On the evening of April 26, 2013, the routine quiet of Norton Shores, Michigan, was broken by a mystery that still weighs heavily on the hearts of many. Jessica Heeringa, a 25-year-old gas station clerk and mother to a young boy disappeared while working a late shift at an Exxon station on Sternberg Road. No camera footage, no eyewitnesses, just a silent scene and the haunting absence of a woman who had so much to live for.
Jessica was working alone that night. The last confirmed customer interaction occurred at 10:55 p.m. Shortly after, a patron arrived to find the station unattended. Jessica’s purse, jacket, cigarettes and car were left behind. Police were called. Blood was discovered near the building, later confirmed to be hers. Parts of a firearm were found close by — including a battery cover from a laser sight. There were signs of a struggle but no sign of Jessica.
A Life Defined by Love and Hope
Jessica Lynn Heeringa was born on July 16, 1987, in Michigan. Described as warm-hearted and naturally optimistic, she was known for her tie-dye shirts, her love of The Beatles and her free-spirited charm. Her mother, Shelly Heeringa, shared with Fox 17 West Michigan: “She’s just a wonderful person, I can’t say anymore. I think anybody that went into that gas station probably was greeted with a smile.”
Jessica’s life had its challenges. She and her fiancé, Dakota Quail-Dyer, were raising their 3-year-old son amid financial uncertainty. After Dakota lost his job, Jessica began working extra hours to support the family. She dreamed of becoming an accountant — a goal inspired by her love of math and a desire to build a better future.
A Vanishing with No Witness
The lack of surveillance cameras at the gas station created a critical gap in the investigation. Jessica had reportedly joked with customers about the station’s lack of cameras. No one could have imagined how that oversight would later complicate efforts to find her.
Witnesses told police they had seen a silver minivan in the area at the time of Jessica’s disappearance. The driver was described as a white male around middle age. A sketch was released but without video or physical evidence beyond the crime scene, leads quickly dried up.
Despite the limitations, investigators pressed forward. A multi-agency task force formed dedicating thousands of hours to Jessica’s case. According to CBS News, more than 12,000 man-hours were invested. Authorities followed up on over 1,400 tips, served 33 search warrants and searched both land and water.
But Jessica remained missing.
Years of Silence — Then, a Break
For three long years, Jessica’s case sat without resolution. Then, in 2016, a major development came from a nearby town — but not from Jessica’s case directly.
A teenage girl escaped a kidnapping attempt in Muskegon County. Her attacker was arrested. His name: Jeffrey Willis. A local factory worker, Willis had no criminal record that suggested the darkness authorities would soon uncover. The girl’s escape led investigators to search his van — and what they found was chilling.
Inside the vehicle were handcuffs, syringes, ropes, and a list of women. Willis was quickly linked to the 2014 murder of Rebekah Bletsch and soon after, detectives began re-examining Jessica’s disappearance. Willis owned a silver Chrysler Town & Country minivan — eerily similar to the one described in the Heeringa case.
Back in 2013, police had spoken to Willis but at the time, he had a clean-looking van and an alibi. With new forensic tools and testimonies, that began to unravel.
“Mr. Willis is a Monster”
In September 2016, Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson held a press conference. “We found Jessica’s killer,” he said plainly. Hilson continued, “Mr. Willis is a monster. He certainly is an individual that I wouldn’t let any of my children around, much less any female around. What his total motivation was, that’s only for him to say. Ultimately, I think this was part of who he was as a person.”
Willis’s cousin, Kevin Bluhm, initially denied involvement. Later, he confessed to helping Willis and was charged as an accessory. That admission only added to the grim picture of what might have happened to Jessica that night.
Though Jessica’s body has never been found, prosecutors felt confident in the evidence they had. In court, the prosecution painted a chilling portrait of a man who hunted women. On May 16, 2018, Willis was convicted of kidnapping and murder in the case of Jessica Heeringa. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Missing, Still
The verdict brought relief to some. But not everyone in Jessica’s family believed justice had been served. Some continue to believe she may still be alive, unwilling to accept closure without her physical remains.
Chris Hare, a former corporal with the Norton Shores Police Department, later explained: “He [Willis] recalls seeing her there and he said that he didn’t have a relationship with her, didn’t talk to her a lot. Just had seen her working…in the gas station.” That single detail — a customer quietly watching — may have been the beginning of a tragic plan.
Years later, Police Chief Dan Shaw told CBS News: “We have not received or discovered the necessary information leading us to Jessica or her abductor.” That comment came before Willis’s conviction — but even now with a man behind bars, the truth remains frustratingly incomplete.
A Legacy of Strength
Jessica Heeringa’s story is one of heartbreak and perseverance. Her face appeared on billboards and flyers. Community members wore shirts in her honor. Strangers lit candles in prayer. For many, she became a symbol of the dangers women face while working alone — and a reminder that every detail matters especially when it’s too late to fix.
Her son is now growing up without his mother. Her parents continue to carry her memory, refusing to let her be forgotten. And the town of Norton Shores has never quite felt the same.
Though the court delivered a sentence, one fact remains: Jessica is still missing and until she is found, the story isn’t over.
