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

[TroyinTX]

And who says he "walked him?" He could have easily incapacitated Jacob and carried him into his home.

My opinion of course, but I have always thought DR was either involved or knows what happened to Jacob that evening.

 

[Sasquatch321]

(And really… how could a busy schoolteacher who teaches music lessons on the side and belongs to a weekend polka band find the time to build an underground bunker?)" Quote Joy Baker.

I don't care how busy one is or what one does for a living in this circumstance. It was a Sunday night, Dan admitted to only running around that day and labeling his records. He wasn't very busy at all that day.

 

[Shay]

The sheriff said there were tire tracks at the very end of the driveway, not all the way up.

(snipped by me)

Do you have a link or documentation of this? Just curious.

Edit to clarify this came from Natisha Lance:

<snip> CASAREZ: To Natisha Lance, NANCY GRACE producer.

One of the focuses that law enforcement really honed in on close to the beginning were tire tracks that allegedly were from a vehicle that may have abducted Jacob.

LANCE: Right. For 14 years they honed in on these tire tracks that were at the end of this driveway. <snip>

 

[photographer4]

Interesting. I wonder if the perp had Jacob in the grassy area going up the driveway, and Jacob stepped out into the driveway as if to leave a trail??

I love this idea! It makes sense! My only question is - if they walked along the grassy area going up the driveway, would the grass be depressed so as to show where they stepped? I wonder if it was, and if police possibly know already whether this is infact what they did?

 

[Sasquatch321]

I love this idea! It makes sense! My only question is - if they walked along the grassy area going up the driveway, would the grass be depressed so as to show where they stepped? I wonder if it was, and if police possibly know already whether this is infact what they did?

If the grass is green and watered, then very likely. im not so sure it would be so easy to tell on harder ground where the grass is unwatered and rougher. I have been able to walk through my lawn without leaving a distinguishable trail. Also remember that police were on the scene in the dark that night, a light breeze overnight could have taken the footprints away. Perhaps even the helicopter.

I also have theory that when dan walked up the driveway to talk to police that he was in fact walking over the trail that he may have created when abducting jacob.

 

[shergal]

If the grass is green and watered, then very likely. im not so sure it would be so easy to tell on harder ground where the grass is unwatered and rougher. I have been able to walk through my lawn without leaving a distinguishable trail. Also remember that police were on the scene in the dark that night, a light breeze overnight could have taken the footprints away. Perhaps even the helicopter.

I also have theory that when dan walked up the driveway to talk to police that he was in fact walking over the trail that he may have created when abducting jacob.

Even if DR didn't do the actual abduction himself (trying hard to keep an open mind and consider all possibilities) he certainly made no effort to help preserve the crime scene. He walked through it that night up to the road to talk to Bechtold and back to the house, and then again in the morning, when he got out of his car and lifted and walked under the tape. (Not to mention walking through whatever buildings he says he searched that night.) It does make it seem like he was either oblivious to anything around him, or he was deliberately trying to muddy the scene.

 

[human]

Did the kidnapper turn on a flashlight?

How could anyone see to walk at night? And how could anyone know where they are walking is OK?

I mean that there are no drop offs, ditches, holes.

Could a kidnapper be holding. Jacob and a flashlight?

I think not.

So it had to be someone very familiar with the terrain

 

[Jbrown324320]

Human, it was very dark on the road, but didn't I read somewhere that DR's post light from his yard close to his house was on? Maybe that illuminated enough of the area of the yard and driveway to see where they were hiding. I do agree it was someone who was familiar with the area/town. Had to be.

 

[Sasquatch321]

Did the kidnapper turn on a flashlight?

How could anyone see to walk at night? And how could anyone know where they are walking is OK?

I mean that there are no drop offs, ditches, holes.

Could a kidnapper be holding. Jacob and a flashlight?

I think not.

So it had to be someone very familiar with the terrain

Right and someone familiar with the terrain would have kept their vehicle on tar instead of gravel.

 

[human]

Human, it was very dark on the road, but didn't I read somewhere that DR's post light from his yard close to his house was on? Maybe that illuminated enough of the area of the yard and driveway to see where they were hiding. I do agree it was someone who was familiar with the area/town. Had to be.

You are right. But the driveway is 1/4 mile long. Is that correct?

I wonder how far the light would go.

Nowadays, people get downward deflecting lights, but back then, I imagine the light illuminated upwards and a lot of light is lost that way.

No way to really know unless someone goes on that driveway at night to see and that really is not going to happen.

 

[Sasquatch321]

This story here shows that you can't always count on the dogs and helicopters to find what is actually there, even today-

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/lost-3-old-boy-found-family-dog-protecting-181527501--abc-news-topstories.html?vp=1

"They had an airplane here searching for him and 60 four-wheelers and people looking on foot and didn't find anything," Urness said.

I find relevance in this story to the wetterling case because I believe LE missed big that first night, and ever since.

 

[cGorg]

This story here shows that you can't always count on the dogs and helicopters to find what is actually there, even today-

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/lost-3-old-boy-found-family-dog-protecting-181527501--abc-news-topstories.html?vp=1

"They had an airplane here searching for him and 60 four-wheelers and people looking on foot and didn't find anything," Urness said.

I find relevance in this story to the wetterling case because I believe LE missed big that first night, and ever since.

Sasquatch321...I agree that the article is very relevant to JW's case. However, your last sentence gives me pause. I agree LE may have missed 'big' the night of 10-22-89 but wonder about 'and ever since'? LE named the POI so despite the detour are they not on the right track now in your opinion?

 

[cGorg]

Right and someone familiar with the terrain would have kept their vehicle on tar instead of gravel.

And where would that be? 91st Ave (or 16th Ave SE) is and was paved in 1989. Asphalt it appears. So where could a vehicle had been stowed on this stretch of road? And the perp walks east but vehicle is west? Sorry, I may be missing your point.

 

[Sasquatch321]

And where would that be? 91st Ave (or 16th Ave SE) is and was paved in 1989. Asphalt it appears. So where could a vehicle had been stowed on this stretch of road? And the perp walks east but vehicle is west? Sorry, I may be missing your point.

Yes i would assume that if a vehicle was involved that the perpatrator would have parked on 16th, instead of in someone elses gravel driveway. Why leave your mark?

 

[Sasquatch321]

Sasquatch321...I agree that the article is very relevant to JW's case. However, your last sentence gives me pause. I agree LE may have missed 'big' the night of 10-22-89 but wonder about 'and ever since'? LE named the POI so despite the detour are they not on the right track now in your opinion?

Good point, I would just like to agree with you here.

 

[cGorg]

Yes i would assume that if a vehicle was involved that the perpatrator would have parked on 16th, instead of in someone elses gravel driveway. Why leave your mark?

Yeh, that's what I thought you meant. A very good point. I admit, I hadn't thought of that before. But given that, why is Jacob's footprint 40 yards east of the abduction site?

 

[Trackergd]

Yes i would assume that if a vehicle was involved that the perpatrator would have parked on 16th, instead of in someone elses gravel driveway. Why leave your mark?

In 40 years of tracking, I have only run into two individuals who even had a clue that they might leave foot or tire prints.

To have left the car at 16th would have suggested the individual would have some forensic evidence experience or knowledge (in that era).

Now anyone who watches crime shows is at least aware, but still leave print evidence in most cases.

 

[Sasquatch321]

Yeh, that's what I thought you meant. A very good point. I admit, I hadn't thought of that before. But given that, why is Jacob's footprint 40 yards east of the abduction site?

One crucial thing we know for sure is that Jacobs footprint is found 40 yards into the rassier gravel driveway. Theres only two possible scenarios that can exist-

Number one- DR, that simple really.

Number two- a vehicle of any kind e.g. car, van, truck, motorcycle, atv was parked there on the diveway. Im assuming he threw jacob in and locked the doors and drove over the gravel out of there. We can blame Kevin as well for possibly driving over the abductors tire tracks.

 

[human]

There is no way Kevin drove over all of the tire tracks.

 

[Trackergd]

One crucial thing we know for sure is that Jacobs footprint is found 40 yards into the rassier gravel driveway. Theres only two possible scenarios that can exist-

Number one- DR, that simple really.

Number two- a vehicle of any kind e.g. car, van, truck, motorcycle, atv was parked there on the diveway. Im assuming he threw jacob in and locked the doors and drove over the gravel out of there. We can blame Kevin as well for possibly driving over the abductors tire tracks.

1. What actual proof exists that the prints found were Jacobs? To have 100% verified that would have required the pair of shoes Jacob was wearing to use for print pattern verification and wear pattern evaluation. A second "like" pair of shoes may have been used to establish size and if the person who was doing the evaluation was very, very good, some wear pattern information may have been found to resemble those found in the print. Considering that there are over 100 indicators that only a trained tacker with years of experience can detect and document, I think the jury is still out on this one. Also noting the crime scene was heavily contaminated by unwitting first responders and other interested parties, this makes anything found, print or tire, very suspect.

2. DR is a suspect due to proximity and odd personality. What else really exists to point a hard finger at him?

3. Kevin may have contaminated the crime scene, but seems to have done so unwittingly.

Until LE is willing to share, I can't answer much more than the above. The few really good pictures I now posses show two officers standing on the evidence. Without knowing at what point in the investigation these pictures were taken, I cannot know if it was initial or after all the print casts and pictures were taken.