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

[margaret_diane]

The thing that gets me is that DR is NOT a sex offender, pedophile, has no prior convictions, etc. If he had, then i'd say for sure he's the guy.
How far away is the house from the abduction site? Could he have heard them walking by?
Even if he had, though, how would he have known they would come back that exact same way???
UGHHH this case frusterates me.

With respect, I wanted to point out that every sex offender has to start somewhere!!

With that said, just because DR has never been accused of anything previously or since the disappearance doesn't mean he has no history!!

Further, even if he had never molested or harmed a child before, we have no way to know whether he may have fantasized etc. It is in my view, naive to think that he could NOT be the abductor, just because there is no prior or subsequent history of that type of behavior.

 

[Dejasade]

With respect, I wanted to point out that every sex offender has to start somewhere!!

With that said, just because DR has never been accused of anything previously or since the disappearance doesn't mean he has no history!!

Further, even if he had never molested or harmed a child before, we have no way to know whether he may have fantasized etc. It is in my view, naive to think that he could NOT be the abductor, just because there is no prior or subsequent history of that type of behavior.

I fully agree...but dont you think there would be SOMETHING out about this guy??? Like weird behavior that people would notice? I just think there would be something odd about the guy, and there seems to be nothing (other than the fact that he's in his 50's and still lives w/ his parents...)

 

[human]

The thing that gets me is that DR is NOT a sex offender, pedophile, has no prior convictions, etc. If he had, then i'd say for sure he's the guy.
How far away is the house from the abduction site? Could he have heard them walking by?
Even if he had, though, how would he have known they would come back that exact same way???
UGHHH this case frusterates me.

1. He could have heard them going by from the house. The driveway is a long one. Sound really travels in the country, and there is nothing to block the sound with all the fields there.

2. There is only one road going to the Tom Thumb. If they went there, then that is the only way back. Maybe he heard them talking about getting the movie.

3. I think that an attractive looking person such as DR who lived in the basement of his parents home at the time of the abduction, is not a farmer, is a teacher with enough salary to have his own place, and really doesn't have any friends is different, to say the least.

 

[Mandy113]

I'm really curious what reason LE would had to ask for DR's DNA. The only thing I can think of would be to possibly match to evidence from Jared's abduction.

As far as DR having no record of prior offenses, I'm not sure that's necessarily so surprising. How many women fail to report rape? I don't have the statistics, but I'm guessing even more juveniles (or their families) do not report molestations. I don't know if DR is considered strange or not. From his background, it does seem he is intelligent though.

 

[human]

I did a paper on sexual abuse for a class, although it was 25 some years ago.

I do think some of the information is still true, however.

Minnesota appears to have a lot of sexual abuse because it is reported and there are places that take the reports and interview the children. There is a professional response to it.

However, the studies indicated that sexual abuse of boys is greatly under reported because of parents being worried that their boys would be labeled as homosexual .

I don't know how they figured that out, as it is so many years ago.

I think that there are gender issues still about boys having to be tough,etc.

 

[margaret_diane]

I fully agree...but dont you think there would be SOMETHING out about this guy??? Like weird behavior that people would notice? I just think there would be something odd about the guy, and there seems to be nothing (other than the fact that he's in his 50's and still lives w/ his parents...)

I DO think the guy is strange in his behaviour!

- DR was home alone at the time of the attack and abduction. Not strange in itself, but when police attended his home to search for Jacob, his response to them was that he wasn't going to "waste his time" -- and he apparently went to bed! This guy didn't express concern for Jacob at the time, and was not interested in helping police in any way shape or form at the time -- he couldn't be bothered!? That is NOT the kind of teacher I want for my own two sons!!

I cant imagine an innocent neighbor, who had nothing whatsoever to do with this case telling police he couldn't be bothered!?! If he had no involvement, I would think he'd be out helping police around the property, calling his parents, getting more help -- whatever it took to assist a child who was so clearly in such imminent danger!! Instead, he went to bed?! Gee what a sweet heart!

He may not have had anything to do with it, and he may have had no knowledge of the events -- but the very fact that he refused to lift a finger is disturbing to me!

 

[Hope4Lost]

Follow the evidence. Forget what one does or does not know about a person being examined and concentrate on the evidence. Where does it lead? Evidently for the leo's, it led onto DR's property. Not necessarily because of anything known or unknown about DR in the public, but because of evidence that resulted in a search warrant.

 

[Jade]

The evidence does seem to point, from the beginning, directly to Mr. DR who had no verifiable alibi.

From the reading I have done it appears that Mr. DR was not above suspicion in the minds of the locals. There are unsolved cases in the vicinity so someone who hasn’t been caught has priors.

In a link provided by Lotus note the comment from the retired chief of police:

http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2010/07/jacob-wetterling-abduction-search-underway-on-neighbors-farm/comment-page-1/

Also Mr. DR told police a car had turned around in his driveway and sped off. An apparent red herring that had investigators stumped for years. A commenter mentioned that the car would not even have been visible from the home because of the lay of the land. But surely LE noticed that when they took DR’s statement?!

In this video provided by Dum Dum Sucker we hear DR’s voice. Voice was an identifying factor for not just the boys experience but also for the possibly connected ‘Jared’ case.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/interview-with-wetterling-neighbor-in-2004-fox-9-report-june-30-2010

In the video a copy of Aaron’s statement is shown and quoted. A question for locals- has that ever been provided to the public? Sure would like to have a peek at it.

Dum Dum Suckers link to Aaron’s interview is interesting.
They were carrying flashlights that the abductor told them to turn off. Not only did that make their progress along the road easy to track but also the boys eyes weren’t adjusted to the dark.

http://www.startribune.com/video/?vid=64688382&elr=KArksCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycU9PhDcU5PhDco8P77jyPhU

Also Aaron says when he looked back Jacob and the abductor were gone. So it was Trevor that said he saw Jacob being led away by his elbow?

Aaron does seem to indicate that age not name was the question.

The oldest one would be beyond having his class and subsequently identify him?


All IMO

 

[human]

I don't think he taught at their school, but I don't know.

BTW, a man who is 76 years old is just now being accused of sexually abusing a boy for several years. His only other crime in all those years was a speeding ticket. The abuse occurred in the 90's.

 

[Lotus]

In this video provided by Dum Dum Sucker we hear DR’s voice. Voice was an identifying factor for not just the boys experience but also for the possibly connected ‘Jared’ case.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/interview-with-wetterling-neighbor-in-2004-fox-9-report-june-30-2010

I think DR's voice in this video was modulated for privacy (much like his face being blurred out).

Also Aaron says when he looked back Jacob and the abductor were gone. So it was Trevor that said he saw Jacob being led away by his elbow?

Aaron saw the abductor yank Jacob up by the elbow as Aaron was getting up to run away.

Aaron does seem to indicate that age not name was the question.

The oldest one would be beyond having his class and subsequently identify him?

I think DR was teaching middle school in nearby Cold Spring, MN at the time of the abduction but Jacob went to school in St.Cloud I believe.

 

[Lotus]

Most importantly though .... does anyone have any links or other information about this young boy's body discovered in the Mississippi River in Feb 1990? Surely Jacob was ruled out as this victim but I'm not familiar with this story at all.

This link has the info about the body pulled from the river.
http://www.skepticfiles.org/rumor/mn_grave.htm

 

[Trino]

I DO think the guy is strange in his behaviour!

- DR was home alone at the time of the attack and abduction. Not strange in itself, but when police attended his home to search for Jacob, his response to them was that he wasn't going to "waste his time" -- and he apparently went to bed! This guy didn't express concern for Jacob at the time, and was not interested in helping police in any way shape or form at the time -- he couldn't be bothered!? That is NOT the kind of teacher I want for my own two sons!!

I cant imagine an innocent neighbor, who had nothing whatsoever to do with this case telling police he couldn't be bothered!?! If he had no involvement, I would think he'd be out helping police around the property, calling his parents, getting more help -- whatever it took to assist a child who was so clearly in such imminent danger!! Instead, he went to bed?! Gee what a sweet heart!

He may not have had anything to do with it, and he may have had no knowledge of the events -- but the very fact that he refused to lift a finger is disturbing to me!

And, how many murderers have offered to help in a search - prime reference being Scott Peterson.

 

[Mandy113]

Thank you Lotus. I did read that link this afternoon. The body must have been identified but I couldn't find any other information about it. I'll keep looking tonight.

 

[concentric]

I think we are all trying to figure out which leads were ruled out.

Another lead must have been the one I read about on the web somewhere, that some people were saying there was a grown man who local people claimed looked a lot like Jacob and who apparently has no memory of his parents, who he was told died when he was younger, or something like that. Comparisons to the Steven Staynor abduction.

Then another I heard about was that someone who looked like Jacob was seen in Amsterdam.

Anyone else read about these?

 

[Trino]

I think we are all trying to figure out which leads were ruled out.

Another lead must have been the one I read about on the web somewhere, that some people were saying there was a grown man who local people claimed looked a lot like Jacob and who apparently has no memory of his parents, who he was told died when he was younger, or something like that. Comparisons to the Steven Staynor abduction.

Then another I heard about was that someone who looked like Jacob was seen in Amsterdam.

Anyone else read about these?

I'm a Minnesotan who has followed the case. (What Minnesotan hasn't?) The grown man from Warroad, MN (2004) did resemble an updated photo of Jacob. However, he was identified. I don't believe you'll find his name, as it was guarded to protect his privacy. He definitely was ruled out re: fingerprints. Interestingly, he refused a DNA test, presumeably because he had an arrest record from AZ.

Re: Amsterdam

In 1990 the Wetterlings dispatched a private investigator to Amsterdam. There was a report that a man and a boy resembling Jacob had been spotted at the airport. The investigator came back empty-handed.

 

[human]

And, how many murderers have offered to help in a search - prime reference being Scott Peterson.

Melissa Huckabee with the Sandra Cantu case.

 

[Trino]

Re: embalmed body in Mississippi River

In Feb 1990 there was an embalmed body of a 9 -13 yr old boy found headless, no hands, no feet. His feet were later located. Gross, I know. Anyway, the coroner said the footprints did not match Jacob's, plus the body was embalmed. It was thought the child died, was buried, then the body was dug up and used in a cult ritual.

I have never heard that this child was identified or re-buried. One would think a child's grave would be visited often and if disturbed, would be noted. However, the body could be from anywhere and not just MN.

Not saying this body was J, but it has been mentioned that in some cult circles, embalming is used. I'm not familiar with cults - have no idea.

 

[shergal]

I think we are all trying to figure out which leads were ruled out.

Another lead must have been the one I read about on the web somewhere, that some people were saying there was a grown man who local people claimed looked a lot like Jacob and who apparently has no memory of his parents, who he was told died when he was younger, or something like that. Comparisons to the Steven Staynor abduction.

Then another I heard about was that someone who looked like Jacob was seen in Amsterdam.

Anyone else read about these?

Concentric, On the man who looked like Jacob, we discussed this here on page 5 of an earlier Jacob thread:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4443&page=5
This man later submitted to dental and or blood testing and was found NOT to be Jacob.

 

[shergal]

Jade: Re your question on Aaron's statement in #284:
I don't think Aaron's statement was ever released, at least I haven't seen it online. This is a good (sad) article about Aaron and how he still thinks of Jacob every day.
http://www.startribune.com/local/64675297.html?elr=KArksUUUycaEacyU

Here's a video interview with Aaron saying pretty much the same as the article.
http://www.startribune.com/video/64688382.html

They have one snippet from Aaron's statement on this Immelman site about Jacob, plus lots of other info.
http://www.immelman.us/news/jacob-wetterling-rassier-search/

Trino: Sorry, you're probably right and it was fingerprints that identified the Warroad guy, I was thinking he finally let them do dental testing, but maybe not.

 

[concentric]

I heard of the body of the embalmed boy being found in the river years ago, but never, never did I hear anyone say exactly who it was.

It just really bothers me.

Thanks.