MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #10

[ThePhantom]

The circumstances around Josh's disappearance are unknown because he disappeared in the middle of the night, allegedly with no witnesses. It's possible he either voluntarily or involuntarily got into a vehicle -- or -- went with a monk into a little used entrance into the abbey and possibly eventually disposed of in the incinerator. It's just as likely he was taken by car to one of the rural properties owned by the abbey, which I've always been more inclined to believe. Since there's no chance cadaver dogs will ever be taken to any of those places we'll never know.

 

[human]

The circumstances around Josh's disappearance are unknown because he disappeared in the middle of the night, allegedly with no witnesses. It's possible he either voluntarily or involuntarily got into a vehicle -- or -- went with a monk into a little used entrance into the abbey and possibly eventually disposed of in the incinerator. It's just as likely he was taken by car to one of the rural properties owned by the abbey, which I've always been more inclined to believe. Since there's no chance cadaver dogs will ever be taken to any of those places we'll never know.

Is there not ONE MORAL person there? Not one?

I want to say more but I cannot on here except to say there is a special place in hell......

 

[Sasquatch321]

There were no cops on scene from 3 am until sunrise. DR saw Kevin drive through around 15 minutes after he nabbed Jacob. He knows that there is a fresh tire track. After he is finished with Jacob, he calls 911, goes outside to cops and tells them he will search his own property and then goes back inside to do whatever he does until cops leave at 3 am. He takes Jacob's sneaker and approaches the tire track from the grass, puts his hand in the sneaker and plants it in the dirt right next to Kevin's tire track to make an impression that appears Jacob is getting into a car. Were there other prints from Jacob surrounded that one deep print that we always see? How many of the perps prints were around that print? I believe this is a viable theory.

The first opinion seems to be that this theory is crazy, I think it's completely viable. This is what a psychopath is going to do to mess with, in his opinion, lesser feeble minds. Unfortunately, for most killers, their genius tends to expire.

 

[human]

The first opinion seems to be that this theory is crazy, I think it's completely viable. This is what a psychopath is going to do to mess with, in his opinion, lesser feeble minds. Unfortunately, for most killers, their genius tends to expire.

I just don't see it. It was dark. How would he find a good spot in the dark without leaving a ton if prints himself.

And we have zero idea of how many of Jacob's prints there are and how many perp prints there are and where they go.

It appears the perp prints do not eliminate DR.

 

[HEY YOU!]

The first opinion seems to be that this theory is crazy, I think it's completely viable. This is what a psychopath is going to do to mess with, in his opinion, lesser feeble minds. Unfortunately, for most killers, their genius tends to expire.

I think we all agree that anyone who kidnaps a child is crazy. After the spur of the moment abduction and what ever followed, the perp had to literally cover his tracks and re-direct the attention of law enforcement. DR started that diversion by calling 911 at 11:23 claiming that there were people with flashlights by his woodpile and he thought they were stealing. Then he followed up by going to cops and telling them he would search his own property. I believe he could easily have placed Jacob's footprint next to Kevin's tire track overnight when cops were not at the scene. In the morning he drives down his driveway and goes under the crime scene tape. He acts obviously innocent by being in front of the cops so that he appears as if he is not trying to hide anything. He knows if he were NOT to have come out of his home that night, cops would likely have gone in. He had to do whatever it took to make sure that didn't happen. By planting that footprint in the overnight hours, he gives cops another place to look and the idea that a car was involved. How many of Jacob's prints were near that last one? How many of the perps were?

In my opinion of course.

 

[Sasquatch321]

I just don't see it. It was dark. How would he find a good spot in the dark without leaving a ton if prints himself.

And we have zero idea of how many of Jacob's prints there are and how many perp prints there are and where they go.

It appears the perp prints do not eliminate DR.

DR is not a typical criminal, he has a university teaching degree. He's capable of doing things most "dumb criminals" would never think of. For Jacobs sake, it is time to start solving this case in 2 scenarios-

1. That the perpetrator was on foot.

2. That there is a vehicle used.

For number one we have to try to explain why we see his last footprint before a tire track.

For number two we have to believe kevin drove over the other vehicles tracks completely. We should possibly be looking at the tan monte carlo a little harder.

 

[Trackergd]

There were no cops on scene from 3 am until sunrise. DR saw Kevin drive through around 15 minutes after he nabbed Jacob. He knows that there is a fresh tire track. After he is finished with Jacob, he calls 911, goes outside to cops and tells them he will search his own property and then goes back inside to do whatever he does until cops leave at 3 am. He takes Jacob's sneaker and approaches the tire track from the grass, puts his hand in the sneaker and plants it in the dirt right next to Kevin's tire track to make an impression that appears Jacob is getting into a car. Were there other prints from Jacob surrounded that one deep print that we always see? How many of the perps prints were around that print? I believe this is a viable theory.

That would assume that DR knows enough about prints to set this up. It kills me that I cannot see the prints as anyone could see the difference between an actual print and one that has been faked.....or at least with just a little education...it's quite obvious. In all my years of tracking, I have seen some clever stuff...but not planting prints in this manner. I had a guy who walked backwards in his prints for about 100' and then went off trail. I could see where his prints double registered and the push down where he went off trail. Folks who wipe out their prints end up wiping out all the prints...that is just as obvious.

 

[Trackergd]

Sasquatch.... Test #2.

Take a pair of your sneakers. Draw a line in the sand (or what ever you used the last time). Walk up to it and then over to preserve the last prints. Then put your hands in your shoes and do the same thing off to one side. Tell me what you see is different.

 

[human]

DR is not a typical criminal, he has a university teaching degree. He's capable of doing things most "dumb criminals" would never think of. For Jacobs sake, it is time to start solving this case in 2 scenarios-

1. That the perpetrator was on foot.

2. That there is a vehicle used.

For number one we have to try to explain why we see his last footprint before a tire track.

For number two we have to believe kevin drove over the other vehicles tracks completely. We should possibly be looking at the tan monte carlo a little harder.

I sincerely doubt there is an unknown vehicle. I sincerely doubt LE would be focusing on DR if they had an inkling of an unknown vehicle. That defies logic.

And as much as people want to dis the county LE, they are not the only ones involved. This is a huge case and I doubt that outsiders would just let this ride. They would want to be heroes for solving it as well.

It is interesting with the Jenise Wright case. LE had plenty of info they were not sharing. For instance, they found the little girl's bloody underwear many days before.

They also said that everyone was participating in DNA screening, when in fact the perp had refused.

Interesting in terms of info LE has and what they let out to the public

 

[Sasquatch321]

Sasquatch.... Test #2.

Take a pair of your sneakers. Draw a line in the sand (or what ever you used the last time). Walk up to it and then over to preserve the last prints. Then put your hands in your shoes and do the same thing off to one side. Tell me what you see is different.

I have already had this in mind. What I want to do is go out on a gravel road, walk up to the car from the ditch, crawl into the backseat, and then take a picture of what kind of print was left. After that I am going to put my hand in my shoe and press it forward down into the gravel, and then take a picture of what kind of print was left.

 

[Sasquatch321]

Does this print appear to be missing the back half of the shoes pattern. Like someone had put their hand in this shoe and pressed the front pattern into the gravel as hard as they could?

I would just ask anyone reading this to put your hand in your shoe, and press the front pattern into the floor or ground, and ask yourself if you could perfectly replicate the picture shown above.

 

[Sasquatch321]

This is my hands on test of footprint patterns left in 2 different scenarios. The scenario on the left is me just stepping on the dirt, the scenario on the right is me putting my hand in my shoe and twisting it into the ground to create the divit, then pressing down as hard as I can to reveal the pattern.

 

[Sasquatch321]

My test concludes 2 things

1. Jacob resisted getting into the vehicle. He was forced/pushed in.

2. The footprint can also be manufactured.

 

[human]

My test concludes 2 things

1. Jacob resisted getting into the vehicle. He was forced/pushed in.

2. The footprint can also be manufactured.

What vehicle?

 

[Sasquatch321]

What vehicle?

The one DR saw turning around in his driveway at the time of the abduction. Did he walk up and tell Officer Bechtold about the vehicle that night?

 

[human]

The one DR saw turning around in his driveway at the time of the abduction. Did he walk up and tell Officer Bechtold about the vehicle that night?

So you are saying Kevin is the one?

 

[Sasquatch321]

So you are saying Kevin is the one?

Yes, unless another vehicles tracks vanished below his. Did an unknown vehicle back into the driveway, with no eyewitnesses, and leave the scene with Jacob?

 

[Sasquatch321]

Problems with both theories of on foot and a vehicle

On Foot

1. Jacobs last footprint ends facing a tire print, suggesting he left in a vehicle. How can we explain that without DR planting it to throw them off? Which seems to be an impossible idea to many.


Vehicle

1. The perp was able to reverse in a perfect line down a strangers driveway on a moonless night.
2. The perp disguises himself despite the fact he's going to leave his tire tracks, footprints, vehicle parked behind him for anyone to see.
3. The perp successfully leaves without a trace.

 

[Trackergd]

View attachment 57125

This is my hands on test of footprint patterns left in 2 different scenarios. The scenario on the left is me just stepping on the dirt, the scenario on the right is me putting my hand in my shoe and twisting it into the ground to create the divit, then pressing down as hard as I can to reveal the pattern.

Great job! I should have given a bit more for you to work with. When you pressed down and wiggled the shoe to get a good impression, you affected the edges around the print. This is called "mounding". It can be very slight. You would see it on the manufactured print, but not at all or to a lesser degree on the real print.

In the case of the real print, you would not have (or normally would not have) wiggled your foot to leave a good print. On the manufactured one, you are forced to apply pressure and slight wiggle to get a good impression. You also probably picked the shoe directly up which did not leave the very faint angle as the shoe came in to make the print and angle out as you step forward and pick the foot up.

This is the sort of information that you can find in a print, and information probably unknown to LE at the time.

You may find these links helpful.

http://www.wildwoodtracking.com/compressions/trm4-1pg05.html

http://www.wildwoodtracking.com/techniques/index.html

 

[human]

Great job! I should have given a bit more for you to work with. When you pressed down and wiggled the shoe to get a good impression, you affected the edges around the print. This is called "mounding". It can be very slight. You would see it on the manufactured print, but not at all or to a lesser degree on the real print.

In the case of the real print, you would not have (or normally would not have) wiggled your foot to leave a good print. On the manufactured one, you are forced to apply pressure and slight wiggle to get a good impression. You also probably picked the shoe directly up which did not leave the very faint angle as the shoe came in to make the print and angle out as you step forward and pick the foot up.

This is the sort of information that you can find in a print, and information probably unknown to LE at the time.

You may find these links helpful.

http://www.wildwoodtracking.com/compressions/trm4-1pg05.html

http://www.wildwoodtracking.com/techniques/index.html

Since the FBI was involved back then, do you feel that they did not have expertise back then re footprints? In 1989?