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

[BetteDavisEyes]

I don't believe that there is any huge conspiracy at play here, and I'm not buying the predator angle, either. Since LE contends that the young woman is being held against her will by someone who is known to her, why doesn't the family and/or fiancé make a public plea for her safe return? Tell the abductors how much Jessica's little boy misses his mother, that she has been gone too long, and that she needs to be returned to those who love her.

We are approaching the second long holiday weekend of the summer. The long-range weather forecast for Michigan's west coast (and statewide) is for sunny skies, no rain, and temps in the low to mid-80s. State parks, campgrounds, beaches, water parks, etc. will be teeming with tourists. LE should address the media and remind folks to look for Jessica and/or any sign of her whereabouts. Without organized searches, it's more than likely that a citizen will stumble upon some clue that will lead to locating JH. :moo:

 

[Treelights]

What if Jessica turned out the back lights?

This case is so puzzling...Great question......

 

[sophiebelle]

I don't think the chief has a clue one way or the other. I doubt he has one clue to think she's alive, or a clue to think she's not. Maybe that's just the way he speaks. If he knew she was being held, he should know just who would want to do that. My opinion is he is just answering questions the best way he can without saying "we've got nothing".

 

[cebee]

What if Jessica turned out the back lights?

That is my question too...if she did, why? If they were out long enough for the witness to notice and come back, they were out for a while. ...not just long enough for the abductor to turn em out while he snuck her out. If they were out, how did the witness see Jessica there with the guy with the van? If she saw the lights out, and Jessica out back like 'no big deal' with the guy...
I don't know. I suspect there is a whole story here we aren't hearing...

 

[Treelights]

So quickly now, Jessica Heeringa goes to the second page here....
but after over 2 months with no new info,
there really isn't much to add anymore.
It's sad. I hope Jessica is found safe and soon.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

So quickly now, Jessica Heeringa goes to the second page here....
but after over 2 months with no new info,
there really isn't much to add anymore.
It's sad. I hope Jessica is found safe and soon.

The only update is that there will not be a colored sketch of the POI. According to administrators on the Find Jessica Heeringa Facebook site, Norton Shores Police Department nixed the new sketch, so supporters are not going to move forward on this project. Folks who donated money for this purpose have been offered refunds, but most people want their contribution to go into the fund for Jessica's little boy.

https://www.facebook.com/FindJessicaHeeringa

 

[cluciano63]

When LE is so quiet, all cases tend to "go away" from the media. And since there has been so much controversy, IMO, over the sketch, not sure how much good, or harm, could come by continuing to show it. I generally have faith in LE, but in this case, my doubts outweigh my faith.

 

[Flutterby80]

The only update is that there will not be a colored sketch of the POI. According to administrators on the Find Jessica Heeringa Facebook site, Norton Shores Police Department nixed the new sketch, so supporters are not going to move forward on this project. Folks who donated money for this purpose have been offered refunds, but most people want their contribution to go into the fund for Jessica's little boy.

https://www.facebook.com/FindJessicaHeeringa

I find some things unsettling about this. There are several actually.

First, why does LE not want to help with the colored sketch, when the witness was sure enough about what she saw for the police to call it a 10 out of 10. I understand it was dark outside, but just looking at the sketch you can tell the ethnicity is probably caucasian...so let them colorize it and release it and who knows...maybe it will ring a bell with someone when the black and white sketch did not. I mean, really, what could it possibly hurt 10 weeks in? How could this impede the investigation whatsoever?

Next, why wasn't the fact that LE nixed the colorized sketch idea posted on the Find Jessica Heeringa FB page so that everyone would know the status? It makes sense that people are wondering when it will be released. Why release this info as a reply to a whole bunch of people asking about the status? When I followed the above link over, I had to hunt around for the information on the colorized sketch. That doesn't make sense.

And...I think Carrie, who started the FB page and administers it, has and has always had only the best intentions in doing so. She is a mom and wife with a full-time job besides trying to help this family. She has dedicated the last 10 weeks or so of her life to helping find Jessica, a women she has never met. So to see that people are attacking her because of how the family is responding to Jessica's disappearance, and because of how LE is handling the investigation, is really disturbing to me. No wonder people don't help each other any more! Whatever Jessica's family is doing, not doing, saying or not saying is not on Carrie. She is only trying to help. Without her, I truly believe there would not be any posters, t-shirts, fundraisers, vigils, command center...I know it is against TOS to say negative things about the family of a victim but people are so wrong if they believe donations are being misused by Carrie. If this is happeneing, she is not the one to blame. To read that she was asked to let the hype die down...just blows me away. Who in their right mind would want the hype to die down when their family member is missing?!

 

[Treelights]

Maybe LE is not so sure of the 10 out of 10 sketch, so colorizing it, wouldn't make it anymore so if that is the case? IMOO.

 

[Flutterby80]

Maybe LE is not so sure of the 10 out of 10 sketch, so colorizing it, wouldn't make it anymore so if that is the case? IMOO.

But could it hurt? Could ground searches hurt? I just don't get it. Obviously, whatever LE has been doing for 10 weeks has not worked, so why not try something different?

If LE is no longer of the opinion that Jessica was abducted, then they need to step up and say so. If they still believe she WAS abducted, then why not do whatever it takes to find her?

If Jessica was my sister, I would be camped out on NSPD doorstep so much they would probably end up throwing me in jail. They would have no choice but to respond. Why is nobody throwing a fit here? Why is everyone being so....dispassionate? I just don't understand!

 

[Woe.be.gone]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/13/richard-heeringa-colo-chi_n_1423674.html

Although unrelated people often share the same last name, I can't help but wonder if this perv, Richard Heeringa, is in any way related to Jessica. The article provides information that he was incarcerated for 12 years for molesting young girls in Michigan.
This link gives info about why he was wanted prior to being TURNED IN by someone.
He had been hiding in Detroit.http://www.justice.gov/marshals/investigations/most_wanted/heeringa/heeringa.htm
After he was released in 2004 for his earlier crimes, he sought out a woman who has a daughter and began molesting the 12 year old.
This took place in Colorado. The earlier case involving two sisters took place in Michigan.

Is it possible Jessica has any connections to this Heeringa and testified as to his character in 2010?
Also, as an example, RH was capable of living in the woods for weeks at a time as he was an avid outdoorsman.
Surely there are others out there like him.

A few weeks into the case, a man who claims to be Jessica's father was interviewed by the media.
His last name isn't the same as the one Jessica uses.
Just an observation but may indicate his role is due to being a step father and not her bio father.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

But could it hurt? Could ground searches hurt? I just don't get it. Obviously, whatever LE has been doing for 10 weeks has not worked, so why not try something different?

If LE is no longer of the opinion that Jessica was abducted, then they need to step up and say so. If they still believe she WAS abducted, then why not do whatever it takes to find her?

If Jessica was my sister, I would be camped out on NSPD doorstep so much they would probably end up throwing me in jail. They would have no choice but to respond. Why is nobody throwing a fit here? Why is everyone being so....dispassionate? I just don't understand!

I share your frustrations about the lack of urgency in finding Jessica, but it has been that way since early in the case. I had high hopes that tourists to the west coast of Michigan would find something that might lead to Jessica over the Memorial Day weekend. I really think that it is going to be citizens who find clues to Jessica's disappearance because LE hasn't done much of anything to locate the missing young woman.

The 4th of July holiday weekend will be even busier than Memorial Day because school is out now, the weather is warmer for swimming and boating, and there are some major summer events going on like the Traverse City Cherry Festival. I'm still hopeful that people will remember to look for Jessica and/or signs of her whereabouts while they visit Michigan's recreational areas along Lake Michigan. :moo:

 

[Woe.be.gone]

But could it hurt? Could ground searches hurt? I just don't get it. Obviously, whatever LE has been doing for 10 weeks has not worked, so why not try something different?

If LE is no longer of the opinion that Jessica was abducted, then they need to step up and say so. If they still believe she WAS abducted, then why not do whatever it takes to find her?

If Jessica was my sister, I would be camped out on NSPD doorstep so much they would probably end up throwing me in jail. They would have no choice but to respond. Why is nobody throwing a fit here? Why is everyone being so....dispassionate? I just don't understand!

Fear?

 

[margarita25]

Reflecting on LE's statement that they are handling this as she is alive bc they no reason to indicate otherwise, and also that she was abducted by someone she likely knew:

That leaves 2 options:

1. She's being held somewhere in captivity by this individual(s) (similar to the Cleveland girls).
2. She is now a victim of human trafficking.

If she's alive, and taken against her will, these would be the only 2 possible options, right? What other possibilities does that leave?

 

[StacyMarie83]

Reflecting on LE's statement that they are handling this as she is alive bc they no reason to indicate otherwise, and also that she was abducted by someone she likely knew:

That leaves 2 options:

1. She's being held somewhere in captivity by this individual(s) (similar to the Cleveland girls).
2. She is now a victim of human trafficking.

If she's alive, and taken against her will, these would be the only 2 possible options, right? What other possibilities does that leave?

ransom (not just money either.....drugs, etc.) and/or vendetta

 

[vega]

Reflecting on LE's statement that they are handling this as she is alive bc they no reason to indicate otherwise, and also that she was abducted by someone she likely knew:

That leaves 2 options:

1. She's being held somewhere in captivity by this individual(s) (similar to the Cleveland girls).
2. She is now a victim of human trafficking.

If she's alive, and taken against her will, these would be the only 2 possible options, right? What other possibilities does that leave?

Has any evidence been developed to support either of these two options ?

I can just as easily hypothesize Jessica had a secret cell-phone no one knew about and ran off with a secret boyfriend to escape her boring life. That also satisfies the criteria of the other two options. There is no more evidence of human trafficking as there is she ran off with a secret boyfriend. They are equally likely (or more correctly equally unlikely).

My point is, yes anything is possible, but what is statistically most likely, and what is reasonable given the facts as we know them today ?

 

[Treelights]

Has any evidence been developed to support either of these two options ?

I can just as easily hypothesize Jessica had a secret cell-phone no one knew about and ran off with a secret boyfriend to escape her boring life. That also satisfies the criteria of the other two options. There is no more evidence of human trafficking as there is she ran off with a secret boyfriend. They are equally likely (or more correctly equally unlikely).

My point is, yes anything is possible, but what is statistically most likely, and what is reasonable given the facts as we know them today ?

I think Margarita25 was speaking specifically of the word that LE used, which is Abducted, so under the guise of that, I understand what she meant in her post. IMOO.

 

[giagreen]

"...Something reported in the private investigator article that bothers me is that the station's back door was open around the time that Jessica was abducted. Yet, it sounded as though the door would not stay open by itself..."

There was reportedly a wooden stick or a block of wood that might have been used to prop the back door open. Also, in an early interview with family members, there was speculation that Jessica might have stepped outside to smoke. Her cigarettes and lighter were on the counter with her purse.

Sorry for jumping in here. I am trying to get all caught up on this. There are so many post I new I should of kept reading when it first happen because I am very interested in this case. So I'm sorry if I am repeating at all anything anyone has said because I am not finished reading everything.
Anyways, in regards to the back door was open and there may have been something propping it open. Is there anyway she could of been taking out the trash? I know that at many of places I've worked at such as gas stations. The back doors are heavy and need to be propped open when you take the trash out at the end of your shift.
It bothers me because it's easy for anyone to see a pretty girl working alone at a gas station. And it's also easy for a regular who stops in around the same time every night or maybe drives past to see her taking the trash out and new her routine. Could of been waiting out back for her? Grabbed her once she threw the trash? And that maybe why the door was still propped open? IDK just a few thoughts. Again sorry if I'm repeating anything and for jumping in.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Sorry for jumping in here. I am trying to get all caught up on this. There are so many post I new I should of kept reading when it first happen because I am very interested in this case. So I'm sorry if I am repeating at all anything anyone has said because I am not finished reading everything.
Anyways, in regards to the back door was open and there may have been something propping it open. Is there anyway she could of been taking out the trash? I know that at many of places I've worked at such as gas stations. The back doors are heavy and need to be propped open when you take the trash out at the end of your shift.
It bothers me because it's easy for anyone to see a pretty girl working alone at a gas station. And it's also easy for a regular who stops in around the same time every night or maybe drives past to see her taking the trash out and new her routine. Could of been waiting out back for her? Grabbed her once she threw the trash? And that maybe why the door was still propped open? IDK just a few thoughts. Again sorry if I'm repeating anything and for jumping in.

The customer who reported that the gas station was unattended in his 911 call told the dispatcher that the trash was bagged but still inside. JH had apparently bagged the trash but hadn't taken it out to the dumpster. According to locals who have visited the site, the dumpster is to the side of the building between the gas station and neighboring car wash that is owned by same person. I suppose that Jessica could have taken the trash out through the front door if that was more convenient.

 

[giagreen]

The customer who reported that the gas station was unattended in his 911 call told the dispatcher that the trash was bagged but still inside. JH had apparently bagged the trash but hadn't taken it out to the dumpster. According to locals who have visited the site, the dumpster is to the side of the building between the gas station and neighboring car wash that is owned by same person. I suppose that Jessica could have taken the trash out through the front door if that was more convenient.

Thanks for he info. I have a lot of catching up to do. Also upon reading more after I posted my last post I realized that the lights in back were off?