MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — Prosecutors say they have five more witnesses to call in the trial of Jeffrey Willis for the June 2014 slaying of Rebekah Bletsch.
Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson said he expects to call at least four of those witnesses — mostly investigators — during proceedings Thursday. The defense will to call a few rebuttal witnesses, but has not yet said whether Willis will take the stand in his own defense. The trial, which started last week, was initially scheduled to run through the end of next week but could be in the hands of the jury by Tuesday.
Authorities say Willis shot Bletsch in the head, killing her, as she jogged near her Dalton Township home.
Prosecutors have tried to show the jury that Willis, 47, of Muskegon Township, has a history of victimizing women. He’s also charged with kidnapping and murdering Jessica Heeringa, who vanished from a Norton Shores gas station in April 2013, and attempting to abduct a teen girl in April 2016.
>>Inside woodtv.com: Complete coverage of the Jeffrey Willis investigation