GUILTY OR - Whitney Heichel, 21, Gresham, 16 Oct 2012 #3

[StreetcarRider]

It's the other way around, Dodge is in Clack. co and Larch mt is in Mult co.

Thanks for the correction, and apologies for mixing the two. I'll correct my first post.

 

[callyn]

:waitasec:
Some may have been inside the car door as well?

I think that is safety glaas though... Even when broken it kinda ends up in a crackly sheet? MOST of it could have been thrown out somewhere else...

I am asking not stating as a fact.

I'm thinking that maybe the small amount was kicked/knocked out and then later on he knocked most all of the glass out of the frame to make it look less obvious. Maybe he figured most people would think the window was just open if he removed all the glass. If a person didn't look closely that may have worked.

 

[MoonFlwr]

Whitney's murderer went to Parkrose High School.

On reporter, Kate Cagle's twitter, https://twitter.com/KateCagle, a guy named Brandon Sprague said this: "Johnathan Holt, guy responsible for killing Whitney Heichel, graduated from my HS. Second person in a year convicted of murder from Parkrose"

Well, not quite convicted! But, yeah I see the oddity/bizarreness of the situation.

 

[bdawk20]

It had to be a different woman. Whitney was already dead - killed at Dodge Park. I assume LE has forensic evidence to back this up. I wonder if the woman was curled up in the tree, according to the witness, to hide her face, i.e, to avoid identification?

Her body was found on Larch Mtn, right? Do we know if she was found near the tree? Is it possible he was in the process of moving her body, heard the car coming, and put her down on that dead tree until the car passed?

 

[Knox]

Finally caught up, somewhat. I've seen mention of a myspace page for Holt, does anyone have a link handy? Has it been confirmed he is married?

 

[crazymomof4]

The new link above says that the perp knew the couple through JW gatherings. That makes me feel sick and sad, the whole JW community must feel so violated.

The article says "may have been familiar with them through Jehovah's Witness gatherings"
In another article I read that *neighbors* in the apartment complex told the press that Holt was a JW. So, it's possible the neighbors are mistaken and Holt is NOT a JW. I hope so for the reason you stated.
I'm sure clarification either way will be forthcoming.

 

[epiphany]

The only sign that tragedy had made a home here was the small memorial laid out next to the Heichels’ door. A collection of candles had melted into themselves, flowers were propped up along the wall and a piece of black foam board, full of messages, was attached to the door frame.

“Forever in our hearts,” wrote one visitor.

“Rest in paradise, you sweet soul,” wrote another.

Just across the parking lot, in another of the complex's buildings was a second door, this one belonging to Jonathan Holt, the man police have arrested in connection with Heichel’s killing.

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/10/news_of_whitney_heichels_death.html

 

[StreetcarRider]

The article says "may have been familiar with them through Jehovah's Witness gatherings"
In another article I read that *neighbors* in the apartment complex told the press that Holt was a JW. So, it's possible the neighbors are mistaken and Holt is NOT a JW. I hope so for the reason you stated.
I'm sure clarification either way will be forthcoming.

The KATU article states that neighbors of Holt's family (presumably one or both of his parents), not neighbors of Holt himself, confirmed that he was a Jehovah's Witness:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Neighbors-never-saw-Holt-Heichel-together-175099421.html

 

[sarx]

From a Community SAR perspective I would love to know more about how the church group that was searching ended up at both Dodge and Larch Mtn.. I'm curious to know if this came through Clint from his conversations with LE or if LE gave them this info. or what? No way did they end up there just by chance.
Whatever the case is, I am so glad they were able to recover so much that helped bring closure so quickly. I just want to know if it was them putting things together on their own through tidbits, or if LE was actually cooperating with them, as this could be an interesting model for future searches.
There are certainly cases where I firmly believe that if the public or volunteer SAR teams had more information they might have been a whole lot more successful, so is this a case I can point to to say "see what happens when we work together" (ok, so I wouldn't say it quite like that, but you know what I mean)

 

[crazymomof4]

I know I "heard" Clint said the driver's seat was pushed back. .......

I bet she drove with the seat all the way forward?

I noticed the position of the seat last night in the pix posted here. I wanted to comment then, but the press confr. was pending so...
I am Whitney's height and I drive a Ford Excursion. Yes, I have the seat almost all the way forward. You can see the side of the seat thru the window when it's in "my" position. I noticed in the pix of Whitney's truck that the seat was back bc you couldn't see the side of the drivers seat thru the window. I said, "Whitney was NOT the last one driving that truck" It looked to be in about the same position (back, hidden by the divider between the driver's window and the second seat window) as when my much taller husband drives my vehicle and doesn't return the seat to "my" necessary position.

 

[gngr~snap]

The only sign that tragedy had made a home here was the small memorial laid out next to the Heichels’ door. A collection of candles had melted into themselves, flowers were propped up along the wall and a piece of black foam board, full of messages, was attached to the door frame.

“Forever in our hearts,” wrote one visitor.

“Rest in paradise, you sweet soul,” wrote another.

Just across the parking lot, in another of the complex's buildings was a second door, this one belonging to Jonathan Holt, the man police have arrested in connection with Heichel’s killing.

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/10/news_of_whitney_heichels_death.html

~ aww man...
I was really hoping her lived BEHIND HER!

 

[peace9274]

I've wondered this, too. Earlier, it had been suggested that he asked Whitney for a ride to work. At the time, I thought the window was smashed out there on the street, but now I don't believe it was. I think too many people in the apartments, including Clint, would've been alerted. Plus, one neighbor in a news video said she thought the tiny bits of glass in the street were from her car. It had recently been broken into.

If Whitney voluntarily gave JH a ride, I wonder where they would've gone. She had to be at Starbucks by 7:00. I think someone tried to search JH's place of employment last night and came up empty. So, was he employed? Did the Heichel's know where he worked? Or did he give a false name of a place of employment, that he knew was well concealed and didn't open until 1 - 2 hours later? I tend to think it's at that point - when Whitney thought she was dropping JH off at work that he somehow commandeered the vehicle.

I remember reports Wednesday or Thursday saying that fragments of glass were found, IIRC, at both Dodge Park and Larch Mt. LE associated those fragments with Whitney's SUV. Whitney may have locked the doors when JH got out, but that's when he broke out the window and assaulted her. MOO

BBM

I tend to think also that Whitney was assaulted (my guess is sexually, after he pushed the back seats down),
or was at least very frightened by JH, at Dodge Park.

JH probably got out of the car for some reason (to urinate?) and had the car keys with him.
Whitney then locked all the doors, but JH smashed the window.... and then killed her.

If this happened then there would be glass inside the car and probably some on the ground at Dodge Park.

He then drove to Larch Mt, where he left her body.
Opening and closing the car doors would cause some of the glass to fall onto the ground there.

I think he might have removed the floor mats and shook them (some where) to get rid of some
of the glass inside the SUV and then just tossed them onto the back seats (that had been pushed down).

Or he may have gone somewhere to vacuum the mats (however it doesn't seem as though he had much time to do so.)

 

[Knox]

From a Community SAR perspective I would love to know more about how the church group that was searching ended up at both Dodge and Larch Mtn.. I'm curious to know if this came through Clint from his conversations with LE or if LE gave them this info. or what? No way did they end up there just by chance.
Whatever the case is, I am so glad they were able to recover so much that helped bring closure so quickly. I just want to know if it was them putting things together on their own through tidbits, or if LE was actually cooperating with them, as this could be an interesting model for future searches.
There are certainly cases where I firmly believe that if the public or volunteer SAR teams had more information they might have been a whole lot more successful, so is this a case I can point to to say "see what happens when we work together" (ok, so I wouldn't say it quite like that, but you know what I mean)

Around the same time, more church members and other community volunteers theorized how far Heichel's vehicle could travel in the window established by the ATM card being used and the vehicle being found at the nearby Walmart, said Vaughn, the family friend. They also considered places where a suspect might leave someone, focusing on waterways and wooded areas.

That strategizing yielded a big find -- the volunteers discovered Heichel's vehicle license plate at Larch Mountain. Search and rescue crews shifted to that area, uncovering a large amount of evidence over the next two days -- and eventually, Heichel's body.

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/10/long_investigation_led_to_trag.html

 

[gngr~snap]

I noticed the position of the seat last night in the pix posted here. I wanted to comment then, but the press confr. was pending so...
I am Whitney's height and I drive a Ford Excursion. Yes, I have the seat almost all the way forward. You can see the side of the seat thru the window when it's in "my" position. I noticed in the pix of Whitney's truck that the seat was back bc you couldn't see the side of the drivers seat thru the window. I said, "Whitney was NOT the last one driving that truck" It looked to be in about the same position (back, hidden by the divider between the driver's window and the second seat window) as when my much taller husband drives my vehicle and doesn't return the seat to "my" necessary position.

My seat moves to a back position on it's own and we have setting 1 and 2... I wasn't sure about her seat... have an 03 Expedition. But my dad's 04 does NOT have that option so... I just didn't know, other than the fact that Clint commented...
see? advances in computers could make it har to tell who drove your car last!

I think mine will return to where it was prior to shutting the car off.
I'm not sure.

 

[gwenabob]

Wouldn't they also have to prove the felony being committed? i.e. that she was taken forcibly rather than going with him on her own free will. It can be assumed the she went against her will but that would have to be proven in court for the aggravated to be valid correct?

"(e) The murder was committed in an effort to conceal the commission of a crime, or to conceal the identity of the perpetrator of a crime."

I bet there were other crimes involved, perhaps rape, and that he killed her to hid his identity.

 

[sarx]

Thanks Knox. Course at least in this case the released the info about the ATM and the car quickly and there was a good timeline to work off of. I just wish we could get more timelines released like that...
I am so sorry that these people had to go through this, but so glad that they were there to put their heads and hearts together and make it happen.

 

[gngr~snap]

Around the same time, more church members and other community volunteers theorized how far Heichel's vehicle could travel in the window established by the ATM card being used and the vehicle being found at the nearby Walmart, said Vaughn, the family friend. They also considered places where a suspect might leave someone, focusing on waterways and wooded areas.

That strategizing yielded a big find -- the volunteers discovered Heichel's vehicle license plate at Larch Mountain. Search and rescue crews shifted to that area, uncovering a large amount of evidence over the next two days -- and eventually, Heichel's body.

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/10/long_investigation_led_to_trag.html

Amazing! :great:Everyone who searched y'all did good!
We all could use friends like you!

I bet JH was known to "ride" up there a lot.

I think he was on a few people's radar's immed...
jmo

 

[crazymomof4]

The KATU article states that neighbors of Holt's family (presumably one or both of his parents), not neighbors of Holt himself, confirmed that he was a Jehovah's Witness:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Neighbors-never-saw-Holt-Heichel-together-175099421.html

Article states: "Neighbors of Holt’s family told KATU News he was a Jehovah’s Witness."

"Neighbors of family" is an even further removed source of information. Not true "confirmation". It's possible his "family" (parents?) are and JH is not, but the neighbors assumed he is. Not all children accept their parent's faith once they become adults.

 

[WestCoastLady]

Wonder if he asked her for a ride to Starbucks but then threatened her in some way once he got in the car....or even once they got to the parking lot at Starbucks...

Sure would love to know at what point he gained control.

 

[crazymomof4]

My seat moves to a back position on it's own and we have setting 1 and 2... I wasn't sure about her seat... have an 03 Expedition. But my dad's 04 does NOT have that option so... I just didn't know, other than the fact that Clint commented...
see? advances in computers could make it har to tell who drove your car last!

I think mine will return to where it was prior to shutting the car off.
I'm not sure.

It would be interesting to know if her car had that option. Wish mine did! Husband and I are very different heights!