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

[shergal]

In northeast Ohio we also have a horrible crime that has remained unsolved since October 27, 1989. However in our case the child's body was found. The perp has not. I have only been reading Jacobs thread for about two months and I think I became interested because of the closeness of the dates and empathy for the wetterlings because of Amy's case. In her case, EVERYONE looks like the sketch. I find that to be in common with Jacobs case. However, one recent thing has also caused me comparison. A gold or beige colored car. In Amy's case, we have a description of a car. I can't recalll the make of the car and will have to look it up. However, recently, DR has also described a gold colored car in his driveway. The close date and the car give me the creeps. Another thing making me think of Amy lately is ELOC's forthcoming book. In Amy's case, a local journalist has taken up Amy's cause in the last several years and wrote a book several years ago. It is his book and his cause that keeps Amy's case alive. A retired FBI agent has returned to Amy's case. I hope that ELOCS book will do the same for Jacob. These children and their families deserve justice. Here is Amy's blog if anyone is interested. Again, the date and car bother me. I know any connection is unlikely due to the different sexes of the victims. But Amy's perp may also have been involved with children and perhaps there are local Minnesotans who may see a background connection. *grasping for straws.

http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com

Also, is Hennepin, Minnesota close to st. Joseph and are there state parks near st. Joseph? See this part of Amy's blog. This guy was fired in December 1988. Not sure WHEN in 1989 he arrived in Cleveland.

http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com/search?q=Minnesota

I've always thought Amy looks similar to Jacob, same type eyes. That suspect sketch on the left side of Amy's site (Dean Runkle?) matches the suspect sketch from the other attempted abduction in St. Joe before Jacob was taken. I think the boy's name was Andrew? And the vehicle was a tan or brown van with rust and a "Catch Me if you Can" bumper sticker. I'll go find a link to that attempt.

 

[shergal]

Here is an article from the Trib on the abduction attempt I referenced above.
http://s100.photobucket.com/user/shergal1/media/Screenshot2015-01-01at20039PM.png.html?sort=4&o=39

And here is a copy that ELOC obtained from the library on that abduction attemot. This suspect sketch seems quite similar (IMO) to Amy Mihaljevic's suspect sketch.
http://s100.photobucket.com/user/shergal1/media/Screenshot2015-01-01at21909PM.png.html?sort=4&o=40

 

[Caoutchouc]

In northeast Ohio we also have a horrible crime that has remained unsolved since October 27, 1989. However in our case the child's body was found. The perp has not. I have only been reading Jacobs thread for about two months and I think I became interested because of the closeness of the dates and empathy for the wetterlings because of Amy's case. In her case, EVERYONE looks like the sketch. I find that to be in common with Jacobs case. However, one recent thing has also caused me comparison. A gold or beige colored car. In Amy's case, we have a description of a car. I can't recalll the make of the car and will have to look it up. However, recently, DR has also described a gold colored car in his driveway. The close date and the car give me the creeps. Another thing making me think of Amy lately is ELOC's forthcoming book. In Amy's case, a local journalist has taken up Amy's cause in the last several years and wrote a book several years ago. It is his book and his cause that keeps Amy's case alive. A retired FBI agent has returned to Amy's case. I hope that ELOCS book will do the same for Jacob. These children and their families deserve justice. Here is Amy's blog if anyone is interested. Again, the date and car bother me. I know any connection is unlikely due to the different sexes of the victims. But Amy's perp may also have been involved with children and perhaps there are local Minnesotans who may see a background connection. *grasping for straws.

http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com

Also, is Hennepin, Minnesota close to st. Joseph and are there state parks near st. Joseph? See this part of Amy's blog. This guy was fired in December 1988. Not sure WHEN in 1989 he arrived in Cleveland.

http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com/search?q=Minnesota

Thanks for this! I wanted to try and help clarify something. Hennepin aka Hennepin County is actually a county in MN comprised of a few large cities

I did a quick Wikipedia search of State Parks near St. Joseph. Again, only a quick search, but I don't think there are any State Parks in St. Joseph/Stearns County. However, there are the following which are quite close:
Sibley State Park in neighboring Kandiyhoi County
Lake Maria State Park in neighboring Wright County
Glacial Lakes State Park in neighboring Pope County

And because Hennepin County is so large yet only has State Parks that share rivers (Ft. Snelling and MN Valley State Rec Area), they may be the one with the most connection to all the surrounding counties

 

[Caoutchouc]

I'm very familiar with Amy's case. I believe Runkle was responsible in her case but Renner's blog did put Vern Hartenburg on my radar. He was also a park director close by in MN during the late 80's.

Wisdom, do you know what park?

 

[shergal]

I'm very familiar with Amy's case. I believe Runkle was responsible in her case but Renner's blog did put Vern Hartenburg on my radar. He was also a park director close by in MN during the late 80's.

This link has Vern's picture - he also resembles Jared's sketch with the hat.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/01/retired_metroparks_director_ve.html

 

[Owutatangledweb]

When I posted about this, I was wondering whether Minnesota state parks include iceskating or hockey rinks. ?

Also, I found the discussion of the gold car in Amy's case: http://amymihaljevic.blogspot.com/search?q=Gold+car

 

[thenotebook]

Has anyone tried to connect Jacob's case with Amy Pragnac? Also went missing in 1989 (August) in Osseo, MN.

 

[Wisdom]

Wisdom, do you know what park?

He was the director of several. The park district is now known as Three Rivers. Back then it was Hennepin Park District. Here is a link and you can click on all of the parks in the district.
http://www.threeriversparks.org/


Here is another interesting comment about him that was made below. The info is from the next link referenced. Also look at this better picture of him from the correct time frame and imagine a hat on him!! I forwarded all of this info to Joy quite awhile back in hopes she would share the info and pic with Jared but of course I received no response. http://www.got-blogger.com/amymihaljevic/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2011, Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn got the information about Vern's mental breakdown in the weeks following Amy's abduction but chose not to publish it.

Hennepin, Minnesota park police called Cleveland Metroparks when they learned they had hired Hartenburg, in 1989, and warned officials there that he was "a sicko." Hartenburg was abruptly fired from his job as director there, in December 1988.

 

[Dave K]

He was the director of several. The park district is now known as Three Rivers. Back then it was Hennepin Park District. Here is a link and you can click on all of the parks in the district.
http://www.threeriversparks.org/


Here is another interesting comment about him that was made below. I copied it from this link. Also look at this better picture of him from the correct time frame and imagine a hat on him. I forwarded all of this info to Joy quite awhile back in hopes she would share the info and pic with Jared but of course I received no response. http://www.got-blogger.com/amymihaljevic/

In 2011, Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn got the information about Vern's mental breakdown in the weeks following Amy's abduction but chose not to publish it.

Hennepin, Minnesota park police called Cleveland Metroparks when they learned they had hired Hartenburg, in 1989, and warned officials there that he was "a sicko." Hartenburg was abruptly fired from his job as director there, in December 1988.

picture snipped by me:

So, the way I'm reading this, is, he was fired from the parks system in MN in Dec 1988 and hired in Cleveland in 1989; is that right, and do you know when he was hired in Cleveland in 1989?

 

[Sasquatch321]

He was the director of several. The park district is now known as Three Rivers. Back then it was Hennepin Park District. Here is a link and you can click on all of the parks in the district.
http://www.threeriversparks.org/


Here is another interesting comment about him that was made below. The info is from the next link referenced. Also look at this better picture of him from the correct time frame and imagine a hat on him!! I forwarded all of this info to Joy quite awhile back in hopes she would share the info and pic with Jared but of course I received no response. http://www.got-blogger.com/amymihaljevic/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2011, Plain Dealer editor Chris Quinn got the information about Vern's mental breakdown in the weeks following Amy's abduction but chose not to publish it.

Hennepin, Minnesota park police called Cleveland Metroparks when they learned they had hired Hartenburg, in 1989, and warned officials there that he was "a sicko." Hartenburg was abruptly fired from his job as director there, in December 1988.

View attachment 66582

I think he resemblez the characteristics we are looking for.

 

[Sasquatch321]

I wonder if Joy could work with Jared to highlight on a google map the exact route he was taken on. From where he was picked up, to the assault, and then to the drop off point. I would like to drive the route myself and try to gain some insight from it.

 

[Caoutchouc]

Has anyone tried to connect Jacob's case with Amy Pragnac? Also went missing in 1989 (August) in Osseo, MN.

Interestingly, Amy Sue Pagnac's case rekindled my interest in Jacob's.

I'd never heard of Amy Sue Pagnac until this past Spring (2014) when they dug up her parents home and it made national headlines. I was shocked that I'd never heard of her case because I grew up closer to her area than to Jacob's (but I knew all about Jacob at the time).

The only real similarities I see are:
*approximate age (Amy was 13, Jacob 11)
*the gas/convenient store connection (Amy was last seen at a Holiday gas station, Jacob at a Tom Thumb convenient store)
*what I'll coin a "delayed investigative response" (they dug up Amy's parents' place and the Rassier property over 20 years after Amy and Jacob went missing, neither with any conclusive results and IMO a total waste of resources)

 

[Trackergd]

I wonder if Joy could work with Jared to highlight on a google map the exact route he was taken on. From where he was picked up, to the assault, and then to the drop off point. I would like to drive the route myself and try to gain some insight from it.

Can you borrow a Go Pro camera and video it? Same for the abduction site? It would provide invaluable information for those of us elsewhere in the country.

 

[thenotebook]

Interestingly, Amy Sue Pagnac's case rekindled my interest in Jacob's.

I'd never heard of Amy Sue Pagnac until this past Spring (2014) when they dug up her parents home and it made national headlines. I was shocked that I'd never heard of her case because I grew up closer to her area than to Jacob's (but I knew all about Jacob at the time).

The only real similarities I see are:
*approximate age (Amy was 13, Jacob 11)
*the gas/convenient store connection (Amy was last seen at a Holiday gas station, Jacob at a Tom Thumb convenient store)
*what I'll coin a "delayed investigative response" (they dug up Amy's parents' place and the Rassier property over 20 years after Amy and Jacob went missing, neither with any conclusive results and IMO a total waste of resources)

Eeek, sorry I spelled Amy's last name wrong. It won't let me go back and edit my post now.

Also, another similarity: Vanished without a trace. No evidence left at the scene that we know of. It seems like these cases should be solvable, and perhaps if they occurred today they would be solved within a reasonable time frame. Twenty five years is way too long.

And I agree - the digging - complete waste of time, apparently. They dug up the house and the farm and then have said NOTHING - no word if anything was found, no updates. NOTHING. Don't the police realize that keeping the public in the dark doesn't do anything to help these cases?!?

 

[scotgirl]

Eeek, sorry I spelled Amy's last name wrong. It won't let me go back and edit my post now.

Also, another similarity: Vanished without a trace. No evidence left at the scene that we know of. It seems like these cases should be solvable, and perhaps if they occurred today they would be solved within a reasonable time frame. Twenty five years is way too long.

And I agree - the digging - complete waste of time, apparently. They dug up the house and the farm and then have said NOTHING - no word if anything was found, no updates. NOTHING. Don't the police realize that keeping the public in the dark doesn't do anything to help these cases?!?

Couldn't agree more :gaah:

 

[human]

Has anyone tried to connect Jacob's case with Amy Pragnac? Also went missing in 1989 (August) in Osseo, MN.

That would be a good one for Joy since she lives in MN, although not that close to there

 

[human]

As a MN taxpayer, I am fine with spending money on solving crime.

If anyone is following the Jodi Arias trial, AZ has spent millions on that fiasco where she has already been deemed guilty.

If the evidence is not enough in these cases, what can LE do? Manufacture evidence?

Casey Anthony was ridiculous. A two year old missing for a month. No problemo with mom.

But Casey is "free".

Too bad real life is not a CSI show. One hour minus commercials.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Check out what my local auto mechanic gave me today! Look closely at the label. I tried the gum - it's 20+ years old and nasty!!

 

[human]

Even though we rehash the info,so what!

Even the recent killing of Hannah Graham is way down on WS.

I am glad we are keeping Jacob's case on here fresh!

 

[ThePhantom]

I went back to see when this thread for Jacob started -- looks like 2010? Lots of good information, discussion and new ideas. Though we are evaluating the case with one arm tied behind our backs because we're unable to see the details about prior suspects, etc. etc., as Human said at least we're still giving Jacob the attention he deserves. It's a mystery to unlock but moreover, it's untenable to accept that a young man was most likely brutalized and buried (my opinion), with no justice in sight. Well, at this point, what's justice? Did Jacob and Jared's offender(s) continue to inflict pain and torment on young souls? If so then the inability to solve their cases is further multiplied in terms of damage done and heartache wrought. My words are not about blame, but bewilderment at the lack of progress. Certainly there are many cases in which the perpetrator remains unknown. But with all that is known about Jacob and Jared, I continue to marvel at how a bold sex offender (s) successfully committed his deeds in a small town and got away with it. Someone not only knows this man but has a hunch about what he did. Could it be that he was so good at his methodology that neither the FBI, LE nor anyone else have been able to assemble the facts and data to hone in on the culprit. Oh wait, they did -- DR is their POI.