MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #6

[BetteDavisEyes]

Can anyone here ever recall a case where there was no ground search by LE?
WHY are they not doing it? There has to be a reason.

I've followed many missing persons cases and can't recall one that didn't involve ground searches. If local LE doesn't have enough manpower to conduct grid searches, they should contact TES or another reputable organization to do it. After this long, it's unlikely that Jessica will suddenly reappear. If she is being held somewhere against her will (personally, I doubt it), ground searches, door-to-door canvasing, etc. seem imperative. If I were a relative or friend of Jessica's, I'd be :furious: and :banghead: that this has not been done. :moo:

 

[cluciano63]

Can anyone here ever recall a case where there was no ground search by LE?
WHY are they not doing it? There has to be a reason.

Their reasoning seems to be because they believe she was taken away in a vehicle.

I do agree that it makes it very difficult to know where to start. I think they should at least call Tim Miller of TES for ideas. I recall one show where he and an assistant drove some back country roads looking for likely places where a missing woman may have been left and found her body at an abandoned house/shack.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Didn't they think Laci Peterson was taken in a vehicle? They searched for her on foot FOR DAYS! (Except for Scott. He was too "busy" to do ground searches.) There is no excuse! Most of these perps kill them within a 30 mile radius.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Thanks for taking the time to visit Norton Shores and share your observations with us. The trip would take me about 3 hours. My responses in red within text above.

Their reasoning seems to be because they believe she was taken away in a vehicle.

I do agree that it makes it very difficult to know where to start. I think they should at least call Tim Miller of TES for ideas. I recall one show where he and an assistant drove some back country roads looking for likely places where a missing woman may have been left and found her body at an abandoned house/shack.

Is the family doing their own ground searches? Have local search teams been out? To me, that is fundamental! If they aren't doing their part, we at WS are wasting our time.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Is the family doing their own ground searches? Have local search teams been out? To me, that is fundamental! If they aren't doing their part, we at WS are wasting our time.

Family members/friends might have searched on their own very early following Jessica's disappearance, but local LE advised against volunteer searches.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Let me just state for the record, if I am ever missing, CONDUCT GROUND SEARCHES!!! If my family is not interested in ground searches being done (which I cannot imagine) DO THEM ANYWAY! This is not normal, people. We have followed so many cases, something hinky is obviously going on here.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Family members/friends might have searched on their own very early following Jessica's disappearance, but local LE advised against volunteer searches.

Why? It doesn't cost them anything. Please someone, tell me another case where LE has advised against ground searches. I need to believe that there is some rhyme or reason to all of this.

 

[Kaliste]

Let me just state for the record, if I am ever missing, CONDUCT GROUND SEARCHES!!! If my family is not interested in ground searches being done (which I cannot imagine) DO THEM ANYWAY! This is not normal, people. We have followed so many cases, something hinky is obviously going on here.

I brought this up multiple times early on. In still completely stunned that there have been no formal searches. Even for evidence. Remember the Sierra Lamar case? They found critical evidence while out searching that eventually led to an arrest. I find LE very frustrating in this case, it's been hard for me to keep following along.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Here's the article in which NSPD Chief Shaw addresses the subject of ground searches:

Police Chief on Jessica Heeringa case: Now is not the time for independent ground searches

May 14, 2013 at 9:27 AM, updated May 14, 2013 at 9:32 AM

NORTON SHORES, MI – As days turn into weeks since Jessica Heeringa’s disappearance from a Norton Shores gas station, authorities realize the community is anxious for that big break in the case.

But conducting independent ground searches in an effort to find Heeringa, 25, or evidence leading police to her alleged abductor is not the right answer at this time, said Norton Shores Police Chief Dan Shaw.

A number of people have expressed a desire to organize ground searches since Heeringa’s April 26 disappearance while working alone at the Exxon gas station on Sternberg Road. Authorities believe she was abducted from the business around 11 p.m. and “transported” from the scene in a silver or gray mini-van, based on evidence and witness statements.

Shaw respectfully asks that the public holds off on canvassing the area for clues to Heeringa’s whereabouts...

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

 

[missgulfsouth]

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

Police Chief on Jessica Heeringa case:

“Our concerns about conducting ground searches at this point are, number one, we don’t have a defined area to begin a search. Based on the evidence we have, we believe she was transported from the scene, so where do we start?,” Shaw said. “The ground search would probably not be a good use of resources at this time.”

There are bigger issues behind conducting ground searches as well, he said.

“The other thing we need to consider, is if ground searches are being conducted, we need to do them legally. We can’t go tramping through people’s property. And if anything is found, we have to preserve the evidence,” he said. “If people do it themselves, those issues won’t be address properly. Valuable evidence could be ruined and we could lose the opportunity to find Jessica or her abductor.”

How's that working out, Mr. Shaw? I'm sure that by now you haven't lost any opportunity to find Jessica, her abductor, or valuable evidence. And by all means, we wouldn't want to trample property to find crucial evidence. You're probably right, it would be a complete waste of resources. And let's extend the same consideration to you when it's your child that is missing. Take your time, Mr. Shaw, we wouldn't want to inconvenience you.

 

[cluciano63]

LE worrying too much in advance about evidence being destroyed when a person is missing drives me crazy. Find the person, then worry about evidence. A court case should not be the most important thing, as it may never even happen, especially if the victim is never found.

 

[Tangie]

Why? It doesn't cost them anything. Please someone, tell me another case where LE has advised against ground searches. I need to believe that there is some rhyme or reason to all of this.

I wonder this as well. This is the first case I've followed from the start, I'm not real familiar with police procedure. I keep telling myself that the police must know a whole heck of a lot more than they are telling us (and it isn't good). Time passing sure isn't going to protect the evidence. How hard would it be to do a ground search? There is a large search and rescue group in Kent County that would be more than happy to help, I'm guessing. At least it would make the general public feel a lot better!

****Does anyone know where we could find updated (since April 26) satellite images of the area? At least we could search from home.

 

[Seajay]

Since no ground searches were conducted early on in the investigation, anything out there is probably lost. The first few hours are always crucial to the rescue of a kidnap victim. For LE to suggest no ground searches and in fact prohibit them is unconscienable. They will never be able to get that lost time back. Methinks we are dealing with the Keystone Kops.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Since no ground searches were conducted early on in the investigation, anything out there is probably lost. The first few hours are always crucial to the rescue of a kidnap victim. For LE to suggest no ground searches and in fact prohibit them is unconscienable. They will never be able to get that lost time back. Methinks we are dealing with the Keystone Kops.

I get the impression that this is a small town PD that has no idea how to run a missing persons investigation. Chief Shaw seems stubborn and unwilling to allow competent, experienced organizations offer their expertise and/or assistance in conducting a thorough investigation. There appears to be no sense of urgency by NSPD to locate Jessica Heeringa, and her family does not seem to be demanding more from their local LE. The family must be satisfied with what they are being told - that Jessica is alive and being held by someone against her will.

I don't get it. I would be :furious: that LE has not determined that the missing young mother should be a priority and that LE should be doing anything and everything that they can to locate her. :moo:

 

[margarita25]

This ground search stuff is infuriating. Don't know where to start? They need to read here at WS.

I had a thought last night (always happens as I'm drifting off to sleep)...

It relates to the varying degree of how much Jessica may have known her abductor. If she really really trusted or knew the abductor, would a forcible removal from the rear of her work have been necessary to get her near the car? Hard to explain here, I guess what I'm asking is what is the exact distance where her blood was found in relation to the store, as well as its distance to where the car was parked? I would think she didn't know her abductor that well if they had to abduct her from the store forcibly, unless of course the perp wanted to make it appear that it was a random-type abduction or one only by an acquaintance or customer not known well to her, or he just decided to go for it bc he knew she would be there out of sight with no others around. (Having a hard time explaining myself here, ugh). In other words, it was obviously someone she would not have gone willingly with, or one who could have convinced her to come near the car with a new puppy or flat tire story...?

Can any image experts help with a visual on where the blood was found, where the car might have been parked, etc.?

Re: the article stating people close to the family have been cleared, maybe they overlooked this certain person when they made this release? Maybe they didn't run a bg check on him. This person even passed over many eyes here at WS.

Also, there were some financial struggles. Could this somehow be related anyway? (Treading very carefully here, but would like to make mention of this.)

So we have a vehicle and a sketch description. And absolutely nothing. If the perp is local, then the vehicle is possibly hidden in a garage or storage type place somewhere, which would eliminate the possibility that he had access to the vehicle for work or through a roommate or family member (bc otherwise, they'd be like, why is my car being hidden...unless the wife found out, and maybe wants to protect her family....).

Ugggh, I don't know anything about anything...

Can someone point me in the direction of the lottery, fraud, witness thing? I seem to have missed something there. TIA

 

[margarita25]

Unfortunately, not all police departments are experienced missing persons investigators, simply bc they may not come across such a case during their employment. But, there have been other agencies assisting the local LE, or so I thought, right?

I do believe Chief Shaw sincerely wants to find this young woman. Just not sure his team is experienced enough in these types of situations.

 

[margarita25]

Where the hell is this van?

 

[margarita25]

Going back, there were sightings of a creepazoid surveilling gas stations in the area. So, that would indicate a local if it is in fact related.

Maybe LE does have a suspect(s), but no evidence.

Or maybe they have no suspects and no evidence...
:banghead:

 

[Treelights]

This ground search stuff is infuriating. Don't know where to start? They need to read here at WS.

I had a thought last night (always happens as I'm drifting off to sleep)...

It relates to the varying degree of how much Jessica may have known her abductor. If she really really trusted or knew the abductor, would a forcible removal from the rear of her work have been necessary to get her near the car? Hard to explain here, I guess what I'm asking is what is the exact distance where her blood was found in relation to the store, as well as its distance to where the car was parked? I would think she didn't know her abductor that well if they had to abduct her from the store forcibly, unless of course the perp wanted to make it appear that it was a random-type abduction or one only by an acquaintance or customer not known well to her, or he just decided to go for it bc he knew she would be there out of sight with no others around. (Having a hard time explaining myself here, ugh). In other words, it was obviously someone she would not have gone willingly with, or one who could have convinced her to come near the car with a new puppy or flat tire story...

Can any image experts help with a visual on where the blood was found, where the car might have been parked, etc.?

Re: the article stating people close to the family have been cleared, maybe they overlooked this certain person when they made this release? Maybe they didn't run a bg check on him. This person even passed over many eyes here at WS.

Also, there were some financial struggles. Could this somehow be related anyway? (Treading very carefully here, but would like to make mention of this.)

So we have a vehicle and a sketch description. And absolutely nothing. If the perp is local, then the vehicle is possibly hidden in a garage or storage type place somewhere, which would eliminate the possibility that he had access to the vehicle for work or through a roommate or family member (bc otherwise, they'd be like, why is my car being hidden...unless the wife found out, and maybe wants to protect her family....).

Ugggh, I don't know anything about anything...

Can someone point me in the direction of the lottery, fraud, witness thing? I seem to have missed something there. TIA

If the perp was local and the van hidden....I would think that the nearest neighbor would know if they had a neighbor with that type of a van. I am thinking, in my opinion, it isn't a "local" perp, but perhaps, someone that knows the area well, and possible could live in another town in Michigan.

 

[margarita25]

Tangie and Bette, thank you for your useful posts re: visiting the scene.