http://host-34.242.54.159.gannett.c...arm-search-not-linked-to-Wetterling-abduction
Posters have been claiming or suggesting that DR only became a POI after the 2010 search of the farm. All of the news reportage from 2010 that I have read suggests otherwise. Sheriff Sanner seems to be making it clear that they found NOTHING. Sure, they are holding some "evidence" back (probably dirt from the digs) in hope that technological advances may yield something in the future.
What LE seems to be saying is that they are not going to "clear" DR. Apparently he has been a POI since 2003 and that isn't going to change just because a few searches come up empty.
What we must consider is that "POI" has no Legal meaning. It only means that LE in "interested" in that person. The decision to "rule out" someone (or label someone a POI) is strictly a discretionary decision of whoever is in charge of the investigation. I have seen situations where POI's were officially "ruled out" in hopes that they might "get careless" and make a mistake. Other times, folks are labeled POI's so that LE can observe their reactions. Often it is just about convincing the public that the investigation is still active.
In practical term, for us, the POI label allows WS users to actively "Sleuth" someone who would be otherwise untouchable. We are in a situation where we can not disclose very pertinent information on one person while we are perfectly free to drag another's reputation through mud solely because of the arbitrary decision of someone in LE to assign or not assign the label POI.