Jessica Lynn Heeringa, a 25-year-old woman, vanished from the Exxon gas station during her late-night shift in Norton Shores, Michigan, on April 26, 2013. The eerie details surrounding her disappearance left the community shocked and desperate for answers.
Jessica Heeringa Update
Jessica Lynn Heeringa’s Disappearance
Investigators discovered Heeringa’s car, jacket, cigarettes, and purse with a substantial amount of money at the scene. Drops of blood outside the gas station were later confirmed through DNA analysis to match Heeringa. Additionally, parts of a firearm were found nearby.
Over the next three and a half years, a dedicated 75-member task force with specialized divisions from 15 different law enforcement agencies poured over 12,000 man-hours into an exhaustive investigation. The efforts included following up on 1,400 tips, executing 33 search warrants, conducting 20 residential searches by consent, and performing 12 ground and two underwater searches.
Despite the extensive efforts, Heeringa’s remains were never found.
Was Jessica Heeringa Ever Found?
In September 2016, a breakthrough came when Jeffrey Willis, a resident of Muskegon Township, was charged with Heeringa’s kidnapping and murder. Forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony pointed toward Willis. His conviction on May 16, 2018, led to a life sentence.
Willis, previously a frequent customer at Heeringa’s workplace, matched a police sketch and had a minivan similar to the one seen leaving the crime scene on security cameras.
On November 2, 2017, Willis faced additional charges for the 2014 murder of Rebekah Sue Bletsch. He received a mandatory life sentence without parole. Willis was also implicated in other heinous crimes, including attempted kidnapping in 2016 and child pornography in 2011.
Interestingly, Willis is a suspect in the unsolved murder of a 15-year-old girl in 1996.
The Role of Kevin Bluhm
Kevin Bluhm, Willis’s cousin, played a crucial part in the investigation. He initially pleaded guilty to lying to detectives during both the Heeringa and a 2014 homicide investigation. For this, he received a sentence of time served.
Later, on November 27, 2017, Bluhm pleaded no contest to being an accessory after the fact, helping Willis dispose of Heeringa’s body.
The Gruesome Details Unveiled
Bluhm revealed disturbing details of Heeringa’s fate. He admitted seeing Willis with Heeringa’s body and assisting in burying her after she was sexually assaulted. According to Bluhm, Willis had called him the day after the disappearance, claiming to have a woman and hosting a party. Bluhm described Heeringa with a head wound, tied, naked, and motionless.
Bluhm disclosed that Willis had been following or watching Heeringa, causing her unconsciousness to facilitate her abduction.