GUILTY OR - Whitney Heichel, 21, Gresham, 16 Oct 2012 #4

[snowbunny78]

Well it said there were 60 carloads sent out which is a lot, I'm sure those places were searched too. It said they went to remote places they could think of.

 

[Melancholy]

Tonight's Katu told how the Jehovah's were instrumental in finding clues before the LE did. First of all was the finding of Whitney's red sweater along Dodge Park Road. It's all fine and good that the Jehovah's found her sweater...but the real question that seems to be ignored is...what made them search there in particular???? Of all the places they could have searched....along I84, near the Columbia River where the old Reynold's plant used to be....why did they go towards Dodge Park then right up to Larch Mountain??? Why in those areas? I think there's way more to this story.

I thought the article was pretty explicit (as have the other reports been) in saying that there were many many voluteers, 60 carloads worth, and they said they fanned out and calculated all the distances she could have traveled in the time frame from the time CH said she left for work until she was reported missing. 60 cars are a LOT of people, if they all took a portion of the map, as the article stated, it's only natural that whoever was assigned to look in the Dodge Park portion of the map would find something.

Edit to add this part of the article:

They targeted Larch Mountain where her body was found because they figured that's as far as anyone could have driven, considering the two and a half hours between the times she disappeared and her ATM card was used at a gas station in Gresham.

"Divided that in half (an hour and 15 minutes) and we started driving and seeing how far we can go in an hour and 15 minutes. (We) ended up at Larch Mountain, because of something on the Internet about Larch Mountain, which ended up not being true, but still, you got to do with every possible (lead); one hour 15 minutes, mile marker 9 up Larch Mountain Road – mile marker 10, it all worked out," Weaver said.

 

[rmarie3]

This case just keeps getting weirder! I have never heard of so much evidence strewn about.

Do you think the sweater was deposited on the way to DP/Lake Roslyn (by WH) or AFTER the crime by JH?

Why would he leave so many objects all over town?

 

[nikb]

I thought the article was pretty explicit (as have the other reports been) in saying that there were many many voluteers, 60 carloads worth, and they said they fanned out and calculated all the distances she could have traveled in the time frame from the time CH said she left for work until she was reported missing. 60 cars are a LOT of people, if they all took a portion of the map, as the article stated, it's only natural that whoever was assigned to look in the Dodge Park portion of the map would find something.

Edit to add this part of the article:

That's what I'm thinking too. The reporting that's coming out is of course about the places that something was found. Why report on the park/trail/lake/etc. on the other side of town that turned out to have nothing to do with anything?

I was impressed by the description of how the search was carried out. I think there was a combination of things that led to her being found, but undoubtedly one of them was the number of people who came to help, and the way they were able to fan out and look in so many places.

 

[Knox]

"Divided that in half (an hour and 15 minutes) and we started driving and seeing how far we can go in an hour and 15 minutes. (We) ended up at Larch Mountain, because of something on the Internet about Larch Mountain, which ended up not being true, but still, you got to do with every possible (lead); one hour 15 minutes, mile marker 9 up Larch Mountain Road – mile marker 10, it all worked out," Weaver said.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Sear...-first-clue-found-by-searchers-175893161.html

I'm pretty sure Weaver is referring to the girl who posted on facebook about seeing a girl curled up a dead tree. Glad I can put that to rest now, but wow what a thing to lie about?!!!

 

[MySweetRiley]

Does anyone here live in the Portland Metro area and if yes, are u attending the Open House for Whitney tomorrow?

I live here and was thinking of going. I will let you know!

 

[snowbunny78]

http://findwhitneyheichel.com/letter-from-lorilei/

Here is a letter posted by Whitney's mother. So touching

 

[PoirotryInMotion]

Thank you for the article, possumheart.

The time quoted by Bob Weaver to calculate distance while searching doesn't actually reflect the times later confirming the order the incident occurred:

6:45am - left apartment
(2 hours go by)
8:40am - crime committed on SE Thomas Road (Probable Cause doc)
(~35 minutes go by)
9:15am - SUV at Shell gas station 257th and Stark (LE confirms) *A distance of 14 miles from SE Thomas Rd

So, he either had her body with him in the SUV or he stashed it, got gas (multiple times per Clint), and drove back to somewhere around Roslyn Lake and then went up to Larch Mtn.

Am I missing something?

Sounds about right to me...

I don't know the area, so you'll need a local to tell you if those travel times are about right. (Unless you are a local, of course.)

Here's some of my timeline (I start it beginning of Oct.):

OCT 1 or 2
“2 weeks earlier” –

*Clint Heichel offers to help Jonathan Holt jump-start his motorcycle.
(Source: Numerous news articles.)

MON/15

PM - Whitney visits her mother and they talk about an upcoming family wedding, her desire to have children

PM – neighbor reports Whitney talked to her that evening, was tired and not feeling very well.
(Source; news articles on file)

TUES/16:

6:45 am - Heichel left her apartment in the 700 block of Southeast Highway 26. She was headed to work at the Starbucks in East Gresham near Powell and Burnside, which is just five minutes away from her home.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Gresham-woman-Whitney-Heichel-missing-174489061.html

6:45 am - JH says he asked for ride

6:50 am - JH says he pulled gun--

*Source: COURT DOC AT ARRAIGNMENT:
According to the document, Holt, 24, told Harrington that about five minutes into the ride, he pulled a gun on Heichel while they were on Hogan Drive in Gresham. He said he then took her at gunpoint to Roslyn Lake in Clackamas County, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him. He then shot and killed her.

After that, he threw his own cell phone into the lake and took Heichel's body to Larch Mountain where he concealed it.
http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/10/whitney_heichel_was_shot_four.html

(Um...what about the gun? If he confesses to throwing his cell phone in the lake, why not confess to throwing the gun there, too--or wherever it is...)

6:45 to 9:14 AM:

Whitney +/or Jon & car unaccounted for except for Troutdale Shell Station (ATM transaction verified) which was at 9:14 AM. This was the same truckstop that had a witness who said he saw Whitney in the passenger seat and a nervous male driver in a hurry to get 'not much' gas. Police have video and ATM records verifying car's visit.

http://www.flashalert.net/news.html?id=1278&alert=1 (Gresham police website)
http://www.nwcn.com/home/175654421.html

8:15 am – CH gets call that Whitney failed to show up for work

8:15 - 9:56 AM - CH drives around to her folks' house and an area hospital.
He also texts family and friends, including Whitney many times.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2221422/Whitney-Heichel-Husband-speaks-murder-wife.html

8:40 - "Probable Cause" lists this as Time of Crime

9:14 am - LE verified use of ATM at Troutdale Shell Station, along with grainy photo of car and employee description of WH in passenger seat and nervous male driver who only wanted a little gas. (Source: see above)

*Friends & family report the following usages also on ATM card (gas or cash): not yet verifed by police (report this at 12:30 PM):

9:22 am TUES – ATM used
Sasquatch says maybe East on Frontage he probably bought a small amount of gas at Chevron?

9:30 am TUES – ATM used
Sasquatch says maybe at the Flying J?

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...l-phone-found-article-1.1187659#ixzz2AMV1H5wO

9:56 a.m. - Heichel's husband called 9-1-1 to report her missing..
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Gresham-woman-Whitney-Heichel-missing-174489061.html

Unknown time: “just hours after her disappearance” -
Church & family search groups led by Bob Weaver organized search for Whitney starting at the Heichel’s apt., and find several items of evidence, the “first clue” being Heichel’s sweater. [on Dodge Prk Blvd near Pleasant Home] - unknown time of find
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Sear...-first-clue-found-by-searchers-175893161.html

11:17 a.m. - family and friends discovered her sport utility vehicle in a Wal-Mart parking lot with the passenger side window smashed.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/21/whitney-heichel-oregon-killing_n_1996871.html?

Police found some of Whitney Heichel's belongings in two dumpsters, one at the Walmart parking lot, and the other at a nearby shopping center.
http://www.nwcn.com/home/175654421.html

1:00 pm - Family and friends begin distributing flyers
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Gresham-woman-Whitney-Heichel-missing-174489061.html

WED/17

2:00 am - “undisclosed items” discovered by Bob Weaver’s church search party at Dodge Park.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Sear...-first-clue-found-by-searchers-175893161.html

Time?: Investigators say a tip leads them to question Jonathan Holt, who goes to a first interview voluntarily. He graduated Parkrose High School in 2006 with a 3.35 GPA and has no criminal history.
www.kptv.com/story/19880806/murder-suspect-whitney-heichel-attended-same-church

Time?: The family's search team discovers the missing license plate on Larch Mt. along with "other items of interest."
www.kptv.com/story/19880806/murder-suspect-whitney-heichel-attended-same-church

**My question still remains...WHY would a perp take off just one of her car's license plates and deposit it on the mountain when it'd be just as easy to tuck it under the seat and drive it far away from the body if he thought it would help him not be detected on the road? (And if that was the reason, he should've removed the rear plate--that's more easily readable when in pursuit.)

I'm convinced the license didn't FALL off because:

1) the perp knew it was missing; that's why he backed in to his parking space.That hid the back plate towards the bushes. (*I have a pic, finally, of that rear license on the rear of the car if anyone is interested.)

2) the front end of the car was the clean end that didn't tangle with the brush when depositing her body

Murder weapon and the body...the two things you don't want them to find if you're the perp. So it doesn't make sense.

THURS/25

5:00 p.m. Thursday: Children playing at an apartment complex at 701 257th Ave in Troutdale found Whitney Heichel's cell phone and turned it in to police.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...l-phone-found-article-1.1187659#ixzz2AMR2HWoB

And I've run out of typing steam... sorry! (We pretty much have the rest of it down, anyway.)

This case just keeps getting weirder! I have never heard of so much evidence strewn about.

Why would he leave so many objects all over town?

Me, neither. I have some theories; time to hit the hay...

 

[sarah7855]

http://findwhitneyheichel.com/letter-from-lorilei/

Here is a letter posted by Whitney's mother. So touching

I have not lost my daughter Whitney and you have not lost a sister. I know exactly where she is. That girl loves to sleep and she is taking a bit of a nap right now, held tightly in Jehovah’s memory. What a cozy place to be.

I lost it right there. This family's strength is incredible and my heart goes out to them.

 

[Boodles]

Thank you for the article, possumheart.

The time quoted by Bob Weaver to calculate distance while searching doesn't actually reflect the times later confirming the order the incident occurred:

6:45am - left apartment
(2 hours go by)
8:40am - crime committed on SE Thomas Road (Probable Cause doc)
(~35 minutes go by)
9:15am - SUV at Shell gas station 257th and Stark (LE confirms) *A distance of 14 miles from SE Thomas Rd

So, he either had her body with him in the SUV or he stashed it, got gas (multiple times per Clint), and drove back to somewhere around Roslyn Lake and then went up to Larch Mtn.

Am I missing something?

I still guess that the murder was committed very shortly after the abduction, and that he then immediately drove to Larch Mtn, then back to Gresham where he got the gas and/or used the ATM card at 9:14am. I know the police report indicates the 8:40am as the time of the incident, but I can't figure how that could be. It's 15 minutes from the apartment to Thomas Rd. I doubt they sat around and talked for an hour and 40 minutes. I can't imagine the assault and murder took more than 30 minutes max. If so, that would be ~7:30am. That seems to synch with the the drive to Larch Mtn and back to the gas station at Stark/257th at 9:14am.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.

 

[Ashfox]

"Divided that in half (an hour and 15 minutes) and we started driving and seeing how far we can go in an hour and 15 minutes. (We) ended up at Larch Mountain, because of something on the Internet about Larch Mountain, which ended up not being true, but still, you got to do with every possible (lead); one hour 15 minutes, mile marker 9 up Larch Mountain Road – mile marker 10, it all worked out," Weaver said.


I think I remember probably what this is regarding... I dont know if I can say much since it turned out to be a rumor but I can see why they would search there if someone thought they had seen her and posted it on social media

 

[JoCoKSEyes]

The Facebook comment about Larch Mountain. That's just too coincidental for me. The comment has been deleted, but does anyone remember the name of the poster? I am wondering if there is any way that could have been a fake profile set up by Holt to stalk women on Facebook with. Maybe he felt guilty or wanted to stay close to the action.

 

[Suzvw]

I live 1/4 mile from their Kingdom Hall. No..I'm not going. After I went grocery shopping I stopped by the Starbuck's last Saturday. So many people...I drove by there yesterday and flowers and candles are still up in the shop's driveway. But as far as going to the Hall....no. It's not where I go to church, and frankly, I know they would be using it as an opportunity to prosleytize. It's their right to do that in their own place of worship. I just don't appreciate someone trying to 'convert' me when I'm already "there".

 

[iamnotagolem]

I live 1/4 mile from their Kingdom Hall. No..I'm not going. After I went grocery shopping I stopped by the Starbuck's last Saturday. So many people...I drove by there yesterday and flowers and candles are still up in the shop's driveway. But as far as going to the Hall....no. It's not where I go to church, and frankly, I know they would be using it as an opportunity to prosleytize. It's their right to do that in their own place of worship. I just don't appreciate someone trying to 'convert' me when I'm already "there".

Don't all religions preach their religion at their services? Be it a funeral or regular church service? Why would Jehovah's Witnesses be any different? Of course they are going to talk about the resurrection and not about Whitney being in heaven because those are their beliefs.

I've never not attended a funeral or memorial services because of differing religious beliefs, I'd imagine that would greatly decrease the number of people that would attend any funeral.

My grandfather passed away last year, the attendees were Methodist, presbyterian, Nazarine, Jehovah's Witness, Catholic and probably more, those are just the relatives that I know their religions.

 

[La Louve]

The Facebook comment about Larch Mountain. That's just too coincidental for me. The comment has been deleted, but does anyone remember the name of the poster? I am wondering if there is any way that could have been a fake profile set up by Holt to stalk women on Facebook with. Maybe he felt guilty or wanted to stay close to the action.

That same rumor was posted in the comments sections of some of the local tv station online articles last Tuesday or Wednesday. I want to say the poster's name was "Elizabeth" but I'll see if I can find it.

ETA: my mistake, I'm mixing up some of those early reported "sightings". Been reading too many different sources on this story.

 

[rmarie3]

The Facebook comment about Larch Mountain. That's just too coincidental for me. The comment has been deleted, but does anyone remember the name of the poster? I am wondering if there is any way that could have been a fake profile set up by Holt to stalk women on Facebook with. Maybe he felt guilty or wanted to stay close to the action.

I remember reading the fb post early on and I wrote down her name. It has now been deleted, but her page is still up. Am I allowed to state the poster's name? (I am new and don't want to break any rules) Her initials are HD.....

EDIT: and this was her comment that has since been deleted:


My boyfriend and I were diving up to Larch moutain to hunt, we were driving around looking through bushes to see if we saw any deer. About 4 miles past all houses he turned to me an said he saw a girl sitting on a dead tree curled up.. I told him maybe we should turn around and ask if she needed help but we said * it and kept going. Now that we've seen this everywhere we feel horrible because the girl he saw ha brown hair and everything, plus it was strange to see a girl in the woods with no car and around no houses. I'm so sorry that we could have been a huge help and saved this girl but we didn't. My boyfriend called te cops and reported that we saw her and that she was still alive.
7 hours ago via mobile ·

 

[rmarie3]

EDIT: new link

http://www.currypilot.com/News/Local-News/Family-mobilizes-joins-search-for-Whitney

Looks like family came from all over to search. This article shows family from Brookings heard pretty quickly from Clint.

The friend of mine that knew Whitney a bit from Starbucks said her maiden name was Woosley, but she may have also went by Ritmiller (her mothers married name) prior to getting married?

Not sure where I am headed with this, just a new article I came across. I could only hope my family would mobilize this quickly to search for me! Although I doubt anyone would report me after only 2 hours missing at work, sadly. Maybe I should make a pact with a coworker or something. Odds are my husband wouldnt know anything was wrong until 5:30 when i didnt come home.

Edit - This was the first article that also mentioned that she attended High School briefly for a year in Brookings at Brookings Harbor High.

 

[peace9274]

Has anyone heard or read anything about his court appearance scheduled for today?

TIA

 

[rmarie3]

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Murder-suspect-Holt-in-court-for-hearing-Friday-176004961.html

This article says 3pm in Oregon City today.

 

[Melancholy]

Has anyone heard or read anything about his court appearance scheduled for today?

TIA

The wording is strange and the layout of the article weird lol, but I believe this is saying it is at 3pm local time today

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Murder-suspect-Holt-in-court-for-hearing-Friday-176004961.html

Edit: oops haha double post