Tire Tracks, Shoe Prints and DJH's cars

[Luralola]

Hi all - I'm new here but have followed the forum and the Wetterling case for years. As a social worker, I've developed a healthy (I think) skepticism of the justice system along with a healthy respect for law enforcement itself. I wasn't prepared to see the shoeprints at the end of the criminal complaint. I assumed there would be something ambiguous or unclear about them. When I looked at that photo I lliterally felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. So my first post is lame because I'm going to be the hundredth person to re-ask - why wasn't he charged in 1990? Surely LE could have gotten a search warrant after seeing those shoeprints (the tires are harder for me to judge), and all but surely would have found child *advertiser censored* there then. I see criminal cases brought with weaker and less circumstantial and physical evidence than this frequently - so seriously, can someone explain this? Why did they have to wait? Yes, I get the "unique wear patterns, etc." are "missing," but seriously, what are the odds of those shoeprints *not* being made by him?

 

[bmmcdonald87]

Hi all - I'm new here but have followed the forum and the Wetterling case for years. As a social worker, I've developed a healthy (I think) skepticism of the justice system along with a healthy respect for law enforcement itself. I wasn't prepared to see the shoeprints at the end of the criminal complaint. I assumed there would be something ambiguous or unclear about them. When I looked at that photo I lliterally felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. So my first post is lame because I'm going to be the hundredth person to re-ask - why wasn't he charged in 1990? Surely LE could have gotten a search warrant after seeing those shoeprints (the tires are harder for me to judge), and all but surely would have found child *advertiser censored* there then. I see criminal cases brought with weaker and less circumstantial and physical evidence than this frequently - so seriously, can someone explain this? Why did they have to wait? Yes, I get the "unique wear patterns, etc." are "missing," but seriously, what are the odds of those shoeprints *not* being made by him?

Agreed. I still don't understand why the police aren't referring to DH as a suspect? If you look up the difference between a POI and a suspect, I'd say DH fits the latter. There is a lot pointing at this particular man and it has been for a very long time.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

 

[Marzipan]

Thanks a million-- That's been driving me crazy. I knew I had read black boots. Which of course now is very confusing, and I'm willing to think it's a mistake. There are bound to be inaccuracies in reporting, even in the StarTribune, which I respect much more than City Pages. And don't even get me started on how I feel when people reference KQRS.

A Star Tribune article from 10-24-1989 indicates black boots. It quotes Trevor's description of the abductor, but from what I can tell, the part about black boots was from the sherriff.

Grafft said an account of the abduction provided by Jacob's brother, Trevor, 10, is credible and authorities assume the boy has been kidnapped. Trevor said that he, Jacob, and Aaron Larson, 11, were returning on bicycles from a convenience store a mile from home where they had rented a videotaped movie. The area is about 5 miles west of St. Cloud.

They were about halfway home when a man wearing dark clothing, black boots and carrying a pistol walked out of a long gravel driveway leading to a farm.

"He had a mask; it looked like pantyhose, on his head," Trevor said. "He told us to get off our bikes or he'd shoot. We did what he said. We laid in a ditch and he asked our ages."

Doyle, P., & Writer, S. (1989, Oct 24). St. joseph boy, 11, kidnapped at gunpoint. Star Tribune

 

[bodester413]

Oh my... The center bottom tire (with the blue fender and door) are the tires I have been looking for since I first saw the tire prints....

Sorry if this question is confusing to read. I had trouble figuring out how to word the question.

Do you think there was enough detail in those tire casts that they could determine the width of the tires. They know the tread pattern was the same,but had no unique wear patterns, but was the width from sidewall to sidewall also the same? example...if DH's car had 215r14 inch tires....Where the casts the same? Was that also consistent?....or did they just mean the tread pattern alone matched but not the width measurement.

 

[Wisdom]

Oh my... The center bottom tire (with the blue fender and door) are the tires I have been looking for since I first saw the tire prints....

Sorry if this question is confusing to read. I had trouble figuring out how to word the question.

Do you think there was enough detail in those tire casts that they could determine the width of the tires. They know the tread pattern was the same,but had no unique wear patterns, but was the width from sidewall to sidewall also the same? example...if DH's car had 215r14 inch tires....Where the casts the same? Was that also consistent?....or did they just mean the tread pattern alone matched but not the width measurement.

From the Federal Indictment which can be downloaded in PDF form from this link....
http://wjon.com/read-the-federal-indictment-against-daniel-heinrich-in-child-sex-case-document/

"An FBI examiner conducted a comparison examination between the tracks from the abduction site and the defendant's tires and found that the defendant's tires were consistent in in size and tire tread to the cast impressions."

 

[bodester413]

From the Federal Indictment which can be downloaded in PDF form from this link....
http://wjon.com/read-the-federal-indictment-against-daniel-heinrich-in-child-sex-case-document/

"An FBI examiner conducted a comparison examination between the tracks from the abduction site and the defendant's tires and found that the defendant's tires were consistent in in size and tire tread to the cast impressions."

Thanks Wisdom. Size as their using it must mean width, diameter and aspect ratio. I wasn't sure they could get all those from a cast.

 

[HEY YOU!]

So what are the odds that a car with 2 different types of tires that both match the ones in the driveway where Jacob was abducted belong to a guy whose shoes also match the footprints left next to those very same tire tracks? This sounds like enough evidence right there.

 

[bodester413]

So what are the odds that a car with 2 different types of tires that both match the ones in the driveway where Jacob was abducted belong to a guy whose shoes also match the footprints left next to those very same tire tracks? This sounds like enough evidence right there.

Yeah with everything combined...it's looks really bad. At least in my opinion. If you attached a number to those odds it would have to be pretty darn high....

 

[HEY YOU!]

Yeah with everything combined...it's looks really bad. At least in my opinion. If you attached a number to those odds it would have to be pretty darn high....

And what would they have found in that car if they investigated it right away? Certainly they had enough to do just that? If only to rule him out as a suspect. Mind boggling.

 

[Trackergd]

Sorry if this question is confusing to read. I had trouble figuring out how to word the question.

Do you think there was enough detail in those tire casts that they could determine the width of the tires. They know the tread pattern was the same,but had no unique wear patterns, but was the width from sidewall to sidewall also the same? example...if DH's car had 215r14 inch tires....Where the casts the same? Was that also consistent?....or did they just mean the tread pattern alone matched but not the width measurement.

ALL tires have wear patterns. They only took a few casts. It is possible where they took the casts did not catch unique indicators in the tires....or they don't know how to interpret them.

 

[Trackergd]

Odds? The chances of another car with an individual wearing the same style shoes? Remote in the extreme.

 

[livstabler]

ALL tires have wear patterns. They only took a few casts. It is possible where they took the casts did not catch unique indicators in the tires....or they don't know how to interpret them.

Do they usually only check the rear tires? Is it normal to take them off at a person's residence or do they usually take the whole car?

 

[Wisdom]

Do they usually only check the rear tires? Is it normal to take them off at a person's residence or do they usually take the whole car?

The rear tires would overlap the front for the most part and leave the best print in my mind...if they were driving straight and not backing up of course. As I typed that something interesting popped into my head.....was the car backed in up the drive or was it facing the Rassier farm while the abduction was happening....using DR's account you would think facing the farm because he said he witnessed the car and possibly a person covering their eyes...which would mean after the abduction.. if that person was Jacob. If the vehicle was backed in.. the car wouldn't have made the trip up around the drive for DR to see. Also if the vehicle was facing the road but wasn't backed in... and there wasn't a turn around track on the driveway around where the vehicle was parked.. that would mean DR saw the vehicle drive up and around before the abduction took place and would eliminate Jacob being in the front seat. If there is a turn around spot in the driveway close to where the vehicle was it would mean DR didn't witness the vehicle at all. There have been a couple times including this last video of him stating around 9:00 witnessing the vehicle but the abduction didn't happen until around 9:15 so that would also mean he probably saw the car before the abduction and not Jacob in the passenger seat. I didn't think this out very well but hopefully my rambling makes sense : )

 

[ELOCsoul]

Do they usually only check the rear tires? Is it normal to take them off at a person's residence or do they usually take the whole car?

Remember the man from Nashville who requested copies of the St Cloud Times in November 1989? The FBI paid him a visit within days and removed the rear tires from his car too.

 

[bodester413]

ALL tires have wear patterns. They only took a few casts. It is possible where they took the casts did not catch unique indicators in the tires....or they don't know how to interpret them.

True. I was wondering about that too. If they didn't have casts off the whole length of the tire or the impression wasn't clear enough to get that many casts. Could have been a nail or some flaw/wear in the part of the tire that wasn't cast.

 

[Sigrun]

The rear tires would overlap the front for the most part and leave the best print in my mind...if they were driving straight and not backing up of course. As I typed that something interesting popped into my head.....was the car backed in up the drive or was it facing the Rassier farm while the abduction was happening....using DR's account you would think facing the farm because he said he witnessed the car and possibly a person covering their eyes...which would mean after the abduction.. if that person was Jacob. If the vehicle was backed in.. the car wouldn't have made the trip up around the drive for DR to see. Also if the vehicle was facing the road but wasn't backed in... and there wasn't a turn around track on the driveway around where the vehicle was parked.. that would mean DR saw the vehicle drive up and around before the abduction took place and would eliminate Jacob being in the front seat. If there is a turn around spot in the driveway close to where the vehicle was it would mean DR didn't witness the vehicle at all. There have been a couple times including this last video of him stating around 9:00 witnessing the vehicle but the abduction didn't happen until around 9:15 so that would also mean he probably saw the car before the abduction and not Jacob in the passenger seat. I didn't think this out very well but hopefully my rambling makes sense : )

Yes, it makes sense. The totality of the evidence suggests the vehicle was parked to the right of the driveway facing inward. It then proceeded up the driveway and turned around after the abduction, then left the driveway by the roadway from which it arrived. This is due to the tire tracks' position, the tracking dogs' behavior, the composition and competence of the driveway material, DR's witness testimony and the known facts of the abduction as provided by the two witnesses (one of whom was also assaulted).

 

[Trackergd]

Do they usually only check the rear tires? Is it normal to take them off at a person's residence or do they usually take the whole car?

If it were me, I would take the entire vehicle. Four tires with unique wear patterns. Improves the chances I can tie more than one wear indicator in prints to that particular vehicle. Plus I might be able to tie front tire prints in if part of them are visible or if they did not track completely together in a turn. Also the change that two or more of the tires are not the same brand and style.

 

[HEY YOU!]

If it were me, I would take the entire vehicle. Four tires with unique wear patterns. Improves the chances I can tie more than one wear indicator in prints to that particular vehicle. Plus I might be able to tie front tire prints in if part of them are visible or if they did not track completely together in a turn. Also the change that two or more of the tires are not the same brand and style.

Maybe they only had a warrant to test the tires and DH refused them access to the car knowing if they did access car, they would find evidence of Jacob being there. Why else would an innocent person not tell them to take the whole car? I would hope that law enforcement asked to search the whole car and were told no and then had to get a warrant? Why wouldn't the warrant allow the whole car under the circu,stances, especially after the tires were a match as well as the shoes?

 

[sidvix59]

Tracker, did you once say back in 1989, they were far less advanced than now?

Was wondering, cause you make a convincing case that they have and had, enough to say it was his car and his shoes at the scene of crime. Could it possibly be that given what they knew then, that it wasn't at the time such a for sure thing?

 

[Trackergd]

Tracker, did you once say back in 1989, they were far less advanced than now?

Was wondering, cause you make a convincing case that they have and had, enough to say it was his car and his shoes at the scene of crime. Could it possibly be that given what they knew then, that it wasn't at the time such a for sure thing?

They were not as advanced as they are now. They were better at tire prints than foot prints, at least at matching a particular tire track to a make and model of tire. Now they can laser scan the prints in sections and pull up amazing details. They can do the same for the tires and overlay the results.

The FBI was consulting with a well known Tracker in the "Green River Killer" case.

It is possible the evidence was staring them right in the face, but it could be as simple as the DA did not think they could prove it in court.