MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #17

[human]

Shergal posted this under case facts:

"PJM - Phillip Jerome Meemken: As the head of the Police Explorer program, Phillip Meemken mentored young people interested in law enforcement, but investigators say off the job he was sexually abusing kids. He spent 18 years with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office (since 1982), and had 25 criminal charges including criminal sexual conduct and furnishing alcohol to minors. He was looked at in Jacob's case because of his previous pedophile record, and people had called in tips about him because of his similarity to the suspect sketch with the hat. "
http://archive.kare11.com/news/news_...storyid=872315

Does anyone know if he's still a POI? He sure looks like that sketch.
I can't believe he got such a light sentence for a 4th degree.

It mentions the Boy Scouts in the SCTimes also. Was he a BS leader?

Why would they continue to pay him, and how could he file a Chapter 7, when he had almost 250K?

Not a POI.

Fourth degree is a very low charge. Maybe Touching?
First degree is the most serious.

He would have been considered innocent until proven guilty. In positions such as his and teachers, for instance, one is instantly removed from the job and put on leave.

As a teacher, you have insurance for lawsuits, but it is my understanding they do not pay unless you are found to be innocent.

Don't know about LE.

 

[InspectorLLC]

Not a POI.

Fourth degree is a very low charge. Maybe Touching?
First degree is the most serious.

He would have been considered innocent until proven guilty. In positions such as his and teachers, for instance, one is instantly removed from the job and put on leave.

As a teacher, you have insurance for lawsuits, but it is my understanding they do not pay unless you are found to be innocent.

Don't know about LE.

I notice Minnesota's is different than other states. Usually a level 3-4 is the worst.
Interesting. I wonder if he was ever a level 1, and it wasn't documented.


http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/sexofdr.pdf

 

[Wisdom]

Shergal posted this under case facts:

"PJM - Phillip Jerome Meemken: As the head of the Police Explorer program, Phillip Meemken mentored young people interested in law enforcement, but investigators say off the job he was sexually abusing kids. He spent 18 years with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office (since 1982), and had 25 criminal charges including criminal sexual conduct and furnishing alcohol to minors. He was looked at in Jacob's case because of his previous pedophile record, and people had called in tips about him because of his similarity to the suspect sketch with the hat. "
http://archive.kare11.com/news/news_...storyid=872315

Does anyone know if he's still a POI? He sure looks like that sketch.
I can't believe he got such a light sentence for a 4th degree.

It mentions the Boy Scouts in the SCTimes also. Was he a BS leader?

Why would they continue to pay him, and how could he file a Chapter 7, when he had almost 250K?

I believe Meemken started working for the county in 1992 as opposed to 1982 which is a typo. He would've only been 19 years old in 1989 and probably looked much different back then compared to Jared's sketch. Still possibly involved but highly unlikely in my opinion.

 

[shergal]

I believe Meemken started working for the county in 1992 as opposed to 1982 which is a typo. He would've only been 19 years old in 1989 and probably looked much different back then compared to Jared's sketch. Still possibly involved but highly unlikely in my opinion.

Sorry, just getting here. He was "looked at" - but I think they dismissed him because his molestations were mostly among his own relatives and with both boys and girls. I'll have to go back and look.

 

[shergal]

There’s a bunch of articles on him here:
http://wjon.com/tags/phil-meemken/

A Stearns County sheriff's sergeant has been sentenced to nine months in jail for criminal sexual conduct and providing alcohol to minors. Meemken pleaded guilty last month to one felony count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and two gross misdemeanors for providing alcohol to minors. The charges stem from 2009 allegations by three young people who accused him of sexual assault. He initially faced 25 charges.
Meemken led the department’s Police Explorer program and had been on the job for 18 years when the allegations surfaced.


Read More: Longtime Stearns County Deputy Gets 9 Months Jail | http://wjon.com/longtime-stearns-county-deputy-gets-9-months-jail/?trackback=tsmclip
http://wjon.com/longtime-stearns-county-deputy-gets-9-months-jail/

They also were looking into having him repay the money he was paid while on leave:
Sheriff John Sanner immediately moved to fire Meemken from the department. However, the county is also considering its options in trying to recover more than $237-thousand in salary and benefits Meemken collected while on paid administrative leave. He had been on paid leave since December 2009.
County Administrator George Rindelaub says Meemken is a union employee and they need to do their due diligence in moving forward.
http://wjon.com/stearns-county-investigating-repayment-options-meemken-firing/

Meemken pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of providing alcohol to a minor. He faces probation with possible jail time – but no prison time – at sentencing June 21.
Meemken was facing 25 counts, Including 22 counts of criminal sexual conduct. He was accused of providing alcohol to three teenagers and performing sex acts on them.
http://wjon.com/plea-deal-for-stearns-county-deputy-accused-of-sexual-abuse/

 

[human]

It's a bummer he got all of that money, but he was not comvicted for awhile. So the innocent until proven guilty.

Unless he had inappropriate work issues, he could not be fired.

I womder why he only got fourth degree?

 

[InspectorLLC]

It looks like there's about 19 different people LE looked at, and I see a lot of people focus on DR.

Has LE thought about going back and reviewing some of the POIs they looked at before? DR said he wants To tell LE what he witnessed that night. Maybe they should focus on DR as a witness, rather than a potential suspect. It will be 26 years there have been no answers on this case. It's can't hurt.

They need a fresh start, or even a review of older information, maybe with new investigators. Does anyone know who's investigating this?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/dan-rassier-jacob-wetterling-abduction_n_1736816.html

 

[Sasquatch321]

It looks like there's about 19 different people LE looked at, and I see a lot of people focus on DR.

Has LE thought about going back and reviewing some of the POIs they looked at before? DR said he wants To tell LE what he witnessed that night. Maybe they should focus on DR as a witness, rather than a potential suspect. It will be 26 years there have been no answers on this case. It's can't hurt.

They need a fresh start, or even a review of older information, maybe with new investigators. Does anyone know who's investigating this?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/dan-rassier-jacob-wetterling-abduction_n_1736816.html

They have gone over all the best suspects numerous times, and have a narrowed down list. New investigators looked at the case which eventually led to the dig and discovery of new information as soon as they started digging. What you're now looking at is a single man, named publicly by LE, who knows what happened and has never told anyone. And as long as he continues to do so, while they can't identify the last remaining items yet, no one will ever know what happened. It's time for this man to talk with freedom.

 

[chaplain1]

It looks like there's about 19 different people LE looked at, and I see a lot of people focus on DR.

Has LE thought about going back and reviewing some of the POIs they looked at before? DR said he wants To tell LE what he witnessed that night. Maybe they should focus on DR as a witness, rather than a potential suspect. It will be 26 years there have been no answers on this case. It's can't hurt.

They need a fresh start, or even a review of older information, maybe with new investigators. Does anyone know who's investigating this?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/dan-rassier-jacob-wetterling-abduction_n_1736816.html

Local community is supportive of DR and handties any attempt to move forward.

 

[chaplain1]

They have gone over all the best suspects numerous times, and have a narrowed down list. New investigators looked at the case which eventually led to the dig and discovery of new information as soon as they started digging. What you're now looking at is a single man, named publicly by LE, who knows what happened and has never told anyone. And as long as he continues to do so, while they can't identify the last remaining items yet, no one will ever know what happened. It's time for this man to talk with freedom.

I don't understand your last statement. Does "talk with freedom" mean granting DR immunity?

 

[Sasquatch321]

I don't understand your last statement. Does "talk with freedom" mean granting DR immunity?

DR has told Joy and the media numerous times that there are things he can't share or go into detail about yet. It's time for LE to give the "Ok", because it's been long enough.

 

[chaplain1]

DR has told Joy and the media numerous times that there are things he can't share or go into detail about yet. It's time for LE to give the "Ok", because it's been long enough.

So grant him immunity?

 

[Sasquatch321]

So grant him immunity?

At this point why not, we need to bring Jacob home. Whatever it takes.

 

[chaplain1]

I would be against immunity because of the trophy collection. Very strange to be so callous about the case and be found to have a news article collection.

 

[chaplain1]

But, I reject the call of people to "start over" because "it couldn't hurt." DR was involved.

 

[human]

It looks like there's about 19 different people LE looked at, and I see a lot of people focus on DR.

Has LE thought about going back and reviewing some of the POIs they looked at before? DR said he wants To tell LE what he witnessed that night. Maybe they should focus on DR as a witness, rather than a potential suspect. It will be 26 years there have been no answers on this case. It's can't hurt.

They need a fresh start, or even a review of older information, maybe with new investigators. Does anyone know who's investigating this?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/dan-rassier-jacob-wetterling-abduction_n_1736816.html

Who else is named POI?

 

[human]

They started over in 2010 when BCA found new info to go to the farm.

Until then, who knew of DR and anything to do with him and this case.?

He felt a suspect all of this time for some reason.

Shergal has stated how her friends gave LE the key to their house because they were there so often. They did not feel like suspects. Hm

 

[shergal]

Who else is named POI?

There are no other POIs. LE says they have a few people they are still looking at. As I said before, DR seems not bothered by the POI label in that TV interview. So I'm not sure why anyone else is.

 

[StinkSprings]

Speaking this freely and condemning someone should requires verified proof. Otherwise you need to preface with the fact that this is your opinion.

But, I reject the call of people to "start over" because "it couldn't hurt." DR was involved.

 

[Caoutchouc]

DR has told Joy and the media numerous times that there are things he can't share or go into detail about yet. It's time for LE to give the "Ok", because it's been long enough.

I think an educated guess (reading between the lines in the various blog entries on the subject...esp here http://www.joybaker.com/2013/04/26/my-take/) is that it had something to do w/the barns the burned down in June 2009. After filing an insurance claim, an investigation could take awhile esp if done by a fire marshall and an independent insurance adjuster. So that could easily lead into early 2010...and Dan might have said something suspicious to the Fire Marshall or something, who in turn consulted w/LE ...waited for the spring to thaw out the snow and ice and voila - the dig