Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
ABC 20/20’s new episode looks into the case of Jeffrey Willis, who murdered two women and attempted to kidnap a third. He reportedly used his silver van to commit the crimes. The upcoming episode titled “The Murderer in the Minivan” will air on the network this Friday, February 2, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. The official synopsis reads, “Three women — one missing, one murdered, one kidnapped — and the clues leading to a killer.”
According to People Magazine, Jeffrey Willis of Michigan stood trial in connection with Jessica Heeringa’s April 2013 disappearance. She was never found. Then, in June 2014, Rebekah Bletsch was gunned down while jogging on a rural Muskegon County road. Investigators only linked Willis to both cases after his arrest in the attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old in 2016. During a search of his property, police found evidence connecting him to both cases.
Law & Crime reported that a jury convicted Willis of Bletsch’s murder in 2017. The following year, he was also convicted of Heeringa’s kidnapping and murder. The convicted murderer received life sentences on both convictions.
How many murders was Jeffrey Willis convicted of?
Law & Crime and People Magazine said that Jeffrey Willis stood trial for the murders of Jessica Heeringa and Rebekah Bletsch. Both cases resulted in separate convictions. In 2017, a jury convicted Willis of premeditated first-degree murder and a felony firearm charge in Bletsch’s killing. He received a life sentence on the murder charge and a two-year sentence for the firearm count, per prison records.
The following year, in 2018, Jeffrey Willis stood trial in Heeringa’s kidnapping and murder case. A jury convicted him of first-degree premeditated and felony murder and sexually motivated kidnapping. He received a life sentence on the murder count and 18 years and 9 months to 40 years for the kidnapping charge.
On April 26, 2013, Jessica Heeringa, a 25-year-old mother, disappeared during her late-night shift at an Exxon gas station. People Magazine reported that a customer arrived at 11 p.m. and found the station abandoned. Her purse and jacket were still in the gas station, but she had disappeared.
The gas station’s manager reported noticing a silver van behind the building. The witness watched a man drive away in the van. Fox 17 stated that police found blood evidence as well as Heeringa’s purse there. They had also recovered a plastic piece and some small batteries from a 22-caliber handgun laser sight. Heeringa’s case went cold for a couple of years until investigators linked Jeffrey Willis to her disappearance.
Another Fox 17 report said that Rebekah Bletsch, 36, was jogging on a rural Muskegon County road on June 29, 2014, when the killer shot her. A couple found Bletsch’s body on the roadside and initially thought she had been hit by a car. They later noticed that she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head. A few years later, investigators were able to link Willis to her murder.
How was Jeffrey Willis linked to the murders of Jessica Heeringa and Rebekah Bletsch?
Investigators finally made a breakthrough in both cases in April 2016 following the attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl. The teenager was reportedly walking home from a party when a man in a silver van approached her. This man allegedly asked the teen if she needed a ride, and after she got into his van to use his phone, he began to drive away and even pulled a gun on her. She escaped the kidnapper by jumping out of the moving van and eventually reported the incident.
People Magazine reported that police used surveillance footage to identify Jeffrey Willis’ van and him as the alleged kidnapper. Afterward, during a search of his home, they found evidence that tied Willis to the teen’s alleged attempted kidnapping. Other evidence found inside his van, such as a gun and digital files on his computer, linked him to the murders of Jessica Heeringa and Rebekah Bletsch.
Investigators found files related to Bletsch on Willis’ computer. He had labeled the file labeled with the victim’s initials in a folder titled “VICS.” Police alleged that VICS is short for victims. They also found similar files on Heeringa. Investigators also recovered bondage equipment from his van, including handcuffs, rope, chain, a bail gag, and leather restraints. They allegedly found lubricant and sex toys as well as syringes, insulin, gloves, and Viagra.
ABC 20/20 looks into the crimes of Jeffrey Willis on February 2, 2024.
