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

[Trino]

You ever just looked at a case, looked at the suspects, thought it through and and believed you knew as far as reasonably possible (no complete case file to read, only public info to review) who the perpetrator was? It appears that we have several thought processes working here with regard to potential suspects for the abduction of Jacob: DR, and then -- it seems some rarely mentioned suspects and/or some who cannot be named. It almost looks like thirds in our group -- a third lean towards DR as the perpetrator, a third lean towards an early unnamed suspect and a third lean toward -- having mixed feelings and thus leaning towards several possible culprits. You know, after twenty five years, it's beginning to look like we're dealing with a perpetrator who was exceedingly thorough in the execution of his abduction and disappearance of Jacob. This guy must be extra cagey and smarter than the average bear, because he's been able to outwit the FBI, BCA and all the rest for two and a half decades. Either that or he's just damn lucky. Can it really be this scoundrel committed the perfect crime -- perfect in that the best of the best have yet been unable to locate the evidence needed to charge someone? Apparently so.

Unless the abductor died soon after taking J. Or, unless he really wasn't from the area, as many infer. It really is difficult to believe no one has given another person a clue that this happened. Usually, someone talks. What if the abduction - just thinking outside the box - was a professional abduction for someone else?

 

[HEY YOU!]

I am so stuck on the tire prints as is KeepHopeAlive and I am sure quite a few others. There should be at least a 2nd set of fresh tire tracks visible in the crime scene pictures, does anybody see anything other than faded prints? I see the deep, mostly undisturbed prints of Kevin's new tires and some older faded and clearly disturbed prints. There were supposedly 2 other cars besides Kevin's that drove up and around that driveway and I don't see any clear, fresh track other than Kevin's.

DR stated clearly inn the newspaper 2 days after the abduction that a 2nd car with lights close together came up and around his driveway at the time of abduction, earlier in the day, it was a goldish sedan type car. No evidence of either tracks visible. Why?

 

[Cappuccino]

Unless the abductor died soon after taking J. Or, unless he really wasn't from the area, as many infer. It really is difficult to believe no one has given another person a clue that this happened. Usually, someone talks. What if the abduction - just thinking outside the box - was a professional abduction for someone else?

I don't believe that, I'm afraid. This crime has all the appearance of something carried out by a Michael Devlin/Kenneth Parnell type of sex offender. I wouldn't even rule out those two individuals specifically as suspects, but its someone of that type rather than a professional criminal.

 

[HEY YOU!]

I don't believe that, I'm afraid. This crime has all the appearance of something carried out by a Michael Devlin/Kenneth Parnell type of sex offender. I wouldn't even rule out those two individuals specifically as suspects, but its someone of that type rather than a professional criminal.

They approached 1 boy by themselves. This is unusual with the approach of 3 boys to nab 1. Those boys taken by Devlin/Parnell were not nabbed halfway in to a neighborhood where the only way out was to turn around. They didn't use a disguise. Most abductions and rape situations only involve 1 victim with no other witnesses in sight. This is extremely unusual. Why the disguise? The guy already knew there were 3 boys and that he may be recognized, hence the black stocking, disguised voice and bulky coat. That says local who lived on the boys route to Tom Thumb. The perp saw them headed out of the neighborhood and knew from past experience that they would be back. He had time to fantasize and plan it out before he was actually presented with the opportunity.

If the perp was out to abduct a boy, why the disguise? He would not be bringing the boy back. He would not have to worry about being recognized if he intended to rape and murder a random kid. Why use a disguise if you are a random perp in a random neighborhood?

And again, why would a random perp who wanted to snatch a random kid go into a neighborhood that has no way out except the way you came in?

 

[Cappuccino]

They approached 1 boy by themselves. This is unusual with the approach of 3 boys to nab 1. Those boys taken by Devlin/Parnell were not nabbed halfway in to a neighborhood where the only way out was to turn around. They didn't use a disguise. Most abductions and rape situations only involve 1 victim with no other witnesses in sight. This is extremely unusual. Why the disguise? The guy already knew there were 3 boys and that he may be recognized, hence the black stocking, disguised voice and bulky coat. That says local who lived on the boys route to Tom Thumb. The perp saw them headed out of the neighborhood and knew from past experience that they would be back.

Quite possibly. And none of that is in any way contradictory with a Devlin/Parnell type of sex offender. Parnell stalked Steven Stayner for up to a week before he abducted him, watching his movements and choosing a convenient place to commit the crime, earlier in his career he had approached groups of boys together in an effort to abduct one of them, (and on one occasion we know of, he was succesful). Devlin was more random and more violent than Parnell, he chose a lonely country road to scope around in the hope of finding a stray child, then knocked him off his bicycle and abducted him at gun point.

There are elements of both those MOs mixed up together in Jacob's abduction.

 

[HEY YOU!]

I guess there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to a twisted mind. Thanks for reminding me of the depravity of certain individuals, Cappucino. They must be very clever in their planning and carrying out their crimes so they can continue to offend. I remember when Shawn Hornbeck was found alive, and it made me think of Jacob. Both abductions included a bicycle, but Jacob has not been found. I remember looking into whether Devlin could have done Jacob but I believe cops ruled him out.

 

[Cappuccino]

I guess there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to a twisted mind. Thanks for reminding me of the depravity of certain individuals, Cappucino. They must be very clever in their planning and carrying out their crimes so they can continue to offend. I remember when Shawn Hornbeck was found alive, and it made me think of Jacob. Both abductions included a bicycle, but Jacob has not been found. I remember looking into whether Devlin could have done Jacob but I believe cops ruled him out.

Yes, Devlin was looked at for a lot of similar crimes but nothing was ever found definitively to link him to anything. Parnell, afaik, hasn't been scrutinised anywhere near as closely, but IMO he should be because we know he didn't give up his evil ways after serving his sentence for abducting Steven Stayner and Timmy White, he was convicted again of attempting to abduct a child in 2002. What was he doing between 1986 when he left jail, and 2002?

 

[Sleutherish]

From what I've read, there are no clear perp footprints regardless. My belief is the driveway was not preserved well as a crime scene ("The area of total destruction" like Tracker mentioned awhile back). After horses & many others had walked over the driveway, they found Jacob's last print next to a fresh tire track & focused there. I feel just as perplexing as the lack of other tire prints is the lack of clear perp footprints. IMO, those prints may have existed, but LE focused on Kevin's tire track & other evidence was not well preserved.

 

[HEY YOU!]

From what I've read, there are no clear perp footprints regardless. My belief is the driveway was not preserved well as a crime scene ("The area of total destruction" like Tracker mentioned awhile back). After horses & many others had walked over the driveway, they found Jacob's last print next to a fresh tire track & focused there. I feel just as perplexing as the lack of other tire prints is the lack of clear perp footprints. IMO, those prints may have existed, but LE focused on Kevin's tire track & other evidence was not well preserved.

I would agree if it weren't for the fact that Kevin's tire track is clear as day and not trampled upon. That says to me they did not trample the scene. If they were randomly walking all over the driveway, surely they would have walked across Kevin's track a few times.

Also, if the perp and Jacob walked 120 feet up the driveway, there would be a path of footprints for both. That would have been clear and would deifinitely not have been completely obliterated. That is a lot of footprints. They would only have to back out of Jacob's last footprint to find the trail of prints.

It is my opinion that the perp walked Jacob on the grass to his home. He came out later when the scene was not secured, placed his hand into Jacob's sneaker and pushed a footprint directly next to Kevin's tire track to make it appear that a car was involved and to point the investigation away from the driveway. That explains the lack of other footprints on driveway.

 

[Sleutherish]

In my opinion, Kevin's track stood out more than others due to new tires. Stearn's county sherriff was inexperienced with cases like this. FBI may not have arrived immediately.

 

[HEY YOU!]

But why no clear perp footprints?

If he was aware of making a deceiving Jacob footprint, then he was equally aware NOT to make clear footprints of his own. He cleared, shuffled or smudged his prints.

 

[thenotebook]

Tracker has said the photo we have of a tire tack is not new tires on a grand am, but was more of a narrow tire like an at or golf cart. So according to him, that tack is not Kevin vehicle

 

[Sleutherish]

Tracker has said the photo we have of a tire tack is not new tires on a grand am, but was more of a narrow tire like an at or golf cart. So according to him, that tack is not Kevin vehicle

I didn't know that. Very interesting. I missed that post from Tracker.

 

[Sleutherish]

I'd like you guys' opinion about DH (not DAH) as a suspect. He had the low, gravelly voice like Trevor and Aaron described. His ears stuck out far on his head like Jared's attacker. He would have been mid-50's at the time. He had a son in his 20's whom may have helped with something like this? He was from Paynesville, where numerous attacks occurred in the years prior to Jacob's abduction. Knowing about the previous attacks in Paynesville makes me question if Jacob's abductor was from that area, then branched out to nearby towns for Jared and Jacob's abductions. DH had a history of sexual abuse as a child. Is there any way to know whether DH owned cars matching descriptions of the cars DR saw that day? I can't find mugshots or photos of DH around the late 80's on google. Any thoughts?

 

[ThePhantom]

I think the SOB left the area not long after the abduction and eventually returned to live out his life close to his old stomping grounds -- to get back in the groove and be part of his former interests and activities prior to the commission of what was probably his worst out of control moment of sexual lust. Raspy commanding voice and all. Ugh. He's a full blooded narcissist consumed with ego and probably has developed a way to justify his actions because sex offenders can do that. Yuk. I think people for the mist part tolerate him but secretly think he's Creepy and strange. My two cents for the morning, all my own personal opinion and conjecture based on what I have seen and know. He's going to spill the beans someday when it's closer to the time of meeting his maker. - but probably to a priest who will invoke confidentiality - isn't it ironic, dontcha think? I have a great imagination.

 

[Trino]

I would agree if it weren't for the fact that Kevin's tire track is clear as day and not trampled upon. That says to me they did not trample the scene. If they were randomly walking all over the driveway, surely they would have walked across Kevin's track a few times.

Also, if the perp and Jacob walked 120 feet up the driveway, there would be a path of footprints for both. That would have been clear and would deifinitely not have been completely obliterated. That is a lot of footprints. They would only have to back out of Jacob's last footprint to find the trail of prints.

It is my opinion that the perp walked Jacob on the grass to his home. He came out later when the scene was not secured, placed his hand into Jacob's sneaker and pushed a footprint directly next to Kevin's tire track to make it appear that a car was involved and to point the investigation away from the driveway. That explains the lack of other footprints on driveway.

I believe Tracer said it was not possible to duplicate a footprint in the way you describe because of pressure points.

 

[Trino]

I think the SOB left the area not long after the abduction and eventually returned to live out his life close to his old stomping grounds -- to get back in the groove and be part of his former interests and activities prior to the commission of what was probably his worst out of control moment of sexual lust. Raspy commanding voice and all. Ugh. He's a full blooded narcissist consumed with ego and probably has developed a way to justify his actions because sex offenders can do that. Yuk. I think people for the mist part tolerate him but secretly think he's Creepy and strange. My two cents for the morning, all my own personal opinion and conjecture based on what I have seen and know. He's going to spill the beans someday when it's closer to the time of meeting his maker. - but probably to a priest who will invoke confidentiality - isn't it ironic, dontcha think? I have a great imagination.

Spill the beans if he doesn't have a fatal accident or a massive heart attack...

 

[Sasquatch321]

This picture was taken by LE after everything had happened. Here is the thing, if Kevin drove the entire driveway 30 minutes after abduction and is not the abductor, How does a footprint overlay this tire track as indicated by the White Arrow?

 

[nmogren]

We don't know this is a crime scene photo, do we? This is probably after the crime scene was released.


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[HEY YOU!]

Tracker has said the photo we have of a tire tack is not new tires on a grand am, but was more of a narrow tire like an at or golf cart. So according to him, that tack is not Kevin vehicle

That is interesting since we have been looking at Jacob's last footprint next to what has been identified for years as Kevin's tire track. Which is it? I have not seen law enforcement say that.