MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #7

[Flutterby80]

The phone conversation about when Jessica would be home from work that night has always been puzzling to me :waitasec: I posted this on June 12:

I thought that the fiancé's comments seemed odd, too. Was he suggesting that Jessica didn't always come straight home from work after her shift but that she was coming right home that particular night? I sure would like to know exactly what was said in the phone call during which JH told her fiancé that she'd be home early (right after work). If she didn't always go home immediately after her shift ended, where did she go? IIRC, fiancé mentioned something about watching a movie, so Jessica must not have been tired enough to crash as soon as she got home from work.

I think you and I are on the same page about many things. I wish we were able to discuss more theories...

 

[Treelights]

I think you and I are on the same page about many things. I wish we were able to discuss more theories...

Me, too, me too! Count me in your group please!
And I wish we could discuss more theories as well, because the info we have is not working....
IMOO.

 

[Eileen730]

Still, would she be allowed to lock up before 11:30?
When I worked retail, busy or not, we couldn't close before closing time.
On Friday night, I'd be eager to get out of there so I'd begin counting my drawer maybe twenty minutes before closing hoping to walk out precisely at closing time but not a minute before. So, did Jessica often stay beyond 11:30 in order to mop or help prepare for the next day? Did her job involve stocking shelves or tasks you'd do after you lock all the doors so you won't be interrupted? If so, maybe sometimes she'd stay and do that kind of work and not get home for another hour or so. In that case, his comment makes sense. In other words, what the heck did he mean exactly? Since Jessica was taken at approximately 11:00 instead of closer to 11:30, her exact intentions are important imo. His comment makes it sound as if she'd be closing early when he may mean she expressed she could finish all her duties in time to close and come right home. Either way, she'd be there until at least 11:30. Here's an example of why good communication is important. Or, the reporter could have asked an exact question as in, "What time were you expecting Jessica to arrive home?".

Jessica's mom mentioned duties like cleaning the drink machines. If business is slow, even if one person comes in while your hands are busy/wet cleaning machines, how do you move over to handle cash, etc.? It seems like some jobs would be easier to handle when no customers are around or expected.

See the thing is I do not think she was closing early I think she was going to be able to get out of there and get home earlier than she usually does. maybe it was slower than usual. Every job I worked when working the night shift some nights were more quiet than others and id be able to get out earlier. Maybe it was realy slow and she had all her cleaning up work done because there were no customers.

 

[cluciano63]

See the thing is I do not think she was closing early I think she was going to be able to get out of there and get home earlier than she usually does. maybe it was slower than usual. Every job I worked when working the night shift some nights were more quiet than others and id be able to get out earlier. Maybe it was realy slow and she had all her cleaning up work done because there were no customers.

I agree. I always took these remarks to mean that some nights she could start her closing chores earlier than other nights depending upon business. Never did I think she meant she was leaving early or closing early. Her time for getting home could vary a half hour or so, which is what I took that all to mean.

 

[Treelights]

Didn't Dakotah call Jessica around 10pm. That's one and a half hours Before the Exxon closed. Would Jessica know by ten pm that it wasn't going to be busy on a Friday night?
The 911 caller got out of work at 11pm, and he was there at 11:07pm. He was a regular customer, so I would think that there would be some customers at the Exxon that were done for the night at their own jobs at 11pm.
IMOO.

 

[Flutterby80]

Didn't Dakotah call Jessica around 10pm. That's one and a half hours Before the Exxon closed. Would Jessica know by ten pm that it wasn't going to be busy on a Friday night?
The 911 caller got out of work at 11pm, and he was there at 11:07pm. He was a regular customer, so I would think that there would be some customers at the Exxon that were done for the night at their own jobs at 11pm.
IMOO.

I took it to possibly mean that Jessica was planning to go straight home after work, and that she didn't always do so. :cow:

 

[Flutterby80]

Didn't Dakotah call Jessica around 10pm. That's one and a half hours Before the Exxon closed. Would Jessica know by ten pm that it wasn't going to be busy on a Friday night?
The 911 caller got out of work at 11pm, and he was there at 11:07pm. He was a regular customer, so I would think that there would be some customers at the Exxon that were done for the night at their own jobs at 11pm.
IMOO.

There is an industrial park down the road from the Exxon. I believe that is the reason they stayed open later Monday through Friday, to catch the guys coming in for third shift and those getting off second shift. My brother in law works in that industrial park, and he said the guys stop there all the time. It's really the only place open right on that highway exit that time of night.

 

[Treelights]

I took it to possibly mean that Jessica was planning to go straight home after work, and that she didn't always do so. :cow:

Yes, I wish we could discuss more things........because if that is true...... I wonder where she would go at 11:30pm?
IMOO.

 

[ktgirl]

Somehow I missed that Jessica has a lazy eye (according to her NAMUS page). I've never noticed it in the pictures.
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/show/20137

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I think you and I are on the same page about many things. I wish we were able to discuss more theories...

Here's another post that I made (June 27) regarding the phone call and the time that Jessica would be home that night.

...That said, there are some things that came out in early media reports and/or interviews with JH's family that have been puzzling. I wondered how long Jessica had worked at the Exxon station and found out that she had been there for "about a year". I have yet to find additional information about whether or not she works full-time (40 hours weekly) and what days/shifts she usually works. If she's only part-time, does JH have another part-time job? Where did she work before she was hired at the gas station?

Jessica's fiancé made a specific point about Jessica coming home right after work that night and that she might even be early because she had already begun her cleanup chores when they spoke earlier in the evening. Was this different from other nights when JH worked the closing shift? Did she not always come straight home, and if not, where did she go and with whom? Did Dakota meet her somewhere, or did Jessica hang out with friends? If she went out after work, when did she usually get home?...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Somehow I missed that Jessica has a lazy eye (according to her NAMUS page). I've never noticed it in the pictures.
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/show/20137

Jessica has a "lazy" left eye. It's more noticeable in some photos than in others. On one of the first missing" posters, in the photo of Jessica in a blue top with her hair quite blond, her left eye is definitely not working in tandem with her right eye.

 

[cebee]

Does anyone remember hearing whether the night Jessica disappeared she was working a regularly scheduled shift? I want to say she was working for someone else... if so, did she volunteer or was she asked/ told to? Possible that she was set up by someone???

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Does anyone remember hearing whether the night Jessica disappeared she was working a regularly scheduled shift? I want to say she was working for someone else... if so, did she volunteer or was she asked/ told to? Possible that she was set up by someone???

It was reported that Jessica was working the shift for another employee. Sorry, I don't know the specifics. Her mother said that "Jessica was trying to work as many hours as possible to provide for her son."

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Didn't Dakotah call Jessica around 10pm. That's one and a half hours Before the Exxon closed. Would Jessica know by ten pm that it wasn't going to be busy on a Friday night?
The 911 caller got out of work at 11pm, and he was there at 11:07pm. He was a regular customer, so I would think that there would be some customers at the Exxon that were done for the night at their own jobs at 11pm.
IMOO.

The time of the call - 10:00, Dakota asking Jessica how work was going, and Jessica responding that she thought that she'd be able to leave promptly at 11:30 is what has always been baffling about that night. People who work a late shift, folks coming home after an evening out, etc. might stop for gas or a soda on their way home and would expect the Exxon station to be open until 11:30. How could Jessica predict at 10:00 that she'd be able to finish her chores and leave right at closing time? :waitasec:

 

[cebee]

The time of the call - 10:00, Dakota asking Jessica how work was going, and Jessica responding that she thought that she'd be able to leave promptly at 11:30 is what has always been baffling about that night. People who work a late shift, folks coming home after an evening out, etc. might stop for gas or a soda on their way home and would expect the Exxon station to be open until 11:30. How could Jessica predict at 10:00 that she'd be able to finish her chores and leave right at closing time? :waitasec:

I wonder if some nights she would drag her feet on closing a bit for the extra $$, and tonite she was gonna get as much done as possible ahead of time so she could scoot out. From a zillion years ago when I worked convenience stores, there was stuff you do on closing- but if it were slow, she could have the trash bagged up ( which she did) maybe things wiped down, the coffee pot cleaned etc etc ahead of closing time. Perhaps she usually did all that after closing? perhaps the only things she was leaving till the end was stuff she HAD to wait till closing to do? ( count the drawer etc)

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I wonder if some nights she would drag her feet on closing a bit for the extra $$, and tonite she was gonna get as much done as possible ahead of time so she could scoot out. From a zillion years ago when I worked convenience stores, there was stuff you do on closing- but if it were slow, she could have the trash bagged up ( which she did) maybe things wiped down, the coffee pot cleaned etc etc ahead of closing time. Perhaps she usually did all that after closing? perhaps the only things she was leaving till the end was stuff she HAD to wait till closing to do? ( count the drawer etc)

An owner who didn't want to invest in security cameras for his business because of the expense probably isn't likely to pay overtime. :moo:

 

[prospektor]

The time of the call - 10:00, Dakota asking Jessica how work was going, and Jessica responding that she thought that she'd be able to leave promptly at 11:30 is what has always been baffling about that night. People who work a late shift, folks coming home after an evening out, etc. might stop for gas or a soda on their way home and would expect the Exxon station to be open until 11:30. How could Jessica predict at 10:00 that she'd be able to finish her chores and leave right at closing time? :waitasec:

I took it to mean that she would do the chores that are usually done after closing in the time shortly before closing. IIRC, she was in process of cleaning some machine when she disappeared (when the station was still open). So I guess she hoped to close the doors at exactly 11:30 and be done and go home. At least some of this stuff is fairly predictable, but apart from that, I don't think she guaranteed it in any way. It was just her plan.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I took it to mean that she would do the chores that are usually done after closing in the time shortly before closing. IIRC, she was in process of cleaning some machine when she disappeared (when the station was still open). So I guess she hoped to close the doors at exactly 11:30 and be done and go home. At least some of this stuff is fairly predictable, but apart from that, I don't think she guaranteed it in any way. It was just her plan.

According to the customer who made the 911 call, the trash was bagged and ready to be removed. Since the cash drawer was open (or on counter?), maybe Jessica had already started to count money prior to closing, as well.

Still, at 10:00 or so when Dakota called, I don't see how Jessica could have known or predicted what might transpire in the next 90 minutes until the Exxon station would close for the night. :moo:

 

[Meri]

It was reported that Jessica was working the shift for another employee. Sorry, I don't know the specifics. Her mother said that "Jessica was trying to work as many hours as possible to provide for her son."

Wasn't she picking up more shifts because Dakota had recently become unemployed?

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Wasn't she picking up more shifts because Dakota had recently become unemployed?

That's a possibility. I don't know much about Dakota other than he is currently unemployed.