06-15-2013, 12:20 PM
Jessica's case is getting national coverage now on HLN, Jane Velez-Mitchell (JVM) show.
The more visibility the better. Hope it results in valid tips and leads.
JVM interviewed one of the eye witnesses to the suspected abductor. With more details of the witness accounts, I can see why police are so insistent on keeping their focus on the silver mini-van and its unidentified driver.
Witness Accounts
1. Friend who was at the Exxon station earlier that night:
CHRISTIAN VANANTWERPEN, FRIEND OF JESSICA HEERINGA (via phone on JVM):
"Well, I was just getting gas after work, and Jessica was out taking care of the receipt papers at the pumps. And somebody just started having a conversation with her at the pumps while still in the vehicle, and it was a silver minivan. And I thought that was kind of strange, because he didn`t wait to go inside. He just decided to have a conversation with her on the spot.
Well, he never got out of the vehicle, and he was a couple of bays over. So unfortunately, I didn`t get a really good clean shot of him, but it was just very peculiar to me when the cops came the next day and said that they were looking for a silver minivan. Then I remembered this connection, because it seemed out of place that he was just striking up conversation, never left his vehicle. He didn`t buy gas. He was just there to talk to her at the pumps, almost like he was waiting for her to come outside or something.
It seemed like it was somebody who had been in there before, that she might have known. He seemed pretty comfortable talking to her. She obviously was dealing with the receipt papers at the time. So she seemed preoccupied and maybe a little annoyed, as well, that somebody was doing this.
And I was driving away so I didn`t think too much of the situation. But it seemed that -- it rang a bell in my mind that something was going on. That didn`t seem quite right."
2. Fellow Exxon employee (from police statement in the media):
A fellow Exxon Mobil employee was driving past when she saw a minivan drive behind the station. The woman turned around, drove past the station again and saw a man — who has been described as being about 30 to 40 years old — getting into the van. This reportedly occurred near closing time. She called the police right after Jessica's disappearance was announced to report this. I haven't seen or heard any direct interviews with this witness, just the statement from police in the media.
3. Customer who called 911 (recording played on JVM):
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): I just walked inside, there`s nobody. There`s a car here. There`s another car out front. But it just -- it`s very suspicious why there`s nobody here.
DISPATCHER (via phone): OK. So did you yell or anything? Or...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I hollered, "Hey," and you know, walked around the building. It just -- I don`t know. (When police arrived they found Jessica's purse still at the station, the cash drawer on the counter, and no sign of Jessica).
The more visibility the better. Hope it results in valid tips and leads.
JVM interviewed one of the eye witnesses to the suspected abductor. With more details of the witness accounts, I can see why police are so insistent on keeping their focus on the silver mini-van and its unidentified driver.
Witness Accounts
1. Friend who was at the Exxon station earlier that night:
CHRISTIAN VANANTWERPEN, FRIEND OF JESSICA HEERINGA (via phone on JVM):
"Well, I was just getting gas after work, and Jessica was out taking care of the receipt papers at the pumps. And somebody just started having a conversation with her at the pumps while still in the vehicle, and it was a silver minivan. And I thought that was kind of strange, because he didn`t wait to go inside. He just decided to have a conversation with her on the spot.
Well, he never got out of the vehicle, and he was a couple of bays over. So unfortunately, I didn`t get a really good clean shot of him, but it was just very peculiar to me when the cops came the next day and said that they were looking for a silver minivan. Then I remembered this connection, because it seemed out of place that he was just striking up conversation, never left his vehicle. He didn`t buy gas. He was just there to talk to her at the pumps, almost like he was waiting for her to come outside or something.
It seemed like it was somebody who had been in there before, that she might have known. He seemed pretty comfortable talking to her. She obviously was dealing with the receipt papers at the time. So she seemed preoccupied and maybe a little annoyed, as well, that somebody was doing this.
And I was driving away so I didn`t think too much of the situation. But it seemed that -- it rang a bell in my mind that something was going on. That didn`t seem quite right."
2. Fellow Exxon employee (from police statement in the media):
A fellow Exxon Mobil employee was driving past when she saw a minivan drive behind the station. The woman turned around, drove past the station again and saw a man — who has been described as being about 30 to 40 years old — getting into the van. This reportedly occurred near closing time. She called the police right after Jessica's disappearance was announced to report this. I haven't seen or heard any direct interviews with this witness, just the statement from police in the media.
3. Customer who called 911 (recording played on JVM):
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): I just walked inside, there`s nobody. There`s a car here. There`s another car out front. But it just -- it`s very suspicious why there`s nobody here.
DISPATCHER (via phone): OK. So did you yell or anything? Or...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I hollered, "Hey," and you know, walked around the building. It just -- I don`t know. (When police arrived they found Jessica's purse still at the station, the cash drawer on the counter, and no sign of Jessica).