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

[concentric]

Partial post by Lotus

As far as the abductor taking Jacob down that driveway, it just doesn't make any sense to go that way. If it was someone unconnected to the property I could understand using the driveway as a place to wait until the boys came back but in that case I would imagine that Jacobs scent/footprints would have gone in another direction, not down the driveway since there was no car parked down there and really no place to go (except the farm house). Also, if Jacobs remains are found on the property, why would the abductor go back to the scene of the crime to bury him?:waitasec:
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Perhaps Jacob was taken away from the property by someone else that R knew? Also, if R or someone else he knew figured the "coast was clear" after a certain amount of time had passed, I could see the perp(s) thinking no one would ever find out about disposal of a body.

 

[KeyboardCat]

Here's my amateur profile of the abductor based on his actions with Jared and Jacob:

I think because he asked the younger boy his age first, shows that he was wanting a child younger than his first victim. After Jared's abduction, I think he had narrowed down an age he thought was more desirable to him. He was unsure of what stage of development would be normal for a particular age. He probably felt the only way to judge that stage of development would be age/size. (Inexperience.)

I think Aaron and Jacob were the same age, so then he basically picked the one that was more attractive to him. Or perhaps he simply chose the smaller of the two.

I believe this predator knew he was taking a huge risk in doing this again after Jared, but the impulse was too strong. I believe he never molested any of those children prior to Jared, and knew that if he were to be able to have what he wanted, he would have to do it with what would look like a stranger abduction. (Also showing inexperience and shame.)

I believe that he was too uncomfortable and shameful to abuse in a setting where his identity was known, where he would be manipulating/confusing children in order to harm them and have them keep the secret (as is the most common method of abuse). That is why he abducted them. He felt it was the only way possible to get what he wanted. He was probably faced with his disgusting impulses every time he was near children. He knew the abductions were incredibly risky. He knew that abusing the children around him through manipulation and confusion was easier, less violent, less risky, and if he did get caught, it wouldn't be right away. But he chose the abduction option anyway. I think this shows that the shame of it was of greater importance to him than even the fear of apprehension/prison.

He lived and/or worked in the same general community as his victims.

He had some peripheral connection to the children, but felt that they would not immediately recognize his face and voice.

He did not feel the freedom to travel to an area where he would be guaranteed not to be recognized. (This one baffles me the most. Maybe he was a teenager still living at home with parents, or had responsibilities that imposed time and travel restraints, or only had access to a vehicle that wasn't his own, or only owned an unreliable vehicle.)

I think he was desperate and impulsive the night he abducted Jacob, being willing to risk two other witnesses identifying him. I think he loathed the thought of killing his victim, (religion or morals) but he knew beforehand that he would not be able to release Jacob, as he did Jared.

Using a gun in child abductions isn't exactly rare, but its more uncommon than a knife or other physical force. He made threats of violence with the gun that he probably knew he would not carry out (when he threatened to shoot the boys, including Jared if they looked back.) I think this shows didn't feel comfortable with the level of control he could exert himself without a weapon. I think this shows some feelings of physical inferiority. He doesn't feel as though he is as masculine as he should be.

I think he probably felt nervous and even scared while he was abducting the children.

I think he probably felt great shame and depression afterward.

I know a lot of what I have written may be too speculative or just plain wrong. But these are the things I think are possible.

Any thoughts?

 

[KeyboardCat]

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=63324

I'm not sure if anyone has noted this article, but Jared talks about how he was able to identify the place the abductor drove him to for the assault. He mentions a distinctive light on a silo that he recognized after retracing the route he was taken to by investigators.

 

[Lotus]

I found an interesting statement that talks a bit about the mindset of the abductor in an article about Jacob's case:

"somebody will commit a crime toward a child, then have three months of feeling empty, and then three months of starting to look, and he’ll do it again in nine months".
-Jared was abducted 9 months before Jacob was.

Full article:http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/October-2009/Without-a-Trace/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc

 

[Trino]

I found an interesting statement that talks a bit about the mindset of the abductor in an article about Jacob's case:

"somebody will commit a crime toward a child, then have three months of feeling empty, and then three months of starting to look, and he’ll do it again in nine months".
-Jared was abducted 9 months before Jacob was.

Full article:http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/October-2009/Without-a-Trace/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc

Here are some things I found interesting from the article you referenced:
1. Neil Neddermeyer (FBI): I ... know that you don’t decide you’re going to go kidnap, rape, and murder a child today. You may start by experimenting with touching the child, or being around children, and you work up to it over a series of years, as a pedophile might. And in fact, the guy that did this had probably been in jail before.

2. Al Garber (FBI): There were composite drawings drawn by police artists of a man who was in the Tom Thumb who we couldn’t identify. We never found out who he was for sure.

Question: why hasn't anyone who was in Tom Thumb that night come forward?

 

[Dejasade]

Off topic to what you guys were talking about but I had a question/observation:
DR said that he saw a car turn around in his driveway. Later on LE found the guy who did turn around. Did the time that DR said he saw this car turn around correlate with the time that the guy said he actually did turn around?
Some people speculate that DR was lying when he said he saw a car turn around - sort of put the blame on someone else so to say...

 

[Dejasade]

Here are some things I found interesting from the article you referenced:
1. Neil Neddermeyer (FBI): I ... know that you don’t decide you’re going to go kidnap, rape, and murder a child today. You may start by experimenting with touching the child, or being around children, and you work up to it over a series of years, as a pedophile might. And in fact, the guy that did this had probably been in jail before.

2. Al Garber (FBI): There were composite drawings drawn by police artists of a man who was in the Tom Thumb who we couldn’t identify. We never found out who he was for sure.

Question: why hasn't anyone who was in Tom Thumb that night come forward?

..........i've wondered the same thing about Tom Thumb. Was the worker interviewed?? Were other customers interviewed? Who exactly saw this guy?

 

[rzeznikrocks]

Here's my amateur profile of the abductor based on his actions with Jared and Jacob:

Any thoughts?

I think you are right on there, Keyboard Cat.

To me, it makes sense that he was a local. I think whoever did this was responsible for Jared & Jacob. But after seeing how extrememly high-profile Jacobs abduction was, he never attempted anything like that again. It makes sense doesn't it?

On a side note, I'm curious, did DR work @ Rocori up until just this past school year? I'm assuming hes probably in hiding somewhere right now and not returning to the area? Does anybody know anything about that?

 

[shergal]

I think you are right on there, Keyboard Cat.

To me, it makes sense that he was a local. I think whoever did this was responsible for Jared & Jacob. But after seeing how extrememly high-profile Jacobs abduction was, he never attempted anything like that again. It makes sense doesn't it?

On a side note, I'm curious, did DR work @ Rocori up until just this past school year? I'm assuming hes probably in hiding somewhere right now and not returning to the area? Does anybody know anything about that?

As far as I've heard he's still living at the farm, running marathons and planning on still teaching at Rocori next fall. I'm not sure if he's still on staff at St. John's or not. I imagine the Rocori school board is waiting to see if he's cleared or not before they do anything about his teaching position. School usually starts right after Labor Day in MN.

 

[shergal]

Here's a short article with video and photo updating that they are still sifting through soil they took from the DR farm. Not much new info, but I'm glad they're keeping us updated on it so the case doesn't just disappear for another 20 years.
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/...erling-case-dirt-sifting-3rd-day-july-21-2010

 

[concentric]

Many people have commented that it probably would have been impossible for the man (in sketch) watching the children in Tom Thumb to get ahead of the children and ambush them.

That is why I think there are at least 2 people involved in the kidnapping: Person A calls Person B to alert him to the fact that the boys are heading to the Tom Thumb. Person B goes to the Tom Thumb and is a "point man" or "lookout." When the boys leave, Person B calls Person A, letting him know that the boys are indeed returning--alone--on their way back by the same route.

Possible IMO

 

[Trino]

Many people have commented that it probably would have been impossible for the man (in sketch) watching the children in Tom Thumb to get ahead of the children and ambush them.

That is why I think there are at least 2 people involved in the kidnapping: Person A calls Person B to alert him to the fact that the boys are heading to the Tom Thumb. Person B goes to the Tom Thumb and is a "point man" or "lookout." When the boys leave, Person B calls Person A, letting him know that the boys are indeed returning--alone--on their way back by the same route.

Possible IMO

Anything is possible in this case. Although the boys didn't see/hear a car along 16th Ave, maybe one was hidden somewhere along the route. When J was taken, the boys ran toward the Wetterling home in the opposite direction of Tom Thumb, so maybe they were unaware of a car behind them. I'm guessing it would have taken them about 5 minutes (less?) to get to the Wetterling home.

The Rassier farm has a long, long driveway (almost like a road in itself) with a curve before the house. Could a car have been hidden along the drive, say toward the trees?

 

[concentric]

Wish there were more details about the man in the Tom Thumb. For instance, did the clerk or a customer see him make a phone call at a phone booth outside, or did the anyone see him leave shortly after the boys did?

 

[human]

Here are some things I found interesting from the article you referenced:
1. Neil Neddermeyer (FBI): I ... know that you don’t decide you’re going to go kidnap, rape, and murder a child today. You may start by experimenting with touching the child, or being around children, and you work up to it over a series of years, as a pedophile might. And in fact, the guy that did this had probably been in jail before.

2. Al Garber (FBI): There were composite drawings drawn by police artists of a man who was in the Tom Thumb who we couldn’t identify. We never found out who he was for sure.

Question: why hasn't anyone who was in Tom Thumb that night come forward?

1. Maybe the last thing he wanted to do was become involved, not because of any thing to do with it, but maybe because he didn't want a hassle.

2. Maybe he was on the road and didn't know about it.

 

[human]

..........i've wondered the same thing about Tom Thumb. Was the worker interviewed?? Were other customers interviewed? Who exactly saw this guy?

the article I read was in the archives of the St. John's newsletters. The girl who was at the Tom Thumb sounds like she was a relative of the neighbors of the Wetterlings. She must have been a high school or college girl. Her last name, if I remember correctly and I might not be remembering correctly, was the same as the babysitter that the children called.

She has an article where she is speaking to a group at St. John's about here experiences that night.

 

[buffetoflies]

I've checked www.ratemyteacher.com and www.ratemyprofessor.com He doesn't come up on either. On RMT when I put Rassier in it says it found 1 of 0 results. I don't know how to get at the 1 result though.

What is the third brothers name? I think someone posted that it starts with T?

 

[margaret_diane]

Many people have commented that it probably would have been impossible for the man (in sketch) watching the children in Tom Thumb to get ahead of the children and ambush them.

That is why I think there are at least 2 people involved in the kidnapping: Person A calls Person B to alert him to the fact that the boys are heading to the Tom Thumb. Person B goes to the Tom Thumb and is a "point man" or "lookout." When the boys leave, Person B calls Person A, letting him know that the boys are indeed returning--alone--on their way back by the same route.

Possible IMO

Cell phones weren't widely available then -- but possibly a car phone? Not sure when they were popularized - but I do recall that my sister had one in 1990/91

What about a CB radio? Walkie Talkie?

 

[margaret_diane]

the article I read was in the archives of the St. John's newsletters. The girl who was at the Tom Thumb sounds like she was a relative of the neighbors of the Wetterlings. She must have been a high school or college girl. Her last name, if I remember correctly and I might not be remembering correctly, was the same as the babysitter that the children called.

She has an article where she is speaking to a group at St. John's about here experiences that night.

Her last name is the same as the babysitter? Hmmm... I'd love to read the article you mention above -- any links to it by chance? Thanks in advance.

 

[human]

Her last name is the same as the babysitter? Hmmm... I'd love to read the article you mention above -- any links to it by chance? Thanks in advance.

it's in all of the articles that I believe shergal posted about St. John.s when you do an advanced search on Jacob Wetterling in the newsletters.

It's posted in one of her quotes. I looked through every article. I believe there were 30 or some .

I am not going to read the articles to find which one it was again,, so you're on your own.

I should have marked it somehow, but I didn't . Dang.

 

[human]

Cell phones weren't widely available then -- but possibly a car phone? Not sure when they were popularized - but I do recall that my sister had one in 1990/91

What about a CB radio? Walkie Talkie?

was your sister rich? That sounds expensive.

CB, maybe, but both people would have to have one. My Dad had one and there was something about the difficulty of getting to talk on them because the FCC eliminated a lot of ability to do that. It's so vague in my mind and I am so untechno, that's all I remember.

Wouldn't Walkie Talike be limited in distance?