MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #3

[margaret_diane]

Maybe Patty was trying to give DR a way out? "You didn't mean to do this".

I am curious about the Catholic faith. If someone confesses to a priest that he committed a crime like this, is the person absolved by the priest?

Also, with all of these sex offender priests, are they considered to be OK in the eyes of God because they confessed to their sins?

-> Catholic Confession is considered sacred. To my understanding, The Code of Canon Law indicates that a priest cannot reveal anything he is told in confession, even a crime. If he does so, he will be excommunicated from the Catholic Church. I've included a link from the Vatican outlining Canon Law surrounding confessions for anyone who may be interested.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3G.HTM

In the Catholic faith, when a Catholic confesses their sins to a priest, he or she will be absolved no matter the sin. This even applies to priests.

 

[Jbrown324320]

All that Canon law stuff is true Margaret Diane. This is probably where this "code of silence" began. They can keep horrible secrets about each other without telling anyone.

I believe they just passed state laws recently making priests mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse and neglect. Before those laws, anyone could go to confession, say a few hail mary's and be absolved. Even for venial sins like murder. I guess this MN law is currently in conflict with the Canon Law. I would hope they all would be afraid to go to jail and adhere to the regular state law.

I posted the current MN statute for clergy reporting. each state has different reporting laws.



Minnesota
Minn. Stat. Ann. § 626.556, Subd. 3(a) (LexisNexis through 2009 Reg. Sess.)
A person who knows or has reason to believe a child is being neglected or physically or sexually abused shall immediately report the information to the local welfare agency, agency responsible for assessing or investigating the report, police department, or the county sheriff if the person is employed as a member of the clergy and received the information while engaged in ministerial duties, provided that a member of clergy is not required to report information that is otherwise privileged under § 595.02(1)(c) [pertaining to clergy-penitent privilege].

http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/clergymandated.pdf

 

[human]

JBrown. That law was passed in 2000.

So if the perp is a Catholic and he confessed, everything is Okey Dokey. No worries.

 

[shergal]

Tonight's TV interview with DR on KARE11: (brief summary for those who couldn't watch - I'm sure it will be posted online by tomorrow.)

DR: I have a JW file
Interviewer: Why?
DR: Why not?

He did go on to explain that he has files on almost everything, but in his "Jacob box" he had video tapes from news shows, newspaper clippings, photos, and his own thoughts. When she questioned again why, he said "Wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't have it written down and forgot it all some day?" He also said he can go back whenever he wants and read through and watch all the old TV news shows on it.

The "You know I like to do pranks" remark was directed to the news interviewer and not to Patty as I had originally thought - so that made more sense. He spoke of talking with Patty for over an hour. She was evidently just walking past his place and he was out by the mailbox and she asked him if they could talk. He said, why not, after 20 years of not talking, we probably should start. He said she asked several times if he was just trying to scare the boys because it was near Halloween and dark out and she asked if he did it several times. This time he responded "No, no and no." So he didn't seem quite as awkward in this interview as the one last night.

He also talked a bit about how his dad "said something he shouldn't have" to teh investigators when they came to the farm this summer. (I got the impression he swore and/or ordered them off his property) and DR said he was afraid his dad was going to have a heart attack he was so upset. DR also said something about investigators putting his mom on the floor - which I find doubtful - but then he said he couldn't reveal anymore about that. He said his dad was "scared" - which was an odd choice of words - I would think angry or mad, but scared??

 

[human]

Interesting. Hard to believe that they would put a woman who is close to 80 on the floor.

Thanks for the synopsis

 

[margaret_diane]

Interesting. Hard to believe that they would put a woman who is close to 80 on the floor.

Thanks for the synopsis

Thanks for the synopsis!!

It the 80 year old woman were showing signs of distress... palor, racing pulse (possible evident in the jugular)... sweating... they might have lay her down to ensure she did not suffer syncope. They may have thought she was having an attack of some sort (panic, anxiety, heart attack, stroke)... and lay her own for her own safety? I'm not sure I could envision her freaking out and requiring a restraint by officers for any reason? Is it possible she has mental health concerns (alzheimers? dementia?) and had an episode of any degree wherein she became a danger to herself or those around her? Anything is possible. It sounds like it was a stressful time for the DR family.

 

[margaret_diane]

Why is DR concerned he might one day forget everything?

 

[margaret_diane]

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=875817

Official synopsis article on interview being discussed in above post.

 

[margaret_diane]

In the write up, they talk about him being relieved no physical evidence has been recovered on his property thus far... I think I see why now --
It seems that IF they found evidence to suggest Jacob was murdered on his property, then there could be NO HOPE of finding him alive -- DR seems to be saying that he is relieved because as long as there is no evidence to suggest he is deceased, then people should to continue to hope that he is alive!

 

[ladymemac]

My understanding is that at one point the FBI theorized that Jacob's kidnapping could have been a Halloween prank gone wrong. I recall reading profiler Clint Van Zandt talk about that theory. I'm sure it was shared with Patty Wetterling. In retrospect, it seems clear they were suggesting it in connection with DR, as it's the kind of thing a neighbor would do, and not a straight-up predatory stranger.

If true, I'd guess the prank had underlying sexual motivations, even if they were subconscious.

Has anyone ever heard whether or not the Rassiers were known to have a handgun in the house?

 

[human]

How would anyone know if someone had a handgun in the house ?

 

[Camille Grace]

Originally posted by Jbrown324320:
I believe they just passed state laws recently making priests mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse and neglect. Before those laws, anyone could go to confession, say a few hail mary's and be absolved. Even for venial sins like murder.

Murder is considered to be a mortal sin in the Catholic Church, not a venial one. A person can be forgiven for his or her sins only if they confess and repent.

 

[human]

How do they repent if they committed a murder?

 

[concentric]

Tonight's TV interview with DR on KARE11: (brief summary for those who couldn't watch - I'm sure it will be posted online by tomorrow.)

She was evidently just walking past his place and he was out by the mailbox and she asked him if they could talk.
----------------------------------
Wonder if she had a mic planted on her or a witness with her? What if he had confessed to the crime during this casual encounter.

 

[concentric]

Has anyone ever heard whether or not the Rassiers were known to have a handgun in the house?

-----------------------------
DR himself said no in the previous interview.

I think the reason they had the search warrant with the silver gun listed, is because that is what the boys saw.

 

[margaret_diane]

My understanding is that at one point the FBI theorized that Jacob's kidnapping could have been a Halloween prank gone wrong. I recall reading profiler Clint Van Zandt talk about that theory. I'm sure it was shared with Patty Wetterling. In retrospect, it seems clear they were suggesting it in connection with DR, as it's the kind of thing a neighbor would do, and not a straight-up predatory stranger.

If true, I'd guess the prank had underlying sexual motivations, even if they were subconscious.

Has anyone ever heard whether or not the Rassiers were known to have a handgun in the house?

in the 14 minute interview given by DR last week... he noted police had a pistol listed in their warrant, but that they don't and have never owned a pistol. He stated they have other larger guns (shotguns or riffles? i forget what he said) but a pistol... he denied ever having.

It has just occurred to me though that maybe they might be looking for a starters pistol? The kind used to start races??

 

[concentric]

JBrown. That law was passed in 2000.

So if the perp is a Catholic and he confessed, everything is Okey Dokey. No worries.

----------------------
Any pedophiles or murderers who are Catholic may go through a long laundry list of spiritual cleansing rituals, then maybe they figure that they are all good, until they sin again...

JMO

 

[Mandy113]

I don't know what to think after reading all of this. I do believe DR is a logical POI based on what we know. I don't believe LE is trying to ruin his life. He said many things in that interview I could point out as being odd but he may just not articulate his thoughts well. For example, I think he made the comment about he couldn't believe it was still being talked about after 21 years ... I think he meant he couldn't believe HE was still being talked about as a suspect after 21 years. I'm not convinced DR is guilty of anything. I'd love to know Patty Wetterling's impressions of him after they spoke.

The stranger predator is still a possibility I can't entirely discount. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a stranger to the area. I still think JW & Jared's abductions were done by the same man. One thing really sticks out in my mind and that's Jerry Wetterling's story about his momentary feeling of panic with Jacob at the hockey rink. Also the fact the perp asked the boys their ages & looked at their faces before he took Jacob. I do believe Jacob was targeted in some manner.

As far as the Catholic Church and the forgiveness of sins, I do know a little as I was raised in the faith. The Church's sacred tenet is all life is sacred. It's true a priest can not reveal what is said to him during confession. But in order to repent, I'm sure the person would be urged to confess his crime and accept his punishment. The priest can not turn him in. He can only counsel him and I feel sure he'd be very, very strongly encouraged to go to the authorities and turn himself in.

All the above is just my opinion and speculation.

 

[concentric]

It has just occurred to me though that maybe they might be looking for a starters pistol? The kind used to start races??

I give you a lot of credit for thinking about that. Excellent.

 

[Jbrown324320]

Murder is considered to be a mortal sin in the Catholic Church, not a venial one. A person can be forgiven for his or her sins only if they confess and repent.

Thanks Camille. I guess I was practicing Catholic for 40 years (just left the church officially a few weeks ago) and still didn't learn the difference.