MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #7

[cGorg]

On March 9, 1986 a 12 year old Paynesville boy was walking near G&T Foods when a man driving an old blue four door car pulled up and asked him if he needed a ride. When the boy said no, the man then asked if he wanted to go to "Toyland".

Then in August 1986, a 13 year old boy was attacked from behind but not assaulted. In November 1986, another 13 year old boy was attacked from behind, and this boy was sexually assaulted.

All of these incidents occurred in Paynesville.

ELOCsoul...I remember some posts prior...you had asked "how do we go about looking for a man driving an old blue 4 door car"....I assume these 2 incidents are a part of the 1986-87 spate of assaults. These Paynesville assaults seem to have significance and Jared's recent comments about the Paynesville assaults having more in common with the abduction of Jacob are also significant. I think this arena of thought should be further delved into.

 

[cGorg]

Personally, I don't think I can separate emotion out of looking for Jacob. If you can, more power to you.

(snipped by me)
I agree wholeheartedly. I'm not missing anything in my life. I'm not on this site to fill a hole in my life either. I have a son Jacob's age...I'm aware how precious he is. I'm not interested in missing persons cases....they're depressing + ugly. It's because of the emotion of seeing an innocent boy having his life taken away and the injustice of it all. I don't know where Jacob is but if he is still alive then his life has still been taken away...taken away from his family....taken away from all of the opportunities he would have had. So the WS sleuthers here may not be legal eagles, or LE, or some empty souls looking for something to do....we're just regular people looking for one great kid named Jacob Wetterling. If you have some answers Mossad...then cough 'em up....so innocent people don't have to spend years + years looking.

 

[ELOCsoul]

ELOCsoul...I remember some posts prior...you had asked "how do we go about looking for a man driving an old blue 4 door car"....I assume these 2 incidents are a part of the 1986-87 spate of assaults. These Paynesville assaults seem to have significance and Jared's recent comments about the Paynesville assaults having more in common with the abduction of Jacob are also significant. I think this arena of thought should be further delved into.

The car used in Jared's case was a newer car. All accounts I've seen stated the car was new or newer.

 

[human]

A child is missing for years. I am angry, Very.

Why all of the games? It is so immature. Hm.

And it is abusive behavior. Taunting.

So many have shared their work on here. I don't want to name them as I do not want to inadvertently leave anyone out.

Yea, my life has a big hole in it. It came when Jacob was abducted and I learned bad things happen to amazingly wonderful people. Bad things done by people who have huge issues . Sad for the perp as well. The perp has my pity as he is pitiable. Whatever happened to him kept him in a state of perpetual need for love and acceptance. So, he has to exercise power over those weaker than he- children.

Jacob is stronger because his love has survived and reached out to the world. I won't go on, but the power of love is far stronger than the mutation of a person that took Jacob

 

[celticthyme]

This is way off the track here, but I was reading about Jacob at this sight today and my brain went to Bayfield, WI. It is near water, has 2 Islands near it, and has a street called "manypenny." I know this is wierd, but I had to put it out there. Please don't throw internet tomatoes at me #*&^*&*!

http://empathysinsights.blogspot.com/2012/01/jacob-erwin-wetterling.html

 

[human]

I have been to Bayfield.

It is very difficult as the road is so curvy to drive. It takes a long time to get there

 

[shergal]

I've seen this Tarot site before. It is interesting, but I feel it is vague enough that it could apply to so many places. Obviously we have used the words farm and music on here quite a bit. The Del-Win ballroom also had dancing and music. There is water so many places in MN, it's called Land of 10,000 lakes for a reason. ;-)

I think any site like this that makes you think though, celtic, is worth posting. So no tomatoes from me.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Darryl Savage was 29 years old, and a 1983 graduate of USC with a degree in journalism. His initial goal was to get into sports broadcasting, but an internship in news reporting redirected his ambition and he decided he would give that a try instead. Just as Darryl had changed up the direction of his career, his assignment had been redirected in mid-flight. It seemed that Darryl's working life had been defined by opportunities that were just missed by a fraction. That's what was on Darryl's mind as he rode in the chopper in route to St. Joseph. He recalled how he had left his job at KOSA-TV in Midland Texas in 1987 to join the staff at WCCO in Minneapolis. Within a month of his departure from Midland, Jessica McClure, dubbed Baby Jessica, had fallen into an abandoned well there. That story had captured the nation's attention for several days. It was just Daryl's bad luck that he missed out on the opportunity to cover that story. Of course, Darryl had been happy that the girl was rescued, but it could have been him covering the story instead of someone else. It just seemed to him, that lately he had been missing other reporting opportunities, and he had no control over his choice of assignments. Darryl Savage had no idea that he was about to embark onto the most compelling and emotional story of his career, and in fact one of the biggest stories the state of Minnesota has ever known.

As Dobesh was setting the helicopter down on a grassy field near the Wetterling home, Savage could see the grin on Vern Iverson’s face. They greeted each other as Iverson recounted the feeling that came over him when the helicopter arrived at the rendezvous point on Highway 2. “I heard you before I saw you. I heard the thump, thump, thump, and then the chopper came at me right out of the sun,” Iverson said. “I saw that and I felt hope. I started to cry. I thought, ‘Now, we’re going to find him’”.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Did the investigation into Jared's case in 1989 suffer from the same level of indifference applied to the abuse of a Cold Spring boy in 1983, by Rev Francis Hoefgen?

The boy then told Konz and a sheriff's deputy that Hoefgen had sexual contact with him twice in 1983, according to court records.

(Cold Spring police chief) Konz wanted to get the pastor out of town, and asked church officials if there was something they could do. When abbey officials said they could send Hoefgen to St. Luke's for treatment, Konz asked for assurances that the priest would be made available to answer any charges.

Those charges never came. When he was deposed in the civil suit, Konz said at the time of his investigation he was concerned about the impact on the community.

"There's so many small people in a small town like this, they could crucify (Hoefgen). And maybe he had it coming, but that wasn't the way things were handled in those days," Konz said.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2002_05_25_AP_PriestAdmitted_Gauthier_AND_Hoefgen_2.htm

 

[human]

Thank you ELOC for posting all of this info.

The story if the helicopter and the tears brought tears to me.

I know I was such a believer back then as well as I could never conceive of something so horrible. The perp will have to face his maker someday. And priests have no absolution just in case they think they do.

 

[celticthyme]

When Jacob first went missing, I joined the J Wetterling foundation to do what I could to support the family and spread information. My son was a year younger than Jacob at the time. My kids would kneel down at the bedside to pray for Jacob and his family at night.
I have been coming to St John's for 33 years, for prayer and retreat. Over that time I have met and known many of the Monks. I remember the Spring the noon news came on TV in the Cities where I live, about the sexual abuse, I had to run to the bathroom and throw up. It was so devastating. I had been signed in to come to the Abbey that weekend. When I got into Mass, there was this pall in the air and it was as if a massive gray cloud had settled in over the place. The monks had just found out the news themselves. There was such shock and horror about the whole thing. The fact that the Catholic Church has handled the insidious issue of sexual abuse in such a horrible and underhanded way has been so destructive, for the victims, their families, their churches and communities. The behavior of the ones in charge, Bishops and even Rome did the worst thing possible, in pushing these behaviors under the rug and denying responsibility. Those who committed these offenses should have been jailed just like any other criminal. As a cradle Catholic, with a very strong faith in God, it has not been easy. I still come to St John's. I am here now. There are many wonderful, kind, caring Monks here, dedicated to living out the Gospel in their daily lives. I know this is not the place for this, but I feel I needed to say it. Remember, these people are not our FAITH, our love for God and our fellow human beings is. Forgiveness can be very difficult. I'm off my soapbox now! :0(

 

[buffetoflies]

I took it as by "these cases" Jared was referring to the 1987 attempts and/or abductions in Paynesville, plus his own case. I thought he meant Jacob's case also, but I guess that's open to interpretation.

Wonder why he doesn't join here...

 

[human]

Here is an interesting article on criminals taunting the police. There is interesting info in the article, I feel

http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/woman-taunts-police-on-facebook-gets-arrested/#!yVbuG

 

[Jbrown324320]

Celticthyme, it was the start of this sexual abuse investigation maybe 4 years ago that led me to quit the Catholic Church altogether. I was born and raised super Catholic. I was raising my kids the same way I did- Church every Sunday, catechism classes (many of which I taught), volunteering for the Church, giving money and time to the Church. I got involved with Websleuths and then friended the author of the blog "Behind the Pine Curtain". I protested with him outside a church in St Joe's. People didn't care that kids were missing and abused. They avoided us. I could not be a Catholic after knowing what has been covered up from the Pope on down. This is called institutionalized abuse- where the abuse is accepted and the policy is to cover it up. It was a part of the Church's procedure to protect the priests at all costs instead of the faithful and their children. I was baptized, had my communion and married in Blessed Sacrament Church in St Paul. This is the church that Curtis Wehmeyer abused 2 boys a year or two ago. The church has the nerve to tell their parishoners that no abuse has happened since they put the new procedures into place 10 years ago. They lie to protect their own image.

How many sexually abused kids around the world will it take to die by suicide or drug overdoses? My kids and I will not be a part of that kind of history. They are using people for their own gain and profit. They put image and money before people. Shame on the leaders of the Catholic Church.

 

[Jbrown324320]

DAH was out of jail the time Jacob disappeared. He was a sexual psychopath who was violent, unpredictable and sexually dangerous. According to the court website and to the involuntary commitment case, he was out of jail the time of the abduction. He didn't do serious time until Jan 1990. Before that he would serve a few days here and there and get out for resisting arrest, dwi, assault, etc. According to the court website, they reinstated his driver's license after the dwi on 7/11/89. DAH is my strongest suspect.

"First, a habitual course of sexual misconduct is evident in Hart's convictions for six counts of criminal sexual conduct and the numerous other incidents of sexual misconduct. See id., 518 N.W.2d at 613 (finding that appellant's criminal history demonstrates habitual course of misconduct)."

"Second, the district court determined that Hart exhibited an utter lack of control. A trial court must consider several factors to determine whether an individual utterly lacks the power to control his sexual impulses: the nature and frequency of the assaults, the degree of violence, the relationship between the offender and the victims, the offender's attitude, the offender's medical and family history, and the offender's medical evaluation. Blodgett, 510 N.W.2d at 915."

Hart committed hundreds of sexual assaults on at least ten young boys. He is a patterned sex offender whose victims are boys ages eight to fifteen. Hart repeatedly fondled, performed oral sex or made boys perform it on him, and performed anal intercourse. He used isolation, bribes, threats, force, and alcohol to commit these acts. Hart was often under the influence of chemicals during these assaults. Hart has refused treatment, has no relapse prevention plan, and minimizes his role in his sexual misconduct. Hart's problems are longstanding; he began drinking heavily at age six and was placed in residential treatment at age nine, where he was forcibly sodomized."

"... the court set out factors to consider in predicting future dangerousness. 518 N.W.2d at 614 (offender's demographic characteristics, offender's history of violent behavior, base rate statistics, sources of stress, similarity of contexts that trigger a violent response, and the offender's sex therapy programs). The trial court specifically addressed these factors. Although Hart is now forty-six, he was nearly forty when he committed the crimes leading to his convictions. The court found no indication Hart's age would diminish his sexual misconduct. Hart's predatory actions were frequent, involved some use of force and certainly coercion, and occurred as recently as 1989 or 1990."

http://mn.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19960220_0003.mn.htm/qx

 

[shergal]

DAH was out of jail the time Jacob disappeared. He was a sexual psychopath who was violent, unpredictable and sexually dangerous. According to the court website and to the involuntary commitment case, he was out of jail the time of the abduction. He didn't do serious time until Jan 1990. Before that he would serve a few days here and there and get out for resisting arrest, dwi, assault, etc. According to the court website, they reinstated his driver's license after the dwi on 7/11/89. DAH is my strongest suspect.

"First, a habitual course of sexual misconduct is evident in Hart's convictions for six counts of criminal sexual conduct and the numerous other incidents of sexual misconduct. See id., 518 N.W.2d at 613 (finding that appellant's criminal history demonstrates habitual course of misconduct)."

"Second, the district court determined that Hart exhibited an utter lack of control. A trial court must consider several factors to determine whether an individual utterly lacks the power to control his sexual impulses: the nature and frequency of the assaults, the degree of violence, the relationship between the offender and the victims, the offender's attitude, the offender's medical and family history, and the offender's medical evaluation. Blodgett, 510 N.W.2d at 915."

Hart committed hundreds of sexual assaults on at least ten young boys. He is a patterned sex offender whose victims are boys ages eight to fifteen. Hart repeatedly fondled, performed oral sex or made boys perform it on him, and performed anal intercourse. He used isolation, bribes, threats, force, and alcohol to commit these acts. Hart was often under the influence of chemicals during these assaults. Hart has refused treatment, has no relapse prevention plan, and minimizes his role in his sexual misconduct. Hart's problems are longstanding; he began drinking heavily at age six and was placed in residential treatment at age nine, where he was forcibly sodomized."

"... the court set out factors to consider in predicting future dangerousness. 518 N.W.2d at 614 (offender's demographic characteristics, offender's history of violent behavior, base rate statistics, sources of stress, similarity of contexts that trigger a violent response, and the offender's sex therapy programs). The trial court specifically addressed these factors. Although Hart is now forty-six, he was nearly forty when he committed the crimes leading to his convictions. The court found no indication Hart's age would diminish his sexual misconduct. Hart's predatory actions were frequent, involved some use of force and certainly coercion, and occurred as recently as 1989 or 1990."

http://mn.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19960220_0003.mn.htm/qx

Very interesting that the court reinstated his license. I hesitated on him before because i didn't think he could get to St. Joe on his own. He could have been at the polka fest that day, and driving around that area possibly looking for young boys.

Also, if DAH was both Jared's and Jacob's abductor, he might have taken Jacob to the same spot where he molested Jared, it seems perps return to the same spot many times. If so, they should be looking in that quarry or pond near that church in Richmond.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Stories of out-of-towners like Vern Iverson and Darryl Savage were common around St. Joseph during the period following Jacob's abduction. But the lion's share of volunteers and search "heroes" heralded from within the bounds of the City and Township of St. Joseph itself. The level of support and love from the members of this small community with the big heart was astounding to those in law enforcement, the media, and volunteers that descended upon the town in search of Jacob and his abductor. The world was watching, and St. Joseph would impress.

St. Joseph, with a 1989 population of 3,389, is nestled within Stearns County along the north side of Interstate Highway 94, a scant more than an hour's drive from Minneapolis, and just a couple miles west of the cities of Waite Park and St. Cloud. Landmarks of St. Joseph include the St. Joseph Catholic church, St. Benedict’s Monastery, and the all-women's College of St. Benedict. Another 5 miles to the northwest is Collegeville, home to prestigious St. John's University.

The surrounding area was predominantly rural, and was widely considered a relatively safe place to live and raise a family. Prior to Jacob Wetterling's abduction, the most high profile cases to have hit Stearns County were the 1944 disappearance of 6 year-old Jackie Theel, and the murder of the Reker sisters in 1974.

Victor John Theel (Jackie's real name) had just finished his very first day of school in Paynesville when he disappeared. It was to be a half-day for Jackie, and his brother was to have come by the school to take him home. However, Jackie's teacher allowed him to walk home on his own at 11:30am. He was last seen walking along Highway 23 at about 1:00pm by a couple that had just returned from a morning fishing trip. Hound dogs tracked Jackie's scent from the school to Highway 23, past the North American Creamery, and then to the nearby Crow River, where his scent disappeared. The disappearance of little Jackie Theel remains a mystery to this day.

Another unsolved mystery from Stearns County is that of sisters Mary, 15, and Susanne, 12, Reker of St. Cloud. They left home on foot late morning September 2, 1974 to do some shopping for school supplies at a nearby store. They were seen at the Zayre store by a neighbor who was also in the store. The neighbor had talked with the girls briefly, and later overheard the younger Susanne say to her sister "I don't want to go with that man. I don't like him. Let's not." The girls were found stabbed to death near a rock quarry just outside of St. Cloud. There have been several suspects in the murders over the years, including a priest from nearby St. John's University, but there has never been an arrest in the case. Mary Reker's last entry in her diary was chilling, as she suggested that her life might be in danger. She had left instructions of what was to be done with some of her belongings in case of her death.

The citizens of St. Joseph were predominantly of Catholic religion, and many were of German descent. St. Joseph Catholic Church and the town have their roots back to 1854, although at the time the town was known as Clinton. Father Francis Xavier Pierz celebrated the parish's first mass, coincidentally, on October 22, 1854. Jacob Wetterling's abduction would occur exactly 135 years later, to the day of that first mass. Several families of German origin had settled on this prairie land in central Minnesota, and Father Pierz would ultimately convince them to construct a church building in 1855. Benedictine monks and sisters would find their way to the area over the next several years. The sisters' convent and school would become the centerpiece of town. It would grow into what would become the College of St. Benedict. Today it is considered one of the leading colleges of liberal arts in the country. The town would be renamed St. Joseph in 1870, after the church upon which it was founded.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Very interesting that the court reinstated his license. I hesitated on him before because i didn't think he could get to St. Joe on his own. He could have been at the polka fest that day, and driving around that area possibly looking for young boys.

Also, if DAH was both Jared's and Jacob's abductor, he might have taken Jacob to the same spot where he molested Jared, it seems perps return to the same spot many times. If so, they should be looking in that quarry or pond near that church in Richmond.

It's possible. But, since he was a suspect from the very beginning, you would think he would have been considered more seriously for Jacob's kidnapping than he was. He may still be one of the suspects on LE's list. I just don't think he was "together" enough to pull it off without detection, just MO.

 

[Jbrown324320]

It's possible. But, since he was a suspect from the very beginning, you would think he would have been considered more seriously for Jacob's kidnapping than he was. He may still be one of the suspects on LE's list. I just don't think he was "together" enough to pull it off without detection, just MO.

I disagree. He was together enough to be working on a farm at the time of his arrest. He had it "together" enough to coerce kids to be near him after he sexually attacked them hundreds of times. Also the abduction attempts stopped after he went to jail in 1990. Stearns county and St Joseph's police department had never had to deal with an actual kidnapping before. Procedures were missed.

 

[shergal]

Prior to Jacob Wetterling's abduction, the most high profile cases to have hit Stearns County were the 1944 disappearance of 6 year-old Jackie Theel, and the murder of the Reker sisters in 1974.

(snipped by me)

There were a few other high profile cases in Stearns County besides Theel and the Reker sisters. (I thought at first you just meant "missing" cases. But the Reker girls are not missing, they were found murdered.) Here are two other very high profile cases that I remember just offhand...

The Huling murders (1978) in Clearwater, MN were committed by serial killer, Joseph Ture. Ture killed 7 people (that we know of), and attacked several more in MN. Besides killing Alice Huling and 3 of her 4 children, he murdered Marlys Wohlenhaus (1979), Joanie Bierschbach (1979), and Diane Edwards (1980).
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-20-year-nightmare-ends/
http://beta.tricountynews.mn/index....the-huling-family-horror&catid=104&Itemid=399
http://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/...-several-murders-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/
________

The Hoskins family murders (1967) in Pearl Lake, MN.
This was a tragic case, Hoskin's wife was murdered, his home was set on fire, and his children sleeping in the house were burned to death. Hoskins was found outside tied to a clothesline with gunshot wounds. As the case unfolded, it turned out he had shot his wife himself, set his own home on fire (with his children still sleeping in there), and then tied himself to the clothesline poles and shot himself to make it look like he had been attacked.
News story with photos:
http://wjon.com/pearl-lake-family-was-murdered-on-this-date-in-central-minnesota-history/