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I'm back!
Hello friends! Goodness, it’s been a while hasn’t it? If you’ve been wondering what’s become of me and my blog, well… here I am!
Truth be told, I’m actually in St. Petersburg, Florida right now, practicing to be a snowbird. My friend Jane and I rented a lovely AirBnb for the month of January and I’ve had a ball getting to know this new area of the Sunshine State that I’ve never visited before. I like to consider it the “J-Term” that I never took in college – a mental break so I can exhale, regroup, and focus on my writing.
For the past eight years (and especially the past four), my life has been consumed by the writing, editing, and publishing of Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope. It’s the long-awaited memoir of my amazing friend Patty Wetterling, which I was honored to co-write. (For more information about the book, its October 2023 launch, and photos from our author events, please visit DearJacobBook.com.)
As it turns out, writing, editing and publishing a book is hard work! The intensity of it left me with very little energy to do any additional writing, update my blog, or contemplate what’s next on my own writing journey.
So, what’s next?
Over the years, many have asked if I plan to write my own story about the Jacob Wetterling case. As most of you know, blogging about Jacob’s case was life-altering for me. It was big, emotional, impactful – and very much “a God thing.” I just don’t have any other words to explain it. Much of my journey was told “in between the lines” right here on joy.the.curious, and my handwritten journal entries from that time period tell more of the story. Maybe someday I’ll be brave enough to share them, but right now, I’m excited to move on to new stories, new channels, and new opportunities.
And speaking of new stories… hang tight. More on that below.
First though, you may have noticed that my blog has a new look and feel. After nearly 14 years, I’ve moved from Wordpress to Substack – and you’ve moved with me! You can still find my blog at joythecurious.com, and if you were a subscriber of joy.the.curious before, no worries. I was able to transfer all my previous subscribers from my old Wordpress blog to this new writing space, so welcome aboard!
What the heck is Substack?
Making the move to Substack was a big decision that took a lot of thought and consideration. It was incredibly tedious, and took far longer than I ever dreamed it would. But in the end, I’m glad I did it. Substack launched in 2017 and is a platform that was built specifically for writers. It’s gives writers the ability to share their work among other writers, to find and follow each other, to attract new subscribers, and – as an option – to charge for paid subscriptions.
It was that last part – “charge for paid subscriptions” – that ended up being a huge conundrum for me. My blog has always been free, so I really waffled over whether to turn on the option for paid subscriptions. After many discussions with people whose opinions I highly respect, I decided to at least make the option available. All free subscribers will still be able to access my public blog stories, but if you enjoy my writing and wish to support me on this journey to become a “real writer,” you will also have the option of subscribing for $5/month or $30/year.
You’ll also notice there is a third option for subscribers called the “Journey Supporter.” Basically, this is for people who think $30/year is not enough and would like to contribute more. If you choose this option, you will not only have my undying gratitude for the rest of my earthly life, I will also throw in a free, autographed copy of Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope, signed by both Patty and myself (includes free domestic shipping). Thanks in advance for your consideration.
(If you’d like to learn more about Substack, visit https://substack.com/about)
My new blog story
And now for the big news… I’m launching a new blog story! (Sheesh… talk about burying the lead. What kind of self-respecting journalist am I anyway?)
This is a case that I’ve been wondering about for 20 years, researching for 3 years, and am finally ready to share. In my usual joy.the.curious style, the story will be unraveling in real time, so you’ll be learning new information as I discover it myself. It’s a local story from 1999 that made national headlines, but it’s never been reported at this level with first hand interviews, behind-the-scenes details, and the ability for readers to leave comments, ask questions, and interact with the story as it unfolds. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Chapter 1 will be out soon, so please subscribe today and watch for it in your inbox! In the meantime, here’s a little preview.
Once again, a huge thanks to all of you for following me and supporting me on this amazing journey!
Angel
It was a landmark case that stirred up so much controversy in our quiet rural town, it infuriated the locals and went on to make national headlines.
And, it all started over a pair of pants.
Throughout the 1990s, Willmar, Minnesota had been slowly becoming less and less quiet. The once sleepy railroad town that sits 100 miles directly west of Minneapolis had begun to experience a steady change in demographics that none of the locals were prepared for. “The Mexicans” who came to hoe weeds in the soybean fields each summer suddenly began to take up roots. They found full time work at the local turkey processing plant, moved into the local trailer park, enrolled their kids in the local school district, and stayed.
The blue-eyed Scandinavians were a bit surprised at first, perhaps even shook. But, eventually, they grew downright concerned. What was becoming of their Willmar – home of Coffee Fest, Wednesday night church, and meat raffles at the American Legion? These Mexicans were dangerous, with their gangs and drugs and guns.
They weren’t altogether wrong. In fact, in 1999, the three district judges in Willmar met at the local Holiday Inn with other public safety personnel. Gang activity in the county was now a major concern, and recent drive-by shootings at the Elm Lane trailer park had made state news. What was happening in Willmar?
Around this same time, Willmar started its own Gang Enforcement Task Force that would extend east to Meeker County and all the way west to the South Dakota border. Their goal was to stop the surge of drugs entering the region and curb the ensuing gang activity, primarily influenced by the Latin Kings.
Also brewing during this perfect storm, a modification to Minnesota state law that said if a crime was committed for the purpose of furthering gang activity, these crimes could be added as separate charges – in effect, doubling the severity of a criminal sentence.
And, in the middle of all this controversy, was an 18-year old Mexican immigrant named… of all things… Angel.
In the summer of 2000, he and two buddies had made plans to go to a dance in nearby Hutchinson. They wanted to buy some new jeans, but didn’t have any money, so they stopped into the JC Penney store at the mall and decided to steal some.
Angel is tall – well over six feet – and is hard to miss. The store manager started following him around and finally confronted him. But, Angel hadn’t taken anything.
“Check your security cameras,” Angel told the manager.
He and his buddies left the store, but when they reached the parking lot, the store manager stopped them again. This time, he had two security guards with him.
What happened next is controversial. The store manager and the two guards claimed that Angel told them he was “the head of the Latin Kings” and he could “do whatever he wants.” Kick their ass. Beat them up. Kill them. Angel denies he ever said this, but the damage was done. Those words were printed in all the local papers, and Angel’s life as he knew it was over.
The trial lasted one day, and it took two hours for the jury to convict him. After that, it was up to the judge to decide Angel’s fate. Two months later, Angel came before Judge Spilseth in Kandiyohi County, prepared to spend many years in jail because of the trumped-up charges for gang activity.
But, something else happened that day. Judge Spilseth imposed an alternative sentence… one that he had been contemplating for a long time.
Instead of sentencing Angel to prison, he sentenced him to college.
Read next: Sentenced to College – Chapter 1
Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope was released on October 17th, 2023 by MNHS Press. You can purchase it at your favorite bookseller, or ask for it at your local library.
Love reading your blog!! To share with my friends that I went to school with you is like bragging to my friends about my kids. Maybe not as much, but it makes me smile! Enjoy your R&R and can't wait to read more to come about Angel. I've already purchased a copy of "Dear Jacob" so I'll pass along my current copy for others to enjoy. Thanks and keep up the good work! Go Hawks!!
I look forward to your writing adventures! It's fun to see the picture of you on the beach in Florida--where your original blog adventures began! Wishing you all the best always!