case but back in Detroit where they have different tools available in the home offices.

The most significant finding since the day of J's abduction is the blood, belonging to J, found at the scene.

Investigators believe J is acquainted with the person who abducted her.

They believe she is alive and can be brought home safely.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding the last statement, I sure hope so. Still, I'd like to know why they believe that considering J's blood was found at the scene of her abduction. If they don't even have a poi, how can they possibly know or be certain she's alive? I don't get it but hope the statement proves to be true.

the witness saw more than what we're being told, if the above is true and accurate.

 

[absentia]

I have a lot more faith that the van that we have seen on videos is actually the van involved in Jessica's abduction than I have faith in that sketch, drawn from the memory of a witness' momentary glimpse of the person driving by in a van in the darkness, being an accurate picture of the perp, unless the witness knew the perp, in which case I see no reason for a sketch. It still escapes me how the sheriff can call the sketch a 10 out of 10 when he doesn't know who it is supposed to be a depiction of. JMO

that whole thing is totally weird. witness knows and saw more than we are being told. the only way it can be a 10 out of 10 is if the witness knows the person and the artist did an awesome job drawing him. did they use a picture?

 

[absentia]

I wonder what leads investigators to believe Jessica was aquatinted with her abductor.

If they believe this, does that also mean that investigators think the perp is a local?

jmo

they must have more info now from co-workers and friends. I truly hope they are right that they have real reason to believe she knew the guy and that she's alive.