Gone in a Blink
There are an estimated 8 billion people in the world. In the US, approximately 2,300 people go missing every day. While some of those cases may be of their own accord, others are because of something far more sinister. Gone in a Blink is a true crime podcast that dives head first into the most mysterious and terrifying missing person cases in existence. Hosts Heather and Danielle take a deep look into some of the most horrific missing person cases that will leave you on the edge of your seat and absolutely terrified at just how fast a person can be Gone in a Blink.
Gone in a Blink
Twisted Obsession: The Murder of Jessica Heeringa
What if the ordinary places you visit every day could harbor unimaginable evil? On this episode, we uncover the haunting disappearance of Jessica Heringa, a young woman from Norton Shores, Michigan, whose routine shift at a convenience store in April 2013 took a sinister turn. Her chilling encounter with a suspicious customer, a lurking silver minivan, and the unsettling connections to the murder of Rebecca Bletch reveal a tapestry of terror that we never thought possible.
Prepare to be captivated as we recount how a tip led investigators to Jeffrey Thomas Willis, a seemingly unassuming man with a dark history, whose actions left a trail of fear and suspicion. Discover the bravery of a young girl who narrowly escaped his clutches and contemplate the haunting reality of predators hiding in plain sight. Through the lens of these shocking events, we also shine a light on the systemic issues and chilling patterns that put these vulnerable individuals at risk, urging us to question the safety of those labeled as runaways.
Join us as we explore the concealed truths in this web of crime, including the unsettling involvement of Willis's cousin, Kevin Bloom, and the theories of retired Lieutenant Michael Kasher, whose insights might provide a crucial piece to the puzzle. While we hope for Jessica's justice and Willis's permanent imprisonment, we invite you to reflect on these stories and reach out with your own. Share your eerie tales or suggest future cases for us to investigate. We look forward to hearing from you at goneandablakepod@gmail.com and featuring your stories in upcoming episodes.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Jessica_Heeringa
https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/crime/2023/05/03/where-is-jessica-heeringa-ten-years-later-former-detective-thinks-he-knows/70170552007/
https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2018/05/jeffrey_willis_trial_tearful_w.html
https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/heeringa-missing-10-years-interrogation-tapes-reveal-connections-between-jeffrey-willis-and-his-victims#:~:text=According%20to%20information%20in%20audio%20and%20video%20recordings,he%20did%20not%20%22lead%22%20Willis%20to%20either%20victim.
Music:
Crime Trap by Muza Production
Dark Haunts by Tim Kulig
Gone in a Blink is created by Heather Hicks and Danielle E.
Written and produced by Heather Hicks and hosted by Danielle E. and Heather Hicks.
Gone in a Blink theme: Crime Trap created and produced by Muzaproduction
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Thanks for joining us on the airwaves. And remember......Be Safe, Be Smart, and Try Not to Blink.
Oftentimes, when we go about our everyday lives, we do so without really thinking about what our next step is going to be. We get into such a routine that everything becomes almost second nature and everyone around us is almost invisible. Is almost invisible as we become so consumed with daily tasks such as going to work or dropping the kids off at school or running errands Everyday things that would not normally grab anyone's attention. But sometimes it does, and sometimes the attention it grabs is something far more evil than anyone could ever imagine. You see, everywhere you go, evil lurks among us, blended into the crowd of what appears to be normal. It may be a person in the car that is stopped at the red light beside you. It may be the waiter waiting tables at your favorite restaurant. It could be the delivery driver that delivers packages to your door, or even the postman who delivers your mail every day in front of your house. Evil comes in all forms and it doesn't always make its intentions known. For 25-year-old Jessica Heringa, evil met her at one of the places that she felt most safe, the one place she was sure to be at almost daily, a place that was part of her routine. Almost daily, a place that was part of her routine. Evil had found her at the convenience store where she worked as a cashier, and on this night, the night of April 26, 2013, she was alone. He had seen her many times before and there was something about her that caught his eye. He knew when he saw her that she would be his next victim. This is the case of Jessica Haringa, and this is Gone in a Blink. Hey, true crime fans, I'm your host, heather, and I'm Danielle. Welcome to.
Speaker 1:Episode 26 of Gone in a Blink Fall is officially here, and that means that Halloween is just around the corner. What is the creepiest thing to happen on Halloween night? We want to hear your creepiest stories and then we'll talk about them on our next show. Email us your creepiest Halloween story at goneinablinkpod at gmailcom. So today's case is nothing short of absolutely horrifying. Today, we are talking about the murder of Jessica Haringa as well as the murder of Rebecca Bletch. Even though these two women didn't know each other, their murders sort of intertwined. So if you're ready, let's jump right in.
Speaker 1:Jessica Lynn Haringa was a 25-year-old woman from Norton Shores, michigan, where she lived with her boyfriend and three-year-old son. On the night of April 26, 2013, she was working the late night shift as a cashier at the Exxon gas station. Here is the timeline of events on the days leading up to Jessica Haringa's disappearance, as well as the last time Jessica was seen alive, so April 25, 2013,. A female who was a frequent customer of the gas station says she saw Jessica working late that night and told her that she shouldn't be there all alone so late at night like that and that she should have probably had her boyfriend there to keep her company. A strange customer overheard the conversation and spoke up saying quote she's got her customers looking out for her too. Unquote. The woman claims that Jessica shook her head and immediately made a shivering gesture, as if she had gotten the chills at the remark made by the stranger. The woman also mentioned that Jessica wasn't really acting like her usual self that night and that she seemed as if something was wrong. So the woman decided to park outside of the gas station and wait until the gas station closed to kind of keep an eye on things. She watched the strange man who made the eerie comment leave, and then everything seemed fine. So the woman left. And then everything seemed fine. So the woman left.
Speaker 1:So then, on April 26th 2013, which was the night of Jessica's disappearance. At 10.55 pm the last transaction was recorded on Jessica's register and it was a cigarette lighter. So then at 11 pm a woman by the name of Susan Follett, which was the manager of the Exxon station, and then her then husband, eric Barber, ride by the station on their motorcycle. However, something odd captured the attention of Susan. She noticed a suspicious silver minivan parked behind the Exxon gas station. She initially thought that Jessica was stealing merchandise from the station, as there was mention that Jessica had done that in the past.
Speaker 1:Susan told Muskegon prosecutor DJ Hilson that she had a really bad feeling that something was wrong when she spotted the suspicious silver van around the corner of the gas station with its headlights off. She turned to her husband and said quote something don't feel right, I'm going back. Unquote. The couple turned around and parked in the parking lot of a nearby business. There they had a good view of the back of the gas station and could see the van parked back there next to the rear service door. Above the door was a light that employees were supposed to keep on and that light had been turned off. There was still just enough light, however, from the side of the station for Susan and her husband to notice that the van's hatch closed, shut and then reopened and then closed shut again. They could see a man wearing a bright orange shirt get into the driver's side of the van and then drive away. The van passed directly in front of Susan and her husband's parked motorcycles and from there they could tell that the driver of the van was a bigger, broader man with wavy hair. Once the van drove away, follett and her husband went home and shortly after arriving home Susan received a phone call from her manager telling her to get to the gas station fast because Jessica was not there. Jessica was not there and Susan testified later in court that she did in fact go back to the gas station and that she told police about the suspicious silver van she had seen earlier.
Speaker 1:Between the hours of 1102 and 1105 pm, a silver Chrysler Town and Country matching the one seen by the Exxon manager and her husband was seen on surveillance cameras from three other area businesses speeding away from the station. 11 10 pm, a man pulls into the station to buy gas. When he goes into the store to pay, he can't find Jessica anywhere and decides to call 9-1-1. 11 25 pm, police arrive at the Exxon station, where they found jessica's car and jacket, her purse and wallet with over 400 still inside, as well as a broken scope to a gun that was located on the ground in the back of the station and also drops of blood. Within Within an hour, police conducted a canine search of the area. However, the search turned up nothing. Lieutenant Kasher was the first detective on the scene the night of Jessica's disappearance the scene still fresh in his mind today. Immediately he knew the outcome wasn't going to be good and in an article by the Holland Sentinel, lieutenant Kasher is quoted as saying quote I see all of her stuff there, including her cigarettes and her lighter, which was nicely stacked and it looked like she was counting money out of her drawer. There's a lot of money there. All the change, everything, everything was in place like she was cleaning up unquote.
Speaker 1:In the days after Jessica's disappearance, family and friends handed out flyers and held candlelight vigils, praying that police would locate Jessica and bring her home safely. Then came tip number 257. The tip that would lead investigators to Jessica's killer, a man by the name of Jeffrey Thomas Willis. Willis, a former factory worker, was a frequent customer at the Exxon gas station where Jessica worked. His profile matched that of a police artist sketch of a man that was seen flirting with Jessica in the days leading up to her disappearance. His vehicle also matched the one witnessed behind the station.
Speaker 1:The night Jessica went missing and, according to Wikipedia, some of Willis's co-workers at the factory told authorities that Willis was scheduled to work on the night Jessica disappeared, but that he never showed up that night. Nor did he show up in the days after she went missing. Police obtained a search warrant to search Willis' house and there they discovered a treasure trove of evidence On his home computer. They found pictures of Jessica in a folder labeled VIX V-I-C-S. I think that pretty much goes without saying that that is short for victims. Okay.
Speaker 2:I have a few questions. Just as you were reading the timeline, something that didn't make sense to me and maybe you can clear it up for me. So the manager of the gas station and her husband drive by and the manager had an uneasy feeling so they went back. Is that right?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's absolutely correct. They had driven by the gas station and happened to see the silver minivan rounding the corner into the back of the gas station with the headlights off, and they thought that was kind of strange, and so they turned around to see what was going on.
Speaker 2:Right. So I guess what's confusing to me is that they were that concerned to turn around and to park at a business across the street, but after they saw that the minivan leave, or even before, they didn't think to go into the gas station to make sure that Jessica was okay or just to kind of check things out.
Speaker 1:I did think that that was a little weird also, but I don't know that they thought that whatever was going on was putting Jessica in harm's way at the time. I think now Susan Follett, the female witness, and the manager, had mentioned that she initially thought that Jessica was stealing, and not money, but stealing items from the store Because she had done that in the past. So when they turned around, I don't think it was a concern about someone is there to do something to Jessica. From what I've read, or all the reports that I've seen, that they realized it was a man in that minivan until the minivan pulled away and passed them and then they saw that it was a man.
Speaker 1:You know, you know when you see things. I mean, have you ever been in a position where you see something and you're kind of like I don't know, this could be something, this could be nothing? And then sometimes nine times out of 10, we all try and we end up convincing ourselves that it was probably nothing, because you don't want to act on something that you're not 100% sure is anything. And so to act on that, you know you're really setting some wheels in motion, so sometimes it's easier just to convince yourself oh, it was, it was nothing. Now this poor woman is beating herself up now. Her testimony was heartbreaking. She's really feeling that guilt. But I think hindsight's 20-20. And at the time she really didn't think that this is a serial killer. And he just killed Jessica and threw her body in the back and that is what was going on back there.
Speaker 2:Well, and then, of course, anybody can understand that, because we've all had things that we've regretted or, you know, wish, you know, 2020 hindsight, that we would have done things differently. I guess we we just had a couple of things that you described. That one, of course, to see that, and it wouldn't even be to me that suspicious for her to just to stop in and, I don't know, get a soda or something. But also you have a woman there alone that late at night. I mean, and we don't know that the town or whatever the circumstances of why they would think that would be okay for a worker to be alone at night in general, man or woman, I mean just two factors that absolutely I'm sure that the lady really feels like she should have went back and went inside oh, definitely.
Speaker 1:I think that looking back now she, like I said, she's beating herself up about it and probably asking those exact same questions that you just brought up why didn't I go into the store? Why didn't I check on her? The sad part is it by then it was too late. She would have went into an empty store and she discovered that soon after she got home because another manager had contacted her to go back.
Speaker 1:So on December 13th 2016, in Muskegon County, judge Raymond Kosua decided that the prosecution had enough evidence against Willis to charge him with their murder and kidnapping of Jessica. The folder on Willis's computer labeled VIX, with a subfolder labeled with Jessica's initials, along with pictures of her and the date of her disappearance, were among the evidence presented in his trial. Also found on Willis's computer were necrophilia and murder porn videos downloaded from the internet. So basically, this guy is a pretty sick piece of work. So it was also discovered through DNA evidence that the blood droplets on the ground behind the gas station were, in fact, confirmed to be Jessica's blood. On May 16th 2018, willis was found guilty of Jessica's kidnapping and murder, and one month later he received a life sentence.
Speaker 2:Well, honestly, I'm glad to hear that, that he received a life sentence and I guess, thinking back again to that timeline, that he was just there to kill her. I mean that that's just obvious to me and a little bit disturbing to. He didn't steal any money, that you're saying that she had $400 in her purse, but from what you just read, he was there strictly, had been stalking her and was just there to kill her. And I wish that somebody could have seen this coming. Even if the store was empty and the manager came in, then they would have caught him so much sooner. I mean, it's just such a sad story.
Speaker 1:I definitely think that they should not have only one employee working at any hour, but especially overnight. I think that that's just insane.
Speaker 2:I totally agree that that makes zero sense. As you were saying that, I was trying to think have I ever been someplace, at a gas station late at night where there has just been one person? I don't think so. I mean, this was what in 2013. So so maybe that long ago that I'd stop in, and I just always seem to remember that there'd be at least another person there.
Speaker 1:Well, I think any more too. I mean, I'm sure it still happens now, especially with companies trying to cut costs so they don't want to hire two employees, figuring that there's not that many people that are coming in late at night, but it really is a safety issue at this point. It's always been a safety issue Now. Willis was also tied to the 2014 murder of a young woman by the name of Rebecca Sue Bletch, to which he was also found guilty and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Rebecca was a 36-year-old woman from Dalton Township who had been approached by Willis on June 29, 2014, while jogging. So this one this one was in 2014.
Speaker 2:So the other was 2013, though, right.
Speaker 1:Right, so he wasn't immediately charged. Apparently, they're investigating that case In the meanwhile, 2014, june 29th 2014. I mean, he's still free. He hasn't been. He hasn't been found. Look at all the cases that someone was murdered, and the cold cases no one's no one's been recovered, no one's been found, no one's been charged. So I mean, this was one of those that they just didn't catch up to him before he was able to commit this other murder.
Speaker 2:So I'm looking tip number 257. Are we saying that that came through and they started that investigation process after July of 2014?
Speaker 1:I'm assuming they started the investigation process immediately after, so I'm going back. Okay, I was talking about when he was actually charged. He was charged and his trial went on, and everything in 2016. But 2014,. He has struck again.
Speaker 2:It's like what in the world he's been charged? They know that this is the the person and he's out able to to strike again. So my thought is 2013. You seemingly I don't know if he thinks he he is getting away with it at this point that he feels comfortable enough to try something like this again in 2014. But it just seems like and maybe that's what it is was just overconfidence that they haven't figured out what I had done maybe a year and a half before. I mean, it's just so mind boggling to me.
Speaker 1:It's that of a serial killer. They strike again because they're addicted to that euphoric feeling that they're getting from committing the crime. Whatever it is that fuels their motivation Apparently, with this guy it's some incredibly sick sexual fetishes, I guess you would you would call it so it's fueling. They can't. They can't, not do it. Some of them are able to stop doing it for a while, but then they strike back up just about a year after Jessica so 2014,.
Speaker 1:June 29th, 2014,. June 29th, rebecca Bletch is jogging. She is approached by what ends up being Willis in his silver minivan, and later on she was found on the side of the road with three gunshot wounds to her head. Shell casings found near her body matched a gun that was found in Willis's minivan. Police also discovered disturbing photos of women who were bound and gagged, as well as a rape kit that consisted of handcuffs, ropes, chains and syringes, with a liquid substance in one of them that was later tested and found to contain a powerful sedative. Another subfolder was found on Willis's computer, much like the one found in the folder titled VIX that had Jessica's subfile in it, and this one was a file titled Rebecca and it contained photos of Rebecca Bletch.
Speaker 1:So police were able to tie more charges to Willis, such as the attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl by the name of Madison Nygaard in Laketon Township on April 16, 2016,. After she had left a party and become lost while trying to walk home, willis pulled alongside her in his silver minivan and asked her if she needed to use his phone. In his silver minivan, and asked her if she needed to use his phone, the young woman replied that she did, and he told her that in order to use his phone, she would have to get inside his van. That is red flag number two, actually, for me, the first one being the fact that he approached her at all, but she was only 16, and I think a lot of times at that age, you think you're invincible.
Speaker 2:You think you're invincible. You think you're invincible and also you don't. And I don't know about this person, but she could have very likely had someone warning her against the social media warns, against things like that, even in 2016. But you don't think it's ever going to happen to you. Oh, it's just some guy being nice.
Speaker 1:Well, exactly, and if you're in a crappy situation, you're out in a rural area and you're lost and you're thinking, oh, he seems like a nice guy, you're a little naive, especially at 16. So she got into the minivan and as soon as she shut the passenger door, he locked all the doors and pulled out a gun. Once he pulled out the gun, the girl immediately went into fight or flight mode and, due to her quick thinking, she was able to escape the van by pretending that she couldn't breathe and getting him to roll down the window. And it worked and the girl was able to jump out of the moving van and get away.
Speaker 2:I am so glad to hear that. Honestly. Okay, ladies, if you need to use a phone and you say, oh, they have to get in the van first, do not Walk in a rural area, whatever. Get attacked by a bear, it doesn't matter, Just get away. I'm so glad that that worked out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was super quick thinking on her part and I'm kind of surprised, to be honest with you, that by her saying that she couldn't breathe, that he really gave a crap, that he was like, oh, let me roll down the window for you so you can breathe. But it was worth a shot for her to try and I'm very glad that she did because it saved her life. So Willis was also charged with possession and production of child pornography when investigators discovered videos on his computer of naked underage girls who actually lived next door to him in March of 2011 and had recorded them while they used his bathroom, according to Wikipedia, and that's pretty much all I found on that. So I'm a bit confused as to, first of all, why were they using his bathroom if he lived next door to them, and why were they naked? That's kind of confusing to me, like did he lure them there by telling them some fabricated story? And maybe they were changing in his bathroom?
Speaker 2:regardless of why they were there, this guy is pretty sick and they are extremely, extremely lucky to be alive because, considering his track record, I guess what came to mind is, and who knows, but like little kids or whatever, if you're swimming or outside in the summertime and you have a swimsuit on it to use the bathroom, you have to take off the swimsuit and so you'd be naked. So I mean, that's just kind of what I thought, maybe something like that, but I guess something that's a little disturbing other than the obvious that that was 2011. And I mean we're saying there was no reports or anything that they could get him on until this time, so until 2016.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's all I found regarding that situation. That happened in March 2011 with the underage girls. Obviously, this was years before what he did to Jessica, but this is kind of going to show you how I don't know. It just kind of goes to show how he was starting out.
Speaker 1:Maybe he's doing things like this that are still very sick, but Willis is suspected okay, they don't have anything foolproof on this, but he is suspected of an unsolved murder back as far as October of 1996 of a 15 year old Fruitport High School student by the name of Angela Marie Thornburg.
Speaker 1:Angela's body was discovered by a hunter in the woods near Fruitport and she was partially clothed and had been reported missing one month prior to being discovered and was initially considered to be a runaway. And I think that is the problem with a lot of these missing persons cases when the victim is a teenager and I think we've talked about this before but the police immediately assume the victim is a teenager and I think we've talked about this before but the police immediately assume the victim is just a runaway. And this is clearly not always the case. And even in the instances where it actually is the case, being a runaway puts the teenager in an even more vulnerable state, because that is exactly what child predators are looking for and really that's so true that these child predators they want to look for.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's very similar to human trafficking someone that they've read away, their parents don't understand them and that they need their help. But I do want to say yes, there are some genuine guys or girls out there that really do see somebody in a tough situation and want to help. Unfortunately, I mean, a lot of times you hear of these missing children, teenagers, adults, from people that that have been stalking, like this guy, from people that mean harm, and it's so scary. It is scary.
Speaker 1:And there are a lot of people out there that would rush to help someone in need, but in this day and age especially, you just can't trust anybody. I mean, and it's sad, but it's just the way it is now. So on June 31, 2016,. We're jumping back to 2016, willis's cousin, kevin Bloom, who was a former prison guard for the Michigan Department of Corrections, was charged with lying to a police officer after he told officers information about Jessica's death that hadn't been made public yet. He later recanted this information and he eventually admitted to police that he had seen Willis with Jessica's body and that he helped him bury her after she woman there that he needed help with. Bloom told investigators that he saw Jessica naked, face down on the ground with her hands bound behind her back and what appeared to be a head wound. So this is how much of a monster this guy is and how little regard he has for human life. He uses her for his own sick pleasure and then puts a bullet in her head when he's done. It's absolutely disgusting. It's so disgusting.
Speaker 1:So Bloom admitted to officers that Willis had been watching Jessica for some time before hitting her over the head to the point that she lost consciousness, and then raping her and torturing her. Bloom claimed that he helped Willis wrap Jessica's body in a sheet before driving her out to Sheridan Road, near Laketon Road, where Willis had already dug a hole for her. They then buried Jessica's body. I guess I'm just blown away at how many people are willing to bury a body for someone when asked. It really blows my mind. So Bloom ended up getting suspended without pay from his job at the correctional facility. Jeez, I would certainly hope so, just suspended.
Speaker 2:That's crazy.
Speaker 1:Well, no, not just suspended, he probably should got fired. Actually, I mean, you know, you're working at a facility where you are working with prisoners and you just admitted to burying a body and the most they're going to do to you at the moment is suspend you. Maybe that was before he actually admitted that. I would hope that was before he admitted to what he did. This is all I found when researching, but I'm hoping that maybe during the investigation he was suspended and then, once he admitted it or they had more evidence, they should have fired. Fired him, I mean maybe.
Speaker 1:Well, they obviously did at some point, because on November 27th 2017, he pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact and was sentenced approximately six weeks later to time served. He was sentenced to time served by then, plus five years probation, and he had to wear a GPS monitor for one year. So, wow, that sounds pretty much like a slap on the wrist. In my opinion, and according to an article published on Fox 17 online, bloom had a personal connection with both Rebecca Bletch and Madison Nygaard. It seems that he told police that one of his kids played soccer with one of Rebecca's kids and that Madison Nygaard was in dance with his kids, yet he claims that he never steered either one of them into the path of Willis. Hmm, I don't know about that. I don't think that was merely coincidence, do you?
Speaker 2:Absolutely not. Oh my gosh, this is crazy that he. It's literally just a slap on the wrist and I mean you know what no contest means right? When somebody pleads that the technicality of it oh I'm not saying it's right or wrong, like that they're ignorant of the law, that doesn't make any sense. You helped hide at least one dead body. I'm thinking he kind of was working with him, with Willis, on this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't doubt for a second. I know it's all just kind of we're theorizing with this, but I think that he wholeheartedly was part of why they were Willis's victims in the first place, because that just seems way too coincidental that he would have ties to both of those victims and both of those victims would end up dead. And well, actually, no, no, they didn't both end up dead, did they? Well, rebecca did, and Madison Nygaard could have potentially been the next murder victim. I don't believe in coincidences, especially when you're talking about crime like this. So I think he was totally involved 100%. So I think he was totally involved 100%. Jessica's body has never been found.
Speaker 1:However, in an article published in the Holland Sentinel, retired Norton Shores police lieutenant and former lead investigator, michael Kasher, has his own theories of what happened to Jessica on that fateful night. He believes Willis parked his van behind the gas station and knocked on the back door to get Jessica's attention. After she opens the door, he believes that Willis hit her over the head with his gun, causing the laser scope to explode, which would explain the broken laser found on the ground. Then he throws her into the back of his van and is closing the hatch as the couple on the motorcycle drive by van and is closing the hatch as the couple on the motorcycle drive by. He is then believed to have driven out to his deceased grandfather's home where he then kills her. Lieutenant Kasher also has his own theories on where Jessica's body may be buried and because of the fact that her body was never found, I'm assuming that maybe Blum doesn't remember where they buried her and maybe Willis refused to tell. I found nothing on why Kevin Blum never led investigators to her body, but he claimed to help bury the body and then investigators still are not finding her body. So Kasher believes that Jessica is buried somewhere in the Manistee National Forest near Lake Mason County line, which is about a 90-minute drive from Norton Shores.
Speaker 1:He believes that Willis was on his way out there with Jessica's body in the back of his silver minivan, which was confirmed through the cell phone pings picked up from Willis' cell phone. Through phone records it was confirmed that Willis returned to the same area in the months following Jessica's murder. The first time was in June and the second time was in August, and both times were around the hours of 3 am. According to the same article, kasher is quoted as saying quote. Why was he out there? He's a hunter and he's an avid snowmobiler. It wasn't hunting season and we weren't having snow in June and August. I believe somewhere along the line he was either visiting or burying her. Even better, unquote.
Speaker 1:Police have tirelessly searched the area using infrared cameras, cadaver dogs and and helicopters. However, the many searches conducted still turn up nothing. On December 9th 2013, jessica's law was passed at the request of Jessica's parents. This law requires gas stations, as well as convenience stores that are open in the hours between 11 pm and 5 am, to install security cameras or to have at least two employees working those hours. I personally believe that they should have working security cameras during any hours of operation, as well as the minimum of two employees on shift at any given time.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Me personally. That's just too late. I mean, we know that this had happened, but I wonder how many crimes happened between that time to have people there alone, you know, no security cameras or anything.
Speaker 1:Well, exactly, and how many times, I believe we talked about this to how many times were the cameras not working? How many times do you hear that, oh, the cameras weren't working, or the cameras were working, but the footage is super grainy and they get nothing out of it? I mean, all too many times that's the story and it's like how hard is it really? You know, I don't know what all goes into it, but how hard is it to get decent cameras and make sure that they're maintained properly so that they are working?
Speaker 2:I think it comes back to money, because you hear that every place that oh cameras are installed but they're not working. So it must be pretty expensive to keep those maintained.
Speaker 1:It must be, but I guess I look at it like you can't put a price tag on someone's life and you could actually save a life by having that. Then, on March 9th 2018, the Rebecca Brecht law was passed. This was a law that would require defendants who have been convicted of a crime to listen to victim impact statements during sentencing, which Willis refused to do after Rebecca's trial, which I think is really crappy. But look who we're dealing with. So, to this day, willis denies any involvement in the murders of Jessica Haringa and Rebecca Bledge, as well as the attempted kidnapping of Madison Nygaard.
Speaker 1:In an article by the Holland Sentinel published May 3rd 2023, jessica Haringa's family questions everything that police have uncovered and believe that their daughter could still very much be alive. It's the power of hope that keeps them going and keeps their daughter's memory alive. As for Jeffrey Willis, well, I hope that he spends the remainder of his so-called life rotting in prison before making a mad dash straight to hell. Thank you for listening to another episode of Gone in a Bleak. If you like our podcast, please consider giving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we would love it if you would follow us on any of our social media sites and I will list those sites in our show notes. And if you have a suggestion for a show or if you have a loved one who was murdered or missing and you'd like us to cover your case, drop us an email at goneandablakepod at gmailcom. And last but certainly not least, please remember, be safe, be smart and try not to blink.
