MI MI - Jessica Heeringa, 25, Norton Shores, 26 April 2013 #9 (J. Willis GUILTY)

[trenchmouth]

Good question P. I thought I heard that on the show last night. Anyone else here it that way too, that DQD visited her at the station earlier that evening?

 

[trenchmouth]

I watched the Disappeared episode. Was done pretty well. I've followed this case very closely and found the show was mostly information I already knew. Was hoping for something new or more details.

IMHO Brad Mason is the person responsible. He had a history of rape and abduction of women and once lived within 2 miles of the gas station. He looks somewhat like the sketch of the man seen in the van leaving the scene.

http://woodtv.com/investigative-story/is-dead-man-missing-link-to-jessica-heeringa-disappearance/
http://fox17online.com/2014/02/07/family-identifies-sex-assault-suspect-shot-killed-by-officers/

Some coincidences and thoughts to consider:

- Her live in boyfriend Dakota Quail-Dyer visited her at the station a few hours before she was reported missing. They had a troubled relationship.
- Rob and Sue Follett just so happen to be riding their motorcycle by the station at the time she was abducted? Either that is pure coincidence or they know who did it or were somehow in on it. Rob made advances to Jessica previously.
- Jesse Ammerman seems to be a likely suspect however I don't think he did it. If he did, someone would have spilled the beans. He appeared to have somewhat of an alibi as well. If I knew I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t take a lie detector test either, in fear they would get it wrong and think I did it.
- Assuming the sketch reflects the general look of the perpetrator, it would seem that Sue Follett should easily be able to determine if it was Brad Mason or Jesse Ammerman that did this. Has she given an opinion on either?
- Has every angle been pursued on the gray van? Do any of the persons of interest own or have access to a similar van?
- I recall reading previously on WS that someone at the gas station overheard some small talk between Jessica and an unknown man in a gray van at the pumps earlier in the evening. I don’t remember who reported this. They said all they heard was his voice. Has this angle been pursued? Could the person who witnessed this listen to voice recordings of the suspects voice to rule in or out potential suspects that came back later to the station to abduct her? He could have been casing out the place earlier to look for cameras etc.
- Did the police do a thorough enough job looking for cameras in the area? I would have asked every business throughout Norton Shores and Muskegon to save their video from that night. The perpetrator may have stopped for food, gas, groceries etc. on that night. We’re talking Norton Shores, MI not New York City. Perseverance in this area might have paid off if a suspect’s face or plate could have been captured.

Lastly, I found this study of facial recognition by Greenwich University quite fascinating. You can take an oline quiz to see if you are a “super recognizer”. If you score higher than 10 you are asked to take a more detailed test, which I have done both. I would like to think if I saw the suspect in the van I could have matched him up to known suspects.

https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/are-you-a-super-recognizer-test-tells-if-youre-121678964207.html
https://greenwichuniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e3xDuCccGAdgbfT

I found a reference to my note about someone talking with Jessica at the pumps a few hours before her abduction.

7:40 – 8:50 p.m.: A female friend entered the store through the front door to visit Heeringa. Nothing suspicious was noticed at that time.
Both the female friend and a male customer observed a bluish silver van pull up to Heeringa while she was changing the receipt paper in one of the pumps. It appeared that the male driver and Heeringa were having a friendly conversation.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2014/04/jessica_heeringa_case_police_r.html

 

[ZooSleuth]

Thanks for the summaries of the episode. Was the store manager or her partner interviewed for the episode? Was their version of events in the show portrayed as sketchy? Their story never added up to me.

 

[BethAnn777]

Couple of thoughts... Since Jessica and Dakota shared a cell phone and she used the gas station phone when working I sure hope they analyzed the phone records at her work. Since Dakota was later arrested for selling drugs can anyone think of an angle where that could have had anything to do with her disappearance? http://legacy.wzzm13.com/story/news/crime/2014/06/20/jessica-heeringa/11128637/

Lastly I imagine Jessica's friends all knew there were no cameras. She seemed to have visitors quite often.

 

[wendybtn]

Thanks for the summaries of the episode. Was the store manager or her partner interviewed for the episode? Was their version of events in the show portrayed as sketchy? Their story never added up to me.

No they were not on the Disappeared episode. I haven't been following her case very closely, and the main thing I came away with was that the police have no physical evidence. If they did, I think they might have been able to rule in/out Mason, Dakota, and Ammerman. I don't think Dakota was involved. He had it made. Anything happening to Jessica messed up his routine. Without an even partial license plate, a state or county of registration, finding the van is next to impossible. It is one of the most common make and colors of car purchased in the US. The lack of action by Ms. Heeringa' s manager and her spouse tells me: 1. Know or suspect who the guy is. 2. Fearful of guy. 3. Had some peripheral involvement (scamming the store of merchandise?) 4. No common sense or smarts. I have no idea what else it could be. This case is very solvable by today's standards.

 

[gregjrichards]

How did Dakota get to the gas station in the visit that night? I know police said he had to get a ride to meet with them at the gas station shortly after her disappearance.

Also, I am confused about the blood evidence at the back door. A photo labeled crime scene evidence showed a very large stain but then it was said later "it was a small amount" and showed another photo of a small stain.

Glad they are giving Jessica's case the publicity again. I, too, thought the sketch looked like Brad Mason but he is the one that is dead, right?

Yes Brad Mason was shot dead by police on the 7th of Febraury 2014. http://fox17online.com/2014/02/07/family-identifies-sex-assault-suspect-shot-killed-by-officers/

Thanks everyone for the information shared about the episode and for the discussion about the case. I hope the police have received from leads to jump start the case.

 

[margarita25]

The suspect description indicates the man had center-parted wavy hair- not a look one would expect for a man in 2013, especially for wavy hair imo.
In the 70's that would be common, Jessica 's Mom said her daughter was into peace signs ect. could the perp be an aging hippy type?
Maybe she first met him at a bookstore, maybe he said he would drop off a book at her workplace?
Does the van driven by poi have tinted windows, if so why?
speculation.

Or maybe she met someone at hairdresser who was trying on wavy hair wigs? Balding older man type? speculation

Jessica's mom said in the episod3 that the reason why she thinks the sketch guy was described as having very very messy hair is because JH was a fighter.

 

[Roselvr]

Finally watched it tonight. There seemed to be a lot left out. I wish LE would have tried the managers time line. I sent it in to them.

Was Ammerman the one that found her missing too?

I'm gonna have to rewatch it. They really had enough to add 30 more mins to it.

 

[indridcold]

Wow, I was aware of this case before, but small news articles only give out so much information. The Disappeared episode that covered the case really has me invested in this case now. What a terrifying mystery, for me personally, I don't think there's much hope that she may be alive, ofcourse it is possible and the ideal resolution (Castro kidnappings comes to mind), but everything about this case is frustrating...How does a gas station in 2013 NOT have cameras? It has a lot of similarities to the Jennifer Kesse and the amount of clues, or the lack thereof.

But it is so great that the show is spreading the word... http://woodtv.com/2016/04/12/new-tips-after-jessica-heeringa-on-disappeared-episode/

 

[snowleopard]

I'll be interested to see on the Disappeared episode how they cover the sighting of the van by the manager from the road while out on her motorcycle. Because, as I detailed last year or maybe even the year before on this thread, her story and its time frame make NO SENSE. There's no way she could've done everything she said . . . going way down the street, turning around, parking in the lot, and maintain that the van was still behind the convenience store when she got back.

Hi Fast, I always enjoy your posts, and definitely agree with you! Due to JH friendliness, there are many possibilities here, but the 'witnesses' scenario, combined with the owners comments and reactions on the camera issue is hinky. I also find pretty incredible that the witnesses were so suspicious that they did all that maneuvering yet didn't get a plate number (as I've come to follow more of these cases, every 'strange' car I see in my neighborhood gets noted), or bother to check on JH, who was an employee/subordinate. The show seems to dismiss them as suspects, but little is said about that, hmm....

 

[Roselvr]

Wow, I was aware of this case before, but small news articles only give out so much information. The Disappeared episode that covered the case really has me invested in this case now. What a terrifying mystery, for me personally, I don't think there's much hope that she may be alive, ofcourse it is possible and the ideal resolution (Castro kidnappings comes to mind), but everything about this case is frustrating...How does a gas station in 2013 NOT have cameras? It has a lot of similarities to the Jennifer Kesse and the amount of clues, or the lack thereof.

But it is so great that the show is spreading the word... http://woodtv.com/2016/04/12/new-tips-after-jessica-heeringa-on-disappeared-episode/

From your article -

Monday, the Investigation Discovery channel aired an hour-long feature in the case Monday night on “Disappeared.” It’s the first time many of the case details were aired to a national television audience.

Since the special aired, some 30 tips have come in to NSPD, Lt. Michael Kasher told 24 Hour News 8 Tuesday afternoon. Many of the tips were leads police had already exhausted, but a few are being actively investigated, Kasher said without going into detail.

“There’s a couple of them that have piqued my interest,” he said.

I found a reference to my note about someone talking with Jessica at the pumps a few hours before her abduction.

7:40 – 8:50 p.m.: A female friend entered the store through the front door to visit Heeringa. Nothing suspicious was noticed at that time.
Both the female friend and a male customer observed a bluish silver van pull up to Heeringa while she was changing the receipt paper in one of the pumps. It appeared that the male driver and Heeringa were having a friendly conversation.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2014/04/jessica_heeringa_case_police_r.html

Found a good article that gives names of who did what.

New clues and $15,000 reward in search for missing Michigan mom, 25, who vanished during her gas station night shift

New video more clearly shows traffic in the area during the time of Jessica Heeringa's disappearance from a Norton Shores, Michigan gas station last week

That traffic includes a silver minivan that police think may be connected with the case, and the driver of which has been sketched by a police artist and is wanted for questioning
A $15,000 reward pledged by the Exxon-Mobil Co. is now being offered for information in the case
A new eyewitness also reports having seen the driver of such a van flirting with Heeringa in a suspicious manner hours before she disappeared

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 11:22 EST, 2 May 2013 | Updated: 11:23 EST, 2 May 2013

 

[leep]

Mondays Disappeared episode:- [video=youtube;liooXUfxk7E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liooXUfxk7E[/video]

 

[trenchmouth]

From your article -





Found a good article that gives names of who did what.

New clues and $15,000 reward in search for missing Michigan mom, 25, who vanished during her gas station night shift

New video more clearly shows traffic in the area during the time of Jessica Heeringa's disappearance from a Norton Shores, Michigan gas station last week

That traffic includes a silver minivan that police think may be connected with the case, and the driver of which has been sketched by a police artist and is wanted for questioning
A $15,000 reward pledged by the Exxon-Mobil Co. is now being offered for information in the case
A new eyewitness also reports having seen the driver of such a van flirting with Heeringa in a suspicious manner hours before she disappeared

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 11:22 EST, 2 May 2013 | Updated: 11:23 EST, 2 May 2013

That's what I remember. Good find. The suspect was likely at station earlier

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

 

[alreetlike]

Mondays Disappeared episode:- [video=youtube;liooXUfxk7E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liooXUfxk7E[/video]

Thanks for posting this, I will watch it when I get home from work.

 

[alreetlike]

https://greenwichuniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e3xDuCccGAdgbfT

I just did this and got 12/14, the speed of some of them threw me off a little! I haven't done the second part, but it was interesting to have a go at something which seems like it should be really easy, but isn't necessarily. I've never thought of myself as being particularly good at facial recognition. Maybe I'll have to pay more attention.

I watched the episode a little while ago. I never liked the co-worker's story and I still don't. It's too convenient.

I felt totally like I was prying when they were talking about Jessica's diary. I know it's to be expected that they will do a little digging on Disappeared, but this is the first time I've watched an episode about a case I'd previously followed closely, so it felt strange.

I hadn't realised Jessica's sister had been awarded custody of her son. I don't have children, but if I did and I disappeared, I feel like my own sister would do a great job in my place. I hope he grows up happy even without his mother.

 

[trenchmouth]

Cool, glad you took the test. I scored 11/14. Someone close to me who is much younger scored 13/14 which surprised me. I took the follow up test but didn't finish. It is much longer but very interesting.

I don't know what to think about who did the crime. The dead man (Mason) or somebody the Follett's know. I agree it is way too convenient for them to be there right as it went down and then basically do nothing about. I would have 100% followed the van if I had any suspicion of something nefarious going down.



Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

 

[colette]

The sister most likely got full custody after Dakotah had 3 counts of selling pot against him. They have been fighting a custody battle ever since Jessica went missing.

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/fr...Jessica-Heeringa-039-s-son-faces-drug-charges

 

[lindamichelle1]

Just finished the Disappeared episode.
I have probably commented on this thread before but would have been over a year ago, after watching the video though I find it incredibly odd the managers who witnessed the man in the silver truck "robbing" their store they just drove off? Isnt that a bit weird, like if you were concerned enough that you stopped and watched him close enough to give a description of his car and face you would maybe go in after he left and make sure he didnt rob it?
Just strikes me as a bit off.
I also find the plumber weird, like coincidence he says they had a "small disagreement" or whatever it was about him telling her he loves her and her saying no. That seems like the biggest trigger for him to come back later and kill her/rape her. He could have parked his car and left his phone in it and went back for her or something. I dunno where the silver van would have come from though. I wonder if his wife drives a silver van. She seems to know more if she wont speak to police even after divorcing him.

Some questions I would like to know is did the managers see Jessicas car at the gas station? Surely they would know she was still there if the opening hours were til 11.30. Why didnt they check on her.
I only wonder about the car coz if it was Dakotahs night with it maybe he drove there to fight with her and found another way home to keep his alibi and pretended it was her night with the car and that he had no way there. But if he has phone records and they are sure he was home then he probably isnt involved.

And also do they consider the person who bought the lighter just before she disappeared a suspect? Or do they think he bought it and then left and then someone else came in?

And last question. If the managers saw the guys face wouldnt they be able to look at photos of all these person of interests and say if any are him?

 

[fasteddy8170]

Before I start, I want to encourage people who've seen the Disappeared episode to check this link. It'll take you back to not quite two years ago and in detail explain why the store manager's story doesn't make any sense. I'll warn you beforehand: My explanations are a bit tedious and if you can follow along with a Google Map, it'll definitely help.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...hores-26-April-2013-8&p=10796857#post10796857

Essentially what I say is with all the time stamps from receipts and video cameras and 911 calls, etc. it's VERY easy to see that the manager didn't see the van when she says. She didn't travel down to an intersection and turn around. Etc. Etc. Etc. But, I'm not saying she had anything to do with Jessica's disappearance. But, I'll get into that in a second.

I thought the episode was well done. Granted, there wasn't much new information. However, I did get a better feeling for who Jessica is. And who all her suitors are. Really, I didn't think it portrayed Jessica in the most flattering of light. It seems she felt trapped in her life and was looking for attention anywhere she could find it. I don't blame her. But it's easy to see how that behavior could've caused her to flirt with the wrong guy.

Some things that are clear to me:
--whatever happened to Jessica, I don't believe rape, per say, was the lone motive. I think murder was too. Because once that blood was spilled on the pavement, I'm thinking Jessica didn't have long to live. Because where there's a puddle of blood, that means there's even more somewhere else. And if that amount of blood ended up on the pavement in what would've been a very short span of time, then Jessica kept bleeding after she was stuck in the back of that van. So, either she was shot--which would've been fatal. Or stabbed--fatal. Or, the person hit her across the head to make her bleed like that--once again, ultimately fatal. Because that amount of blood wouldn't come from an arm or leg in so few seconds. Thus, whoever injured her, wanted her to die. In fact, I'm sure if I thought about it enough, I could convince myself that murder was the sole motive and rape wasn't part of it at all. Whoever did this wanted Jessica dead one way or the other.

--the store manager. Once again I urge everybody to click on the link above for my horribly LONG explanations from almost two years ago. In any case, it seems weird to me that she would be SO concerned about theft at the store when the owner himself didn't bother to put in security cameras. In addition, so the manager is all worried about theft, she returns to find the van at the back of the store, but still really does nothing? That's odd. I mean, if a theft is going on, the manager has the person in the van dead to rights. The manager has Jessica dead to rights. The manager could've cruised right over there and caught them in the act--had a theft been going on. Instead, the manager sits on her motorcycle and watches? I'm sorry--I don't get it. It's like being a husband who suspects his wife is cheating. Sees a guy walk into his house with flowers and chocolates, but the husband still just sits there across the street reading the newspaper.

--also regarding the manager thinking that a theft was going on . . . the ONLY way she thinks that, is if thefts have been happening at the store. In other words, there's no reason for the manager to be suspicious of theft by just seeing the van. No, it must other things in the recent past that cause the manager to think something fishy was going on. Now, the manager knows who the clerk was that night--Jessica. So, the ONLY inference you can make from that is the manager thought Jessica had been stealing from the store before that night. In fact, you can also think that the manager thought Jessica was getting help in that respect, since it was the seeing of THE VAN, not Jessica, that caused the manager to think a theft was occurring. Otherwise, you'd have to believe the manager thought a customer was stealing from the store through the back door without Jessica knowing. And, well, that's just not believable. Hearing that Jessica was having money problems also lends itself to the idea that she might've been skimming the till. Taking stuff and selling it on the street. Whatever. This takes me next to . . .

--All those suitors sure did like Jessica a lot, didn't they? Now, I'm a guy. I'm a straight guy. I'm 45. I've liked a lot of women in my day. But I can tell you: I've never been so infatuated with a store clerk the way those guys were. Even the guy who showed up after Jessica disappeared, there was just something about the way he talked about her, wasn't there? And it wasn't just friendly talk or kissing or even sex. What I got out of it was those guys stopped at that store because they were getting stuff for free--store stuff, dare I say it. Because this would then tie-in with the manager's suspicions of theft that night. I should say that this would also jive with the fact that Jessica was already counting down her drawer at 11pm--a full HALF HOUR before closing time. Why would she do that? Well, back in my 7-11 days, we'd believe she was going to pocket the money from any customer that came in from 11pm to 11:30pm. That kind of red flag is actually taught to managers and field consultants in 7-11 and other chains so they knew what to look for regarding a thieving employee. And why would she do it for those guys? Because she could and wanted the attention. It also helped that there were no cameras in the store. Which takes me to my next point . . .

--whoever took Jessica knew EXACTLY the security situation of the store--which was basically zero. Meaning, this was a person who stopped in the store often. Talked to Jessica often. Might've gotten favors from her. This person knew the terrain and what to expect that night. No way a rapist/murderer goes in there cold turkey. Why? Because the expectation would be that the store has cameras and they work. But this takes me to . . .

--the manager herself. It's hard to decipher her because we know on one hand that she was telling the truth--she saw the van go north on that road and a few different cameras corroborated her story. However, her story of how she originally saw the van at first, went down the street in certain amount of time, etc. is not physically possible. So, there's that. Not to mention that she believed a theft was going on but took the long way to get back to the store. Plus, when she did get back, she didn't go directly to the store but hung out in the parking lot nearby. Didn't get a license plate number. It's hard to know where the truth ends and the fabrications start. What it tells me is, and I'm trying to use my experience as a former convenience store manager and field consultant to make sense of it, I believe from the beginning the manager was staking her store out like undercover cops do to drug houses. Don't laugh--we were expected to do that at 7-11. Management expected us to watch our stores from afar to see what went on there at night--true story. This takes me to . . .

--What I believe REALLY happened. I think the manager suspected Jessica was stealing from the store and helping others steal from it. Maybe the manager thought other things were going on in the store as well, but couldn't prove it because there were no cameras. So, the manager and her husband decide that night to stake out the store to see if anything suspicious happens. So, they're parked somewhere watching the store--I did this with fellow field consultants watching their own stores by the way. However, the manager is watching the front, not the back. They see the last customer Jessica serviced go in and out at whatever it was.10:57pm? Then, the manager notices that Jessica is nowhere to be seen in the store. Maybe even possibly the manager notices that Jessica is doing something behind the counter--what she'd eventually discover to be Jessica taking the drawer out of the register. So, either way, the manager gets suspicious and thinks this is the time to catch Jessica doing something wrong. So, the manager pulls out of her spot to drive towards the store. As she is getting close the van pulls out from behind the store. The manager suspects the van has something to do with theft at the store. However, the van is not close enough for the manager to get a license plate number before the van gets away. The manager thinks about going back to the store and confronting Jessica but now figures she's lost her chance to catch Jessica and whoever else in the act. So, the manager drives home, thinking she'll have another chance to catch the thieves another night. Why doesn't the manager go inside the store at that point? Because if the manager just strolls into the store then at 11:03pm, Jessica would know she had been watched that night. Then Jessica would cool her stealing for a while--and that wouldn't be what the manager wants. Because you must understand: If you don't catch these employees in the act, but fire them anyway, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen--especially with no camera evidence. What about the rest of the manager's story?

--I think it's fabricated. Seeing the van pull in. Riding down the street. Coming back. Sitting in the parking lot while the van driver closes the back hatch twice. Following it out to the street but not getting a license plate? I think it's all a fabrication. Why? Because you have to put yourself in the manager's shoes. The truth is that, probably, she watched her store as an employee was kidnapped out the back. And she'd find that out as soon as the police started questioning her. What is the manager going to say to the police? That she was watching the store when it was happening but didn't realize it? She's not gonna say that. Why? Probably because she'll lose her job. Not to mention she suspected Jessica was a thief and there's no way the manager wants to lose her job over a thief. So, she comes up with her version of events--seeing the van from the street, riding down the road, coming back just at the right time to see the van leaving. So, the manager gives the cops just enough info about the van to maybe catch the kidnapper, but not enough info to get herself in trouble for not doing her job the right way. People do it all the time in all sorts of less serious circumstances. The manager wouldn't be the first innocent bystander to fabricate evidence. Also, you have to look at it this way: Her description of the van driver matches NOT ONE of the suspects. Why is that? Maybe because she never saw the van driver, just the van . . . hmmmmm. But she has to give a description of someone because the manager's story is the van went right by her that night. So, NOT getting a description would be seen as incompetent. This would also explain why she didn't get a license plate number--she saw the van but wasn't close enough to see the numbers. And her excuse in that case? She just didn't think it was important. This would fall in line with your average daily driver: We look at drivers, not license plate numbers. So, her excuse is much the same--I saw the driver, didn't notice the license plate number. And you have to admit: It seems to so far her version of events has fooled the cops. Why? Because it's hard to disprove, even with my clear cut explanation of how she couldn't have done what she did that evening out on the street with her motorcycle.

--So, who did it? That's a good question. I don't believe any of the guys in that episode did it. The main problem is the van. These guys aren't expert criminals. The cops pretty easily would be able to figure out who had a van like that or who had access to one. Plus, it's not like one of them could borrow a van for a kidnapping, throw a bleeding woman into the back, return the van to its owner and the person not notice the hatch area is stained in red. Right? Not to mention, he'd be covered in blood, too, and get it on the driver's seat. Even if plastic was used--mistakes would be made. Not to mention the smell. In addition, given the violence of the crime--given the blood--this all feels very personal to me. This wasn't a chance encounter. Or a guy who saw an easy mark. I think this goes back to this abduction not being about rape, but about something else. A man who wanted to rape her wouldn't injure her to the point that she bled out before he had his "fun". Sure, maybe something went wrong--she fought hard, for example. True, but as soon as she started bleeding, the guy would know his rape fantasy was not going to work. So, he'd probably leave her there dead, not take her.

Having said all that, I still believe there were men involved in Jessica's life who the police haven't found out about. Somebody she might've had both a romantic and economic interest with. Somebody she wouldn't mention in her diary because it would involve not just romantic encounters but illegal ones as well. If I were the police I'd look not so much at serial rapists or murderers, but a guy who dabbled in theft, burglary, robbery as well, if not exclusively. My guess would be that he and Jessica were involved in some way, but she wanted to continue to be with him without whatever they had going on regarding illegal activity at the store. She got out of line and he killed her.

 

[Roselvr]

Just finished the Disappeared episode.
I have probably commented on this thread before but would have been over a year ago, after watching the video though I find it incredibly odd the managers who witnessed the man in the silver truck "robbing" their store they just drove off? Isnt that a bit weird, like if you were concerned enough that you stopped and watched him close enough to give a description of his car and face you would maybe go in after he left and make sure he didnt rob it?
Just strikes me as a bit off.
I also find the plumber weird, like coincidence he says they had a "small disagreement" or whatever it was about him telling her he loves her and her saying no. That seems like the biggest trigger for him to come back later and kill her/rape her. He could have parked his car and left his phone in it and went back for her or something. I dunno where the silver van would have come from though. I wonder if his wife drives a silver van. She seems to know more if she wont speak to police even after divorcing him.

Some questions I would like to know is did the managers see Jessicas car at the gas station? Surely they would know she was still there if the opening hours were til 11.30. Why didnt they check on her.
I only wonder about the car coz if it was Dakotahs night with it maybe he drove there to fight with her and found another way home to keep his alibi and pretended it was her night with the car and that he had no way there. But if he has phone records and they are sure he was home then he probably isnt involved.

And also do they consider the person who bought the lighter just before she disappeared a suspect? Or do they think he bought it and then left and then someone else came in?

And last question. If the managers saw the guys face wouldnt they be able to look at photos of all these person of interests and say if any are him?

According to the show, the owner didn't have cameras because there wasn't history of theft, yet the manager thinks Jess did. They stopped to watch the van because they thought Jessica was stealing from the store. I have always said that it is weird they did not follow him just for that reason. If she was stealing, silver van guy pulls up to the back, they load stolen goods into it from the back door, he quickly leaves. They wouldn't be the 1st people to do this. Manager caught van guy closing the hatch, then opening it, looking like he was shoving something (stolen goods) in. I'm clueless why that didn't ring their bell as looking like stealing. I do not know if they're involved or not, I've always felt like they knew something especially after it was pointed out that their story about turning around doesn't time right.

I've always felt LE should have tried looking for more video. I wonder if there were any home that had outside cams.

IIRC there was proof that the plumbers silver van was a few (2+) hours away.

I used to work at my dads gas station from 1977 to 1993, we had dogs until 85, but have always had video cameras which I believe were installed before my dad bought it in 1967. I had all sorts of men coming in that were infatuated with me. One year someone sent a bunch of roses and balloons to me on Valentines day.

I could see someone being infatuated with Jess too. I feel it was probably the person that was talking to her a few hours before when she was reading pumps. I'm not sure if they even mentioned that on the show.

From this article. I have to go back and find the article about the guy that wanted her to move in to see if it's the same person as this guy

An employee at a store adjacent to the gas station saw the 25-year-old mother there only hours before she vanished last Friday night. CVA watched a man in a silver minivan approach Heeringa when she was at a gas pump.

"He was just like, 'Hey, what are you doing over here? Aren't you supposed to be inside?' Just kind of being real flirty, weird about it," CVA told ABC News.

"It was just bizarre that he seemed to be actively looking for her, like he knew her and then had this attitude that he wanted to have a conversation with her and then conduct business, and that is what seemed really out of place to me," CVA said.

And Fastfreddy submitted his post before I could finish lol