Suspect - Daniel Heinrich

[Sigrun]

This revelation about a leak makes me wonder. The sexual assault of AL made it clear that:
1. LE must know that the cluster of attacks prior to 22 October were perpetrated by the same person
2. If LE suspected someone in particular (like, say, this new POI) why would they not want *this* POI to know ... that they know?
3. If the POI finds out that surely LE knows the same person committed the clusters and the JEW abduction, why would LE *need* to arrest him right away?

The POI has to imagine that AL did report it, but given the nature of the act, perhaps it would leave him unsure if it was reported at all?

Of course, it could just be that they were hoping for tips on someone implicated in both sets of crimes as a way of knowing if it is a legit tip. But that seems thin to withhold something like this for 26 years.

 

[LR1]

The search warrant mentions a detective by name who brought this to their attention. But it doesn't say any more than that.

I suspect the detective suspected he was connected to the earlier paynesville incidents, Jared's description of the car and fatigues probably played a part. The detective knew he wore them on a regular basis.

 

[dexter75]

Anyone have an idea what type of work he performed at his jobs?

This is what I've pieced together from the affidavit:

Jan 18, 1989 - was employed at Master Mark Plastics in Albany, MN.

Detectives observed his 1987 Mercury Topaz in the parking lot.

Oct 8, 1989 - his last day at Fingerhut in St. Cloud (about four miles from DR's residence).

Did he come across Jacob's neighborhood by trolling the area after work in the evenings? Or did he do any driving for job?

Nov 12, 1989 - started a job at Northstar Mailing in St. Paul.

Recently, he worked at Buffalo Veneer and Plywood.

http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/wjon.com/files/2015/10/DanielHeinrichIndictment-Optimized.pdf

http://m.startribune.com/new-developments-to-be-announced-in-wetterling-case/338399961/

I can't help but to think based on what we now know, that this guy CHOSE DR's farm some how. I think he chose and had control over a lot in this case. I agree with other posters here in that he stalked. I do not believe in Jacobs case ( maybe more cases also ) that much JUST happened. I think a lot was pre meditated.

 

[ilooovemy2kids]

Thank you Davefor posting, sorry to everyone else..I'm not sure why the pics didn't attche

 

[ilooovemy2kids]

I always felt that Jacob wasn't abducted just to be killed a few hours later....a huge part of me feels he is still out there alive. We all know that means nothing lol....I always thought they wanted an older child to lure in other younger children and it is so horrible to think about. Maybe Jacob is still alive but feels guilt or ashamed that he has NO reason to feel....I remember the movie "my name is Steven" and it scared me to death when the I was younger.

I have two small children one who had chiari so he is delayed and my daughter who is autistic....they can't really understand "stranger danger". Now a days it's even harder to teach that because children will think "yeah thats mr. Joe from a few houses down he's not a stranger" so they think they can trust him when they shouldn't. It was easy when I was younger, dont talk to people who offer you candy, be home when the street lights come on. My kids don't even have a bus stop, it's curb to curb pick up because parents don't want their kids out of sight.....sad but I don't blame them. I am sorry, got off of topic.:gaah:

 

[dexter75]

There must be some forensic evidence of Jacob being in that car. I am not convinced that Jacob was killed quickly. If DJH didn't plan to kill Jacob, perhaps he had a real problem on his hands when he heard on the scanner that LE were headed to the abduction site. This was a new situation for him. What would his response to that stressor be? Maybe he killed Jacob quickly as he felt the stress, but I believe it is possible that he kept Jacob alive for some time. I would like to go back and re-read some of the reports of sightings after the abduction. I think he may have "hit the road" for a short while. He may have been traveling with an unintended captive if his original plan was to release Jacob as he had released Jared. If that was the case then Jacob could be far from home.

What would be the odds of DJH's brother knowing about Jacob or helping his brother avoid LE once the abduction came over the scanner? Just a thought.

 

[Dave K]

Well, well, well. That explains a lot about what is going on now. Didn't know this angle to the story. But yes, this knowledge of the assault on AL is what convinced me with pretty good certainty we're dealing with the same perp. It also explains how they knew the JEW abduction was sexually motivated. This has been known for 26 years and never revealed until it was leaked. It totally changes how I look at this crime, btw. The assault clusters before then involved case after case of assaults executed in the exact same manner.

I don’t know who AL is; can you let me know? Edit: fwiw, I got 3 answers to this, thanks.... sorry, I was confused by the use of AL for Aaron for a couple of reasons and didn't want to keep posting till I knew.... I explained to Sigrun in a PM why I was confused....

I felt Jared, Paynesville and Jacob were all by the same guy since not too long after I started looking at it; around Oct last year. Jared thought so, he mentioned – (not quoting) the guy’s physical description, his authoritative demeanor and manor of speaking and he and the threat of a gun and shooting; Jared says: “I was told to run don’t look back or he would shoot” basically identical to what Trevor and Aaron were told and other Paynesville victims had similar, basically the same reports. Even though the areas include Cold Springs, Paynesville and St Joseph, that’s a relatively limited area, and not great in population. Only so many people would be even thinking of, much less capable of conducting this type of behavior; given the same physical description and the other similarities, and for me, mainly the threat to ‘don’t look back or I’ll shoot’ in varying circumstances; I fully expect that it’s the same person.

Side note: Knowing what we know now about DJH, it's surprising, to me, that he's been described as having an authoritative demeanor, manor of speaking... But, you never know... (as in everything, for now, 'if he is the one who took Jacob' but, we do now know that he is the one who attacked Jared)

 

[BINTC]

I don’t know who AL is; can you let me know?

Jacob's friend Aaron

 

[Sigrun]

I don’t know who AL is; can you let me know?

One of the minor witnesses to JEWs abduction.

... that’s a relatively limited area, and not great in population. Only so many people would be even thinking of, much less capable of conducting this type of behavior; given the same physical description and the other similarities, and for me, mainly the threat to ‘don’t look back or I’ll shoot’ in varying circumstances ...

And don't forget a gravelly, pudgy grown man running around Mayberry, knocking prepubescent boys off their bikes and molesting them in the public square, so to speak. I think we have to keep it real and realize there is no way these were different people committing these crimes. You said it well.

 

[Sigrun]

What would be the odds of DJH's brother knowing about Jacob or helping his brother avoid LE once the abduction came over the scanner? Just a thought.

Actually, we can think of a lot of complex back stories to all this. It could be that this is a third party that knows about the cluster attacks, didn't realize they could connect them to JEW, aided and abetted his brother in the JEW case, and thought he could come forward without repercussion. But once he knows he would be implicated as an accessory in the JEW case if he did (because of the assault on AL), he might not. Just one example of how complex the back story could get.

 

[MotherOcean]

I think if Jacob were still allive, or if there was the chance that he is still alive because Heinrich didn't kill him, that Heinrich would be saying so. I have to believe that the FBI have their best interrogators on this. If Heinrich didn't kill Jacob, I believe he would confess to abducting him and tell what happened. If he doesn't talk, I think it's more likely that he killed Jacob. I can't wrap my brain around the possibility that Jacob could still be alive but I know the Wetterlings have said, as recently as a few years ago, that they hold on to that hope. Heinrich's behavior was escalating towards increasing violence.

 

[Sigrun]

I think if Jacob were still allive, or if there was the chance that he is still alive because Heinrich didn't kill him, that Heinrich would be saying so. I have to believe that the FBI have their best interrogators on this. If Heinrich didn't kill Jacob, I believe he would confess to abducting him and tell what happened. If he doesn't talk, I think it's more likely that he killed Jacob. I can't wrap my brain around the possibility that Jacob could still be alive but I know the Wetterlings have said, as recently as a few years ago, that they hold on to that hope. Heinrich's behavior was escalating towards increasing violence.

Agree with this analysis.

 

[Hope1974]

He was let out near MN 158 in Cold Spring:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zmwE5k5qa0zw.krzP3ibuYEB8

Interesting idea, but if the POI let JEW go then where is he? As for forensics on that car, I don't know if that was ever done. But assuming it was, JEW could have fled the car and been attacked outside the car. There are lots of possibilities.

Thank you, Sigrun. It's amazing to me that he let him out near town & risked being caught. Is that confidence? Is that guilt?

It'd be hard to believe that they would not have done forensics on the car. If they tore apart the first car & found Jared's snowmobile suit fibers, they would've done the same the second time. If the attack happened outside of the car, it seems unlikely that he wouldn't have brought evidence back into the car with him.

 

[MotherOcean]

If Heinrich isn't the perp. then there was a copycat, someone who knew the details of the Paynesville attacks well enough to mimic them. I don't believe that but it did occur to me as a slim possibility at one time since I knew that DR had been named a POI.

 

[Sigrun]

Thank you, Sigrun. It's amazing to me that he let him out near town & risked being caught. Is that confidence? Is that guilt?

It'd be hard to believe that they would not have done forensics on the car. If they tore apart the first car & found Jared's snowmobile suit fibers, they would've done the same the second time. If the attack happened outside of the car, it seems unlikely that he wouldn't have brought evidence back into the car with him.

So, you think the new POI is not the JEW abductor? Just asking so I can follow the argument. There wasn't anything stated in the documents about a forensic exam of the second car, but it was mentioned regarding the first car. Also, at the time I'm not so sure they thought he was JEW's abductor, but I agree it would be an oversight not to have done the forensics anyway. But lets look at it this way: if the new POI is the party responsible for JEW's abduction, regardless of the actual circumstances of the abduction, I'd think that if a forensics analysis were done and nothing was found it would be mentioned in those same documents. And it seems unlikely nothing would be found since they knew what JEW was wearing. Thus it sounds more likely to me that no forensics analysis was ever done on the second car.

Regarding the first point, that is a fascinating question. I had not thought about that. That is a good question as to why he dropped him off closer to his home.

 

[Sigrun]

If Heinrich isn't the perp. then there was a copycat, someone who knew the details of the Paynesville attacks well enough to mimic them. I don't believe that but it did occur to me as a slim possibility at one time since I knew that DR had been named a POI.

True, but consider what "mimic" means in this case. We are to believe that someone would mimic the POI to the extent that they would molest a boy in the exact same way the POI preferred?

 

[Posting]

I am not sure if this is significant or not, but was wondering who the 'brother' who lived with DJH from time to time was, or if it could be someone else. A reverse search on the Annandale address is associated with an "investment firm" with "2 employees" one is named and listed as the 'Principal'.

That individual has a POB in Littlefork, MN (up north). If DJH is part of a ring (seems he was, at least at a cyber level), this may or may not place DJH with an up north connection.

 

[ELOCsoul]

True, but consider what "mimic" means in this case. We are to believe that someone would mimic the POI to the extent that they would molest a boy in the exact same way the POI preferred?

....and the copycat would have had the same tires and same shoes as Heinrich...doubtful

 

[ilooovemy2kids]

I think if Jacob were still allive, or if there was the chance that he is still alive because Heinrich didn't kill him, that Heinrich would be saying so. I have to believe that the FBI have their best interrogators on this. If Heinrich didn't kill Jacob, I believe he would confess to abducting him and tell what happened. If he doesn't talk, I think it's more likely that he killed Jacob. I can't wrap my brain around the possibility that Jacob could still be alive but I know the Wetterlings have said, as recently as a few years ago, that they hold on to that hope. Heinrich's behavior was escalating towards increasing violence.

I can agree with this but is it possible DH to still hold that trump card for awhile longer? You are probably 99.9% right MotherOcean, my hopes are probably based on pure wishful thinking. Idk what's worse..thinking JW is deceased or thinking he may still be out their but what has it cost him?

 

[liz b.]

I think if Jacob were still allive, or if there was the chance that he is still alive because Heinrich didn't kill him, that Heinrich would be saying so. I have to believe that the FBI have their best interrogators on this. If Heinrich didn't kill Jacob, I believe he would confess to abducting him and tell what happened. If he doesn't talk, I think it's more likely that he killed Jacob. I can't wrap my brain around the possibility that Jacob could still be alive but I know the Wetterlings have said, as recently as a few years ago, that they hold on to that hope. Heinrich's [/B]behavior was escalating towards increasing violence.

BBM : Respectfully, why did his behavior not continue on this arc of violence ?