MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #9

[Trino]

If anyone (not just DR) from St. John's took him, they have tunnels, several huge furnaces, a kiln, and their own crematorium and cemetery right on the grounds. No need to leave Jacob (or Josh) in the woods.

Thinking more about the instrument cases, most cases are very flimsey. Additionally, elementary and middle schools usually do not transport bands (usually in-house) - cannot see why there would be large cases around the school. It would seem a tuba case (equivalent) would be needed. Typical tuba cases are 47.8 x 28.2 x 28.7 inches. Guitar cases may be larger, but are kids this age offered guitar? I don't think public school kids are.

 

[Ifollowthis]

If anyone (not just DR) from St. John's took him, they have tunnels, several huge furnaces, a kiln, and their own crematorium and cemetery right on the grounds. No need to leave Jacob (or Josh) in the woods.

I have always thought that "proper burial" could be a possibility.

 

[HEY YOU!]

I think driving past LE the morning after the abduction with a body hidden in a musical instrument case was a risk DR was willing to take. He probably figured that it was only a matter of time before LE would search all the building on his property (which they never did).

I agree. I mean he finally got to act out his long planned fantasy when the boys took their first venture out at night and he saw their flashlights in the distance. And what luck, his parents were away. Kevin driving up his driveway gave law enforcement the idea that there was a car involved which gave DR more time. When he was done with Jacob around 11:23 he placed a 911 call only to be told what he already knew, that a boy was abducted from the end of his driveway. Would a guilty person call 911? NO, that is why he did it. He went down and told cops he would take a look around his own property giving the idea he was being helpful and diverting cops attention. I mean, would a helpful person be a suspect? NO, that is why he did it. After everyone left, he took Jacob and placed him in one of the instrument boxes and brought him to work. Again, he walks under the crime scene tape...would a suspect draw attention to himself this way? NO, that is why he did it. Too obvious to be bringing instrument cases to work day after abduction in his driveway. Yes, and cops probably figured a suspect would be more subtle by not drawing attention to themselves. And I don't think there was a lot of blood. I think that heavy umbrella stand may have been the murder weapon and Jacob died from blunt force trauma to the head. Maybe dogs hit on death smell or there was a small drop of blood. I believe DR brought Jacob back to his farm and disposed of him in the firepit. Also, it is my understanding that an abduction of this sort usually ends in the death of the victim in 2-3 hours.

As for perps insinuating themselves into the investigation, DR has been doing that since being named POI. He probably gets off on reading about himself and relives his crime with every sentence he reads here on Websleuths or Joy Baker's blog. He did not dare insinuate himself into the Wetterling household as he left witnesses, one of whom is the brother of the victim. Too much risk involved. Same reason for no contact with the Wetterlings after all these years. He may think they KNEW it was him and didn't want to risk the face to face with Aaron or Trevor.

As for the high number of pedophiles in the area. I believe that the local church and university have harbored them for years. One priest molesting over many years creates other pedophiles. This is what I believe happened to DR as a little boy. I believe he was acting out the only sexuality he has ever known.

In my opinion of course

 

[HEY YOU!]

this is where the theory begins to crumble. I have no idea what he did with the body before or after work. Perhaps he dumped the body somewhere along highway 2? I would assume that was the route DR used to commute for work. Dumping the body somewhere in st johns is another possibility. I remember hearing rumors that the Saint johns woods never got searched (I grew up in st cloud).

I believe he brought Jacob's body back home and incinerated it with all of the other garbage he could find to cover it up. I believe that he had to do it before his parents came home and he may have waited one day to make sure cops weren't coming to search his home. After the 24 hours of Jacob's body being tucked away in a dark room in the school in an instrument case, DR brought him back, incinerated him and put his remains where the rest of the garbage goes. Cops then come to his farm 5 days after abduction and do a search...too late by then to find Jacob's body and it looks as though that search was not very thorough if dog's came years later and detected a death smell. Imagine if they had been brought immediately to the scene? In DR's words 'if they had come to the house that night, it would have been over with.'

 

[Sasquatch321]

For the sake of the Wetterlings and friends i think we should stop assuming the specifics of how jacob may have been murdered.

 

[HEY YOU!]

With all due respect, Sasquatch aren't we trying to figure out what happened to Jacob? I am sure that many of these scenerios have played out in Patty's mind. I am also positive that she wants this case solved and would like to know the location of Jacob above and beyond all else. We sleuth with the facts that we have and must make scenerios that fit or look possible in order to come up with a solution. The very reason I am here is because I feel such a connection to Patty. A parent should NEVER have to go through this. She deserves to know the truth of what happened to her Jacob.

I would hope that the perp has a sense of conscience and comes forward with all of the facts so we can put this case to rest. This person obviously needs help and I think telling the truth about what went down that night would be a good place to start.

 

[Sasquatch321]

If DR left with Jacob in the trunk then imo he was not inside of an instrument case, he was below them.

 

[Sasquatch321]

I really doubt that Jacob could have been in his car trunk. That would be extremely risky being that DR knew he had to get past LE. There would have to have been a pretty large instrument case to fit him in or else he would have had to cut him up into pieces and seal the parts in bags to keep the blood and smell from permeating. Sorry for the graphic description, but to me it just doesn't seem plausible.

It was the risk he knew he had to take. He put on the "play" by lifting up the crime scene tape and walking through with an urgency to get work. He did get by them without the car being searched. The cops were at his school an hour later because I think it went down like this

Officer-That was DR who left this morning, he lives here
FBI agent-You mean he came right through here and we didn't search his car first?
Officer-Yes
FBI agent-Get your things we're going to check him out

All imo.

 

[Shay]

If DR left with Jacob in the trunk then imo he was not inside of an instrument case, he was below them.

IMO, DR did not leave with JW the next morning. I think he had him stashed somewhere on the property and removed him the following night.

There was some speculation with Josh Guimond that the incinerator at St. John's was used on an "off" day. It's possible DR knew the burn schedule and where to deposit items to be incinerated.

 

[KeepHopeAlive]

Or maybe Jacob is still alive.

 

[human]

Thinking more about the instrument cases, most cases are very flimsey. Additionally, elementary and middle schools usually do not transport bands (usually in-house) - cannot see why there would be large cases around the school. It would seem a tuba case (equivalent) would be needed. Typical tuba cases are 47.8 x 28.2 x 28.7 inches. Guitar cases may be larger, but are kids this age offered guitar? I don't think public school kids are.

Yes, our schools where I live have guitar. But that case would be too small.

Instrument cases are very tough. People may wish to examine them because they are carrying super expensive cargo. Instruments cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

Kids practice so they carry their instruments back and forth.

I always wondered about the tuba and bass players. I played violin . That was uncomfortable enough to carry. I played in elementary and what was then called junior high. I do not know how those music teachers can tolerate the horrible sounds that come out of our instruments.

My next door neighbor played the drums. His parents must have been saints.

 

[human]

I don't see any reason that DR left with Jacob at all, unless he was brought to St. john's.

What about the bloody trunk? There are so many places to hide him on that farm.

Remember, DR is very very strong. No weakling runs as many marathons as he does.

BTW, it was a dairy farm. What did they do with their old cows?

 

[human]

I think it is possible that he was going to do whatever with Jacob and let him go. But something went terribly wrong. Maybe Jacob had an underlying heart issue and died of fright. Maybe DR did not know his own strength and something happened because of that

I think he was going to have it be the mysterious stranger did whatever and let him go.

After all, Jared was taken by a farm and let go. I am not saying it is the same perp. Just a similar scenario. It could have worked.

 

[prd2bokie]

Jacob could have very well been hidden in a sound proof bunker. If who ever did this has done it before then they may be very prepared to hide a victim.

 

[human]

For example, here are the costs of some kinds of saxophones. I think they would be well protected in a case.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111006170023AAamopi

 

[FindTim]

This is factually incorrect. He was taken in a highly residential area. Where are you getting your facts?

After all, Jared was taken by a farm and let go. I am not saying it is the same perp.

 

[human]

This is factually incorrect. He was taken in a highly residential area. Where are you getting your facts?

He was taken to a farm and abused.

It is on here somewhere.

I think people even identified the location of the farm by Richmond

 

[FindTim]

He was taken to a side road near a farm. By stating he was "taken by a farm" can be inferred that he was near a farm when kidnapped.

He was taken from a highly residential area and brought, to what he believed was a rural area north of Richmond and assaulted on a vacant road. He recognized a light near a farm, and that was his reference point.

He was taken to a farm and abused.

It is on here somewhere.

I think people even identified the location of the farm by Richmond

 

[human]

He was taken to a side road near a farm. By stating he was "taken by a farm" can be inferred that he was near a farm when kidnapped.

He was taken from a highly residential area and brought, to what he believed was a rural area north of Richmond and assaulted on a vacant road. He recognized a light near a farm, and that was his reference point.

Yea.He was by a farm.

That is where his horror occurred. Not in the residential area. He was let go.

I agree.

I do not think Jared and Jacob were done by the same person.

My premise is that if DR did Jacob, I do not believe him to be a killer. I think whatever happened was accidental.

 

[marlins]

Good points re the body. It could have been put in the wood furnace or the firepit. Lime dissolves as well as covers up odors

The wood furnace observation is plausible, but how much lime is needed to cover up the smell of burning flesh? I would assume that lots of lime would be needed? Should we also assume that DR had this mass of lime available in case of a "chance encounter" with an adolescent boy? Furthermore, what is the average size of a wood burning furnace? Are they large enough to hold an 11 year old boy?

I dont buy into the fire pit theory based on my assumption that there was a lot of activity at the scene of the crime for weeks after the abduction. The media, LE, FBI, National Guard and volunteer search parties were there. Surely, someone would want to check into what DR was burning so close to the crime scene.