Im not done. In January, he returned to work nearly full time. You can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST. When Heinrich, 53, of Annandale was arrested in October 2015 on charges of child pornography, law enforcement officials called him a person of interest in Jacobs kidnapping. ''I'm sure he's taller now. Rassier was 34 years old at the time of the abduction, and he worked as a band teacher at the Rocori School District. A tree or a bush. Fingerprints and blood tests ruled the man out as Jacob. MR. SCHLEICHER: After you handcuffed him, did Jacob Wetterling say anything to you? MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) --Nearly 30 years since Jacob Wetterling's abduction,authorities have released most of the files related to the investigation. He touched my penis. He says investigators not only told him they had the audio but that in the call he sounded suspicious. In October 2015, Heinrich is arrested on child pornography charges, In August 2016, Heinrich provides a statement regarding Wetterling's abduction and murder. THE DEFENDANT: Listening to police calls. Heinrich was then placed under oath for the purpose of giving testimony. They should be chasing butterflies.'' I wrestle with the Why? of all this. After their son was abducted, the Wetterlings founded the As part of the sentencing hearing, a victim-impact statement from the Wetterling family will be read in court. Even though Trevor was already dealing with his brothers disappearance, law enforcement officials kept asking him for a specific description of the abductor. Patty Wetterling, 66, who ran for Congress in 2004 and 2006, serves on the board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "We all came together and realized how similar our experiences were," said Carmen. His courage against the demons of his past is truly inspiring, and we hope he remains happy in the years to come. He does not want to go to school. After being asked numerous questions about his background from the court, Heinrich and U.S. Attorney Steven Schleicher discussed the child pornography and Heinrich admits to downloading the illegal images on his computer, printing many of the images and making several binders of them. "I am so grateful to Jared and Joy digging," Patty Wetterling said. Six other siblings of abduction victims worked on the book with the Wetterlings. She said she misses her sons touch, smell, smile, laughter, jokes, questions and zest for life. Approximately 20 minutes or so later, they came back. I took him over to the edge of the grove of trees. I was the last person who cared about Jacob to see him, to be right next to him, and I just left him. The kidnapping took place on a Sunday night. I told them to get into the ditch with their bicycles. Every child knows the story of Jacob Wetterling. She said she is still deciding what to do next. Anyone with information is asked to call the Stearns County Sheriff Office is 320-259-3700. MR. SCHLEICHER: And after you pointed out the location of the grave site, you were transported in custody away from the scene and were returned to jail, is that right? To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. "I do think there is a strong possibility they could be connected," she said. Correction. Its never easy. Patty Wetterling said divorce wasnt an option. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Where might he have taken Jacob if he did? Please enter valid email address to continue. We believe what this guy said - that Jacob was killed within an hour, so even if they had done different things, I dont think they could have saved Jacob. When Heinrich stepped out of the woods, he asked the boys their ages and then ordered Larson and Trevor Wetterling to run to the woods and not look back. He lived in absolute silence after he took Jacob - and thats a lot. About 100 yards up that road, there is an approach and -- to a field next to a grove of trees. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- WCCO-TV has learned that a key piece of evidence in the Jacob Wetterling abduction -- a 911 call -- was never saved. On the way I said -- Are you taking me home? We werent going to let that guy take anything more. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Allyn called Heinrich a cold, calculated predator of children whose crimes were reprehensible., If the defendant had one ounce of remorse ever, he would have ended the anguish for so many people so long ago, but he did not, Allyn said. Amy, the oldest Wetterling child, said, "I think Trevor's come a long way in having to come to terms with what happened and that he didn't, there wasn't anything he could have done to prevent it.". So I thought I would go over there and see if I could find a shovel, or else it would have taken me hours to dig the grave with a little shovel. For the next 14 years, investigators did not focus on Rassier. Trevor Wetterling has been waiting for answers since he saw a stranger take off with his brother, 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling, in October 1989. I asked him to turn around. MR. SCHLEICHER: Did he make any statements to you at that time? Where specifically? Are they tied to Jacob? I raised the revolver again and shot him again, and that's when he fell to the ground. He said he and Patty spent thousands of dollars hiring psychics and private investigators and that their marriage suffered. Her work has also appeared in a number of magazines, including Mpls/St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Business Monthly and Minnesota Magazine. MR. SCHLEICHER: All right. Under a plea agreement approved by the Wetterlings, Heinrich confessed to Jacobs kidnapping, sexual assault and shooting and agreed to lead authorities to the boys body. Besides, like most 10-year-olds, Trevor loved spending time with his friends, although he had no idea that one of these hangouts would change his life forever. We wanted Jacob to have a family to come home to, she said. He hadn't fallen. THE DEFENDANT: I, I, I can't remember. For years, the case attracted national attention and dominated headlines. Jacob, the second of the Wetterlings four children, was in the sixth grade in October 1989. / CBS Minnesota. A BCA agent asked him to confess. I turned my head. As a rational person, you try to figure it out, but this one you cant, because it makes no sense. Wetterling will have a chance to address Danny Heinrich, 53, of Annandale, when he is sentenced in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on Nov. 21. 1:07 For nearly 27 years, Patty Wetterling has asked a simple question to a world that has watched in pain and, until recently, in vain: "Where's Jacob?" I hated it. He admitted abducting Wetterling near the boy's home in the central Minnesota community of St. Joseph on Oct. 22, 1989. Do I do more of the same? I lived every day thinking I was the monster that night. I don't know. Losing Jacob was hard enough, but for this man to hold this secret for almost 27 years and continue to be free is, as Jacob would say, entirely not fair, said younger brother Trevor Wetterling. ''Your letter and your words of anguish over the abduction of your precious Jacob tore my heart,'' Mrs. Bush wrote. MR. SCHLEICHER: So you were sober, correct? 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. MR. SCHLEICHER: Okay. I feel like Jacob wasnt done. In 2009, Rassier agreed to meet with Patty Wetterling where he said he repeatedly denied any involvement. "They told me it was a kidnapping, and I go, 'Oh, really?' "When I first saw them, there was a big sigh that I am not the only one who had made eye contact with this person," Jared said. In October The 11-year-old was taken at the end of Dan Rassier's -mile long driveway. I dont know. Two years ago, Danny Heinrich confessed to the crimes and led authorities to the location of Wetterling's remains. Rassier also agreed to be hypnotized. After you confirmed that Jacob Wetterling was dead, what did you do? He confessed to the crime in September. It caused me to push people away, to be scared, to cry, Larson told the packed courtroom. The boy has blue eyes, light brown hair and a mole on his left cheek. The Wetterlings said the fact that Heinrich kept his crimes a secret for 27 years was particularly heinous. Heinrich said he was truly sorry for my evil acts that I have committed against the victims and their families and the shame that I caused, brought onto myself and my family., Mr. I -- oh, I should say I didn't return with my car. He caused unparalleled anguish for so many people. Eventually, in 2016, they announced Danny James Heinrich as a person of interest. On a Sunday night six months ago, Trevor, Jacob and another boy rode their bicycles to a neighborhood store to rent a videotape. In 1990, Heinrich was arrested, interrogated, and released. Was it you? For him, it meant a lot, because nobody was ever going to look at him as a suspect again. rockville bridge train schedule; how fast should the bubble in a cart move; themes in the less deceived. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Indeed, of the 24,655 children reported missing in the United States since 1984, fewer than 1 in 25 were taken by someone other than a family member, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I reached for my revolver. We headed not to Main Street, but back to, I don't know, Highway 75, whatever, that runs back to St. If it was him, where did he like to hang out? For Jared, the weeks after the Wetterling abduction were filled with grueling interviews with law enforcement. MR. SCHLEICHER: And this area, is there also a gravel pit in the area? MR. SCHLEICHER: Okay. He faces a federal prison sentence of 20 years and a possible civil commitment after that. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The boys were all attacked as they headed home on bikes, they were sexually assaulted, the attacker wore a mask, had a low voice and threatened victims with a knife or gun. Federal prison cant be a happy place to be, but its well deserved. Heinrich, who took Jacob less than a mile from his home in St. Joseph, was questioned in 1989 and 1990 about the boys disappearance, but he denied any involvement. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Yet, years passed without any news of the missing boy, and with time, his family began fearing the worst. 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I noticed three children on their bicycles with a flashlight. Next, the assailant asked each boy to show their face, and finally, he asked Aaron to run away without looking back and forced Jacob into the car. MR. SCHLEICHER: All right. ''We don't know yet the probabilities that are involved in child abductions,'' Ms. Cartwright said. Before he read his statement, Jerry Wetterling thanked Heinrich for coming forward and showing authorities where Jacob was buried. It makes no sense, Patty Wetterling said during an interview Tuesday afternoon. THE DEFENDANT: I didn't drive. But many have likely never heard of Jared. MR. SCHLEICHER: You had a shovel with you? THE DEFENDANT: I found a spot. asked Caroline Lowe. Rassier says later that night, before he went to bed, he saw a second car come into his driveway and turn around -- a car that does not match the description of a car investigators ruled out in 2004. If there is any pain as crushing as the abduction of a child, it is the relentless, numbing anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of each day. THE DEFENDANT: From my apartment. MR. SCHLEICHER: What was your purpose in returning to the site? Even when, and if, we do have resolution, it is always going to be a big part of our lives," said Amy. ''The number of calls has diminished.''. They had gone to a convenience store to rent a video. THE DEFENDANT: I, I, I raised the revolver to his head. It is also about changing the lives of so many children and parents, who prayed for Jacobs return and lived in the fear that someone like you someone evil would come out of the darkness, out of the woods, out of the bushes, from around the corner, abuse them and take them away, never to be seen again. Jacob is 12 now. "I was told to run don't look back or he would shoot," Jared said. The young man had some physical similarities to Jacob, including a mole on his cheek but hope faded quickly. His dad ran his own business as a chiropractor. Please enter valid email address to continue. This has never been easy. It was already that uncovered. MR. SCHLEICHER: So there was no penetration? Anyone can read what you share. It was never designed for youth. A neighbor and the boys called 911 at 9:32 p.m. Law enforcement was on the scene in eight minutes. It is the kind of place where people often do not lock their doors; rather, it was that kind of place. I would just simply like to say to him: There is nothing uncommon about common sense. Cloud, that direction, but we headed west on that road. It's been almost MR. SCHLEICHER: For the purpose of listening to . At the same time, Jared worries about the Paynesville victims. Trevor is now single. By Dirk Johnson, Special To the New York Times. Trevor Wetterling has been looking for an explanation since October 1989, when he witnessed a stranger leaving with his 11-year-old brother, Jacob Wetterling. "I learned how to focus on other things," Jared said. He had things that he still wanted to do. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office held a press conference to detail the release of the files. In 2004, investigators got their big break. The book was unveiled at a U.S. Department of Justice ceremony May 18 in Washington, D.C. where Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was the keynote speaker. Patty and Jerry Wetterling at the last minute decided to go to a party in Clearwater. MR. SCHLEICHER: What was your purpose in removing the shoes and throwing them --, THE DEFENDANT: I, I just noticed that I hadn't buried them with him so --. People who knew them said they were always eager to do everything together from the start. When he was taken, he weighed about 75 pounds and was 5 feet tall. Did that cause you concern, that you could see the jacket? MR. SCHLEICHER: And you were in custody the entire time, is that correct? Every day, I lived with believing that me running away was a choice. MR. SCHLEICHER: After you confronted the children, what did you ask them to do? ''I don't lose hope, but I haven't lost touch with reality either,'' Mrs. Wetterling said, sitting on the living room couch in the family's brick and cedar house, where outside dozens and dozens of trees are festooned with white ribbons, a symbol of hope. 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