MN - Jacob Wetterling, 11, St. Joseph, 22 Oct 1989 - #3

[concentric]

On the interviews, DR says he's told LE some things; however, he is going to leave it at that. That seems to signify some things he doesn't want made public.

Regarding the farm location. If we were the investigators on this case:

Wouldn't we want to know the movements, activities of any person who had contact with the property owners/occupants where Jacob was abducted?

 

[human]

I wonder how Trino is doing with the operation?

 

[concentric]

My take is that Trino is a runner because of the athletic endeavors and knee operation.

 

[human]

My neighbor was a runner and had to have knee operations as well.

 

[Trino]

My neighbor was a runner and had to have knee operations as well.

Hello, and thank your for your concern.

Just for the record, this surgery was, by far, the most painful event in my entire life. While I'm concerned about JW, a bigger personal concern for me will be to attempt to normalize my leg and my life. I expect to read posts, but with all the meds my mind isn't clear enough to make suggestions.

No. I was never a runner, but I inline skate raced, hiked, played men's ice hockey, and bicycled much too much (over 12,000 m total in the last 3 seasons). I had to stop bicycling this past mid-July. The cartilage in my leg wore out, and I needed a new knee. I understand things will be better, but right now this is extremely painful.

 

[shergal]

Hello, and thank your for your concern.

Just for the record, this surgery was, by far, the most painful event in my entire life. While I'm concerned about JW, a bigger personal concern for me will be to attempt to normalize my leg and my life. I expect to read posts, but with all the meds my mind isn't clear enough to make suggestions.

No. I was never a runner, but I inline skate raced, hiked, played men's ice hockey, and bicycled much too much (over 12,000 m total in the last 3 seasons). I had to stop bicycling this past mid-July. The cartilage in my leg wore out, and I needed a new knee. I understand things will be better, but right now this is extremely painful.

Sounds awful, Trino. My nephew bikes a lot, in races, etc. and used to play soccer and he's noticed his knees are wearing out also. Hope you feel better and got good meds. ;-)

 

[shergal]

I found an old interesting report from 1989 online (from the Minneapaolis Star Tribune). It talks about Jared and Jacob and gives the description of the car and man as Jared described them back in 1989.
http://www.startribune.com/local/11579041.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU

 

[helenjean]

helenjean, do you know DR? Is he a practicing Catholic?

No, I don't. Sorry to confuse. I was just sort of lost myself here when i noticed almost a separate (but related) conversation about Catholicism occurring in this thread.

 

[shergal]

I think they should look into this Father Tom more also. The guy was pulled from St. Joe's church for molesting a 10 year old boy and he spent time with the Wetterlings after Jacob's kidnapping.
http://www.behindthepinecurtain.com/wordpress/?p=1658

 

[buffetoflies]

I've been thinking.

Was DR's school office or his computer or any where else inside a school searched?

Could he pay rent on a locker at a gym? Or a safety deposit box at a bank?

He could have kept a 'trophy' from the alleged kidnapping in one of those places.

Or he could have a little underground bunker somewhere on the vast property where he lives.

Too far fetched?

 

[concentric]

I think they should look into this Father Tom more also. The guy was pulled from St. Joe's church for molesting a 10 year old boy and he spent time with the Wetterlings after Jacob's kidnapping.
http://www.behindthepinecurtain.com/wordpress/?p=1658

Thank you. I'm going back to who was aware that the parents were away in Europe during that time? Did they have visitors to the farm?

What made this preditor (perp.) so confident to lie patiently in wait for these children to pass by?

 

[concentric]

Rehashing some thoughts:

- who was watching boys at the hockey rinks? Wasn't Jared walking home from a hockey practice?

- who would have been mobile enough to traverse that territory frequently without it being thought odd or out of place?

- who visited the Rassier property and surrounding areas and knew it was a good place to set up an ambush?

- if this kidnapping is related to what happened to Jared, the comment "do you recognize me" seems would be something a local public figure would say.

- if the abductor was the same as in the case of Jared, he would be even more careful about being "recognized" by the victim. Therefore, there is the mask. Wondering if the abductor chose Jacob because his family would have had less social contact with him prior to the abduction?

- I think I read that the barrels from the farm were used at a fair. Were these barrels used as a way to dispose of Jacob's remains, such that they would be transported from one locale to another, eventually being emptied in the Rassier ash pit?

 

[Mandy113]

i'm really interested the seemingly some progress is being made and re-energizing this case. After having read through this thread, however, I'm left with several questions: Why is DR's religious beliefs/affiliation of any significance? Also, what made DR a POI in the first place? Proximity to where Jacob was abducted, or are there additional circumstances? Why do police now feel a vehicle wasn't actually involved in JW's abduction?

I'm curious because I'm not quite convinced of DR's guilt. I feel that if it was someone in the community was responsible - possibly even for a couple of abductions, assuming JW and Jared's cases are related - there would be more to go on. I find it strange one boy was released while JW, presumably, was not. I do believe JW was targeted, and I feel maybe by someone not from the area.

BBM

This is one thing I keep coming back to. If DR were responsible for Jared & Jacob's abductions ... progressing from molesting a boy to possibly murdering a boy ... it doesn't seem likely he would have just completely stopped such behavior. I'm curious about his travels. We know he traveled around to various runner's events. I'm not accusing him ... just trying to make sense of it all.

I agree, so much of his behavior and his statements are very strange. That in itself isn't enough to make him guilty of anything.

 

[Mandy113]

Rehashing some thoughts:

- who was watching boys at the hockey rinks? Wasn't Jared walking home from a hockey practice?

RSBM

I'm also very curious about this connection. It also lends some credibility to the idea the two abductions were done by the same person, a local.

By credibility, (in my way of thinking) I'm referring to Jerry Wetterling's comments about those unsettling moments he had at the hockey rink when he couldn't see Jacob. He later thought it was possible someone had been watching Jacob then.

All just my opinion naturally.

 

[shergal]

Rehashing some thoughts:

- who was watching boys at the hockey rinks? Wasn't Jared walking home from a hockey practice?

- who would have been mobile enough to traverse that territory frequently without it being thought odd or out of place?

- who visited the Rassier property and surrounding areas and knew it was a good place to set up an ambush?

- if this kidnapping is related to what happened to Jared, the comment "do you recognize me" seems would be something a local public figure would say.

- if the abductor was the same as in the case of Jared, he would be even more careful about being "recognized" by the victim. Therefore, there is the mask. Wondering if the abductor chose Jacob because his family would have had less social contact with him prior to the abduction?

- I think I read that the barrels from the farm were used at a fair. Were these barrels used as a way to dispose of Jacob's remains, such that they would be transported from one locale to another, eventually being emptied in the Rassier ash pit?

These are some good questions. As far as who would travel that area frequently and not be noticed, maybe oil delivery trucks for anyone who had an oil furnace (more prevalent back in 1989), paper delivery, mail carriers, other people delivering things to a farm, other neighbors and their friends.

I can answer the barrels question and show you a video with the barrels in it. They are used at St. Joe's 4th of July celebration called "Joetown Rocks." It's a day long event with a parade at 10 in the morning, booths with food, beer, bingo, quilt raffles, etc. set up all day long, a chicken dinner put on by the local parish, some small games, a concert in the evening and fireworks after dark. This video shows part of the set up area for the concert, some of the food stands, and the church in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpyS_7YWtis

At :55 on the you tube you see some small beer/food tent set ups, at approx. 1:29 it shows some chairs set out and in the background behind the chairs you can see the blue barrels holding up some wood planks. These are used all over the grounds and filled with sand or water to anchor tents if windy and hold tent poles. All these poles, scaffoldings for the stage, barrels, etc. are stored on the Rassier's farm in one of their outbuildings. They've been stored there for years as a favor to the parish because the Rassier farm is the only farm left in the city limits (other farms are all further away). So really everyone knows these things are stored on the Rassier farm. As you can see by the video it's a very small town event. The end is mostly locally born Bobby Vee singing. But it gives you an idea of the festival and how the barrels are used.

You may find other pics or videos by googling "St. Joseph, MN 4th of July" or "Joetown Rocks MN."

 

[kemo]

I've been gone for a couple of weeks. I'm back and doing a little catching up. It seems we know they found absolutely nothing from their last search. The investigator says they are "still processing the material" but after 3 months, you know there will be nothing new and no "official" closure.

The description of the Cold Springs abductor pretty much clears DR. What are the odds of two very similar abductions happening in the same area so close together? Higher than impossible but not that much.

We still don't know what the basis for either search warrant was and we probably never will. Plenty of people in the area (and on this board) seem to assume there must be "something" or the police wouldn't be treating him this way. This is again, something will probably never find out.

If DR is guilty of anything, it is extreme naivety in not hireling a lawyer in 2005. I lawyer wouldn't have let him get anywhere near a television camera if he appeared in any way "different" or "eccentric". "Lawyering up" doesn't necessarily mean "refusing to co-operate", a lawyer can make sure that someone doesn't get railroaded or have their reputation smeared while they legitimately try to co-operate.

 

[shergal]

I've been gone for a couple of weeks. I'm back and doing a little catching up. It seems we know they found absolutely nothing from their last search. The investigator says they are "still processing the material" but after 3 months, you know there will be nothing new and no "official" closure.

The description of the Cold Springs abductor pretty much clears DR. What are the odds of two very similar abductions happening in the same area so close together? Higher than impossible but not that much.

We still don't know what the basis for either search warrant was and we probably never will. Plenty of people in the area (and on this board) seem to assume there must be "something" or the police wouldn't be treating him this way. This is again, something will probably never find out.

If DR is guilty of anything, it is extreme naivety in not hireling a lawyer in 2005. I lawyer wouldn't have let him get anywhere near a television camera if he appeared in any way "different" or "eccentric". "Lawyering up" doesn't necessarily mean "refusing to co-operate", a lawyer can make sure that someone doesn't get railroaded or have their reputation smeared while they legitimately try to co-operate.

They didn't find anything relating to Jacob in the dirt or ash. But they still don't have results back on the blood on the cedar chest and whatever they found on the umbrella stand. They are also still going through DR's journal and all his clippings and videos of Jacob's case.

Since they let us know even though they didn't find anything in the dirt, I'm sure they will also let us know if they find anything or not on the furniture and other items.

I do agree DR should have hired a lawyer or spokesperson. His mannerisms and manner of speaking are his own worst enemy.

 

[Lotus]

The description of the Cold Springs abductor pretty much clears DR. What are the odds of two very similar abductions happening in the same area so close together? Higher than impossible but not that much.

The DNA results have never been made public from the Cold Spring case, it's possible that DR is a match but the statute of limitations that were in place back then would make DR immune from any prosecution...if he indeed is a match.

 

[concentric]

I have a strong impression of who the perp. could be. If Jacob was taken away by the same perp. who attacked Jared, he would have been much older than DR in 1989. Jared described him as being from 40's to 50's age range.

 

[Mandy113]

The Innocence Project says that 75% of the cases of the falsely convicted they have exonerated involved mistaken eyewitness testimony:

http://www.innocenceproject.org/understand/Eyewitness-Misidentification.php

That involves the misidentification of a factually innocent person but it seems to me that it may give some indication of the accuracy of eyewitness testimony in other respects as well.

h.

RSBM

I'm not sure Jared's description alone should rule out DR as a suspect in the Cold Springs abduction. Jared was a scared & traumatized young boy. I'm not sure children accurately gauge something like the age of adults accurately. As the above quote points out, it seems eyewitness reports may often be unreliable. Of course, I realize some witness descriptions turn out to be dead on. I'm not saying DR is guilty, simply that I haven't seen anything reported which totally excludes him from involvement in that case.

JMO