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

[Jbrown324320]

DR does act very strange on camera when speaking about this case. I still think he knows who did it but won't tell because he is afraid of what may happen to his family or himself. (my opinion only)

 

[Sasquatch321]

thank you for the quote Sasquatch about the vehicle and LE abandoning the idea. I don't know why they would "abandon" the idea of a vehicle. Now I am wondering why LE took the word of this "Kevin" person. Did the officer remember talking to Kevin? Is Kevin credible?

Well like I've pointed out before, Gravel. From the time of the abduction to the time the police were on the scene, any tracks on that entire driveway were discovered. We had stranger tire tracks for 14 years, for 14 years everyone was made to believe in the vehicle. Until, in 2003, when Kevin comes forward and exclaims the stranger tire tracks are his! What a revelation it was and thank you for coming forward. Look whats happened with Law enforcements moves and the moves of the wetterlings since then, absolutely no more talk of outside suspects!

 

[ELOCsoul]

From the St. Autumn Blog-

" In 2003 the long held belief that the abductor took Jacob away in a car was ABANDONED when a man named Kevin, came forward to tell the police he had left the tire tracks in the driveway after hearing about the abduction on a police scanner and rushed to the scene in his car leaving the tire tracks behind. The driver told authorities that in 1989 he had given his name and explanation for being there to an officer at the abduction scene. No record of the conversation exists though. Also, the boys did not see or hear a vehicle that night of the abduction, so the police believe that the abductor got away with Jacob on foot, which would make the abductor someone local."

There are a few minor inaccuracies on this blog site. The statement by the blog writer that the belief was abandoned is a generalization by the writer. Even so, abondoning a belief does not equate to a ruling out of a possibility. It would be better characterized as a shift in theory, in my opinion. Multiple newspaper articles state that LE changed their theory of the crime, or that the likelihood of a vehicle being involved was diminished.

I personally think it is more likely that a car was not involved, but I don't believe it's fair or accurate to say it was ever ruled out.

 

[Sasquatch321]

DR does act very strange on camera when speaking about this case. I still think he knows who did it but won't tell because he is afraid of what may happen to his family or himself. (my opinion only)

It is strange how he talks about everything with a laugh and a smile. I don't think the case is very funny at all.

 

[Sasquatch321]

There are a few minor inaccuracies on this blog site. The statement by the blog writer that the belief was abandoned is a generalization by the writer. Even so, abondoning a belief does not equate to a ruling out of a possibility. It would be better characterized as a shift in theory, in my opinion. Multiple newspaper articles state that LE changed their theory of the crime, or that the likelihood of a vehicle being involved was diminished.

I personally think it is more likely that a car was not involved, but I don't believe it's fair or accurate to say it was ever ruled out.

ELOCsoul, if you would like to keep a vehicle in play, please by all means do so. It's in my opinion and the opinion of the writers that law enforcement took a different turn.

 

[shergal]

It is strange how he talks about everything with a laugh and a smile. I don't think the case is very funny at all.

I have to agree that DR is his own worst enemy. Giggling, squirming, and making jokes during interviews just make him look guilty. It's as if he enjoys the (negative) attention.

It could be he is just nervous, but he seems to have a lot of asperger or mildly autistic symptoms to me. (JMO) His obsession with collecting the old albums, making numerous lists, saving everything, keeping albums and journals about Jacob, and mostly his apparent social awkwardness lead me to believe that. Often people with these symptoms are highly intelligent and excel in one or two areas (music, running). I think that may be what contributes to his "oddness."

I do also feel he knows something, either knows who did it, or is covering for someone who did it.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Jacob's sister Carmen was 8 years old when Jacob was abducted. She was given an assignment at school a few weeks after the abduction, to use the words underlined in a sentence. Her sentences were:

1. My Father can eat a lot
2. My little sister likes to laugh
3. Who took Jacob?

 

[Sasquatch321]

When I google image search Daniel Rassier, an image of Joshua Guimond pops up as well, isn't that something? I cant make sense of it.

 

[cGorg]

When I google image search Daniel Rassier, an image of Joshua Guimond pops up as well, isn't that something? I cant make sense of it.

I'm not sure which exact wording you used in your Google search but typically any search will yield many associations of any given subject. I Googled "Images Dan Rassier" and saw an image of DR, Josh Guimond, Jacob Wetterling, Michael Weber, and on and on....until I noticed images of people I had no idea who they were...and the vast majority unrelated to Jacob's case. This is no different than a cell phone 'anticipating' which word you are spelling in a text or email. It doesn't mean much.

 

[cGorg]

Given the incredible hell this must be for Daniel rassier, I can't buy into the theory of a cover up. Police have already surely offered him freedom if he does know.

I've heard that brevity is the soul of wit. Your 2 sentences sum up the predicament DR is in. What that means I can't decipher at the moment.

 

[ELOCsoul]

In the book "Vanished - The Michael Dunahee Story", author Valerie Brown reveals that Vernon Seitz was investigated in connection to the disappearance of 4 year old Michael from Victoria, Canada in 1991.

Authorities found an old "missing" poster of Michael in the Seitz home. Any connection to Michael's disappearance was dismissed as unlikely.

The book is a fairly interesting read - not much information in there about potential suspects - it's mostly a "life and times" of the family after the disappearance.

 

[cGorg]

Vernon Seitz has been so easily dismissed by LE in the MD + JW cases despite the stash of horrors they found in his basement. I've yet to find a picture of him in his later years and haven't seen that anyone else on the internet has succeeded either. Does Valerie Green have any pictures of him in her book?

 

[Shay]

thank you for the quote Sasquatch about the vehicle and LE abandoning the idea. I don't know why they would "abandon" the idea of a vehicle. Now I am wondering why LE took the word of this "Kevin" person. Did the officer remember talking to Kevin? Is Kevin credible?

Here's Joy Baker's article on Kevin from 2013. I've never been able to understand why Kevin waited so long.

http://www.joybaker.com/2013/03/14/kevins-story/

<snip> Suddenly, they see three police cars go flying past on County 75, lights on, and heading east. (Kevin can’t remember if he heard any sirens, but he remembers the lights.) Since there were only three cops in town at the time (Lorenz, Young/Punky, and a new guy they didn’t know), the group realizes something big must be happening. They decide to follow the cop cars and see what’s going on. <snip>

<snip> Once they get to the Del-Win, they can’t see any squad cars… no lights… nothing. It’s like they’ve all just disappeared. They take a back road that goes behind the Del-Win and come out to 16th Avenue/91st Avenue (the road where Jacob was abducted). <snip>

<snip> Kevin, on the other hand, decides to turn left (south) and see if there are any flashing lights down that direction. He gets as far as Rassiers’ driveway and knows it’s a dead end after that, so he decides to pull in and turn around. He pulls ALL THE WAY INTO THE DRIVEWAY and turns around by the light pole which is down by the house. <snip>

<snip> As they come back out to the road, they notice the kids’ bikes lying in the ditch across the street. There are no police there yet. They sit and discuss what to do about the bikes. <snip>

BBM

Just making a few observations...

1) Where did the three cops go?

2) Why pull all the way into someone's driveway?

3) Weren't the bikes on DR's side of 16th Avenue?

 

[Sasquatch321]

Here's Joy Baker's article on Kevin from 2013. I've never been able to understand why Kevin waited so long.

http://www.joybaker.com/2013/03/14/kevins-story/

<snip> Suddenly, they see three police cars go flying past on County 75, lights on, and heading east. (Kevin can’t remember if he heard any sirens, but he remembers the lights.) Since there were only three cops in town at the time (Lorenz, Young/Punky, and a new guy they didn’t know), the group realizes something big must be happening. They decide to follow the cop cars and see what’s going on. <snip>

<snip> Once they get to the Del-Win, they can’t see any squad cars… no lights… nothing. It’s like they’ve all just disappeared. They take a back road that goes behind the Del-Win and come out to 16th Avenue/91st Avenue (the road where Jacob was abducted). <snip>

<snip> Kevin, on the other hand, decides to turn left (south) and see if there are any flashing lights down that direction. He gets as far as Rassiers’ driveway and knows it’s a dead end after that, so he decides to pull in and turn around. He pulls ALL THE WAY INTO THE DRIVEWAY and turns around by the light pole which is down by the house. <snip>

<snip> As they come back out to the road, they notice the kids’ bikes lying in the ditch across the street. There are no police there yet. They sit and discuss what to do about the bikes. <snip>

BBM

Just making a few observations...

1) Where did the three cops go?

2) Why pull all the way into someone's driveway?

3) Weren't the bikes on DR's side of 16th Avenue?

1. Good question, are the police who took jacob?

2. He thought the driveway was a through road,

3. The bikes were across the road in ditch from the driveway.

 

[Shay]

1. Good question, are the police who took jacob?

Do you think that's what I'm insinuating? If Kevin saw three cops fly by and decides to follow them, how did he make it to the crime scene first?

Something in Kevin's timeline doesn't make sit right with me....JMO. And I still don't understand why he waited 15 years! He obviously had plenty of alibis.

 

[shergal]

Here's Joy Baker's article on Kevin from 2013. I've never been able to understand why Kevin waited so long.

Just making a few observations...

1) Where did the three cops go?

2) Why pull all the way into someone's driveway?

3) Weren't the bikes on DR's side of 16th Avenue?
___________

1. Two of them were probably at Wetterling's home, although if they still had lights flashing, it's hard to believe Kevin wouldn't have seen the lights flashing through the bare trees. The third one may have stopped and parked across from Tom Thumb to watch for a perp leaving, or gone into the store to ask questions, because when Kevin got back to the Tom Thumb, that other cop car was already parked there across the road.

2. Maybe Kevin was nosy and wanted to see if cops had gone into DR's yard?

3. No, like Sasquatch said they were across the road from DR's driveway, on the same side as his mailbox.

 

[shergal]

Do you think that's what I'm insinuating? If Kevin saw three cops fly by and decides to follow them, how did he make it to the crime scene first?

Something in Kevin's timeline doesn't make sit right with me....JMO. And I still don't understand why he waited 15 years! He obviously had plenty of alibis.

I agree, Shay, and some of Kevin's story seems to have changed over the years. In earlier versions, Kevin said he pulled into DR's driveway to turn around and made it sound like he had just pulled in enough to back out, told a cop "at the scene" that he saw bikes there, and then he turned and went back to Tom Thumb. We never heard his gf was with him either originally. Some of those discrepancies could have been bad reporting when interviewing him, but it's odd he never corrected it until 25 years later.

I never quite understood why he thought he would become a suspect either, he had his gf with him to verify his story.

 

[Shay]

Here's Joy Baker's article on Kevin from 2013. I've never been able to understand why Kevin waited so long.

Just making a few observations...

1) Where did the three cops go?

2) Why pull all the way into someone's driveway?

3) Weren't the bikes on DR's side of 16th Avenue?
___________

1. Two of them were probably at Wetterling's home, although if they still had lights flashing, it's hard to believe Kevin wouldn't have seen the lights flashing through the bare trees. The third one may have stopped and parked across from Tom Thumb to watch for a perp leaving, or gone into the store to ask questions, because when Kevin got back to the Tom Thumb, that other cop car was already parked there across the road.

2. Maybe Kevin was nosy and wanted to see if cops had gone into DR's yard?

3. No, like Sasquatch said they were across the road from DR's driveway, on the same side as his mailbox.

Also from Joy Baker:

<snip> Within six minutes of receiving the 911 call, the sheriff was on the scene. He saw the boys&#8217; bikes in the ditch and immediately called for backup, including help from the F.B.I. Throughout the night, officers searched for Jacob with flashlights, and a State Patrol helicopter searched the dense woods with a flood light. No luck.<snip>

Ok so the sheriff was on the scene within 6 minutes of the 911 call. There's no way Kevin heard the scanner, saw the cops go by, got in his gf's car, went towards the DelWin, took a back road over to 16th avenue, went all the way down DR's driveway to turn around, sat at the end of his driveway to contemplate what to do with the bikes, then head north to the Tom Thumb without seeing the sheriff.



FWIW, I live and work in St. Joe and helped search for Jacob in the initial days following his disappearance. I've driven by DR's farm countless times, and watched the news helicopters hover during the 2010 search of his property. My kids had DR for music, though I've never met him personally. I see him almost daily driving his red car. And I STILL didn't know the bikes were across the road!!

 

[Sasquatch321]

Also from Joy Baker:

<snip> Within six minutes of receiving the 911 call, the sheriff was on the scene. He saw the boys’ bikes in the ditch and immediately called for backup, including help from the F.B.I. Throughout the night, officers searched for Jacob with flashlights, and a State Patrol helicopter searched the dense woods with a flood light. No luck.<snip>

Ok so the sheriff was on the scene within 6 minutes of the 911 call. There's no way Kevin heard the scanner, saw the cops go by, got in his gf's car, went towards the DelWin, took a back road over to 16th avenue, went all the way down DR's driveway to turn around, sat at the end of his driveway to contemplate what to do with the bikes, then head north to the Tom Thumb without seeing the sheriff.



FWIW, I live and work in St. Joe and helped search for Jacob in the initial days following his disappearance. I've driven by DR's farm countless times, and watched the news helicopters hover during the 2010 search of his property. My kids had DR for music, though I've never met him personally. I see him almost daily driving his red car. And I STILL didn't know the bikes were across the road!!

Thank you for sharing that, that is quite amazing. Being you are so central to this case, is there a possibility in your mind that jacob is possibly buried on that farm? Did kevin actually drive over the abductors tire tracks and contaminate the scene? A vehicle can not be ruled out now because of kevin.

 

[Shay]

Thank you for sharing that, that is quite amazing. Being you are so central to this case, is there a possibility in your mind that jacob is possibly buried on that farm? Did kevin actually drive over the abductors tire tracks and contaminate the scene? A vehicle can not be ruled out now because of kevin.

Yes, I think there's a very good chance of Jacob being buried there. I'm curious about the large wooded area to the left of the driveway as you enter the property.

I don't know why I'm so hung up on Kevin's version of events. DR did not see him drive into the yard, yet he saw two other cars that day come all the way up his driveway. The dog barked at the other two, but not Kevin's.