MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #13

[human]

I agree. It's pretty amazing that the perp was able to pull this off without living a lick of evidence. Absolutely nothing. And has stumped all LE agencies for 25 years.

We do not know that.

When one reads on here and when a case comes to court, it is ASTOUNDING the info LE has.

The public does not know .

With Alanna Gallagher, the neighbors knew a lot, but kept it quiet. They wanted the perp caught instead of their fifteen minutes of fame.

 

[thenotebook]

We do not know that.

When one reads on here and when a case comes to court, it is ASTOUNDING the info LE has.

The public does not know .

With Alanna Gallagher, the neighbors knew a lot, but kept it quiet. They wanted the perp caught instead of their fifteen minutes of fame.

Don't you think we'd see some movement after 25 years if they had any sort of substantial evidence?!? Clearly they don't have much to go on that can actually lead them to a resolution. If they did, it wouldn't have taken this long. This isn't a recent case that they are playing games with in the media.

In an interview, someone asked Sanner what it would take to solve this case and his answer was "a confession". Doesn't sound very optimistic to me.

 

[human]

Don't you think we'd see some movement after 25 years if they had any sort of substantial evidence?!? Clearly they don't have much to go on that can actually lead them to a resolution. If they did, it wouldn't have taken this long. This isn't a recent case that they are playing games with in the media.

In an interview, someone asked Sanner what it would take to solve this case and his answer was "a confession". Doesn't sound very optimistic to me.

Did people read what they had in the Josh Powell case? Hard to believe that would not be enough. But I guess it wasn't.

LE does not tell all.

Just read about Hannah Graham for a recent case

 

[Trino]

Have we thoroughly examined Jacob's connections and activities during the weeks prior to the abduction? The fact that the FBI was in on this almost at the start and was unable to find any substantive direction continues to puzzle me. What are we missing?

We are missing someone about which LE has no knowledge, IMO.

 

[scotgirl]

I agree. It's pretty amazing that the perp was able to pull this off without living a lick of evidence. Absolutely nothing. And has stumped all LE agencies for 25 years.

Perhaps if this was a recent crime there might have been something found as forensic technology is so much more advanced. Unfortunately this case was hampered by the slowness to act and possibly lack of comprehension that a child had been abducted. And the investigators really didn't have the knowledge LE have today on this sort of crime or the forensic sophistication.

 

[chaplain1]

Perhaps if this was a recent crime there might have been something found as forensic technology is so much more advanced. Unfortunately this case was hampered by the slowness to act and possibly lack of comprehension that a child had been abducted. And the investigators really didn't have the knowledge LE have today on this sort of crime or the forensic sophistication.

What evidence would be enhanced right now? I am not being contrarian. For insyance, would technology have led them to Kevin's existence within a month?

 

[scotgirl]

What evidence would be enhanced right now? I am not being contrarian. For insyance, would technology have led them to Kevin's existence within a month?

I'm not sure but maybe they would have searched DR's property more thoroughly themselves. I think they prob would have tracked down Kevin's car. I not LE myself so i don't know but i imagine they test more from crime scenes these days than they did in 1989. There is Amber Alert now. Social media. Maybe i'm wrong i just think crime scene investigation has advanced so much since then.

 

[Trackergd]

"And one more... was the hockey rink that Jacob was at earlier that day the same place that Jared was coming from when he was taken ten months earlier?"

No. Jacob was at the hockey rink in St. Cloud which is a large indoor facility. Jared was skating with some friends at a rink in Cold Spring, MN.

I keep wondering if the rink might be important. Could the perp have been observing Jacob at the rink, then followed him home at a distance to find out the area he lived in, then waited for an opportune moment?

 

[thenotebook]

I keep wondering if the rink might be important. Could the perp have been observing Jacob at the rink, then followed him home at a distance to find out the area he lived in, then waited for an opportune moment?

Absolutely. Or, the perp could have happened to be at Tom Thumb and recognized the boys from hockey (or just saw the boys in general) and quickly drove back up the road to wait for them. That is my theory.

 

[Sasquatch321]

Are items from the third search still awaiting testing? It would say alot if they are still waiting, because what they found must seem very bad then. If they are not awaiting further testing I call on LE to return the things that DR wants back.

 

[shergal]

Are items from the third search still awaiting testing? It would say alot if they are still waiting, because what they found must seem very bad then. If they are not awaiting further testing I call on LE to return the things that DR wants back.

I think LE said they were keeping them to examine again as future technology became available. (Or something like that.)

 

[Trackergd]

Absolutely. Or, the perp could have happened to be at Tom Thumb and recognized the boys from hockey (or just saw the boys in general) and quickly drove back up the road to wait for them. That is my theory.

Pulling on this string a bit..... What male adult would be at the rink often enough (or even be at the rink to begin with) to observe one or more boys? I would guess staff, parents etc... Probably spectators on occasion.

 

[human]

I think several people including myself have been on the road and to the W home.

I cannot see how someone could follow anyone .

And not only that, everyone had phones with phone numbers and addresses in the phone book, so following would not be needed.

How would the perp know that Sunday night the children would be going out around 9 PM for a bike trip? Does that make sense that some perp would be doing that?

The W family lives in a cul de sac. They had their own dog. How many more dogs in the small neighborhood of was it 5 homes?

 

[thenotebook]

Pulling on this string a bit..... What male adult would be at the rink often enough (or even be at the rink to begin with) to observe one or more boys? I would guess staff, parents etc... Probably spectators on occasion.

Or a coach or someone involved in the hockey program

 

[Dave K]

Or a coach or someone involved in the hockey program

Jared was abducted (then let go) after coming from Ice Skating earlier that day; in a different town, but very close. Jacob had been with his Dad at an Ice Skating event that day, which is when his Dad got the really sick feeling, when he couldn't spot Jacob for just a short period.

Here's a quote from Joy's Blog about one of the Paynesville victims. "Victim #3 was attacked while he and his friend were riding their bikes just after midnight near the hockey rink at the Catholic church. The boy thought he heard someone running into the street when suddenly, someone grabbed him by the throat and pulled him off his bike. The boy screamed while his friend went for help. This time the man was wearing dark blue or black clothing and his face was blacked-out. The boy continued to yell, and finally the man let him go and ran away. (NOTE, there are two very important details about this attack. First, this victim is the same person as Victim #1. It turns out he was attacked twice. Second, the victim felt he was not the intended target for this second attack because he lived six blocks away, but his friend lived in an apartment just kiddie-corner from the Catholic church. The friend is 100% certain the guy got the wrong kid, and that’s why he was let go.)" http://www.joybaker.com//?s=The+1986-87+Paynesville+Incidents

The one about the Paynesville Incident, was just a reference to 'near the hockey rink' and it's hard to say how much that may mean.

But, the fact about Jacob and Jared having been Ice Skating earlier in the day of their abduction; Jared, actually on his way home from there; does seem like it may be something to be considered.

Whether this is a significant issue, or, just a coincidence; my thinking, is that, if it is significant; I'm kind of thinking that it's a guy, who knows kids will be skating at various times and locations; and he uses these occasions to scope out kids.

 

[nmogren]

I thought I remembered Jared as saying he was NOT on his way home from skating???


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[Dave K]

I thought I remembered Jared as saying he was NOT on his way home from skating???


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Here's the paragraph, from Jared's Story, quoted from Joy's Blog:

"On January 13, 1989 (Friday the 13th), Jared was ice skating with a group of friends at an outdoor ice rink at Pioneer Park in Cold Spring. There were about ten of them in all – a mixture of guys and girls – and Jared was on his first date with his 7th grade girlfriend. After skating, the kids decided to go to the Side Cafe downtown for some hot chocolate and a bite to eat. Sometime between 9:30-9:45pm, they started heading for home. One of the other parents offered Jared a ride, but he declined. “That’s OK,” he told them. “I can walk.” It was only a quarter mile or so. No biggie." http://www.joybaker.com/2013/08/11/jareds-story/

I knew they had stopped after skating, but, didn't feel it was necessary to spell that out. He had been skating w/friends, they stopped at a café, then he was walking home; he hadn't been home yet from skating; easily possible that the man who stopped him, had also seen him skating.

 

[shergal]

Here's the paragraph, from Jared's Story, quoted from Joy's Blog:

"On January 13, 1989 (Friday the 13th), Jared was ice skating with a group of friends at an outdoor ice rink at Pioneer Park in Cold Spring. There were about ten of them in all – a mixture of guys and girls – and Jared was on his first date with his 7th grade girlfriend. After skating, the kids decided to go to the Side Cafe downtown for some hot chocolate and a bite to eat. Sometime between 9:30-9:45pm, they started heading for home. One of the other parents offered Jared a ride, but he declined. “That’s OK,” he told them. “I can walk.” It was only a quarter mile or so. No biggie." http://www.joybaker.com/2013/08/11/jareds-story/

I knew they had stopped after skating, but, didn't feel it was necessary to spell that out. He had been skating w/friends, they stopped at a café, then he was walking home; he hadn't been home yet from skating; easily possible that the man who stopped him, had also seen him skating.

Seems a bit of a stretch to connect them that way. Jacob was practicing for hockey tryouts at an indoor rink. Jared had been ice skating, but had then stopped to eat with friends and was on his way home from the cafe.

As far as coaches and people who worked with hockey, there is a man who was a hockey coach who was looked at in these cases. Unfortunately, he wasn't mentioned in MSM as a suspect, or if he ever was, it has been deleted.

 

[Dave K]

Seems a bit of a stretch to connect them that way. Jacob was practicing for hockey tryouts at an indoor rink. Jared had been ice skating, but had then stopped to eat with friends and was on his way home from the cafe.

As far as coaches and people who worked with hockey, there is a man who was a hockey coach who was looked at in these cases. Unfortunately, he wasn't mentioned in MSM as a suspect, or if he ever was, it has been deleted.

Remember that I'm allowing for the possibility that this may be completely coincidental; I'm not certain how much I make of it; but, since it had become a topic here, I thought that I'd throw that out.

I think you're one of the best posters here, and I almost always agree with you; but, I don't think that it's a stretch. I'm saying the possibility of a guy who lives in the general area, who periodically goes to 'whatever' event where he knows that kids will be skating. Whether it's hockey tryouts inside a rink, or, where kids are known to skate in a public place. Maybe it's just something that he likes to do, and in some cases, he spots a kid who catches his attention. I know that Jared and his friends stopped at a café afterward; but, that was on their way home from skating; I still think that's a possibility, if the guy is a stalker. I don't see why it wouldn't be.

 

[MotherOcean]

Hello! I hate to ask another question that I'm sure has been discussed thoroughly... I really AM trying to catch up on the threads! But, I haven't found this info. Earlier today as I pondered it seemed to be a significant component of whatever theory I was brainstorming about at the time. Now, not sure where I was going with it, but regardless, can anyone tell me what became of the boys' flashlight? Was it left at the scene for LE to recover?

I know the boys did not see or hear a vehicle. I can understand that, seems the spot where Jacob's last footprint was found would have been just the right spot for a car to be off the road and also blocked by the trees so that it could not be seen from the farm house. But, there doesn't look like there would be anything to obstruct the vehicle from any other direction. Isn't the land flat as one looked across the fields? Wouldn't the boys have seen car lights as the perp. left, even if they had not previously seen the car, even if they did not hear a vehicle crank up? Wouldn't the car headlights have been very bright, considering it was a very dark, moonless time of the night? I think they would have seen lights from the car after it was cranked, even if they had not seen it previously, even if they never heard it.

Wouldn't the FBI know if the tracks they had seen (now presumed to be Kevin's?) resulted from a PARKED car or a traveling car? Were there no indications of a parked car on DR's drive-way around the 40 yard mark (where Jacob's last footprint was found)?

I know these things have been discussed. Please be patient as I try to catch up with you guys! I can't stop thinking about this case. Where are you Jacob?