NORTON SHORES, Mich.– Norton Shores Police Chief Daniel Shaw says the biggest thing right now in the investigation of Jessica Heeringa’s disappearance, is following up on tips. Just over night Monday they had m
ore than 50 come in and now that the sketch has been released they’re hoping to get the break in the case they’ve been looking for.
“I know that they’re dishing them out as fast as they can they started prioritizing them and they are getting on the highest priority ones first.”
But as time passes, concern grows as a family waits for answers in a case hard to piece together. It’s as if Jessica vanished without a trace, leaving behind her purse, her car, her jacket, everything. Police say even the cash register drawer was left open with money.
“The lack of physical evidence on the inside of the building as well just makes it very difficult to get a direction on where to go looking for her right now” says Shaw. Another challenge, no video surveillance in the gas station.
“That would at least give us a better description of who exactly we are looking at rather than having a vehicle description that was in the area of the gas station.”
Police hoped they had the break in the case they were looking for yesterday when they got surveillance video from the Old Homestead Tavern. You can see the van in question driving by around the time Jessica went missing Friday night.
“I think the surveillance video just gives us confirmation of the witness’s account of a silver van that was in the area and left NorthBound on Grand Haven road.” But with no clear view of the license plate and no sign of the 25 year old mother, the search continues.
“On Saturday investigators went out and started collecting any video from businesses in the area and now they are starting to analyze that.”
Chief Shaw says when they sent up the MSP helicopter Monday they did find a silver van parked in a wooded area but when they sent patrols to check it out, it was cleared of any connection to this investigation.
