Mom of Jessica Heppner visits St. John's, where her daughter disappeared 3 years ago
Heppner last seen in St. John's in the spring of 2015
The mother of a young woman who vanished from St. John's three years ago is back in the province hoping to find new information about what happened to her daughter.
Jessica Heppner, who would be 24, of Ontario, arrived in St. John's on May 25, 2015 and made her way to the Sheraton Hotel in the downtown area.
She was reported missing four days later, and when police got inside her hotel room, all that was left was two suitcases, a laptop and her identification cards.
Her mother arrived in St. John's last week from Ontario, to try and figure out what happened to her child. She has handed out small posters at some businesses and to contacts around the city asking that anyone with information come forward to police.
"A small piece may be the glue that brings two puzzle pieces together," Heppner's mother told CBC News.
Heppner's case was documented in a CBC series called Last Seen, in which police discussed what information they have gathered in the case.
Norbert Kasza in U.K.
CBC has learned that Norbert Kasza — the man who was described as Heppner's "travel companion" and who reported her missing — has been in Surrey, a county bordering London.
Surrey Police contacted the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary earlier this year after receiving a tip that Kasza — who had been living in Ontario in 2015, but is originally from Poland — was in the region.
"We were contacted by a member of the public who had concerns about an individual staying with them, along with another unrelated matter," Surrey Police told CBC News in a statement.
CBC has made contact with the former roommate of Kasza, who said the man denied ever knowing a Jessica Heppner.
"There is no current investigation within Surrey Police of either matter, but we would, of course, respond to any further requests from our Canadian colleagues if appropriate," the statement said.
The RNC, meanwhile, said it follows up on any tips it receives and is encouraging anyone with information related to the case to come forward.
Police have not said Kasza is a suspect in the disappearance of Heppner, but want to ask him questions about her stay in St. John's.
Heppner, who is described as a bright and intelligent young woman, was in Halifax, Winnipeg and British Columbia before arriving in St. John's with Kasza, police said.
Kasza reported Heppner missing in a phone call to the RNC's communication centre and has yet to give an official interview.
Police point out she was known to travel frequently across Canada and internationally.
Visited Topsail Road
The RNC said Heppner left the hotel on May 26, 2015 and got into a taxi that travelled to the Topsail Road area to meet a man.
The man has been interviewed by police, but is not a suspect.
Heppner had been involved in the sex trade.
To the best of the RNC's knowledge, she was planning on getting a taxi back to her hotel room where she had booked a second night stay.
She never returned for her belongings and there are no flight records indicating she left the province.
Police said one of the prepaid credit cards Heppner was using was utilized in a transaction in Germany after her disappearance.
A cell phone Heppner was using was detected in Ontario months after she was reported missing.
RNC Insp. Tom Warren told CBC News in the fall of 2017 that there is no evidence to suggest Heppner was killed. However, there is also no evidence to suggest she is alive elsewhere.
Anyone with information on the disappearance of Jessica Heppner is asked to contact the RNC at 709-729-8000.
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