MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #13

[shergal]

The sociopathic priest theory is possible, but why so many years apart with different types of victims?

Some of the priest pedophiles were moved around a lot. To other parishes in the Twin Cities or Cold Spring, and sometimes to the Bahamas, were they have a parish they serve also. Some priests were sent to St. Luke's in NY, which was supposedly a place for them to be "fixed" or rehabilitated. So they could have been offending wherever they were stationed.

 

[shergal]

I am Catholic but completely understand the negative sentiments. I still do not know why a priest would do this with their access to children. Socially advanced pedophiles (doctors, teachers, police officers, clergy) groom their victims.

Jared's perp seemed to be quite brazen. I think it seems more like a laborer mo, DAH possibly bahner

Except for the part where the perp was so worried Jared would recognize him. That makes me think priest, teacher, white collar worker who was visible in the community.

 

[Trino]

I have been posting about this case much too long - from the day this happened - and have no confidence that this crime will ever be solved. I can only vaguely imagine how the Wetterlings feel. Prayers always for them.

Jacob, why didn't you scream, yell, fight like a madman? Why didn't you leave a clue? I guess it was because you were frightened, because you were 11 years old, and because neither you nor no one else was prepared for this to happen in a town like St. Joe's.

 

[ThePhantom]

I think someone filed a FOI request to the sheriff about BW and it was denied. Wouldn't it have been easier for the sheriff to just make a statement that BW's room was cleared? This may sound far fetched, but I believe there may be bad people in the community or nearby community who may possibly have aided and abetted a certain monk(s) in his (their) misdeeds. I have reasons to believe this that I don't want to get into right now because I'm a bit paranoid myself. Sounds ridiculous, I know -- and also far fetched, I realize -- but -- I believe it's possible one or some of the monks consorted with deviant types in the surrounding area who may have helped them with abductions. I think standing back and looking at it, it can sound fantastical -- but like many of you I have been studying these cases for a long time, and there is something evil that has been happening in that community. I believe there are people who are aware of what happened to Jacob, Joshua and others -- and of course they're not going to talk ... unless .... we get a death bed confession someday or -- someone's conscience revives -- or they get the fear of God put into them.

 

[ThePhantom]

Sasquatch's observations about the term "red carpet" have got me thinking. This is a reach but --- Red Carpet Club = RCC - Roman Catholic Church ... in addition to that red carpet. There's no harm in thinking outside of the box; might as well since these cases have yet to be solved.

 

[ThePhantom]

Here's another thought --- apparently the Red Carpet Club features male strippers on occasion?

 

[Sasquatch321]

I am Catholic but completely understand the negative sentiments. I still do not know why a priest would do this with their access to children. Socially advanced pedophiles (doctors, teachers, police officers, clergy) groom their victims.

Jared's perp seemed to be quite brazen. I think it seems more like a laborer mo, DAH possibly bahner

Yeah I have to say the threat of the gun and a portable police scanner seem odd paired with a monk or priest. It is possible.

 

[ThePhantom]

I found this link -- googled "St. John's" and "Red Carpet" -- came to this link, saw an affiliation with St. John's, one of the school's clubs is the "Red Carpet Club." Never heard of this kind of club, does anyone here have any info on it?

 

[Sasquatch321]

I found this link -- googled "St. John's" and "Red Carpet" -- came to this link, saw an affiliation with St. John's, one of the school's clubs is the "Red Carpet Club." Never heard of this kind of club, does anyone here have any info on it?

Who founded that club?

 

[ThePhantom]

I don't know, Sasquatch, but as I was looking into, I came to realize that St. John's University has various ties to local youth hockey clubs. Does anyone know the name of the hockey rink where Jacob was at and his Dad felt like someone was watching him? Was it in St. Cloud or ?

 

[Sasquatch321]

It appears here that the St Johns Abbey church has had a square plain red backdrop since it probably ever existed. Maybe "Red Carpet" was code for the abbey among the monks-


http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/g...ota/collegeville_st-john-abbey_holtkamp.shtml

 

[ThePhantom]

Looks like the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud is only about 15 min. away from St. John's. Not sure if that's the arena where Jacob and his Dad were. Here's a description of the arena and it's history of hosting hockey programs, including St. John's Univ. in addition to area youth hockey clubs.

 

[Sasquatch321]

I don't know, Sasquatch, but as I was looking into, I came to realize that St. John's University has various ties to local youth hockey clubs. Does anyone know the name of the hockey rink where Jacob was at and his Dad felt like someone was watching him? Was it in St. Cloud or ?

Great question was that hockey center affiliated with St Johns

 

[ThePhantom]

You know -- the way the perpetrator spoke to Jared -- it was almost as though he was speaking to him in a way that was -- too familiar if you will -- by that I mean, as though there was some imagined relationship -- why did he let Jared go? Jacob played hockey and I know Josh did at some point -- but then, I suppose that's very common given the location. Just looking for connections ...

 

[ThePhantom]

http://www.stcloudmac.com/arenapro.html

 

[Sasquatch321]

http://www.stcloudmac.com/arenapro.html

Yeah it originally hosted teams from St Johns. This place could have had a janitor monk or a zamboni monk helping the place. The thing that is troubling with jacobs case though is that there is possibly no tire tracks that arent accounted for next to the last known footprint.

 

[ThePhantom]

That is troubling, Sasquatch. FBI was there ... LE .... couldn't track Jacob down; was this crime planned to the "t" so that any potential evidence was covered up? It must have been. Someone knew what they were doing -- or at least put a lot of thought into how they were going to do it.

 

[Dave K]

I don't know, Sasquatch, but as I was looking into, I came to realize that St. John's University has various ties to local youth hockey clubs. Does anyone know the name of the hockey rink where Jacob was at and his Dad felt like someone was watching him? Was it in St. Cloud or ?

I know it was in St Cloud. I've done a fair amount of looking for information on that; and I don't remember ever seeing the name of the place identified, just that it was in St Cloud; and that it was for a youth league.

Here's one of the links, and paragraphs: http://saintautumn.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/the-jacob-wetterling-abduction/

"More important perhaps was that Jerry knew October 22, 1989 had been a tough one for Jake. His son had skated poorly at hockey tryouts for his youth league in nearby St. Cloud. Later, Jerry Wetterling would recall a moment from that day that could lend support to the stalker theory. That afternoon (after having spent that morning with Jacob fishing at Big Fish Lake), Jerry and his two sons were skating at the hockey tryout. There were about 20 spectators. Suddenly, Jacob slipped out of sight and Jerry was walloped by something very strange “I felt a tremendous surge of fear and danger,” he recalls. “It was all aimed at Jacob. I stopped and looked at the people in the stands and at the kids on the ice. I was frantic until I spotted Jacob and knew he was okay. It was an overpowering moment.” Nothing like this has happened to Jerry before or since. In the absence of other clues, the Wetterlings will forever wonder if the abductor was at the ice rink, spotted Jacob, took a liking to him and followed them home."

 

[Trino]

Yeah it originally hosted teams from St Johns. This place could have had a janitor monk or a zamboni monk helping the place. The thing that is troubling with jacobs case though is that there is possibly no tire tracks that arent accounted for next to the last known footprint.

This was a municipal arena, which it still is. I don't think there would have been volunteer monks working there. Driving a zamboni takes a lot of knowledge - back then and now. Also, clearing a sheet of ice isn't that easy. As to a janitor, usually at a rink/arena, the zamboni driver does it all. He is an employee. (I played hockey back then.)

 

[ThePhantom]

I don't think it would be monks volunteering to do something specific at the rink. They were and are known to traverse throughout the community doing all kinds of activities -- including going to places that for some are supposed to be off limits. "Restriction" didn't mean a lot back then for St. John's, in addition to which, many of the monks with sordid histories were not known to the general public for having such. If a monk wanted to change clothes and go to the hockey rink or anywhere else, no one was monitoring them. They went to all kinds of places and had carte blanche to do as they wished. At one point some individuals complained because there were monks at football games and other activities who were supposed to be on restriction. Monks and priests traveled throughout the community to visit families and other churches, run errands, etc.

Other miscellaneous info re St. John's and sex abuse cases of young men/children - http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/04/28/accused-of-sexual-abuse-the-monks-that-live-next-door/