MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #4

[shergal]

Why did the hockey jacket have the word: POLICE on it? I haven't read that in every article.
What connection did the police have with the hockey team? Thanks.

The St. Cloud Police Dept. sponsors youth hockey.

 

[shergal]

shergal, your inside knowledge of the area and the people has been a huge asset. Do you happen to know if the priests hung out together or lived at the same place? They both abused young boys. I am wondering if maybe they compared notes or tried to one up each other or something sick like that. I really think they both need to be interviewed by police before they pass away. Father BM would have been in 53 when Jacob disappeared and Fr TG would have been 52. Didn't the boy abducted from Cold Spring say that he looked like he was in his 50's? (assuming this is the same suspect)

Yes, they both lived at the rectory. But Father Brennan was there in the late 60's when he was just newly ordained, and Fr. Tom was there in the late 80's. They could have still been friends, I'm sure, they were both from St. John's and are both on restriction at St. John's now.

 

[Jbrown324320]

I wish we could get police to interview both priests.

 

[Solitary Truth Sleuth]

I found this on America's most wanted website. The following is an editorial by John Walsh. Has anyone heard of this before???
In 1989, 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted at gunpoint from his neighborhood in St. Joseph, Minn. He has never been found and his abductor has never been identified. But Jacob's mother, Patty Wetterling, learned that sex offenders who had recently been released were being put up in a halfway house not far from the abduction scene. She was furious that no one knew of the dangers lurking in her own community. Patty became a tremendous advocate and in 1994 the Jacob Wetterling Act was passed. It established requirements for states to create and implement a sex offender registry.

 

[Solitary Truth Sleuth]

MCF-St. Cloud
2305 Minnesota Blvd. SE
St. Cloud, MN 56302
Phone: 320-240-3000
Fax: 320-240-3054
Entry level for all committed offenders Level 5

 

[Solitary Truth Sleuth]

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
National Conference on
Sex Offender Registries
In October 1989, 11-year-old
Jacob Wetterling bicycled with his
brother and a friend to a store near
his St. Joseph, Minnesota, home to
rent a video. Ten months later,
Houston real estate agent Pam
Lychner prepared to show a vacant
residence to a prospective buyer. In
July 1994, Megan Kanka, age 7,
accepted an invitation from a
neighbor in Hamilton Township,
New Jersey, to see his new puppy.
As they went about their daily
routines, Wetterling, Lychner and
Kanka could not have known they
were fated to become crime
victims, or that their names would
ultimately become synonymous
with Federal laws mandating more
stringent control of sex offenders.
Wetterling’s ride home was
interrupted by an armed man
wearing a nylon mask who ordered
the boy’s companions to flee.
Wetterling has not been seen since.
Investigators later learned that,
unbeknownst to local law
enforcement, halfway houses in St.
Joseph housed sex offenders after
their release from prison.
Wetterling’s disappearance
transformed his mother, Patty, a
self-described “stay-at-home
mom,” into a tireless advocate for
missing children. She was
appointed to a governor’s task
force that recommended stronger
sex offender registration
requirements in Minnesota.

So this is official. Where were these multiple halfway houses in St Joseph?

 

[shergal]

MCF-St. Cloud
2305 Minnesota Blvd. SE
St. Cloud, MN 56302
Phone: 320-240-3000
Fax: 320-240-3054
Entry level for all committed offenders Level 5

That's the St. Cloud Reformatory. It's no where near St. Joe or Wetterlings. It's in east St. Cloud near Hwy. 10. I've never heard the halfway house theory, although there are some small halfway houses around MN.

 

[human]

Shergal, thanks for the great map. I have a much better picture of it all now. Do you know where the bikes were found in relation to the Rassier driveway? I saw the photos on the link you posted, but I couldn't tell the location.
I did notice on the map, that the woods across from the Rassier side of the road do lead pretty easily to Pondview Lane, which was probably a pretty undeveloped street in 1989. The cul de sac still doesn't look like it has homes on it. It would have been a good place to leave a car.
Also, the houses on 16th Ave SE look like they are on 91st Ave. Did the road change names?

How would the perp have known where the boys were going? In order to park in the cul de sac, the perp would have had to drive ahead of the boys (they did not see a car). Then the perp would have had to run or walk quite a ways to where the boys were accosted.

Somehow people have to compare this to something they know in their own lives to understand the distances and the emptiness of this area at the time.

 

[margaret_diane]

shergal, your inside knowledge of the area and the people has been a huge asset. Do you happen to know if the priests hung out together or lived at the same place? They both abused young boys. I am wondering if maybe they compared notes or tried to one up each other or something sick like that. I really think they both need to be interviewed by police before they pass away. Father BM would have been in 53 when Jacob disappeared and Fr TG would have been 52. Didn't the boy abducted from Cold Spring say that he looked like he was in his 50's? (assuming this is the same suspect)

JB,
I'm quoting your post because it made me really think about something that could be very important!

The victim from the Cold Spring Case was driven around at some point by police to see if he could identify any of the area in which his attack took place. He identified a specific light or something (might have been a silo?). I cannot recall what it was unfortunately. The point is though, that whatever he recognized I think was NEAR to DR's property if I recall correctly.

If he did recognize any of the surroundings near DR's property, it would be easy for people to assume that DR must therefore be the abductor / involved in this child's case, and/or JW's case.

BUT:

Your post made me question whether it COULD have been a priest from St. Johns. The perp in THAT case was concerned about being recognized, as he pulled the kid's hat or shirt or something over his eyes to obstruct his view. Further, he kept asking the boy if he recognized him etc.

If it was a priest, and if the attack DID happen in the general vicinity of DR's property, it could just be because the perp was familiar with the area, knew that it was a generally quiet area, with little to no traffic - perfect for an assailant to accomplish his crime. It might even have demonstrated some degree of planning ahead, as the perp in the cold spring case might have realized that if the boy recognized the surroundings, he might be more likely to assume it was someone other than a priest as St. Johns was not (?) clearly visible?

I'm not sure if I'm making much sense here. I'm having a terrible time articulating my thoughts (exhausted from a long day!) but I do hope someone understands what I'm getting at!

 

[margaret_diane]

I wish we could get police to interview both priests.

Sometimes I wish WE could interview the players in cases like these!!

 

[Solitary Truth Sleuth]

How would the perp have known where the boys were going? In order to park in the cul de sac, the perp would have had to drive ahead of the boys (they did not see a car). Then the perp would have had to run or walk quite a ways to where the boys were accosted.

Somehow people have to compare this to something they know in their own lives to understand the distances and the emptiness of this area at the time.

From the map posted earlier, you can see that Pondview Lane is easily accessible by Jefferson Lane, and East Baker St -both running east to west; and by 12th Ave SE which runs north to south directly out to highway 75.
The cul de sac was closer to the end of Rassier's driveway than the Rassier home. I am just saying that it is not impossible that someone saw them at the store, and used back roads to get to the cul de sac to leave the car, and walk down to the road. With trees on both sides, it would have been the darkest part of their ride. Also, it would take a long time for the boys (going slow enough for a scooter to keep up with them) to get to that location.

 

[Jbrown324320]

margaret diane-
it is a good possibility and it fits many of the clues. I am thinking it had to be someone local to know how desolate the area is (or where that particular road is for that matter). There is a horrible, disgusting rumor that some of the priests were involved in child trafficking and that Jacob "was their favorite at the abbey." That rumor haunts me every day. I don't want it to affect my objectivity though. I need to have facts to back up suspicions. Maybe we should contact the investigator? If Sherrif Sanner is investigating it, I would be leery to say anything as I feel he has connections, his deputy was arrested for sexual molestation of teen girls and he may have participated in many of the priest cover ups. He also graduated from St John's. His salary is mostly paid for by the college too.

 

[Solitary Truth Sleuth]

http://www.411.com/maps/directions?lower=16&search_id=21211411352418259464
Maybe this will show what I mean about the distances.

I guess that didn't work. You will have to got to aerial view, and then scroll down to where the cul de sac that is furthest south on Pondview Lane is. Then scroll to the right to the road and the edge of the Rassier driveway.

 

[Solitary Truth Sleuth]

margaret diane-
it is a good possibility and it fits many of the clues. I am thinking it had to be someone local to know how desolate the area is (or where that particular road is for that matter). There is a horrible, disgusting rumor that some of the priests were involved in child trafficking and that Jacob "was their favorite at the abbey." That rumor haunts me every day. I don't want it to affect my objectivity though. I need to have facts to back up suspicions. Maybe we should contact the investigator? If Sherrif Sanner is investigating it, I would be leery to say anything as I feel he has connections, his deputy was arrested for sexual molestation of teen girls and he may have participated in many of the priest cover ups. He also graduated from St John's. His salary is mostly paid for by the college too.

I read an interview with Patty Wetterling, where she talks about the Abbey. She says she doesn't know anything about the priests, because they didn't attend church there. I don't know how Jacob could be a favorite, if he wasn't Catholic, and didn't go to church there.
***I am not saying that there is not something very strange going on with the pedophile priests, at that church.

 

[Jbrown324320]

I can clarify the rumor- he was a favorite at the Abbey, meaning they brought him to the Abbey and kept him there for a sex slave after his abduction. They have secret rooms where no one is allowed and there are underground tunnels at the Abbey. But right now, it is just a rumor. Supposedly a bail bondswoman heard this rumor.

 

[shergal]

From the map posted earlier, you can see that Pondview Lane is easily accessible by Jefferson Lane, and East Baker St -both running east to west; and by 12th Ave SE which runs north to south directly out to highway 75.
The cul de sac was closer to the end of Rassier's driveway than the Rassier home. I am just saying that it is not impossible that someone saw them at the store, and used back roads to get to the cul de sac to leave the car, and walk down to the road. With trees on both sides, it would have been the darkest part of their ride. Also, it would take a long time for the boys (going slow enough for a scooter to keep up with them) to get to that location.

Except that none of those other streets were there back in 1989. It was all woods and farm fields. That's a current map.

 

[shergal]

margaret diane-
it is a good possibility and it fits many of the clues. I am thinking it had to be someone local to know how desolate the area is (or where that particular road is for that matter). There is a horrible, disgusting rumor that some of the priests were involved in child trafficking and that Jacob "was their favorite at the abbey." That rumor haunts me every day. I don't want it to affect my objectivity though. I need to have facts to back up suspicions. Maybe we should contact the investigator? If Sherrif Sanner is investigating it, I would be leery to say anything as I feel he has connections, his deputy was arrested for sexual molestation of teen girls and he may have participated in many of the priest cover ups. He also graduated from St John's. His salary is mostly paid for by the college too.

You could always contact the Wetterling Foundation, or Patty directly. I'm not sure about St. John's paying Sanner's salary, he's paid thru the state & county funding, AFAIK.

 

[shergal]

I can clarify the rumor- he was a favorite at the Abbey, meaning they brought him to the Abbey and kept him there for a sex slave after his abduction. They have secret rooms where no one is allowed and there are underground tunnels at the Abbey. But right now, it is just a rumor. Supposedly a bail bondswoman heard this rumor.

Really?? Is this the same bail bondswoman who interviewed Bahner? I think we need to interview her! Or someone does.

 

[concentric]

margaret diane-
it is a good possibility and it fits many of the clues. I am thinking it had to be someone local to know how desolate the area is (or where that particular road is for that matter). There is a horrible, disgusting rumor that some of the priests were involved in child trafficking and that Jacob "was their favorite at the abbey." That rumor haunts me every day. I don't want it to affect my objectivity though. I need to have facts to back up suspicions. Maybe we should contact the investigator? If Sherrif Sanner is investigating it, I would be leery to say anything as I feel he has connections, his deputy was arrested for sexual molestation of teen girls and he may have participated in many of the priest cover ups. He also graduated from St John's. His salary is mostly paid for by the college too.

----------------

I bolded the above, because I thought I remembered from an early news article that the victims were male. About a month ago I found this article that confirms at least one of the victims is male.

http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/14243103-1.html

Judge sets bail at $500K for Stearns sheriff's sergeant
By David Unze St. Cloud Times, Minn.
Publication: St. Cloud Times, Minn.


C.J. Crowell, an assistant Kandiyohi County attorney, reviewed the investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and will prosecute the case to avoid a conflict with Stearns County officials. She told Stearns County District Court Judge Frederick Grunke that Meemken exhibited "grooming behavior" with the victims named in a lengthy and detailed criminal complaint.

"Those are the (victims) we know of," she said.

Meemken was in charge of the Stearns County Sheriff's Office's Explorer Post, and two of the alleged victims were members of that group. The Explorer Post is a program to teach young adults about law enforcement.

The complaint outlines several instances in which Meemken is accused of getting the teenagers drunk and performing various sex acts on them, some when the teens allegedly were incapacitated because of their intoxication. In one case, he's accused of supplying alcohol on a camping trip to a diabetic boy who needs an insulin pump for his health condition. Meemken is accused of sexually assaulting the boy.

 

[concentric]

Most of you websleuths here know that I have been posting alongside you for some time and that I am in tandem regarding the last several pages of posts on this case.

I have additional ideas related to everything we've discussed, but do not want to post names of who I think could be potential POI's because: wouldn't that be an infraction of the rules here, to possibly name people who may have a connection simply because I thought there was one? This is as a result of studying this case through news reports, other people's thoughts on message boards, etc. for years, and not personal experience.

Someone needs to find out what happened to Jacob. His family deserves answers. This case languishes for 20+ years in a cold case file? That is unacceptable.