MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #2

[human]

Let's hope LE is on to something because it seems the "new eyes" are making the same mistakes the old eyes did. Twenty years ago they let DR drive off with big boxes in the back of his car without searching it and now they let trucks with water barrels and festival tents and who knows what else drive off right in the middle of the new search. Twenty years ago they didn't search DR's property for 5 days (whatever he meant by that) and today we don't know how far in advance DR was informed there would be a new search.

When I heard how they botched the investigation all those years ago, I was physically ill. I hope that they are better this time.

 

[celticthyme]

I was on that road a few days after the abduction. I think it was paved, but it's a long time ago.

I think the Rassier driveway was dirt of some kind at the time. It look's like it is paved now, or with some kind of material other than dirt.

I cannot see how it was a "stalker" or a stranger.

Ya. . . Human & Coaster,
I can't remember, but my best guess is that it was not paved. ( but I'm old and forgetful in the best of days now :0) ) All I can say is that the area appears very different today. And I have no idea how many homes are down at the end of the road where the Wetterlings still live. St Joe, since that time, even though it is a 70 mile commute to the Cities, has turned into a bedroom community of sorts & many folks commute from there for work.

And on the botched investigation. Until now, I had not realized how badly this was handled, and it does make ya sick. In retrospect, it seems so obvious now that it was someone local, and not some sicko who pulled off the Interstate. It was a LOCAL SICKO!

And again, we can not conceive of "one of our own" doing anything so abhorrent! It does not enter into the "small town" consciousness. So glad new and fresh eyes have gone back to this case. We all need some closure, and particularly the Wetterlings and that Community. I will be at the Abbey again in a few days & will drive down that road again for some fresh perspective, it has been a while.

 

[celticthyme]

Does anyone think that LE has more information that they haven't released to the public about this case?

I think the answer to that must be yes, because they would not have done that serious digging at the Rassier farm otherwise. Don't you think? My suspicion is that the new blood in LE there, went back & began to realize that it was more likely someone on foot, not a vehicle involved, and went from there. MOO

 

[rzeznikrocks]

Let's hope LE is on to something because it seems the "new eyes" are making the same mistakes the old eyes did. Twenty years ago they let DR drive off with big boxes in the back of his car without searching it and now they let trucks with water barrels and festival tents and who knows what else drive off right in the middle of the new search. Twenty years ago they didn't search DR's property for 5 days (whatever he meant by that) and today we don't know how far in advance DR was informed there would be a new search.

I had not heard about this box thing before. Whats the deal with that? he drove off with boxes in his car? Where did you hear that from? very interesting....

 

[shergal]

I wonder if it wasn't somebody closer, like a neighbor, or someone visiting a neighbor, who happened to hear the boys talking about going to Tom Thumb's. He could have followed them and, knowing they'd return the same way, waited in the woods for them.

As far as being another neighbor, I can tell you our friends who live out near Wetterlings were questioned many times, had their home, sheds, and property searched very many times. So it wasn't just the DR farm the cops concentrated on in the beginning. They checked everyone living on that road over and over. Someone visiting is a good idea also. (Don't get me started on the priests from that area again though.) I think 285th Ave. was dirt back then.

Another thought is, several town people were familiar with DR's farm, because it appears now that all the large equipment for their 4th of July celebration has been stored at the farm for years. There are large freezers they keep the food in for their festival, tents, poles, etc. Anyone who worked with setting up the festival each year (which is run by the local parish) might be very familiar with the layout of the farm.

However, I rather doubt they'd be hanging around in the driveway at night in the dark. Someone following behind them from near their homes and waiting for them to come back does seem like a more likely scenario.

 

[human]

I had not heard about this box thing before. Whats the deal with that? he drove off with boxes in his car? Where did you hear that from? very interesting....

It's in the 2004 vid of him 2004 posted here.

 

[human]

shergal, can you ask you friends if they remember how many homes were in the cul-de-sac?

 

[shergal]

shergal, can you ask you friends if they remember how many homes were in the cul-de-sac?

Sure. When I did that "drive thru" on the street view map at google, Kiwi Court is a short road ending in a circle. Even now there are only 3 homes around the circle, and maybe 4-5 other homes on the short road from the circle out to 285th Ave. I'm guessing most of them would have been there back then, because they look like the same style of homes. But I'll check. Also off 285th, is another little court called Kale Court. there may be another 6 to 8 homes in there. Then it looked like just one small farm or a single home with more land on each end of 285th. (285th T's off of 16th Ave. SE, which was called 295th Ave. back in 1989).

 

[concentric]

Thank you for all you've done and are doing from there, shergal.

 

[human]

Sure. When I did that "drive thru" on the street view map at google, Kiwi Court is a short road ending in a circle. Even now there are only 3 homes around the circle, and maybe 4-5 other homes on the short road from the circle out to 285th Ave. I'm guessing most of them would have been there back then, because they look like the same style of homes. But I'll check. Also off 285th, is another little court called Kale Court. there may be another 6 to 8 homes in there. Then it looked like just one small farm or a single home with more land on each end of 285th. (285th T's off of 16th Ave. SE, which was called 295th Ave. back in 1989).

I remembered three on Kiwi court, but that seemed to few. So maybe there are some brain cells left.

Thanks so much. Maybe you can ask your neighbor friends what they think?

 

[ladymemac]

It's surprising, even shocking, to me that DR wasn't the most unshakable suspect #1 from the beginning. The geographic configuration is damning. And then the coincidences just add up. The very night the two other people who normally are at home are out of town an abduction occurs at the end of the driveway? Abduction of a boy that is same age as one's students?

I can totally believe Aaron and Trevor wouldn't be able to match the voice. When you're a young kid, and a masked man comes out of the darkness with a gun, speaking in an exaggerated "bad guy" rasp, I'd think you'd have no real idea what the person truly sounded like --- there was nothing real or authentic about the perpetrator, imo, the stocking and mannerism were meant to instill maximum amount of fear, like a haunted house character...

I wonder if it's possible there *was a DNA match. DNA testing has evolved --- is it possible they made a match between DR and Jared's case, but it hasn't been made public because the statue of limitations on sexual assault has expired?

I also have to think there's at least one member of the R family who's suspicious and carrying around a lot of guilt. Someone who knows what kind of gun was around, DR's normal sleep routine, his habits and behavior immediately after Jacob's abduction.

DR, we know, is an avid runner. I've always wondered if he was out taking a run when he came across the boys leaving or en route to Tom Thumb. Maybe he circled back and stealthily watched them from his property, thus Aaron's recollection of the eerie "rustling" in the grass.

 

[shergal]

Oh wow, I found a great bird's eye view map of the culdesac. There are 7 homes on Kiwi Court, 8 homes on Kale Court. One single home west of Kiwi Court, and 1 or 2 homes east of Kale Court all on 295th Ave. (not 285th as I typoed earlier). You can see into the yards, behind the yards, and get a great idea of the whole area. (This could also be used to view overhead in DR's area by typing in their address).

If you go to this site (which I learned about here on WS from the Haleigh case) ;-)
http://www.411.com/find_neighbors

and plug in Wetterling's address, which is 29422 Kiwi Court, St. Joseph, MN - then click on search. Scroll down through all the resident's names (not saying which people are our friends, but I recognize a couple other names on here too!) and click on Jerry L. Wetterling. Scroll down on that page and there is a little google map which says "click here for larger map". Once you get to the larger map click on bird's eye view - amazing how clear it is! You can zoom in and out and use the arrows to move east and west and see the entire area. (I just used this to check our own location and I can tell from our yard that the bird's eye view mapping appears to be only one year old - taken last fall. Kinda scary how close people can see into your yard.)

 

[human]

It's surprising, even shocking, to me that DR wasn't the most unshakable suspect #1 from the beginning. The geographic configuration is damning. And then the coincidences just add up. The very night the two other people who normally are at home are out of town an abduction occurs at the end of the driveway? Abduction of a boy that is same age as one's students?

I can totally believe Aaron and Trevor wouldn't be able to match the voice. When you're a young kid, and a masked man comes out of the darkness with a gun, speaking in an exaggerated "bad guy" rasp, I'd think you'd have no real idea what the person truly sounded like --- there was nothing real or authentic about the perpetrator, imo, the stocking and mannerism were meant to instill maximum amount of fear, like a haunted house character...

I wonder if it's possible there *was a DNA match. DNA testing has evolved --- is it possible they made a match between DR and Jared's case, but it hasn't been made public because the statue of limitations on sexual assault has expired?

I also have to think there's at least one member of the R family who's suspicious and carrying around a lot of guilt. Someone who knows what kind of gun was around, DR's normal sleep routine, his habits and behavior immediately after Jacob's abduction.

DR, we know, is an avid runner. I've always wondered if he was out taking a run when he came across the boys leaving or en route to Tom Thumb. Maybe he circled back and stealthily watched them from his property, thus Aaron's recollection of the eerie "rustling" in the grass.

I'm with you on this. DR claims he gave DNA.

I just don't know what to think, but he sure seems like a likely candidate.

There was also a guy that worked on a chicken or turkey farm in a town with the letter P something, I think, that was found to have molested lots of boys.

There were just so many heart breaking things that came down around the time.

I just pray it's over soon.

 

[shergal]

I remembered three on Kiwi court, but that seemed to few. So maybe there are some brain cells left.

Thanks so much. Maybe you can ask your neighbor friends what they think?

We've discussed it with them over the years whenever new leads came up. They were totally baffled because everyone in those homes knew each other really well. Their kids played together. Some of them belonged to the same parish or were in the same clubs and town activities. And for so many years LE was looking for a car that had taken Jacob out of state. Since 2004, when Jared came forward, they have felt it was someone local. But I think this is the first time anyone has actually been declared a person of interest in the case.

This case made a huge impact on our lives, because our son was just a toddler when Jacob was kidnapped. It turned me into "super vigilant mom" and really changed everyone's lives who felt safe in this area 20 years ago.

 

[human]

I live in MN, but far away. Not hard to do in MN-lol. My neighborhood was very much like that one, but with far fewer homes and not by a highway.

It turned my life upside down.

 

[Trino]

Oh wow, I found a great bird's eye view map of the culdesac. There are 7 homes on Kiwi Court, 8 homes on Kale Court. One single home west of Kiwi Court, and 1 or 2 homes east of Kale Court all on 295th Ave. (not 285th as I typoed earlier). You can see into the yards, behind the yards, and get a great idea of the whole area. (This could also be used to view overhead in DR's area by typing in their address).

If you go to this site (which I learned about here on WS from the Haleigh case) ;-)
http://www.411.com/find_neighbors

and plug in Wetterling's address, which is 29422 Kiwi Court, St. Joseph, MN - then click on search. Scroll down through all the resident's names (not saying which people are our friends, but I recognize a couple other names on here too!) and click on Jerry L. Wetterling. Scroll down on that page and there is a little google map which says "click here for larger map". Once you get to the larger map click on bird's eye view - amazing how clear it is! You can zoom in and out and use the arrows to move east and west and see the entire area. (I just used this to check our own location and I can tell from our yard that the bird's eye view mapping appears to be only one year old - taken last fall. Kinda scary how close people can see into your yard.)

Except 411.com isn't accurate. I tried with our cul de sac, which has 7 homes. The site lists people who haven't lived here in over 10 years!!!

 

[Lotus]

Here's a video (from 1991) with Patty Wetterling walking & talking with a reporter at the abduction site.
http://www.kare11.com/video/default.aspx?bcrefid=987094339#/1991+KARE+11+Wetterling+Documentary+excerpt/47270078001

 

[coaster]

Oh my. That map link does zoom in close. You can see the 2nd telephone pole where supposedly was found Jacob's last footprint. It doesn't look like the tree line has changed much from the pics from twenty years ago and as I said earlier, there is NO place close to the road to hide. The bikes and scooter were laid across the street from the driveway and just on the north side of the ditch by the mailbox. Aaron said the man came out from the driveway. It appears the ditch at the intersection in the north east section is deeper than the other corners. It's very possible the person squatted there to wait for the boys.

 

[human]

Except 411.com isn't accurate. I tried with our cul de sac, which has 7 homes. The site lists people who haven't lived here in over 10 years!!!

That's good. then we can see people who lived there 10 years ago as opposed to today. Maybe they lived there 20 years ago as well.

 

[shergal]

That's good. then we can see people who lived there 10 years ago as opposed to today. Maybe they lived there 20 years ago as well.

Well, and the 411 bird's eye view was more to show you the location of the homes and woods around there anyway - for those who asked how many homes were down there, than to name names of people living there. I don't think we need to be harassing any of the homeowners or digging up any possible online dirt on the names shown. None of THEM have been named as persons of interest. (And according to our friends they have all been looked into plenty already and had their places turned upside down by LE.) It just gives you an idea of where the boys biked from.