NORTON SHORES, Mich.– The entire task force, made up of agencies from across the county has committed to another week in the search for Jessica Heeringa. Friday, there were even new investigators briefed and added to the team.
Norton Shores Police Chief Daniel Shaw says the man with the silver min-van that was being questioned for the past two days is no longer the focus of the investigation, adding that from his understanding he did not look like the man from the sketch. “Investigators are quite certain that he is not involved, so they’re moving past him onto the next name or the next tip.”
Shaw says “the new focus is the other 500 or so tips that we have and we’re prioritizing those. So they are now going to the next higher priority lead that they have.”
Police say they also have collected evidence from outside the gas station, some kind of un-known substance that is being tested. Whether that’s DNA or not they’re still waiting on the results, “its normal investigative procedure, we are going to search any crime scene and collect anything that looks out of the ordinary or shouldn’t be there.”
It’s been a week full of ups and downs, searches and leads that have turned up little. But Jessica’s family says with the support of the community behind them, they aren’t backing down.
“It keeps us going. Our gut feeling is that she’s being held in this area that’s part of the reason we stay. But we just cannot desert this community because they still prop us up with hugs and prayers and they’re here all the time” says Jessica’s grandma Diane Homrich.
Police are still asking for your help, if you have any information you can call SILENT OBSERVER at 231-72-CRIME.
