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

[Sasquatch321]

The problem with LE only releasing a zoomed in print of Jacobs last footprint, is almost telling us at this time, that this is the only footprint to be seen there. That is a problem because I have proven there is resistance in that last shoe print. Where is Jacobs left foot? Where is the perpetrators prints standing behind him pushing him in? Around the last footprint there should be a shuffling circle of both Jacobs and the perpetrators prints. Where are photos of the trail leading to that point? For now, we have to say that's the only footprint there before the tire track, hence the footprint was manufactured and planted by DR.

 

[Trackergd]

The problem with LE only releasing a zoomed in print of Jacobs last footprint, is almost telling us at this time, that this is the only footprint to be seen there. That is a problem because I have proven there is resistance in that last shoe print. Where is Jacobs left foot? Where is the perpetrators prints standing behind him pushing him in? Around the last footprint there should be a shuffling circle of both Jacobs and the perpetrators prints. Where are photos of the trail leading to that point? For now, we have to say that's the only footprint there before the tire track, hence the footprint was manufactured and planted by DR.

I agree there is a lack of prints, hence my desire to see all the photographs LE has.

I am not quite ready to say the print was manufactured, but if it was, the person who planted it was smart enough to know to manufacture the print and that it would confound LE for years.

 

[Trackergd]

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

A lot of what the FBI knows about prints came from the guy who wrote those articles in the links. Tom Brown Jr. He was probably the best of my instructors over the years.

 

[human]

A lot of what the FBI knows about prints came from the guy who wrote those articles in the links. Tom Brown Jr. He was probably the best of my instructors over the years.

The pressure release article is from 1985. Do you think the FBI was very well trained in footprints in 89?

Do you think they can glean things from the casts they have if they relook later?

 

[Trackergd]

The pressure release article is from 1985. Do you think the FBI was very well trained in footprints in 89?

Do you think they can glean things from the casts they have if they relook later?

The FBI has had print pattern recognition for many years. They have the print patterns for almost any shoe pattern manufactured in the US or imported into the US. What was new to them in the 80's was the "reading" of prints. Pressure releases and indicators. It is somewhat curios as most of the Sheriffs and Marshals back in the 1800's into the early 1900's knew all this, but as our nation became cities and suburban sprawl, the skill set became less important (other than in rural areas). For all intents and purposes, it was "forgotten" by LE until SAR became a much more visible First Responder function. Due to members of the Border Patrol, Tom Brown and SAR leaders, the skill set was "rediscovered" and applied to modern cases.

Casts tell you quite a bit, but if you can put the casts into the same type soil the came out of, in some cases, you can look at the original print all over again....with some understandable loss of quality.

I could go on for hours about "sub surface" pressure releases and a host of other stuff...so I'll cut it off here.

 

[human]

So Tracker you have stated you do not feel the print was planted? Or do you think it is possible?

 

[Sasquatch321]

So Tracker you have stated you do not feel the print was planted? Or do you think it is possible?

I would like to answer as well, while i think Tracker may agree. No left footprint, no perp footprints, no mess where the resistance happened. This is what we know now, backed up by LE shifting the theory in 2003 to on foot. To answer the question then, to us, yes, it has to at least be possible.

 

[ThePhantom]

I was reading that the FBI got involved very early with the Jacob's case. To me, it seems odd that they wouldn't have pursued DR much sooner based on their assessment of what may have happened. They have many more resources to bring to bear on a situation than most LE. They are adept at profiling, looking for patterns, fleshing out theories and so forth. Could this abduction have been so perfectly done that they were unable to zone in more quickly on potential suspects? And if they were able to do this, how quickly and thoroughly did they do these things. For example, were they aware of the Paynesville incidents and did they examine them in the context of Jacob's case? Were they aware of the monks' histories of sexual abuse happening right in the vicinity at St. John's? Did they vet the other cases in the state at that time to look for any possible relationships to Jacob's case. Why did it take til 2010 for new investigators to take another look at DR's farm? Did the FBI not have the authority to do that much sooner? Not casting aspersions in any way at the FBI because I hold them in the highest regard.

 

[Trackergd]

I would like to answer as well, while i think Tracker may agree. No left footprint, no perp footprints, no mess where the resistance happened. This is what we know now, backed up by LE shifting the theory in 2003 to on foot. To answer the question then, to us, yes, it has to at least be possible.

Yes, it is possible.

 

[Sasquatch321]

What was it 5 or 6 days later they executed the first search of the house. What brought that on so many days later if they had already seen the footprint end at a tire track? What did immediately lead first responders to the woodpile?

 

[shergal]

I was reading that the FBI got involved very early with the Jacob's case. To me, it seems odd that they wouldn't have pursued DR much sooner based on their assessment of what may have happened. They have many more resources to bring to bear on a situation than most LE. They are adept at profiling, looking for patterns, fleshing out theories and so forth. Could this abduction have been so perfectly done that they were unable to zone in more quickly on potential suspects? And if they were able to do this, how quickly and thoroughly did they do these things. For example, were they aware of the Paynesville incidents and did they examine them in the context of Jacob's case? Were they aware of the monks' histories of sexual abuse happening right in the vicinity at St. John's? Did they vet the other cases in the state at that time to look for any possible relationships to Jacob's case. Why did it take til 2010 for new investigators to take another look at DR's farm? Did the FBI not have the authority to do that much sooner? Not casting aspersions in any way at the FBI because I hold them in the highest regard.

IMO, they didn't look at DR sooner because DR said he saw a car in his driveway, and there were fresh tire tracks in his driveway - plus Jacob's footprint.

 

[Trackergd]

The Behavioral Science Unit opened in 1972. I think it was 1994 when it revamped into more of what we see today and has had a couple of changes since then after many child abductions and 911. What was available in the 1980's "may" not have been as sophisticated as we see today.

I remember on two cases I worked with the FBI in the 80's, the print information was processed by the "documentation unit". They were the keepers of the known shoe patterns.

 

[kemo]

We own some property with a 400 ft dirt driveway that is somewhat similar to DR's. There is a slightly raised strip right down the middle with grass still growing. There are two pronounced rutted areas on either side of the raised strip where drivers would position their tires Each of these strips are about 2 ft. wide. On either side next to the rutted area is an area that is bare of grass that tires occasionally stray over but it is much less worn down. Next to that is dry grass and somewhat uneven surface. People would normally walk on the roadway.

Within the rutted stirps, the dirt is very hard packed and a vehicle might avoid leaving a tire track if they did not stray of this area. The part of the roadway past the rutted strip tends to have much softer dirt (including dust that has settled there). The soft dirt there is by no means uniform. Some areas it is quite deep then it might turn to hard pan. If someone were to drive on this roadway towards one side or the other, there would be a pronounced tire track part of the way and none at other places. The same with someone on foot. Footprints might end when the soft dirt ends and normal footprints might appear as if more weight was put on the toe or heal because the soft dirt was deeper under one part of the foot or the other.

My point is that analysis of foot prints or tire prints must be done with respect to the changing nature of the soil they are made in.

If someone were on a dirt road and they wanted to stop and either park or just stop momentarily, they would probably pull to the right as far as they reasonably could, and they would be much more likely to leave a tire at that point (because they would be into the softer soil on the side).

If an adult were to abduct a 70 LBS boy, and he were to move that boy any more than 15 or 20 feet, he would take the boy's hand in his dominant hand and pull/force the boy to walk along side or perhaps a little behind him. The man would try to stay as within one of the well worn rutted areas so as to avoid any irregular surface that might case one of them to trip. Once they got to a parked vehicle, which would probably be parked to one side, the man would walk to the side of the road, possibly into the grass and have the boy facing the door. This is what I think is most likely what happened. It seems to be consistant with what we now of the tire and foot print evidence.

 

[human]

In evaluating the driveway, comparisons cannot be made unless one has the same type of material in the driveway. My road is clay and Class Five. My driveway is limestone. Two totally different results.

My road has ruts. My driveway does not.

If the weather has been dry, then the road is pretty smooth. If it has rained, then we get the ruts depending on how much rain.

So many many variables.

 

[Marzipan]

I was reading that the FBI got involved very early with the Jacob's case. To me, it seems odd that they wouldn't have pursued DR much sooner based on their assessment of what may have happened. They have many more resources to bring to bear on a situation than most LE. They are adept at profiling, looking for patterns, fleshing out theories and so forth. Could this abduction have been so perfectly done that they were unable to zone in more quickly on potential suspects? And if they were able to do this, how quickly and thoroughly did they do these things. For example, were they aware of the Paynesville incidents and did they examine them in the context of Jacob's case? Were they aware of the monks' histories of sexual abuse happening right in the vicinity at St. John's? Did they vet the other cases in the state at that time to look for any possible relationships to Jacob's case. Why did it take til 2010 for new investigators to take another look at DR's farm? Did the FBI not have the authority to do that much sooner? Not casting aspersions in any way at the FBI because I hold them in the highest regard.

I think the first FBI to get involved at the time was a bank robbery team. So they had a good skill set, but not all that was needed for this case. I don't have a link, but it was in one of the bigger stories done.

 

[ThePhantom]

I am not the sharpest tool in the shed by any stretch of the imagination. But I can tell you that I would have asked DR to allow me to enter and search his home. He might have told me to go pound sand, but I assure you, I would have asked him.

 

[human]

I think the first FBI to get involved at the time was a bank robbery team. So they had a good skill set, but not all that was needed for this case. I don't have a link, but it was in one of the bigger stories done.

I have never heard that.

 

[human]

Interesting article about sex offenders.

Says the crimes are never spontaneous. A lot of thought has gone into it.

http://www.portagepath.org/shlibbu/community/CommunityPwaysSummer05SexOffender.pdf

 

[Trackergd]

In evaluating the driveway, comparisons cannot be made unless one has the same type of material in the driveway. My road is clay and Class Five. My driveway is limestone. Two totally different results.

My road has ruts. My driveway does not.

If the weather has been dry, then the road is pretty smooth. If it has rained, then we get the ruts depending on how much rain.

So many many variables.

And that is the science of aging a print. I usually get LE to get me the weather conditions for 24-48 hours preceding the last known sighting up to just before I arrive from the NWS at Mount Holly NJ. This is one of the more difficult skill sets in Tracking, and it takes years of experience to age tracks down to the hour they were made. I think it is a safe bet that LE and the FBI were not experienced in this portion of print evaluation at the time Jacob went missing.

 

[human]

I put that article up about sex offenders.

It says that sex offenses spiral. It also says that the crime may appear spontaneous, but it has been fantasized for a long time.

I wonder if DR parents left very often or at all?

I wonder if there are other boys that travelled that route?

It talks about age preference.

I wonder why DR stays teaching the age he does.

The music produced by children that age must be excruciating to the ears of a fine musician.