MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #6

[Pensfan]

I like this map, it is Somewhat Telling ;-)

OK Team, what do the night routes depict? Schwann's ice cream route? UPS? Milk (picking up, not dropping off)? Or, maybe I'm missing the point entirely?

I like that map too. I'm a retired nurse and haven't the computer skills to make such a map, so I have to wonder who has such skills and an interest in Jacob's case. Impotent Dan Rassier and demonic Gillespie fit the description. Hmmmmm.

 

[Dum-Dum Sucker]

Another thing that is telling is that the abductor wore a mask (hose). He wasn't from another town or out of state. He was worried that he would be recognized.

The fact that the abductor used women's hose as a mask indicates to me that the abduction was done with little forethought. The perp saw a window of opportunity, knew he needed a mask, and grabbed what was available. No time to go digging for a proper ski mask or the like.

To me, the hose-mask points toward DR.

jmo

 

[KeepHopeAlive]

The fact that the abductor used women's hose as a mask indicates to me that the abduction was done with little forethought. The perp saw a window of opportunity, knew he needed a mask, and grabbed what was available. No time to go digging for a proper ski mask or the like.

To me, the hose-mask points toward DR.

jmo

Neither a pair of women's pantyhose or a ski mask are uncommon household items. This is a weak link to DR. JMO.

 

[human]

As a Minnesotan of many decades, I have neither a ski mask nor panty hose. I do not know many who have either.

 

[shergal]

As a Minnesotan of many decades, I have neither a ski mask nor panty hose. I do not know many who have either.

Good point, neither do I. Although in 1989, I may have had pantyhose, can't recall. ;-)

 

[ELOCsoul]

Trevor was aboard his bike. Jacob rode his mother's. Aaron glided behind on a scooter. The boys can't remember what they were talking about, if anything. "Probably sports," Aaron says.

Suddenly, a man was there. "I flashed the flashlight at him," Trevor says. "He told me to turn it off. I thought it was a joke."

"Me, too," Aaron says. "I almost laughed."

Then, the boys saw the outline of a gun. It was a black gun. The man ordered them all to lie in the ditch. He had a scratchy voice. "Like he had a cold or smoked or something," Aaron says.

The man asked the boys their ages. All of them spit it out at once. "One at a time," he ordered. They did. The man had on a mask and dark clothing. The boys remember little else about him. "Sometimes, now, I think I saw his eyes," Aaron says.

"He had on a big coat," Trevor says. "It was puffy, like a winter coat." He goes and gets one from the closet and demonstrates.

The two boys cut across a field and ran home along the road. It was scary. "I kept thinking somebody else was going to jump out at us," Trevor says/I]

Was the type of clothing worn by the perp "out of place"? Absolutely! Does it point to Dan Rassier? I don't see how, IMO. It simply is different clothing than what previous abductors were described as wearing. What that says to me was the Jacob's case was isolated. Could it be Dan Rassier? Sure, he lived right there. Does the clothing itself point to Dan Rassier?? No, I don't see how.

A few things to consider:
1. The man wore a big, puffy coat. That sounds like a winter coat. It was unseasonably warm that night of October 22, 1989. Temperatures that day reached into the 70's according to St Cloud airport weather station records, even warmer the next day. A winter coat at that time, that stands out as odd - and yes, could be a last minute "disguise".

2. The coat was big, and he wore dark clothing. That doesn't necessarily mean he wore black clothes, like a priest, as some have suggested. The big coat likely covered up much of the clothing. All we know is the clothing was dark.

 

[Alyssa2013]

You've made some good points, ELOCsoul. However, I don't think that one can assume completely that Jacob's case was isolated based on the perpetrator's choice of clothing alone. It makes it more likely that Jacob's case was isolated, but it doesn't completely eliminate the possibility that it was the same perpetrator.

 

[ELOCsoul]

You've made some good points, ELOCsoul. However, I don't think that one can assume completely that Jacob's case was isolated based on the perpetrator's choice of clothing alone. It makes it more likely that Jacob's case was isolated, but it doesn't completely eliminate the possibility that it was the same perpetrator.

True - I meant the overall scheme of the perp in Jacob's case, and should have explained that more clearly….he had a gun, didn't confront from a vehicle initially, wore a mask, isolated road, etc.

 

[bessie]

<modsnip>

Township 123 North, Range 32 West of the 5th Principle Meridian, was formed in 1867.

<modsnip>

See interactive plat here, for example: http://geo.lib.umn.edu/collections/digitizedplatbooks/stearns_1896_index.htm

But the residential genealogy is here: http://www.historicmapworks.com/



Prov. 11:14

Mossad, the maps are interesting and could be helpful, but your post is "baiting" the other members, and that's not allowed. Can you re-post the links with a direct statement, please.

Thanks.

 

[Alyssa2013]

True - I meant the overall scheme of the perp in Jacob's case, and should have explained that more clearly….he had a gun, didn't confront from a vehicle initially, wore a mask, isolated road, etc.

That makes sense, and it's true that the MO's are different. There seems to be a reason why the perpetrator wore a mask and dark clothing other than the fact that he was trying to hide his identity. Maybe he was insecure about his appearance or had low self-esteem.

 

[marlins]

I wonder if the "big puffy coat" is what led aaron and Trevor to identify the perpetrator as "husky"?

Everyone looks bigger in a big puffy coat, especially in the dark.

 

[ELOCsoul]

As we know, Dan Rassier played with the band The Deutchmeisters at times. Although he wasn't an official member of the band, Betty Wolf, the band's founder, was thankful for Dan's contributions to the band.

When Betty would play "solo" gigs without the Deutchmeisters, that's when Dan Rassier would typically fill in and play.

Betty Wolf performed in Eden Valley, MN at the American Legion, on Friday January 13, 1989. Although the bill says 6:30-9:30pm, that is a reference to the times that food was served. The band would have likely played past that time. Jared was abducted between 9:45-10:00pm. Cold Spring is a good 20-25 minute drive from Eden Valley. Based on this, IMO it's highly unlikely that Dan Rassier was involved with Jared's kidnapping, if indeed he was playing with Betty Wolf that night. Again, this is my opinion only.

This is significant because LE was nearly certain that Jared's and Jacob's abductions were related. There were at least a dozen documented instances where they said so, including one reference to "a sure link" that was found between the two cases. LE backed off that claim after Kevin came forward, but one has to wonder about such an about-face.

One caveat with all this though - I cannot prove that Rassier was playing in Betty Wolf's van that night. And the other thing, in my quest to document where the "Deutchmeisters" were playing that night, I also found that the Rocori Spart Band Parents Organization were holding their annual fundraiser dinner that same night, in Cold Spring. Live music was from "Ring Around The Collar", which could be the name of the school's jazz or performance band. Not knowing how many band instructors were employed by Rocori schools in 1989, I cannot say one way or the other whether Dan Rassier's presence at this dinner would be expected.

 

[human]

Good info ELOC!

LE knows where DR was the night of Jared's abduction. IE, they know if he was at either of those two events.

Bands do not play until the bitter end, so if he was playing in Eden Valley, that leaves plenty of time.

The puffy jacket is bizarre. It was hot! Oct 22. I remember the day because it was so hot and then of course, the ugly news the next day.

I cannot remember the style of jackets in 89, but Minnesotans have their cold weather jackets for sure, Was it a coat or a jacket? Coat implies female to me. Men do not wear puffy coats here. October is very very early to have out your winter gear in MN. We are too tough for that. No one would have it out. Strange.

 

[human]

As far as dark clothing, I spend a lot of time in airports around the world. I am totally amazed at the somber clothing I see in the Minnesota airport. Everyone is wearing black or grey. It stands out.

If you get a chance, check it out. Funny

 

[cGorg]

It just so happens that I will be driving along much of this route on Thursday and Friday this week, Hwy's 23 & 55. Locals - if there is something you think I should check out, let me know.

I wish the poster would be more forthcoming, but for whatever reason insists on being "mysterious". The "night route" must be significant somehow. I was thinking newspaper delivery as a possibility - the St. Cloud Times did not become morning newspaper until 1999. The Paynesville Press is and was a weekly publication, I believe, so that would not be it.

ELOCsoul...anything to report on your Thursday + Friday route?

Night routes...I was thinking newspaper or LE night shift OR a daytime route along 23 + 55 with nighttime excursions but how would the poster know these? Was the Fleet supply store just west of 23 + 55 interchange there in 1989?

 

[cGorg]

As far as dark clothing, I spend a lot of time in airports around the world. I am totally amazed at the somber clothing I see in the Minnesota airport. Everyone is wearing black or grey. It stands out.

If you get a chance, check it out. Funny

Yes, I used to live in the desert southwest and would fly into MPLS airport for Christmas.....got depressed just arriving...even the airport is gray colored + somber. One would think all of the descendants of Scandinavians would use some color!

So it seems we may not definitively deduce anything from the perp's dark colored clothing?

 

[Mossad]

Night route: simply means that with victims and when looking for new opportunities with boys, back roads were used at night. This was done to avoid being seen . . . “always took the back roads, never the highway.”

Red dots: automatically generated courtesy of 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, Calif., simply denote road intersections on the map.

Ski masks are common in Minnesota. Their narrow piping can be likened to the striped appearance of indoor-outdoor carpet. See, for example: www.amazon.com/6x24-Red-Indoor-Outdoor-Carpet/dp/B0097DMH4S

The use of winter apparel in warm months or in warm climates to commit sex crimes (including male-on-male assaults) is not uncommon. The obvious purpose of ski masks and large winter coats is to hide the assailant’s appearance and identity – nothing bizarre about that.

See, for example:

Colorado in September: http://www.collegian.com/2013/10/update-on-campus-sexual-assault/49439/

California in August: http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Police-Rapist-in-ski-mask-strikes-again-220422221.html

Texas in July: http://lubbockonline.com/crime-and-...arged-second-lubbock-sex-assault#.UsIiMLSf-i0

And, of course, Minnesota in October - Sheriff John Sanner, Stearns County: “It was described as a dark-colored ski mask.” [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1102/28/ng.01.html]

 

[shergal]

Night route: simply means that with victims and when looking for new opportunities with boys, back roads were used at night. This was done to avoid being seen . . . “always took the back roads, never the highway.”

Red dots: automatically generated courtesy of 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, Calif., simply denote road intersections on the map.

Ski masks are common in Minnesota. Their narrow piping can be likened to the striped appearance of indoor-outdoor carpet. See, for example: www.amazon.com/6x24-Red-Indoor-Outdoor-Carpet/dp/B0097DMH4S

The use of winter apparel in warm months or in warm climates to commit sex crimes (including male-on-male assaults) is not uncommon. The obvious purpose of ski masks and large winter coats is to hide the assailant’s appearance and identity – nothing bizarre about that.

See, for example:

Colorado in September: http://www.collegian.com/2013/10/update-on-campus-sexual-assault/49439/

California in August: http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Police-Rapist-in-ski-mask-strikes-again-220422221.html

Texas in July: http://lubbockonline.com/crime-and-...arged-second-lubbock-sex-assault#.UsIiMLSf-i0

And, of course, Minnesota in October - Sheriff John Sanner, Stearns County: “It was described as a dark-colored ski mask.” [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1102/28/ng.01.html]

That's interesting about the "carpet-like" mask. It ties in with an article from a while back on Joy's blog about some molestations in Paynesville. One of the boys described the perp's mask as looking like candy-striped carpeting.

"Local police seek help in accosting incidents
The Paynesville Police Department is seeking public support in apprehending a man that has been accosting young men in the Paynesville community. So far there have been five different incidents reported.
Sergeant Bill Drager, Paynesville Police Department, said, “We need help, all the help we can get.”
According to Sgt. Drager, the incidents began last summer, there were two more incidents during the winter, one incident occured this spring and another last week.
The police are taking these incidents very seriously.
Sgt. Drager stated, “After this guy grabs the boys he tells them, ‘Don’t turn around or I’ll blow your head off’ and in at least one instance he used a knife.” The man then makes sexual advances to the boys.
The young men that have been assaulted range in age from 12-16 years of age. “The kids are scared,” Sgt. Drager said.
There doesn’t appear to be any pattern to the area that the attacks take place. One incident happened by the river, another in the hockey rink area, downtown Ben Franklin area, middle school playground, and the alley between the middle school and the hospital.
The last incident happened when two young men were riding their bikes home. One young man was grabbed off of his bike and the other young man went for help.
In every instance, the young men had been downtown before they were accosted. “It think he’s picking them out downtown and then following them home or lying in wait for them to go home,” Sgt. Drager said.
Every instance occurred on a weekend night after dark — between 9:30pm and 2:00am.
The suspect wore a mask on several occasions. Sgt. Drager said one young man described the mask as looking like it was made out of indoor-outdoor candy-striped carpeting.
The man is supposedly 5’11&#8243; tall, not fat, but chunky. In the last incident, he had blackened everything — so that you couldn’t make out anything on his face. He can run fast, according to witnesses."

 

[human]

My comment about the winter coat was not that is is unusual for a perp to use it. It is unusual that a Minnesotan would have one out. It would not be kept handy at this time of year, like in a car, I feel. So, it is special that the coat was available. Or jacket. Big difference. The puffy coat is a strange description because I bet everyone in MN knows about down coats and jackets. They are a fashion statement here. LOL. Ugg boots are not a fashion statement here. They are used for their warmth, but I digress.

seriously, I really do not see people with ski masks in MN. We are too tough. If it is barely above zero, we do not wear gloves . Teens are probably wearing shorts and shoes in weather that is barely above zero.

I think people who have chores on a farm may be prepared for bitter weather as they are up before the sun rises . They are interested in warmth, not fashion statements. The average citizen is not into ski masks.

 

[human]

Maybe I have too many clothes, but i do not think I am unusual that in MN we need a range of wardrobe. Many different temp clothes. The winter stuff is put away until needed. Just not that much room in closets. It is hauled out when it seems like the snow will last and the cold has settled in. That time is not the end of October. Maybe after Thanksgiving?

The point I am trying to make is that this clothing was readily available. If we eliminate a car, we are left with?