Murder of Jessica Heeringa

Jessica Heeringa
Born Jessica Lynn Heeringa
(1987-07-16)July 16, 1987
Disappeared April 26, 2013 (aged 25)
Norton Shores, Michigan
Status Endangered Missing Person (presumed dead)
Citizenship American
Occupation Gas station clerk
Employer Exxon (franchise)
Height 5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
Weight 110 lb (50 kg)
Spouse(s) None, engaged
Children 1
Website FindJessicaHeeringa (Facebook)

Jessica Lynn Heeringa was an engaged mother of a young son who disappeared from her job at an Exxon station in Norton Shores, Michigan on April 26, 2013 and has not been seen or heard from since. She left behind her purse, jacket, cigarettes, money and car. Investigators also found a few drops of blood outside the gas station.[1][2][3] Through a DNA analysis the blood was matched to Heeringa.[4] They also found accessory parts to a gun near the blood.[5]

For the next three and a half years, a 75-member task force of 14 specialized divisions (including aviation, behavioral sciences, technical services, and intelligence analysis) from 15 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies spent 12,000 man hours and conducted a massive investigation that included around 1,400 tips, 33 executed search warrants, 20 consensual residential searches, 12 ground searches, and two underwater searches.[6]

Although Heeringa's remains have not been found, a pair of male cousins have been convicted in relation to her disappearance. In September 2016, a Muskegon Township resident named Jeffrey Willis was charged with her kidnapping and murder, due to forensic evidence and eyewitness statements implicating him in her disappearance.[7] Willis was found guilty of Heeringa's kidnapping and murder on May 16, 2018.[8] He received a life sentence a month later.[9]

Willis' cousin Kevin Bluhm pleaded guilty to lying to police during the Heeringa investigation and during the investigation a 2014 murder (that Willis was eventually convicted of) and was sentenced to time served.[10][11] On November 27, 2017, Bluhm pleaded no contest to being an accessory after the fact for helping Willis dispose of Heeringa's body and was sentenced on January 9, 2018 to time served, plus five years probation and to wear a GPS tether for at least a year.[12]

On November 2, 2017, Willis was found guilty of the 2014 murder of Rebekah Sue Bletsch.[13] Six weeks later, he received the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[14][15]

Willis is also charged with an attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl in 2016, and child pornography crimes involving his unsuspecting female next door neighbors dating back to 2011, who were 14 at the time.[3][16] He is also a suspect in the unsolved murder of a 15-year-old girl that occurred in 1996.[17]

Disappearance

Timeline

Composite sketch of the suspect.[18]

The following is based on eyewitness and police testimony made in court hearings.

April 25, 2013

  • A frequent female customer saw Heeringa working late at the station. The customer commented to Heeringa that she shouldn't be alone that late at night and that her boyfriend should be there with her. She said a man overheard the women's conversation and said, "She's got her customers looking out for her too." She said that Heeringa "sort of shook her head and started shivering ... like a chill went up her spine or something." She then said Heeringa "wasn't her usual happy self" and she felt that "something was wrong", so she parked outside the station until it closed. She saw the man leave that night.[19]

April 26, 2013

  • 10:55 pm: The last transaction was recorded on Heeringa's register, a cigarette lighter.[5]
  • 11:00 p.m.: An Exxon manager and her husband rode by the station and saw a man outside of a silver minivan acting suspiciously, repeatedly opening and closing its rear hatch. They then saw him drive away. They later described the man and his vehicle to police.[6]
  • 11:02–11:05 pm: Surveillance cameras from three different businesses recorded a silver Chrysler Town & Country matching the couple's description speeding away from the station.[6]
  • 11:10 pm: A man pulled up to the station and unsuccessfully attempted to buy gas with a credit card. After he was unable to find Heeringa in the store, he called 911.[6]
  • 11:25 pm: Police arrived at the station. In addition to Heeringa's belongings, they found accessory parts to a gun near a puddle of blood outside the station.[5] They soon ruled out robbery after they found over $400 in cash in Heeringa's wallet, and discovered that no money in the register was missing. An hour later, a police K-9 searched the area but found nothing.[6]

Charges

Jeffrey Willis

Jeffrey Thomas Willis
2016 mugshot of Jeffrey Willis
Born March 6, 1970
Height 68 in (1.7 m)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg)
Criminal penalty Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole
Conviction(s) First degree murder (two counts)
Kidnapping
Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
Details
Victims 2 (convicted)
Span of crimes
 2013–2014
Country  United States
State(s) Michigan
Date apprehended
 April 16, 2016

On September 20, 2016, Jeffrey Thomas Willis, a former factory worker already incarcerated in the Muskegon County Jail for several other crimes including murder, was charged by the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office with the kidnapping and murder of Heeringa. Willis was a frequent customer at her place of employment, he matched a police artist's sketch of a man seen "being real flirty" with her on the night of her disappearance, and his minivan matched the description of one seen at the crime scene and recorded on security camera footage speeding away from the location of her workplace after she went missing. His co-workers told police he was scheduled to work that night but never arrived, nor did he show up for work in the days afterwards.[1][20] Police executed a search warrant for Willis' home and found pictures of her in a folder labelled "VICS" on his computer.[21] Police searched for her body near his home after a tip was called in on June 17, 2016, but found nothing.[22] Police had previously searched for her body in and around a cabin in Mancelona owned by a friend of Willis on May 20, 2016, but also came up empty. Soon after Heeringa's disappearance, a local resident saw Willis at the Mancelona property walking out of the woods with a shovel.[23]

Jessica Heeringa trial

On December 13, 2016, a Muskegon County judge ruled that Willis will stand trial for murder and kidnapping charges in Heeringa's case. The judge decided there was enough evidence to call for a trial after four days of testimony during the preliminary hearing. Judge Raymond Kostrzewa noted evidence such as the folder on Willis' computer titled "vics" (possibly short for victims) which prosecutors say included a sub-folder titled with her initials, photos of Heeringa, and the date of her disappearance. They also found necrophilia and murder porn videos downloaded from the internet — some of which were simulated and some of which were real.[7][24][25][26]

The trial for Heeringa's murder took place in May 2018. After 1.5 hours of deliberations, the jury found Willis guilty of Heeringa's kidnapping and murder on May 16, 2018.[8] He received a life sentence without parole a month later.[9]

Rebekah Bletsch murder

On May 25, 2016, Willis was charged with the murder of Rebekah Sue Bletsch, a 36-year-old jogger whose body was found with three gunshots to the head near her home in Dalton Township on June 29, 2014. Shell casings found near her body matched a gun found in Willis' minivan, where police also found disturbing photos of women bound and gagged, handcuffs, chains, ropes, and syringes including one with a liquid later identified as a powerful sedative.[3] Another sub-folder found inside the "vics" folder on Willis' computer had pictures of Bletsch.[25] Judge Kostrzewa denied bond for Willis and ordered him to remain in the Muskegon County Jail.[24] Jury selection for the Bletsch murder trial began on October 17, 2017.[27][28][29] On November 2, 2017, Jeffrey Willis was found guilty of first degree murder in the death of Bletsch and of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life without parole six weeks later.[14]

Rebekah Bletsch Law

On March 9, 2018, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill that will require convicted defendants to listen to victims' impact statements at sentencing, which was inspired by Willis' refusal to do so after the Bletsch trial.[30] It was passed by the Michigan Senate on May 10, 2018.[31] Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed it into law on May 24, 2018.[32] It is unofficially known as the "Rebecca Bletsch Law".[30]

Other charges

Willis is also charged with the attempted kidnapping of an unnamed 16-year-old girl in Laketon Township on April 16, 2016, when she was lost and he let her use his phone and gave her a ride. After he pulled away, he locked the doors and reached for what appeared to be a gun, but she managed to escape with minor injuries after she said she couldn't breathe and convinced him to open her window.[3][33][34]

Willis was charged with production and possession of child pornography after police found videos of two nude girls who were 14 at the time on his computer. He lived next door to the girls in March 2011 in Fruitland Township and recorded them without their knowledge while they used his bathroom.[35]

Other suspected crime

Willis is a suspect in the unsolved murder of 15-year-old Fruitport High School student Angela Marie Thornburg, whose partially-clothed body was found by a hunter on October 17, 1996 in the woods near I-96 in Fruitport. She went missing a month earlier and was initially considered a runaway, with sightings of her reported soon after. Reports from the time said she ran out a back door at her boyfriend's house when her mother came to pick her up. Willis graduated from the same school in 1988 and worked as a janitor for the school district from 1998–1999 before being fired for looking at pornography on a computer meant for students in an elementary school.[17]

Kevin Bluhm

Kevin Lavern Bluhm
2016 mugshot of Kevin Bluhm
Criminal penalty Five years probation
Required to a wear a GPS tether
Time served
Conviction(s) Lying to a police officer during a violent crime investigation (two counts)
Accessory after the fact
Details
Span of crimes
 2013–2014
Country  United States
State(s) Michigan
Date apprehended
 June 21, 2016

On June 21, 2016, Willis' cousin Kevin Lavern Bluhm, a former Michigan Department of Corrections prison guard, was charged with lying to a police officer during a violent crime investigation after he told police information about Heeringa's disappearance that was not made public but which he later recanted. He was charged with the same crime in connection with the Bletsch case. Bluhm pleaded guilty to both counts on August 26, 2016 and was later sentenced to time served.[11]

Bluhm was also charged with being an accessory after the fact when he admitted to investigators he saw Willis with Heeringa's body and helped him bury her after she was sexually assaulted. Bluhm said Willis called him the day after Heeringa's disappearance and said he had a woman and there was a party. Bluhm told police he saw Heeringa with an obvious head wound, face down, hands out, and tied. She was naked and wasn't moving. He also told police he knew that "Jeff had been following or watching Ms. Heeringa, and that he hit her … which made her go unconscious to get her in the van," and that Willis had sex and used sexual toys and torture.[5] He told investigators he and Willis wrapped Heeringa up in a sheet and drove her to an area on Sheridan Rd near Laketon Rd, where Willis had already placed shovels, and buried her in a hole that was already dug.[36][37][5] Bluhm has been suspended without pay from his job as a sergeant at the West Shoreline Correctional Facility, a state prison in Muskegon Heights.[36][38] On November 27, 2017, Bluhm pleaded no contest to being an accessory after the fact for helping Willis dispose of Heeringa's body and was sentenced on January 9, 2018 to time served, plus five years probation and to wear a GPS tether for at least a year.[12]

Jessica's Law

Jessica Heeringa's workplace lacked cameras at the time of her disappearance, but has since had them installed.

On December 9, 2013, a Michigan House of Representatives Bill was announced titled the Jessica Heeringa act, or alternately Jessica's Law (officially known as House Bill 4123).[39] It was requested by Heeringa's parents, introduced by Representative Collene Lamonte and sponsored by Marcia Hovey-Wright and several other Michigan legislature members.[39][40][41] The bill requires gas stations and convenience stores that are open between the hours of 11pm and 5am to install and maintain a security camera system or to have at least two employees on shift during these hours. The bill would establish a civil fine of not more than $200 for each violation. Businesses excluded from Jessica's Law include hotels, taverns, restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores, supermarkets or businesses that have more than 10,000 square feet of retail space.[40][42]

As of January 5, 2017, the bill has not been passed by the Michigan legislature.[39] Small business owners are concerned about the cost associated with installing surveillance cameras or the hiring of additional staff.[43] In November 2014, Shelley Heeringa, Jessica's mother traveled to the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing to speak with state lawmakers concerning Jessica's law. "If you have a daughter, a sister, thank God that they're still with you," Shelly Heeringa said.[44] The owner of the gas station Jessica Heeringa worked at, which did not have a surveillance camera system at the time of her disappearance, has since had one installed.[40]

The television series Unsolved Mysteries released their Jessica Heeringa story on the two year anniversary of her disappearance in April 2015. The story was released via a "webisode" titled "The abduction of Jessica Heeringa", which was narrated by her mother who also mentioned there was a $26,000 reward for information about her disappearance.[45][46][47]

The case was featured on the season seven premiere of the Investigation Discovery series Disappeared, titled "Somebody's Watching", originally aired on April 11, 2016.[48][49][50] Coincidentally, Willis' arrest for the attempted kidnapping of the minor female less than a week later on April 16, and the additional investigation afterwards, eventually led to the other charges against him and Bluhm.[3]

Jessica's story was subject of a three-part episode of The Vanished Podcast in April - September 2016. The first episode misspelled her name as "Herringa." The episodes review the disappearance, investigation, evidence and eventual charges against the suspects in her disappearance.[51][52][53]

The case was also profiled on an episode of Crime Watch Daily, originally aired on January 10, 2017.[54][55]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Dolak, Kevin; Newcomb, Alyssa (8 May 2013). "Mom's Blood Found at Vanishing Scene". ABC News. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  2. ↑ Jessica Heeringa Disappearance The Charley Project, last updated July 24, 2016
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jeffrey Willis charged in 2014 murder of Rebekah Bletsch WOOD-TV, May 25, 2016.
  4. ↑ Lendon, Brad (3 May 2013). "Michigan woman's blood found at scene of her abduction, police say - CNN.com". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Police: Phone records, gun tie Willis to Heeringa The Detroit Free Press, September 21, 2016
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Jessica Heeringa case: Police release new timeline details, crime-scene photos The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, April 7, 2016
  7. 1 2 Jeffrey Willis charged with murdering Jessica Heeringa WOOD-TV, September 20, 2016
  8. 1 2 Jeffrey Willis found guilty of kidnapping, murdering Jessica Heeringa The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, May 16, 2018
  9. 1 2 Willis claims innocence at Heeringa murder sentence WOOD-TV, June 18, 2018
  10. ↑ Kevin Bluhm pleads guilty to lying to police about Jessica Heeringa's disappearance WZZM, August 26, 2016
  11. 1 2 Kevin Bluhm sentenced to time served for lying about Heeringa, Bletsch cases The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, September 20, 2016
  12. 1 2 "Kevin Bluhm walks free for his role in Jessica Heeringa's murder". MLive.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  13. ↑ Jurors discuss guilty verdict in Jeffrey Willis murder case The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, November 2, 2017
  14. 1 2 Jeffrey Willis walks out of sentencing, refuses to hear victim's family The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, December 18, 2017
  15. ↑ The 'pain will never go away' sister says of Rebekah Bletsch's murder The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, December 18, 2017
  16. ↑ The Jeffrey Willis cases: A 'quarter-million dollar' defense WOOD-TV, December 27, 2016
  17. 1 2 Family: Police looking at '96 death in Willis investigation WOOD-TV, May 26, 2016
  18. ↑ Lendon, Brad (1 May 2013). "Sketch of suspect in Michigan abduction released - CNN.com". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  19. ↑ Jessica Heeringa 'started shivering' near Jeffrey Willis, customer testifies Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, December 6, 2016
  20. ↑ Source: Willis not at work after Heeringa abduction WOOD-TV, June 20, 2016
  21. ↑ Source: Willis had file labeled with Heeringa's name WOOD-TV, June 22, 2016
  22. ↑ New lead triggers search for body of Jessica Heeringa The Detroit Free Press, June 17, 2016
  23. ↑ MSP searched N MI property for Heeringa after Willis' arrest WOOD-TV, June 23, 2016
  24. 1 2 WZZM Staff (14 December 2016). "Jeffrey Willis to stand trial for open murder, kidnapping in Heeringa case". MUSKEGON, MI.: WZZM-TV. Retrieved 30 January 2017. Jeffrey Willis will stand trial on open murder and kidnapping charges in the Jessica Heeringa case.
  25. 1 2 Moore, Lynn (12 December 2016). "Willis' computer codes reference Heeringa, Bletsch initials, death date: expert". MLive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  26. ↑ Kloosterman, Stephen (13 December 2016). "Jeffrey Willis to stand trial for Jessica Herringa's kidnapping, killing". MLive.com. MUSKEGON, MI. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  27. ↑ Murder trial of Jeffrey Willis delayed to October WXMI (Fox 17), August 4, 2017
  28. ↑ Dean, Evan (3 October 2017). "500 potential jurors called for Jeffrey Willis trial". WOODTV.com. MUSKEGON, Mich. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  29. ↑ Jeffrey Willis trial: Jury selection begins in Bletsch murder case The Muskegon Chronicle via MLive.com, October 17, 2017
  30. 1 2 Bletsch bill clears the State House WKZO, March 9, 2018
  31. ↑ Michigan Senate: Defendants must listen to victim impact statements WJRT-TV (ABC 12), May 10, 2018
  32. ↑ Bill signed requiring defendants to hear impact statements WJRT-TV (ABC 12), May 24, 2018
  33. ↑ Police searching for link between abduction, Jessica Heeringa WOOD-TV, May 17, 2016
  34. ↑ Anderson, Elisha; Baldas, Tresa (21 May 2016). "Teen's daring escape may help solve 2 cold cases". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  35. ↑ Girl allegedly recorded by Willis: 'Didn't think he would do this' WOOD-TV, June 23, 2016
  36. 1 2 Jeffrey Willis' cousin charged with lying in Jessica Heeringa case WOOD-TV, June 21, 2016
  37. ↑ VanTimmeren, Christine. "Court documents reveal disturbing new information in Jessica Heeringa case". WWMT. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  38. ↑ "Prison Guard Charged With Lying In Jessica Heeringa Disappearance Probe". WWJ/AP. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  39. 1 2 3 "Michigan Legislature - House Bill 4123 (2015)". www.legislature.mi.gov. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  40. 1 2 3 Kloosterman, Stephen (9 December 2013). "Jessica Heeringa's mother: Security cameras required in bill would have prevented daughter's disappearance". MLive.com. NORTON SHORES, MI: MLive Media Group. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  41. ↑ WZZM-TV (22 July 2015). "Hearing held on Jessica Heeringa Act". Grand Haven Tribune. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  42. ↑ "'Jessica's Law,' named after missing Jessica Heeringa, unveiled by officials, family". MLive.com. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  43. ↑ SIDOROWICZ, JOSH (11 April 2016). "Former lawmaker wants renewed push to pass "Jessica's Law"". Fox17. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  44. ↑ CUNNINGHAM, DARREN (13 November 2014). "Jessica Heeringa's mother discusses proposed "Jessica's Law"". Fox17. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  45. ↑ "The abduction of Jessica Heeringa | Unsolved Mysteries". unsolved.com. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  46. ↑ Peters, Heather Lynn (24 April 2015). "Jessica Heeringa's story to be highlighted on 'Unsolved Mysteries' show online". MLive.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  47. ↑ UPDATE: Jessica Heeringa Unsolved Mysteries YouTube page, September 20, 2016
  48. ↑ Jessica Heeringa's disappearance to be featured on Investigation Discovery channel WXMI (Fox 17), April 7, 2016
  49. ↑ Bunchman, Meghan (10 April 2016). "3 years later, Jessica Heeringa disappeance to be featured on TV show". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  50. ↑ Moore, Lynn (12 April 2016). "TV show identifies possible suspects in Jessica Heeringa's disappearance". MLive.com. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  51. ↑ Jessica Heeringa Part 1 The Vanished Podcast, April 5, 2016
  52. ↑ Jessica Heeringa Part 2 The Vanished Podcast, May 23, 2016
  53. ↑ Jessica Heeringa Part 3 The Vanished Podcast, September 20, 2016
  54. ↑ New Kidnapping, Murder charges in Jessica Heeringa Case (Pt 1) from Crime Watch Daily Official YouTube Channel, January 10, 2017
  55. ↑ New Kidnapping, Murder charges in Jessica Heeringa Case (Pt 2) from Crime Watch Daily Official YouTube Channel, January 10, 2017
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