Here is the transcript of the 911 call.
911 emergency
This is Merlin Jerzak from *advertiser censored* Kiwi Court in St Joe, right in the Township. I am right now next door to my neighbors, at my neighbors, the Jerry Wetterling family. Some of their boys went down to Tom Thumb to pick up a movie and on their way back, someone stopped them and uh we believe that they have one of the boys because one of the boys did not come back with them. Ok, were they picked up in a vehicle? Pardon I cant hear you? Were they picked up in a vehicle? Just a second, I will ask (asks boys). They didnt see a vehicle. This person appeared on the road uh when they were bicycling back home. OK, and they dont know where their brother and friend is at? They dont know where their brother and friend is at. OK, so we are missing two people? Just missing one. One? OK. Did they see the individuals at all? Yes they did (asks the boys). He had a mask on. He had a mask on? Right. The other dispatch right now is dispatching a squad to where you are at right now, OK? In the meantime I just want to get as much information as I can. What is your name again sir? My name is Merlin Jerzak (spells name). OK, what is your home phone number Merlin? I have where you are at and everything. (Gives home phone #), but I am at my neighbors
and thats Dr. Jerry Wetterling? That is Dr Jerry Wetterling. How old is the individual that has not returned? (asks boys how old Jacob is). Eleven. Ok, Jacob, its Jacob, right? Yes, Jacob, Jacob Wetterling. OK, what was Jacob last seen wearing? (asks the boys). Just a minute. OK. He was wearing a red hockey jacket that had police department on it. And it has his name on it. Police department written on back? (asks boys to confirm Police department on back? In white letters?) In white letters. Where was the last contact made? Pardon? Where was the last time they seen Jacob? Where were they at about? (asks boys) It was uh right at the uh Urban Schriefels uh house. OK, give me an idea where that is. Do you know where Dr. Cottons office is? Yes, its uh about approximately a quarter of a mile up ah South from the clinic. OK, it would be about a quarter of a mile up South of? Dr. Cotton and child clinic. Hang on a second, OK? (relays all info gathered to dispatch party: male party did have a mask on
11 year old Jacob. wearing red hockey jacket with white lettering on back, police department across the back). Was Jacob riding a bike? (asks boys). Yeah, he was riding his ten speed bike.
(operator relays info over scanner: no vehicle was seen, party approached them on foot, was riding bike, not known where bicycle is at this time. He made contact with individual approximately 1/2 mile south of Dr. Cottons dental clinic on 95th Ave. Where are the
. at this time? XXXX Kiwi Ct. gives address and directions to Wetterlings house).
Can you? Merlin? Yeah. Give me information on this guy with the mask? I want color, anything those kids can remember. OK by the way, I dont have a house number on my house. You are at the neighbors place though right? I am at the Wetterlings. I have a fire number. My fire number is *advertiser censored* and theirs is, uh. I am right next door, and mine is *advertiser censored*. Do the Wetterlings have a house number on there? No they dont, but they are right next door to mine. Um I think that my best bet is to let Trevor get on the phone here and he can describe to you what he saw and this type of thing. OK, hang on just a second (talks about fire numbers and location) OK, I am ready. OK, I will put Trevor on and he can, he can answer your questions. OK. We have him pretty well calmed down here. OK. Hello? Trevor? Yeah. You are talking to the sheriffs office ok? Mmhmm. I want you to give me anything you can recall about this male party that approached you guys, ok? Well, he was, he was like, kind of, he was like a man. He was kind of like
He was large? Sort of. OK. He had like uh kind of like looks like these nylon things, as a mask. Do you know what color it was? Black. A black mask? Do you know what color jacket he had on? I think it was black too. Ok. Did you notice any jeans or anything? Yeah, just a second (asking others inaudible) Trevor, do you know what happened to your friends bicycle? Um no, we dont know. Nobody knows what happened to that? Cause we had to just like run off into the woods. OK, you guys ran off into the woods but nobody knows what happened to Jacob, right? Yeah. OK. Can you think of anything else? Did the guy have
What? Did the guy have like a deep voice or anything like that you could remember? (Trevor asks others) It was very cold(?) OK, can you tell me, how big, compared to your dad or somebody how big would you say this guy was. He was about the size of Merle, the guy you were just talking to. OK, same height, same weight? Yeah. OK. Do you remember, and he had on a black mask and a black jacket. Do you know if the jacket was leather or nylon, did it have anything written on it? We couldnt tell because it was so dark. OK. Can I talk to Merlin again real quick? Thank you. Yes? Merlin, how big are you? (laughs) OK, uh I am about 195 pounds and 510. I know thats hard for kids to pinpoint, but I have to try to figure out who he looks like. I am keeping you guys on hold because I am trying to talk to the officers at the same time, OK? So hang on just a second. (describes perpetrator over dispatch radio mask, approximately 195 pounds, 510 wearing a black mask and a black jacket). Your number is Adam John, right? AJ? Pardon? Your fire number is AJ 80? Right. (Merlin talks to boys- did the guy tell you guys to run into the woods?) Where are the woods at that the kids ran into? OK, it is a little bit to the south of Urban Schriefels um house. And, um ah it runs for about a quarter of a mile west. OK, I am hoping if Jacob would have ran into the woods or something if would have gotten lost or something. Do they know if he actually had contact with Jacob or anything like that? Yes, they just told me that the guy had a hold of Jacob and told them to run into the woods. Told the other two boys to run into the woods. Did they see any weapons at all or anything like that? Guns? Knives? He had a pistol. (operator relays info to police radio individual did have some type of hand gun). Can I talk to Trevor again? Yes, hold on. OK. Hello? Trevor, did you see the gun the individual had? Um, we couldnt really see it, but we just, we sort of fell. OK, did he threaten you..? (Cut off) OK, do you guys see squad cars outside the residence? Um, what? There should be a squad
, can I talk to Merlin again? Yeah, I think the squad is at my house. Is it far? OK, can you guys open up the door and yell out to them. Yeah. OK I will tell them to go
, are you north or which direction are you from where the spot is? Um, South. Hold on. Merlin? (relays info about address on police radio). I got officer Bechtold in the house. OK. He is going to finish off the call from that end now, OK. More than likely we will be coming out with some dogs and stuff, OK? OK, good. Thank you very much. OK.