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

[missgulfsouth]

Early in this case, many of us were certain that LE had much more information about Jessica's disappearance than they were letting out to the media. I no longer espouse this notion and feel that NSPD has plenty of nothing. I think that they've had tunnel vision regarding the silver minivan as the perp's vehicle and, later, too much confidence in the witness' description and subsequent sketch of the alleged abductor. The reluctance to conduct ground searches or contact a reputable search organization (TES) speaks to stubbornness and unwillingness to conduct a proper and thorough investigation. If I were Jessica's family, I would be :furious: with the lack of urgency by NSPD to find the young mother who will have been missing for seven weeks tonight. :moo:

Even if she was taken in the van, they still need to do ground searches. Most guys like this don't keep the victim very long. Dogs should have been brought in to search for decomp smell. I know the family has done ground searches.

 

[missgulfsouth]

What's always kinda irked me is that their (LE's) willingness to believe that she's still on this Earth. What makes them so sure? Do they have some "ace in the hole" ransom note or received phone calls supporting it?
Trust me, I don't want to believe she's deceased anymore than anyone else. I just want the proof of WHY they seem so sure she's alive? Does that make sense?

They say the same thing about Brittany Wood who has been missing from our area. That is why I wondered if they know that she went willingly, but won't say that out loud. If LE backs off from an investigation and suggests the victim is alive, it is because they have information that the public is not privy to. The family may not even be privy to it. It is not against the law for adults to go missing, and they have a right to not be found and left alone. Maybe that is the case here. ????

 

[cluciano63]

They say the same thing about Brittany Wood who has been missing from our area. That is why I wondered if they know that she went willingly, but won't say that out loud. If LE backs off from an investigation and suggests the victim is alive, it is because they have information that the public is not privy to. The family may not even be privy to it. It is not against the law for adults to go missing, and they have a right to not be found and left alone. Maybe that is the case here. ????

I don't think so, because LE says the same thing about missing children.
If they have no proof of death, they say the person is believed to be alive, as a matter of course. In fact in Iowa, in the case of the two murdered girls, LE made very strong statements about their being alive., and obviously had no reason to say so.

 

[missgulfsouth]

Do they say they believe she is alive, or do they say that they have no reason to believe she isn't alive? Those are two different things IMO.

 

[imamaze]

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/06/14/who-took-missing-michigan-mom?hpt=hln10_3
Who took missing Michigan mom?
A Michigan mother vanished on April 26th. Jessica Heeringa was working the nightshift alone at an Exxon Gas Station. The 25-year-old disappeared leaving behind her purse and keys. No money was stolen from the gas station and no sign of Heeringa has been seen since.
Jane Velez-Mitchell spoke to Jessica’s fiancé, Dakotah Quail-Dyer.

 

[TxLady2]

Do they say they believe she is alive, or do they say that they have no reason to believe she isn't alive? Those are two different things IMO.

Exactly!!! Which translates to, they have no evidence that suggests she was murdered. And what they say to the public sometimes is not what they believe in reality. They know the statistics as well as anyone, but they work with facts and evidence.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Michigan Mom Vanishes While Working Night Shift

Aired June 14, 2013 - 19:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight, a beautiful young Michigan mom vanishes into thin air, her family desperate to find her. Twenty-five- year-old Jessica Heeringa vanished while working the night shift alone at an Exxon gas station. Was she snatched by somebody who knew her? I will talk to a man who saw her two hours before she was abducted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHELLY HEERINGA, JESSICA HEERINGA`S MOTHER: Whoever did this had been in the gas station before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are no security cameras that I`m aware of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn that off, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you the...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn that off, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): It`s very suspicious why there`s nobody here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you yell or anything?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I hollered, "Hey."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They saw a gray or silver minivan leaving that establishment.

S. HEERINGA: Jessie would have helped anybody, and that was probably her downfall.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1306/14/ijvm.01.html

 

[Wolf Dreamer]

O and the owner of the gas station wants to sue reporter and cameraman for being on his property. That guy's reaction to being asked questions about Jessica is very weird to me.

that was very odd! hopefully someone can upload a link for that later --- he was very irritated, angry, and felt "bothered" which is such a weird reaction from someone who has nothing (as far as we know) to do w/ this, except hiring jessica.

But who was verbally harassed for not having cameras, for bearing a vague resemblance to the sketch - is his place still being boycotted? We don't really know what's been going on there since Jessica disappeared but I can understand him feeling angry if media are coming around and potentially stirring stuff up again, whether or not he had anything to do with it. Maybe it's just me but I'd probably be at the stage of telling media to get lost by now. If I had anything new or helpful to say I'd ask the media over.

 

[jenstar]

But who was verbally harassed for not having cameras, for bearing a vague resemblance to the sketch - is his place still being boycotted? We don't really know what's been going on there since Jessica disappeared but I can understand him feeling angry if media are coming around and potentially stirring stuff up again, whether or not he had anything to do with it. Maybe it's just me but I'd probably be at the stage of telling media to get lost by now. If I had anything new or helpful to say I'd ask the media over.

I understand that viewpoint. However, I think it's very irritating that he wont even relay a statement to the press and went as far as to hire a lawyer. Even about "How deeply sorry he is for the family" or.. anything. Perhaps he's just anti-social or worried about any ramifications?
IMHO~I want him to give us a reason to think he cares. If he's worried about his business more than he is about someone who's worked for him (possible for a few YEARS) what does that really say about how he feels about his employees?
Setting all business aspects aside;
How is he as a person?
I'm not suspicious of him, don't get me wrong. He's been cleared by LE. But that doesn't give him a reason to be an absolute Jerk. But that's just me. My Opinion Only.

 

[nerosleuth]

Michigan Mom Vanishes While Working Night Shift

Aired June 14, 2013 - 19:00 ET

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1306/14/ijvm.01.html

A big thanks to BetteDavisEyes for providing the transcript link of JVM. I wasn't home and didn't get to watch that show. :tyou:


Now if I understood correctly from reading the transcript, Jessica was seen by two witnesses that night.

One witness was a friend of Jessica who was getting gas after work and saw Jessica two hours prior to her disappearance. I believe Jessica's friend got gas at the station where Jessica worked.

The other witness was an attendant from an adjacent gas station who saw the van and saw Jessica outside.

I have two interesting questions about the other witness.

My first questions is was the adjacent gas station across the street or next door from the station that Jessica worked at?

My second question is did this second witness saw the van and Jessica at the same time that Jessica's friend was there or did the second witness saw the van at a later time?

 

[Treelights]

A big thanks to BetteDavisEyes for providing the transcript link of JVM. I wasn't home and didn't get to watch that show. :tyou:


Now if I understood correctly from reading the transcript, Jessica was seen by two witnesses that night.

One witness was a friend of Jessica who was getting gas after work and saw Jessica two hours prior to her disappearance. I believe Jessica's friend got gas at the station where Jessica worked.

The other witness was an attendant from an adjacent gas station who saw the van and saw Jessica outside.

I have two interesting questions about the other witness.

My first questions is was the adjacent gas station across the street or next door from the station that Jessica worked at?

My second question is did this second witness saw the van and Jessica at the same time that Jessica's friend was there or did the second witness saw the van at a later time?

I didn't know that there was another gas station in the vicinity of the Exxon station. Does that reporter actually mean the guy that works at the Guitar store?? and got it confused? And then there would be another witness?

 

[SteveP]

I didn't know that there was another gas station in the vicinity of the Exxon station. Does that reporter actually mean the guy that works at the Guitar store?? and got it confused? And then there would be another witness?

I think you are right, Treelights. Any exposure is good, but both JVM and NG are terrible when it comes to getting facts straight. I think most likely they only know what their copy writers hand them, and they spend so much time talking over guests, they tend to get facts wrong very frequently. JMO

 

[goldenbear]

:seeya:

I didn't know that there was another gas station in the vicinity of the Exxon station. Does that reporter actually mean the guy that works at the Guitar store?? and got it confused? And then there would be another witness?

Its very late for me but as I remember all the witnesses to the van and the driver of the van it was as follows. 930 2 customers from gas station one of which worked at the guitar store and the other at the car wash next door.
At approximately 11 a gas station employee(not working) and her husband saw the van and the man behind the station and saw him drive off. They were across the street in the mall area.:seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya::seeya:

 

[helpful]

I understand that viewpoint. However, I think it's very irritating that he wont even relay a statement to the press and went as far as to hire a lawyer. Even about "How deeply sorry he is for the family" or.. anything. Perhaps he's just anti-social or worried about any ramifications?
IMHO~I want him to give us a reason to think he cares. If he's worried about his business more than he is about someone who's worked for him (possible for a few YEARS) what does that really say about how he feels about his employees?
Setting all business aspects aside;
How is he as a person?
I'm not suspicious of him, don't get me wrong. He's been cleared by LE. But that doesn't give him a reason to be an absolute Jerk. But that's just me. My Opinion Only.

Honestly, he might think something like, "Of course I had nothing to do with Jessica's disappearance! The best way for me to demonstrate that to other people is avoid publicly entangling myself with the case. Also, I am afraid that I will say or do something wrong and it will cause people to incorrectly suspect me. Everyone is already questioning my choices and actions, so why give them more ammunition? It's better if I stay quiet and let the police do their job. After all, that sketch was a 10 out of 10."

I am not saying that this is the best way to handle things, but it's what I would do if I were in his shoes. I am pretty shy and don't like the spotlight, and were I in a situation like this, I just KNOW that I'd say something stupid that made me look bad and distracted from the more important facets of the case.

I just imagine thinking something like, "I know I am not involved in Jessica's disappearance. Everyone else must know too; it's obvious because [reason x]. So why get in the way?"

 

[cebee]

Unfortunately the station owner really started out, day one, being defensive. Telling media to get off the property. That would not endear the media to you at all. 5 minutes to go on camera and say how concerned he was for his employee, asking for anyone who knows anything to come forward, would have done wonders for his reputation. I am guessing he would have actually increased his business if he had let the family set up their tent on his property, etc. But he chose to go the other way, and it hurt him. Personally I dont see any excuse for how he reacted. Yes, he did not have cameras. He could have just said how much he regretted that. ( shakes head ) Wonder how he treated his employees? If that was his usual attitude? Did he go thru employees a lot? At any rate, I dont see any real calls for a boycott (after the initial first few days ) And being right off the highway, I am sure the tourist traffic keeps things busy.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Unfortunately the station owner really started out, day one, being defensive. Telling media to get off the property. That would not endear the media to you at all. 5 minutes to go on camera and say how concerned he was for his employee, asking for anyone who knows anything to come forward, would have done wonders for his reputation. I am guessing he would have actually increased his business if he had let the family set up their tent on his property, etc. But he chose to go the other way, and it hurt him. Personally I dont see any excuse for how he reacted. Yes, he did not have cameras. He could have just said how much he regretted that. ( shakes head ) Wonder how he treated his employees? If that was his usual attitude? Did he go thru employees a lot? At any rate, I dont see any real calls for a boycott (after the initial first few days ) And being right off the highway, I am sure the tourist traffic keeps things busy.

You've mentioned key points about the owner of the Exxon station. He probably regrets his defensive reaction, but I think some of it indicated fear of what might happen further down the road in the investigation. His attorneys likely suggested that he have surveillance cameras installed immediately to prevent another similar incident. I'm sure that the owner is hoping that there won't be any serious repercussions due to his earlier negligence in having video monitors. To us it seems like too little, too late, but the owner took necessary steps to make his business operation safe for employees and customers. He is not directly responsible for Jessica's disappearance and has to protect his investment. :moo:

 

[Bonnie Blue]

Did anyone see this on the Find Jessica FB? A poster thought that the guy on the right looks like the suspect sketch. Indianapolis isn't too far away - maybe 4 hours?

http://www.clarionledger.com/articl...-posted-Ind-teen-s-Facebook-after-her-killing

Just for clarity, Indy is 4 1/2 hours from Norton Shores and Linton is 3 hours South of Indy. It would be at least 7 1/2 hour drive.

 

[cebee]

It is not illegal not to have cameras, and unless the abductor specifically noticed that there were not cameras, and targeted Jessica for that reason ( which I doubt ) I cant imagine the owner would be liable in any event. I think we keep thinking like the logical people we are... that WE would think about cameras... when the perp may not have given it any thought at all. ( heck, any idea that we might get caught would stop you if you were thinking logically... but clearly these guys are not the logical people WE are...) If having cameras made all the difference he would likely have just waited till she closed up, lights were off, cameras were likely off as well, and nab her when she got in her car...
As far as people thinking of Canada, INidana etc... not sure how far you would want to drive with a hostage in your car. ( a body was found very near me, and an hour from where the woman was abducted, and it amazed me that anyone would drive that far with a body OR a live hostage...) I think it was someone local, no reason to take her a long distance. Too high a risk. ( then again, I am thinking logically... )

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

It is not illegal not to have cameras, and unless the abductor specifically noticed that there were not cameras, and targeted Jessica for that reason ( which I doubt ) I cant imagine the owner would be liable in any event. I think we keep thinking like the logical people we are... that WE would think about cameras... when the perp may not have given it any thought at all. ( heck, any idea that we might get caught would stop you if you were thinking logically... but clearly these guys are not the logical people WE are...) If having cameras made all the difference he would likely have just waited till she closed up, lights were off, cameras were likely off as well, and nab her when she got in her car...
As far as people thinking of Canada, INidana etc... not sure how far you would want to drive with a hostage in your car. ( a body was found very near me, and an hour from where the woman was abducted, and it amazed me that anyone would drive that far with a body OR a live hostage...) I think it was someone local, no reason to take her a long distance. Too high a risk. ( then again, I am thinking logically... )

:waitasec: Why would surveillance cameras be turned off at closing? Wouldn't they be on 24/7 in the event of a break-in at the Exxon station? Seems to me that it would be important, if not imperative to have video in the event of a robbery/attempted robbery at any business, day or night.

Several months ago, my Visa card was stolen by a store employee who then passed the card along to another individual. If not for surveillance cameras at a gas station and a liquor store, my card probably would have been used multiple times before the perps were caught. Within 30 minutes of my arriving home from errands, I was notified that there had been suspicious purchases on my credit card in a short time span. I checked my wallet and discovered that my Visa card was, indeed, missing. The account was immediately canceled and arrests were made within a few hours because the individual who actually used the stolen card was spotted on surveillance video at the gas station and the liquor store.

Now that there are video cameras at the Exxon station, I think it's safe to assume that they are running 24/7 and that any suspicious activity on the premises will be recorded. :moo:

 

[cebee]

:waitasec: Why would surveillance cameras be turned off at closing? Wouldn't they be on 24/7 in the event of a break-in at the Exxon station? Seems to me that it would be important, if not imperative to have video in the event of a robbery/attempted robbery at any business, day or night.

Several months ago, my Visa card was stolen by a store employee who then passed the card along to another individual. If not for surveillance cameras at a gas station and a liquor store, my card probably would have been used multiple times before the perps were caught. Within 30 minutes of my arriving home from errands, I was notified that there had been suspicious purchases on my credit card in a short time span. I checked my wallet and discovered that my Visa card was, indeed, missing. The account was immediately canceled and arrests were made within a few hours because the individual who actually used the stolen card was spotted on surveillance video at the gas station and the liquor store.

Now that there are video cameras at the Exxon station, I think it's safe to assume that they are running 24/7 and that any suspicious activity on the premises will be recorded. :moo:

Good point. Not sure how many lights are left on outside at night when they are closed. Or even if cameras outside would be aimed at any place besides the pumps? ( where my daughter worked there were something like 16 cameras... but none in the back where they wanted employees to park. After my daughter refused to park there when she worked till close, they let employees park up in the lighted area...) This guy sounds cheap enough to just put cameras to protect his $$ at the pumps... wonder if there are any inside the store now?