The night of April 26, 2013 began like any other for 25 year old Jessica Lynn Heeringa, a hardworking single mother who took late shifts at the Exxon station on Sternberg Road in Norton Shores, Michigan. By the end of the night, the station stood open and brightly lit, the cash untouched, and Jessica was nowhere to be found. What looked at first like a quiet, ordinary night soon revealed the presence of a predator who had been watching her for far longer than anyone realized.
A Loving Daughter and Devoted Mother
Jessica’s mother, Shelley, remembers her daughter as warm, generous, and always willing to go the extra mile for others. Jessica grew up in Norton Shores with her parents and older sister. At 22 she became a mother to her son, Zen, with her long-term partner Dakota Quail Dyer. The couple faced financial struggles, and Jessica often worked extra shifts to support their young family. Despite difficulties, she dreamed of returning to college to study accounting.
On the night she vanished, Jessica arrived at the gas station around 4:35 p.m. and prepared for a routine shift that was scheduled to end at 11:30. She was the only employee on duty.
A Sudden Silence Inside a Fully Lit Gas Station
At 11:14 p.m., a customer called 911 after entering the Exxon station and finding it empty. Jessica’s cigarettes and lighter were still beside the register. Her coat remained in the back room. Her purse still held 420 dollars in cash. Her car sat untouched in the parking lot.
There were no signs of a struggle inside. Nothing had been stolen.
Only one clue was found at the rear of the store: a single drop of blood that DNA later confirmed belonged to Jessica. Officers also discovered a cap from the laser sight of a Walther P22 pistol and two tiny batteries on the floor near the service door.
Without surveillance cameras, investigators had little to piece together. Jessica had vanished quietly and without witnesses.
A Silver Minivan and a Suspicious Stranger
As police contacted Jessica’s family and began searching for leads, a coworker recalled driving past the station around 11 p.m. with her boyfriend. They noticed a silver Chrysler Town and Country minivan parked near the rear service door, its back hatch open. A man with messy curly hair and an orange sweatshirt stood beside it, repeatedly opening and closing the hatch.
When they slowed down to watch, he quickly drove away.
Surveillance footage from nearby businesses confirmed that a silver Chrysler minivan passed the station at 11:02 p.m.
An employee from a neighboring store also told police he had seen the man talking to Jessica earlier, believing he was flirting with her. With the help of witnesses, investigators created a composite sketch of the stranger. But the sketch led nowhere. Silver Chrysler minivans were among the most common vehicles in Michigan, with over 15,000 registered in the state.
False Leads and a Community on Edge
As days passed, several men close to Jessica came under scrutiny:
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Dakota Dyer, Jessica’s fiancé, admitted the couple argued often but denied harming her. Phone records confirmed he was home with their young son that night. He was removed from the suspect list.
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Jeff Ammerman, a married plumber who confessed romantic feelings to Jessica earlier that evening, was questioned and passed a polygraph test. His wife confirmed his alibi.
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Rob Falet, brother of the station manager, admitted stopping by and noticing Jessica appeared sad. His phone records confirmed he left for night fishing shortly afterward.
None of them were involved.
Massive search operations followed. Helicopters, K9 units, and volunteers scoured neighborhoods, wooded areas, abandoned wells, and Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Nothing was found.
The case began to grow cold.
A Chillingly Similar Attack
Almost a year later, in February 2014, a woman matching Jessica’s general description was abducted while walking home late at night. The attacker brought her to his apartment, assaulted her, and threatened to kill her before suddenly releasing her.
The man, Brad Allen Mason, was shot dead by police shortly afterward when he pointed a fake gun at officers. Mason lived across the street from the Exxon station where Jessica worked. Although the similarities were striking, investigators found no evidence linking him to Jessica’s disappearance.
A Break in the Case After a Daring Escape
Two years after Jessica vanished, in 2016, a 16 year old girl was walking home late when she became lost. A man driving a silver minivan stopped and offered help. When she asked to use his phone, he told her she had to get inside the vehicle. As soon as she entered, he locked the doors, pulled out a gun, and began driving.
Feeling faint from fear and desperation, the young woman asked him to roll down the window for air. In a split second of courage, she squeezed herself through the opening of the moving vehicle, leaped out, and ran toward a nearby house for help.
Her description and nearby surveillance footage allowed police to identify the man: 46 year old factory worker Jeffrey Willis.
The Horrifying Discovery Inside Willis’s Home
When police found Willis, they searched his minivan and discovered a Walther P22 pistol. It belonged to a coworker who had reported it missing. Inside Willis’s house, investigators uncovered a chilling collection:
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Handcuffs, chains, ropes, ball gag, lubricant, gloves
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Syringes filled with an unknown sedative
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A diagram marking injection sites on a female body
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A camera and forcibly themed BDSM tools
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A hidden hard drive containing videos secretly filmed of his neighbors
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Countless violent kidnapping and torture videos
On his computer, detectives found a folder titled “victims”. Inside were two subfolders:
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One labeled Jessica Heringa
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One labeled Rebecca, referring to Rebekah Bletsch, a local woman murdered in 2014
With this discovery, the investigation took a shocking turn. Willis was no longer just a suspect. He was a predator operating in plain sight.
Part 3 will reveal how the investigation into Willis unfolds, how the evidence connects multiple crimes, and how justice is finally brought to light.
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