Wow. What to say.
Posted by joy.the.curious on Nov 7, 2015 in Jacob | 72 comments
It’s been a little over a week since authorities announced they had DNA evidence — a 100% match — that proved Danny Heinrich from Paynesville is the man who abducted and assaulted 12 year old Jared from Cold Spring. That attack happened just 9 months prior to Jacob Wetterling’s abduction, leading authorities to now name Heinrich an official Person of Interest in Jacob’s case. In all likelihood, he was also the man responsible for the string of attacks on juvenile boys that took place in Paynesville between 1986-1989.
MPR News: Wetterling case 'person of interest' stays in jail on porn charges
This news came as a huge shock, and for the past week, I’ve been reeling and trying to make sense of it all.
Over the past two and a half years, Jared has become a good friend. We talk often, compare notes, and generally keep each other sane. This has been an incredibly crazy journey for both of us, and it’s been nice to have a companion along for the ride.
Now, after all our endless hours of research, interviews, phone calls, texts, and emails, Jared finally has his guy. No question about it… a 100% match. The news is still sinking in, and it’s taken me over a week to really process it. Emotionally, I have been all over the place. Happy, sad, pissed, confused, exhausted… you name it. This is BIG CRAZY NEWS and it’s a lot to take in. Did we know about this guy? Yes. Was he on our radar? Not really. I do remember mentioning to Jared that we should talk to him at one point. I think the conversation went something like this, “Well, what the heck. Let’s just go knock on his door and see what he has to say.” (And this, my friends, is why I’m in marketing and not police work.) Thank goodness for divine intervention and short attention spans; that interview never happened.
Emotion aside, I’ve also had a ton of questions swirling around in my head following Heinrich’s arrest. Here are just a few:
What about the tire tracks? In 2003, Kevin came forward and said he’d driven through the crime scene and left his tire tracks in the driveway. After that, authorities said the tire tracks were now accounted for and they were, instead, looking for a local person who probably took Jacob on foot. But, now we know authorities matched Heinrich’s tires to the tracks left in the driveway way back in 1990. So, does that mean there were two sets of tire tracks? What the heck?
In early reports, Jacob’s abductor was described to have been wearing black shoes or boots. Granted, the kids were scared and unsure, but they did say the man who took Jacob was dressed all in black. So, does it make sense then that he’d be wearing colored tennis shoes with white stripes? Who knows. But weird, right? Does that mean there might have been more than one abductor?
How did Heinrich know the Kraemers? They were neighbors of Jared’s when he lived in Cold Spring, and that’s the name Heinrich used when he stopped to ask for directions. The Kraemers own Tom Kraemer, Inc., a name widely associated with rolloff dumpsters in our area. These dumpsters often appear at construction sites. Did Heinrich ever work construction, or for TKI? If not, why did he pick that name?
Why Cold Spring? If Heinrich WAS the man responsible for the attacks on young boys in Paynesville, then what brought him to Cold Spring on that cold January night in 1989? Was he stalking Jared? Or, did he just happen to see a group of kids walking from the ice rink to the Side Cafe, and then waited to see if any of them would walk home alone?
Why did he choose the place he did to assault Jared? Obviously, the guy was a planner… a cold, calculating POS who didn’t leave anything to chance. He doesn’t seem the type who would just grab a kid off the street and then say to himself, “OK then… now where to?” I’m sure he didn’t just happen upon that spot… but why there?
In Jared’s case, the guy had a 4-door car with child proof locks in the back seat. The assault took place in the back seat. However, at the time Jacob was kidnapped, Heinrich owned a small 2-door car with no back seat. So, if he did take Jacob, where did they go? What happened?
And, this is where I start to fall apart. I can’t bring myself to “go there,” so I just stop. But, in order to solve this case, that is exactly the type of police work that needs to be done by people who are a lot better at it than me. As a mother of two boys myself, I simply can…t handle it. I am so eternally grateful for the people in law enforcement who are able to “go there” and do the work. I…m sure it is often a thankless job with long hours and little recognition, but I am personally so very thankful for the men and women who are doing the hard work to get answers for the Wetterling family.
In spite of all my questions and ruffling of feathers over the years, it was Jared who had the perseverance and fortitude to keep the investigation going, and it was ultimately a good piece of police work that finally cracked the case. And in all seriousness, none of that would have ever happened if the Wetterlings had not gotten involved and insisted that Stearns County, the FBI, the BCA, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children all come together to look at the bigger picture. As Patty said in her statement last week, “When good people pull together, amazing things happen.”
So then, good people, consider that your battle cry. If you knew Danny Heinrich or have any information you can share with investigators to help solve Jacob’s case, please call the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 259-3700 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Off the top of my head, here are a few questions that may be particularly helpful:
Why St. Joseph? Other than his place of employment at the time (Fingerhut), did Heinrich have any other ties to the area?
Why 91st Avenue? This is a quiet, dead-end road. What would have brought him there?
Besides the Ford EXP, what other cars did Heinrich have access to in October 1989? What did his parents drive?
If Danny Heinrich did take Jacob, where would he have brought him?
If you can think of more questions, please leave a comment and I’ll add to the list.
Once again, I cannot thank you enough for following me along on this journey. Five years ago, who knew any of this could actually make a difference. Looking back, well, just… wow.
#ThinkingJacob
Next time
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72 Comments
1. Chris Schorn | November 7, 2015 at 10:52 am
If I remember correctly, in Jared’s case he mentioned he was late for something at The Red Carpet in St Cloud, right? I wonder if anyone he met there that night is reading this and would have anything to add to the discussion? And while that specific date might be hard to recall, who were his friends/acquaintances back then? Even if you simply knew OF this man, speak up. Any information could lead to more information. ‘Someone has to know something’!
2. Julie Wasser | November 7, 2015 at 10:53 am
I’m curious why the Law went after Heinrch in regards to Jared when the statute of limitations had run out. Is it because of your questioning and digging. I’m thankful that you are doing this. Keep it up.
3. Pamela Brown | November 7, 2015 at 11:12 am
Joy, you are once again doing a great job of outlining the issues and questions, and defining whether they make sense or not.
It seems to me that everyone needs to think outside-the-box to determine what this man’s connection to Jacob’s abduction was, even and especially if it means re-thinking the entire event in terms of the number of people who may have been present and/or had some direct or indirect involvement with the abduction.
It is my strong gut feeling that Heinrich was either directly involved in some way or knows who was.
4. David Rich | November 7, 2015 at 11:15 am
Great Job Joy!!!! Keep moving forward in your work. It looks like progress is now being made. Maybe some type of plea deal will move us all closer to where Jacob may be. I remember the day as though it was just yesterday. My daughter was friends with Jacob and his brother Trevor. She and Trevor were in middle school together, and to this day remain as close friends as my daughter Tia and her family and Trevor and his family both live in Colorado and get together quite often. Thank you for your hard work. David Rich
5. Heidi | November 7, 2015 at 11:57 am
Have the authorities looked closer to the brother of Heinrich? What kind of car did he have? Where was he living? How close was he to his brother? What kind of childhood did they have?
6. Tamara | November 7, 2015 at 12:15 pm
How about getting Danny Heinrich to say the same words he said at the time of the abduction so that Aaron Larson and Jacob’s brother could hear them? Might be a place to start, no?
7. Lori Voigt | November 7, 2015 at 1:00 pm
What about Heinrich’s friends or whomever he hung out with then? Co- workers during that time? Family members? Family property he had access to? What vehicles did he have access to- friends, family, work? Thanks for all you do.
8. Stephanie Madison | November 7, 2015 at 1:01 pm
Joy’s hard work and the determination of Jacob’s mom, Patty, to put this out for all of us to know, question, and keep alive. I hope the investigation has the involvement of experienced law enforcement to continue the process and find an answer. In some ways, the law enforcement aspect of this reminds me of what happened in Colorado with the Ramsey family. Lack of experience is not a fault. Not asking for help when you need it is. I wonder how John Douglas, former FBI special agent, creator of criminal profiling with Robert Ressler, would frame and define this. He has a Facebook page and is very interactive with his followers. It would be really helpful to have a review of the evidence and suspects, in Jacob’s case.
9. Jennifer | November 7, 2015 at 1:11 pm
There was a news story earlier this week that said the person of interest used to have a police scanner in his car and then I remembered your stories about the “medical cop”. I thought that was an interesting coincidence.
10. sue | November 7, 2015 at 1:17 pm
I feel a huge thank you goes to you and Jared for never giving up!!
11. SARA | November 7, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Thank God the police do not reveal all of the correct facts or evidence would surely be disposed of and the case greatly compromised. Joy you answered the question of why was jacobs case different than the other boys. The car. The fact that it didn’t have a backseat and he had to go someplace else for sex. It’s possible that going someplacelse jacob had a chance to run and heinrich used too much force in subdueing him and something went terribly wrong as patty wetherling has suspected. A mother always knows. A priest on one of the websites blogged about jacob and capitalized the word well. Think someone should be checking out the wells, the woods and every other remote location. Did the monks cabin have a well on it. It is possible someone used that to blame it on the monks. Who knows, If any of you live by a remote area check for ground that doesn’t look right. check wells, check brush. THIS IS A SICK MONSTER SOMEONE KNOWS A SECRET. COME FORWARD. IT IS TIME TO END THE SECRECY. YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO REVEAL WHO YOU ARE. BUT PLEASE GIVE THE INFORMATION. NO MOTHER SHOULD HAVE TO WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO HER CHILD. PLEASE, DO THE RIGHT THING. GOD KNOWS WHO YOU ARE!!
PLEASE, END THIS NIGHTMARE. YOU CAN DO IT, I KNOW YOU CAN. YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO DO IT, JUST DO IT. CALL GIVE THE INFORMATION. YOU WILL FEEL BETTER.
12. Mark Anderson | November 7, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Yes. Many questions. Have shared some but there are many more. Some having to do with past investigations. Some with future. For example, will they eventually charge him for jacobs murder? It sounds like that is the only charge they could bring after so much time. They may be waiting to see if something surfaces after naming Heinrich publicly. The news about Heinrich’s tire tracks and shoe prints at the scene is huge I think, even though there were not distinguishind marks. What are the odds? Especially when we now know he is certainly capable of the crime after what he did to Jared.
I think the brown/gold sedan described by Rassier is a critical clue. If it turns out Heinrich had access to such a vehicle back then it would be another piece of circumstantial evidence to heap on the pile that is leaning heavily toward Heinrich in the Wetterling case. Such a vehicle was also mentioned in an attempted abduction during that time in another community.
It would be interesting to know if there is anyway to estimate the odds of owning the same shoe and tire prints as those found in st joseph. If there was no other reason to suspect heinrich maybe its not enough, but now I would say they are the nail in his coffin with or without distiguishing marks.
13. Gigi | November 7, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Hi Joy,
You know, regarding Heinrich’s shoes, did you happen to see the comparison between the shoe prints at the Wetterling scene and Heinrich’s shoe prints on Kare11.com? http://www.kare11.com/story/news/crime/2015/10/30/danny-james-heinrich-what-we-know/74831544/
It seems pretty damning, though it’s probably not enough to charge him with. I’m curious as to whether the police were looking at Heinrich as early as 1990 as a suspect in the Wetterling case or if a connection was made more recently. If it is the former, what made them take a closer look at him? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.
Well, I will just echo others and say kudos work you have done and are doing. I always look forward to your blog postings.
14. Lindsay | November 7, 2015 at 5:28 pm
Did I hear on the news that at the time of the attacks in paynesville, he lived in those apartments in their downtown and that his brother STILL DOES? I have questions related to his brother. Could he be involved? Could he know something? Could his car have been used?
Thanks for all you do. KEEP GOING!
15. Jim Gibson | November 7, 2015 at 6:08 pm
From news articles it seems that Heinrich’s brother has been living in the same apartment Danny Heinrich was living in at the time of Jacob’s abduction. Hope the police go through that apartment thoroughly if they haven’t already.
To Jared and Joy, my thoughts, prayers and gratitude.
16. Stacey | November 7, 2015 at 6:43 pm
HI Joy, you are amazing…
From a few things you said I also wonder if there were more than one person, perhaps the brothers were working together. That would answer for a few of the inconsistencies. Your article of ‘Men in the woods’ started me thinking. Just a thought I think you already are considering. Keep digging Joy …
17. Frelis schulz | November 7, 2015 at 6:57 pm
I think the candy striped mask is the one clue that links the guy to Jacob. ..hopefully the police found something useful in tbe search of heinrich’s home….Joy what a blessing you have been. ..
18. Jeff hiltner | November 7, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Did he ever own a car with a catch me if you can bumber sticker on it? Any photos that you have of his vehicles should be checked
19. Kelbel | November 7, 2015 at 9:09 pm
My question is whether law enforcement has looked into Heinrich’s brothers. One media outlet said police were called to the Heinrich home to deal with his brother on several occasions. Another reported he has 2 brothers. Not that these brothers had anything to do with the attacks, but what vehicles or properties did they have that Danny Heinrich have access to?
20. Naomi | November 7, 2015 at 9:35 pm
I’ve maybe left this thought on your blog previously, but I think Jacob’s abductor kept an eye on the school calendar. Was he specifically looking for kids out late because the next day was not a school day? Was that true of Jared’s story? Maybe the only reason he was at Tom Thumb that night was to be further away from home. He would have known the likelihood of finding kids renting games or movies was high.
21. Mary Robel | November 7, 2015 at 9:46 pm
You have done an amazing job! Thank you for sticking with it.
22. Jean | November 7, 2015 at 10:12 pm
I believe that Heinrich is the man who took Jacob, but Joy brought up some excellent questions. This will be a hard case to prosecute. If he had any items (such as a jacket) from Jacob that night, he got rid of them. Unless they get a confession or a bombshell piece of evidence comes out, Heinrich may not be charged.
23. Dee EF Gee | November 7, 2015 at 10:42 pm
How dare you reference your own sanity anywhere near Jared’s or lament how YOU fall apart as you carefully craft your story about Jared, the Wetterlings and you, though not necessarily in that order.
24. Becky | November 7, 2015 at 11:03 pm
Wouldn’t your brother borrow you his car if you asked…. what did his brother drive?
25. Angie | November 7, 2015 at 11:14 pm
What about Tom thumbs records did he buy anything there? His bank records at the time what about that? I really hope they find out the answers to Jacobs disappearance as a kid I used to walk there all the time to get movies and things with my sisters or a friend..
26. Cindy Eisold-Larson | November 8, 2015 at 12:16 am(Edit)
Perhaps the striped carpeting/Kraemer roll off/construction (remodeling, i.e., new carpeting requiring a roll off) have a connection. Now that this is AGAIN in the news with more detail, hopefully someone recalls such a situation and can provide more detail.
Now that there is a 100 % match with Jared’s assaulter and Heinrich is openly named as a “person of interest” in Jacob’s abduction, hopefully more people come forward and share those nagging thoughts they’ve had about him over the years. You know the kind, those thoughts and feelings we have now and then about a certain person who one day later is presented as a criminal and we think “You know, I always THOUGHT (knew, felt, suspected) something was odd about ‘so and so’ when I was around him and he said (did, acted, mentioned) …” Some of those occurrences could be extremely helpful now that this “person of interest” is finally in the public eye. I hope those people are coming forward, even if they think it’s not relevant, it could be the key to more answers.
And there was the question of why the assaults stopped after Jacob’s abduction. Maybe Heinrich was worried about assaulting too many kids in a small radius near to his residence and decided (planned or spontaneously) to venture to St Joseph. Who knows if Heinrich ventured out purposefully seeking Jacob, and I wonder if an abduction AND keeping the victim was his intent this time or something caused him to be unable to release Jacob.
If I am remembering correctly, there were no other assaults/attempts after Jacob’s abduction. Why did they stop occurring? It was wondered if the perpetrator moved or was imprisoned. Perhaps it’s simply that he felt he crossed a forbidden line by taking and KEEPING Jacob and in doing so scared the hell out of himself?
The containers of boys’ clothing is so very odd to me. Why?
Does Heinrich have siblings or other family members with information about him in his younger days? Was he a participant in sports or other extra-curricular activities, a church youth group, or an activity where there were older youth/adults in a coaching/supervising/mentor role that remember him. Any former teachers?
The various car descriptors are tangled in my mind, but the one commonality that I recall was the mention (a couple of times) of the unusual squared-off tail lights. The pic of the blue car owned by Heinrich certainly shows rectanglar-shaped tail lights.
WHY was he a suspect early on in the search for Jacob? They questioned him in early 1990 after Jacob’s abduction in 1989. He lived in Paynesville! If they questioned him in early 1990 about Jacob, law enforcement MUST have suspected him in the Paynesville assaults. If not, why not? Until Joy Baker made the connection, I don’t think the public outside of that small area was aware of other assaults in that area. Was Jared shown a picture line-up at the time he was assaulted or in 1990 when Heinrich was being questioned about Jacob?. Or was it just recently? If Jared was questioned in 1990 and they didn’t present the picture line-up at that time, why not? (Perhaps his mugshot was not yet taken.) When was it that he pointed out the two pictures that could be his assaulter, one of which was Heinrich?
Those are the thoughts swimming in my mind.
27. Dean | November 8, 2015 at 1:41 am
Joy, you and Jared have keep this story alive. Please keep going so the law enforcement community will not stop. You both deserve much praise!!
28. jsminterior | November 8, 2015 at 9:11 am
Where did Heinrich live at the time? I am sure authorities have interviewed neighbors but might be worth looking into that area again.
29. Mike Fischer | November 8, 2015 at 12:13 pm
Joy, I have the greatest respect for the emotions you must have endured and are enduring as you’ve dug deeply into this horrible series of events. Thanks for keeping the light shining on this, and for all you’ve done and are doing.
30. Melissa | November 8, 2015 at 8:46 pm
Could Heinrich have asked for the Kraemer address because he was familiar with the TKI name, through construction at the the new Fingerhut location being built? Did TKI help with the Fingerhut building or scrap? Heinrich worked at Fingerhut at the time, maybe he had reason to go to the new location (which opened in Dec. of 1989 I see from other information) So maybe that could tie him in with asking for directions knowing they lived in Cold spring, maybe tie him in with indoor outdoor candy stripe carpeting from a remodel site?
31. Chealsie | November 8, 2015 at 8:58 pm
I’ve been wondering if Trevor and Aaron would be able to recognize his voice? (I remember hearing them say in an interview that they would never forget that voice. …maybe if they heard Heinrich speak,they would know in their gut if it’s the same guy that took Jacob or not.)??? If his voice has changed over the years…maybe there’s some audio of Heinrich speaking around the same time that Jacob was taken.
Have the police tried searching the same wooded area that Jared was taken to?
My heart just breaks for the Wetterling family and I will continue to pray that they get some answers soon!!!
Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do!!!
32. Lori | November 8, 2015 at 10:37 pm
– Saint Joseph (tom thumb gas/video station) and cold spring are on the way to Paynesville when driving from fingerhut (work) to Paynesville (home). Any chance they could find out if Heinrich worked either of those days and was his way home?
– Back in the 1980s people went into gas stations to pay for gas. Cash/check/credit card. I wonder if they could somehow look back to see if maybe Heinrich got gas at Tom Thumb and paid with check or credit? Maybe he stopped for gas and saw the boys.
– After Heinrich took Jacob he obviously didn…t know the area (abduction site) well as he went up the neighbor’s driveway and had to turn around can come back. So after making that mistake one would think that he would likely stuck to roads he knew well.
– Interesting about the car being only a 2 seater. That may have given Jacob a possible opportunity to run when the car stopped.
– Interesting that Heinrich kept the shoes from the crime scene (or just plain stupid) and then the police later examined them. More interesting is that there is no mention of blood on them or damage or excessive dirt. Whatever happened to Jacob, Heinrich didn’t even get his shoes damaged or excessively dirty and it didn’t even cross his mind to get rid of them.
Joy thank you for all that you do.
#ThinkingJacob
33. Anne | November 9, 2015 at 12:05 am
Joy, I keep wondering about all the different vehicles mentioned in all of this. There are so many, like the one driven by the old man in the convenience store buying all the cans of soup who commented on Jacob’s disappearance and said “They’ll never find that boy”. And the big dark colored beater that chased the boy who was waiting after school for his dad who was late. Is it possible for police or anyone to release pictures/artist renderings of all these different cars along with information about the incident they’re involved in and the person associated with it? If police are talking to people who knew Heinrich in the past maybe they can also ask if anyone remembers anything or anyone connected to the cars AND Heinrich. Maybe it’s a long shot but then again maybe not?
34. Pammy | November 9, 2015 at 3:34 am
Dee EF Gee, you may want to rethink your comment. I hope I can shed some light on why Joy has earned her stripes. She has every right to struggle and feel overwhelmed. Why? Because she is a caregiver, friend, supporter of one of the central characters in this nightmare.
This is not a contest. She isn’t trying to compete for attention. Her motives are pure. I have only spent a short time here, in her blog, but it is clear that she is a friend who will make a difference. It’s folks like Joy, and her readers who have thoughtfully crafted their worries and questions into valuable info who will bring the Wetterling’s the answers they deserve.
As a grieving mom, I can attest to the fact that friends like Joy make all the difference in the world for Jared, Patty & family, and all other central characters of this story. It’s our friends (who go insane with grief) that carry us on the days we can’t put one foot in front of the other. Without their love and support, we would be bitter. Useless. Because losing a child is crippling.
It takes a special person to walk a difficult journey with you after tragedy. They should be appreciated for their courage. I can’t imagine where I would be without the 3 key friends who have dragged me through my bad Erik days for the last 17 years.
I hope this helped. I remember how naieve I was prior to my loss. Your intention might be good (looking out for Jared, or Aaron, or the Wetterling family). However, the close circle around those tender hearts should be fiercely protected, too.
Thank you for considering my thoughts.
35. joy.the.curious | November 9, 2015 at 5:10 am
Thank you for your kind words, Pammy. I’m so sorry for your loss.
36. Pamela Brown | November 9, 2015 at 8:29 am
Interesting point Stacey. I agree that everyone seems to need to think outside-of-the-box on this. There may have been more than one person involved. One person might have had the car that left tracks, the other did the actual abduction. The car and driver may have been out of the sight of the boys with Jacob.
37. Maggie | November 9, 2015 at 11:49 am
Again I want to applaud Joy and Jared, for the perseverance – Joy going with your instincts to try to figure out this case, & Jared, for your courage, strength and fortitude. Jared, you are a hero – you are a voice for your own assault and for those other young boys who were victimized. Don’t stop searching!
38. Scott | November 9, 2015 at 1:41 pm
You have done amazing work Joy, and we so appreciate your journalism. I’ve been in the photofinishing industry since 1993 so I’m just thinking what part that may play. Everyone in the area should check their old rolls of film from the time surrounding the disappearance. Also, it would be interesting to know where Heinrich’s got their film processed. Does the lab have records of how many rolls of film he had processed, were there any rolls never picked up? From 2005 on some machines keep a back-up of every photo processed, it would be interesting to look through his photos. I checked my files and I don’t think that he was ever a customer of mine.
39. Scott | November 9, 2015 at 4:52 pm
I have always been skeptical of the multiple person theory, and just a few hours ago I had completely ruled it out in my own mind. That was until I read a new story that claims Duane Allen Hart knew Heinrich and actually pointed him out to police as a possible suspect. He said Heinrich’s voice gets raspy when he gets hot headed and he like to wear camouflage. Apparently, Hart molested one of Heinrich’s older brothers. Before this new revelation, I think we all had our intuitions on Heinrich, believing that this is truly the man that took Jacob.
40. Scott | November 9, 2015 at 5:20 pm
Here is my theory on Heinrich:
He he responsible for Jacobs abduction. The shoes and tires are a bonus on top of the other clues that tie him to the case.
First, the Paynesville MN assaults took place all around his residence. I’ve read all of Joy’s blog post and I think i remember one of assaults in Paynesville involved the child being groped. – If I am remembering correctly, this point is important so keep it in mind.- After so many attacks in Paynesville, -some successful and some unsuccessful- the heat was on and Heinrich knew he had to back off before he was caught. The urge was too strong, and like Joy said, he was probably a planner, so he developed a plan. He picked where to follow a child from, where to drive too and he figured, it will be dark and the child will not be able to remember much. Little did he know that he chose Jared, a person with more courage, strength and bravery in his pinky finger then I could ever hope for in a lifetime (That you Jared!) Jared’s sketch is a spot on picture of Heinrich. I can’t remember if it was released after the assault or after Jacobs abduction. Regardless, after Jared, Heinrich, could not resist trying to attack children. I think one or two things happened that night.
A – He heard from someone who knew the St. Joseph area that teens used . Dan Rassier’s driveway to park and party in the woods. Its possible he was waiting in the driveway for a target to come and park. I know those teens are a little bit old for Heinrich, but the man was clearly desperate for this type of contact and perhaps was willing to go a little older. When the boys happened to walk by he knew they’d be back and sat, waiting to ambush them.
B. He was parked at the Tom Thumb and saw them approaching, and drove off down the road that they came from and found a spot to hide and prepare to ambush them.
I don’t think he was planning on keeping Jacob forever but when the search kicked off almost right away, I think he was caught off guard and had to alter his plan. Then Jared’s sketch is all over the news and its a perfect match for his ugly mug, so he gets so spooked that he will be caught that that he stops the assaults all together, which is why they stopped after Jacobs abduction. The anxiety of being caught was enough to deter his desire for molesting children, at least in the risky way he was doing it. It makes perfect sense, he did some local assault that were only assaults. The heat got to hot and he shifted to kidnapping. He used the same strategy many times in Paynsville so its only logical to think that he would try the kidnapping tactic again. This time he wasn’t patient enough to wait for an individual child, and because of that, the search kicked off too fast for him to release Jacob and slide quietly into the night One last thing, I read a story where it says that Aaron was groped before he was told to run to the woods. It said that police held that information from the public until now, and that very piece of information shows the motive of the kidnapper, we can rule out all other theories. So here we have a guy with known ties to St. Joseph who gropes kids when trying to assault them, who said a similar line to Jared when he told him to run, and who was routinely assaulting other kids in the area leading up to the kidnapping. Folks, the tires and the shoe print are the clincher. This is the man who took Jacob, I only hope they can protect him in jail long enough to find out where he is. Joy, thank you for all your hard work!
41. Jim | November 9, 2015 at 5:36 pm
so what happened to the ford exp, why was it never searched , how long did he own it after the tires were checked , did he sell it , or scrap it , it could still be there somewhere
42. Ryan | November 9, 2015 at 5:59 pm
I’m shocked that they didn’t monitor Danny Heinrich more after they interviewed him twice later that year and in the spring of 1990. I know that they kept survelliance on him for a while but then they stopped. Also, did he live with his dad at the time in Paynesville at that apartment? Where was his dad that night? I mean does Heinrich have any alibi?? What was his work schedule at Fingerhut? Was he at work the next morning October 23, 1989.
I think its also weird that they have another person of interest they arrested in January of 1990 named Duane Hart who was 14 years older than Danny Heinrich. Hart admitted that he knew the Heinrich brothers and lived with Danny’s brother for a time in the 1980’s. Hart is a convicted sexual predator in the area also and he admitted to molesting Danny’s brother but not Danny himself when they were younger…. in the 1970’s. Now Hart even says himself that he thinks Danny abducted Jacob.
Also, you guys might be on to something about Danny’s brother. He has been in denial about Danny being involved in Jacob’s disappearance but how is he so sure? I think the FBI need to keep digging in to Danny and try to get him to confess. For example they could offer him some kind of protection to admitting where Jacob is in return to get protective custody in jail or something. They need to negotiate something.
I definetly think that Jared’s assault case in early 1989, and the Paynesville assault cases are all linked to Jacob’s abduction. I mean the guy had the same description, there is a DNA match, he had the same MO, telling the boys to run or he would shoot. I just think he got sicker over time and took more risks…. that is typically what happens to sexual predators. He probably wanted to fan out from Paynesville and go to other towns in the area. Also, it was probably a high for him to risk being caught. I mean he probably didn’t even care that he got caught. I think each assault/ abduction was a spontaneous high… (he was in the area) and saw and opportunity and took the risk. He could have even driven up Rassier’s driveway to fool the police in to believing it was Rassier himself. But I agree, most likely this guy definetly had a car and didn’t live in the immediate area at the very least. Keep this conversation going. Great work to all of you and to Joy Baker.
43. sheila | November 9, 2015 at 7:08 pm
Just a thought. Back then, scanners could pickup cordless telephone conversations. Possible, the strange car at the apartment bldg. near Wetterling’s home. Heinrich had a scanner as told in news articles.
44. Derek | November 9, 2015 at 9:31 pm
I don’t think the abductor was just planning to assault Jacob. I think he was planning on keeping him. I think Jacob’s body would have been found and Heinrich would have murdered other kids. I think that whoever took Jacob was stalking him. But Jacob never left the house before. I think he must have seen him during the day. I think the abductor had some connection with Rassier. I think he knew about him enough to know he worked as a teacher and had work the next day. And that his parents weren’t home. I think the abductor could have planned to take Jacob from his home at night but overheard them going to the store Or heard them exit the house from the woods behind Jacob’s house. He could of overheard them and ran back into the woods across the street to head back to his car which is why Aaron heard someone in the woods. Heinrich abducted Jared because of the location. But Jacob was already in a dark area. I think the abductor wasn’t just trying to assault someone. In Jared’s case no one saw him get taken and in Paynesville when Heinrich grabbed a victim and the witness ran off Heinrich ran off as well he didn’t try to drag the victim away or stop the witness. Where as in Jacob’s case it seems that the abductor’s entire goal was to take Jacob. It just seems like the only reason Jared was even abducted was because he was taken from a street while Heinrich was in his car. It seems like if Heinrich had place to park his car and could have grabbed Jared and dragged him to a dark spot that abducting him wouldn’t have happened.
45. Elizabeth | November 9, 2015 at 9:38 pm
I am compelled to bring attention to, as Tamara and Chealsie have, the significance of Danny Heinrich’s voice. In the recent Kare11 interview on November 4, Jared said when he attended Heinrich’s court hearing, he recognized Heinrich’s voice from the incident which occurred 26 years earlier. It makes sense to see if Trevor and Aaron recognize Heinrich’s voice.
46. Todd | November 9, 2015 at 9:39 pm
When Jared was taken didn’t this guy utter “do you recognize me?” Given the guy was already kind of a squirrely loner why would there be cause to be recognized. I keep thinking about this. What kind of background did he have in the area and why would he be recognized easily? All I keep hearing was that he was jobless and kept to himself.
I kind of figured when someone shone a light on this guy there were going to be some who didn’t like it. Looks like we see the first glimmerings of that in this thread.
47. Curious Georgia | November 9, 2015 at 11:24 pm
I agree with the voice connection. Do the police or FBI have witnesses listen to different voices to see if there is recognition?
48. Curious Georgia | November 9, 2015 at 11:36 pm
It seems like if he was stalking Jacob he would’ve asked his name because as I recall from news articles, the abductor asked for ages. And Jacob and Aaron were the same age and resembled each other so how would he have known which one was Jacob? I wonder if Dan Rassier was ever asked about who he had talked to who would know his parents were out of town and that he had to go to work the next day?
49. Tracy | November 10, 2015 at 6:35 am
I don’t know if I’m convinced he took Jacob though. After reading the comment from the girl that worked at the Tom Thumb. What if it was that weirdo.
50. Ryan | November 10, 2015 at 12:12 pm
Heinrich lived in an apartment in Paynesville during the time Jacob was abducted. I guess he worked in St. Cloud at the time as well from the information I have gathered.
51. Ryan | November 10, 2015 at 12:16 pm
Honestly… no offense Curious Georgia… but I don’t think the voice connection would be very accurate. A lot of voices sound similar and plus Heinrich’s voice may have changed over the years as he has gotten older. During the abduction he may have changed the tone of his voice a little or had a cold that could have altered his normal voice as well. Even if Trevor, Aaron, and Jared could recognize his voice I don’t think it would prove much in terms of finding enough evidence to convict Heinrich.
52. Nikki | November 10, 2015 at 5:40 pm
Your work has been tremendous Joy. Your diligence and persistence is obvious and the work put forth is paying off. I completely agree with you and the other commenters: ANY detail could be pertinent to the case, even if you think it’s insignificant. I pray for resolution, I pray for peace.
My 8 year old son had mentioned the man’s credit card statement — could be worth checking into that month if available. I agree on questioning the brother more. If the two lived together he surely had to stumble upon the binders of pictures and/or know of his brother’s activity from time to time. Also, did Heinrich work the following day if he was employed? I think having Aaron hear Heinrich’s voice might help. What vehicle was registered to Heinrich and his brother(s)?
53. Jennifer | November 10, 2015 at 7:18 pm
I agree that an attempt at voice recognition with the other boys would be important.
I just want to say that I sure hope someone in law enforcement feels compelled to apologize to Dan Rassier. I can’t imagine what he has been through. Not that an apology can make up for what he and his family have been through, but it would be a nice start. Dan, if you are reading this please know many of us knew you were innocent. Knew it!!
I keep thinking about the bins of clothing. Why did he keep them? Are they from victims?
54. Curious Georgia | November 10, 2015 at 11:06 pm
I agree that Dan Rassier needs an apology; public preferably. I hope someone in the sheriffs dept or FBI has enough character to offer an apology. My heart hurts thinking of how his parents were treated.
55. Sue | November 11, 2015 at 12:53 am
As scary as it would be for Trevor and Aaron to hear it, I do think there is a real key in having Danny say those words and let them hear…I suppose there is some reason why that would not be considered enough final proof it WAS him (sad, huh? Imagine if you were a victim and KNEW the voice was that of your offender and yet nothing would really be done about it!). I know they have said in the child porn they found, Jacob’s picture was not found, but I read they DID find videotape of coverage of his story – which I find very creepy and not to be overlooked as significant. Was there footage of any of the other assaults or other news stories whatsoever? If it was just about Jacob – well, HELLO!! The shoe print and tire tracks, as someone else pointed out, are so very significant because they BOTH exist. Were it one or the other that matched Danny – then of course there would be a lot of doubt. But come on – THEY BOTH MATCH. The chances of that happening and it NOT being him are slim to none! I was 20 at the time Jacob was taken. I know have 4 kids and one is a boy who is 12. He is full of life and sweet and wonderful…just the way Jacob was. I am praying some justice is served here and the Wetterlings can have some peace. Thanks for your work, Joy!
56. Frelis schulz | November 11, 2015 at 7:10 am
My first thought was to tell dee ef gee to go to hell but I won’t…I’ll just think it…this is about Joy’s emotional journal also …the highs and lows of trying to make sense (which she has ) of the madness we have all felt during the long years Jacob has been missing…ive been emotional and I’m not nearly connected as she…let’s keep our focus positive and keep tthinking Jacob….
57. Bonnie Thompson | November 11, 2015 at 11:27 am(Edit)
I just want to say that I really admire all these positive messages and curious thoughts. THIS is why there is hope. This is proof to me there is more good in the world than bad. You guys ALL are wonderful. I know in my heart Jacob did not go missing for no reason and that somehow someway this will not stay a kept secret. He will rest in sweet peace. One day the light will hit EVERY aspect of this and the questions will just fade out.. @Joy ive not seen many negative comments toward you but ehhh screw those negative thinkers, weve got bigger fish to fry. Thanks for doing this. You are brilliant and I love your thoughts and reading them, I WISH I could have the guts to let people read so many of my personal thoughts and wonders. I WISH! 🙂 So much love to you and your family. You are just great!!! Joy the GRRRrreat!
58. Kathryn | November 11, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Joy, I was struck by one of the maps of the abduction area that you’ve posted on your blog. You’ve asked: Did Heinrich have any ties to St. Joseph? Recent articles on Heinrich mention that he was in the National Guard. On your map, I see that the St. Joseph Armory was just around the bend from the Tom Thumb. Is it possible that there were National Guard exercises during the weekend of the abduction, and is it possible that even though Heinrich didn’t live in St. Joseph, he would have had reason to be at the Armory? The investigation attempted to find attendees of the Del-Win Ballroom Polka Fest for that date, which was near the Armory, so I would guess (and hope) that authorities checked out who was at the Armory the day and night of the abduction. It’s probably a long shot, probably unrelated, but I was struck by the proximity of the Armory to the Tom Thumb, and of learning that Danny Heinrich, the recently named person of interest, was a member of the National Guard.
59. Lisa | November 11, 2015 at 8:32 pm
It is reported that Danny Heinrich was a member of the Minnesota National Guard in the 1980’s. If I remember right, the MN National Guard was heavily involved in the search for Jacob. Has anyone looked to see if Danny Heinrich was part of that search?
60. Curious Georgia | November 11, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Excellent question, Lisa. That would be good to look at I would think.
61. SARA | November 12, 2015 at 8:05 am
Camp Riley is where the national guard does their drills. It is located in Little falls which is 39 minutes from St. Joseph. It is 53,000 acres.
62. Melissa | November 12, 2015 at 9:09 am
Kathryn excellent question about the St.Joseph Armory being right around the bend from Tom Thumb. Maybe he had been there and saw the boys coming up the road. I heard he was in the Nat. Guard, but hadn’t heard about a St. Joseph Armory. Something to check into
63. LeAnn | November 12, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Your writings caught my radar when the word dumpster came up, would there be a reason he may need one?? Who knows. Black boots….the national guard wear black boots.
64. rr | November 12, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Great work Joy! I am new to reading about Jacob after so many years but as a dad and human being, my heart breaks for the Wetterling family.
Regarding the tennis shoes/boots question…Could the abductor have worn long black shin guards? I would think they could have been confused for boots especially in poor lighting conditions. When I think about a kid being overpowered by a grown man, kicking is probably a common means of escape. Possibly the abductor had experienced this in an earlier attempt.
I searched military shin guards and came up with the following photo but there are many other examples too.
http://dismagazine.com/uploads/2011/03/8108_Knee-Shin-Pads-e1300732762621.jpeg
65. Liz | November 13, 2015 at 8:12 pm
Heinrich was a member of the national guard unit in Willmar. Most units drill at their armory; he wouldn’t have been likely to be at the armory in St. Joseph. All units train at Camp Ripley at some point and some units are based there. But most units in the MN National Guard do their weekend drills at their home unit’s armory in whichever city or town that unit is in, if that makes sense. The news has reported that the St. Cloud guard unit was part of the search for Jacob. Heinrich was unlikely to have been a part of that unless he participated as a volunteer.
66. KAK | November 13, 2015 at 10:59 pm
I was a 7 year old living in the Twin Cities when Jacob disappeared. I remember learning of his kidnapping and seeing his picture all over the news and all over the front page of the Strib. He was 4 years older than me, and I thought how could this happen to a kid who is so happy (which I judged not based on personally knowing him, but rather based on his smile in his now famous picture). I wondered how could this happen to a kid who was older than me, and who I saw as invincible. How could this happen in a safe, small town where nothing is ever supposed to happen?
Now, I’m 32, I am married, and I have a child of my own, but when I see that picture of Jacob, it’s like time has stood still, and I’m a 7 year old girl again wondering how this could happen to an older kid that I look up to. As a mother myself, I can’t even imagine the pain that Patty and Jerry Wetterling suffer every day not knowing what happened to one of their children. As a sister, I can’t imagine the pain that Jacob’s siblings feel not knowing what happened to their brother. I admire their strength and will to carry on, and hope that they know that the entire state of Minnesota, if not the country, is always behind them in their search for Jacob.
I found your blog just recently, following the announcement of Danny Heinrich’s arrest for child pornography and his status as a person of interest in Jacob’s disappearance. I wanted to get up to speed with the status of the investigation, so I read all of your currently available posts about the Jacob Wetterling investigation. I admire all of the research you have done in your quest to try to aid law enforcement in solving this case. Like so many others, I find it so frustrating and disheartening that 26 years later, we still don’t know what happened to Jacob or where he is. With that in mind, I do have several questions about the case after reading all of your currently available Wetterling posts:
1) Maybe this is common knowledge, but what led investigators to interview Danny Heinrich in the initial 1989-1990 investigation about Jared’s abduction and assault and the Wetterling disappearance in the first place? Why was he suspected then? Was it the sketch that was produced based on Jared’s description? Was it the information about the car that he drove when he assaulted Jared combined with the information about the car and the tire tracks on Rassier’s farm after Jacob’s abduction? Did he have a KNOWN history of child molestation prior to the assault on Jared (it didn’t seem like it given that he wasn’t picked up when the Paynesville molestations were occurring)?
2) Jennifer – the Bennie who worked at Tom Thumb – has she been interviewed again since the arrest of Heinrich? Was Heinrich the man in the Tom Thumb looking for soup and saltines after Jacob’s disappearance and then laughing while saying that Jacob would never be found?
3) I read the contents of the search warrant for Heinrich’s Annandale house (http://heavy.com/news/2015/10/danny-james-heinrich-jacob-wetterling-arrest-suspect-missing-family-facebook/). It discusses the search warrants that were previously exercised for Heinrich’s father’s house in Paynesville Twp, and the items that were found there. I found the location of his father’s residence on Google Maps, and noticed that it’s near a large lake (Lake Koronis). Heinrich was living at that house at the time of Jacob’s abduction. There are also several large lakes around Richmond, near where the warrant suggested Heinrich had taken Jared before he assaulted him. There’s another lake outside of St. Joseph called Kraemer Lake, which I recall being the name that Heinrich gave Jared just before abducting him. Given the disturbing statement that the man in Tom Thumb said to Jennifer all those years ago, have or will searches be conducted in or around any of those bodies of water for Jacob? I know there are a lot of lakes in that part of the state, so it’s probably not practical without more information…
5) Finally, I’m concerned about the WCCO news story that I just read from yesterday about an arson that occurred in a home that Heinrich had a history of visiting all those years ago. The fire was started in a basement storage area just a few weeks after Jacob’s abduction. The thing that concerns me most is that all of the evidence from that fire was disposed of. I wonder what they do with the debris that they clean up from fire scenes. Even though they did not save it, is there any possibility that that evidence could be recovered from some location where companies that clean up fire debris send that debris? Or is it mixed in and buried under 26 years of newer debris from fire cleanups? http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/11/12/is-wetterling-person-of-interest-connected-to-a-1989-arson/
I am relieved that Jared has been able to get the answers for the crime that was committed against him all those years ago. As for Jacob, the evidence – circumstantial or not – is certainly stacking up against Heinrich, but the crucial pieces of the puzzle that link him to Jacob, such as Jacob’s clothes, photos of Jacob, etc. are still missing. Of course, it would be easiest for all of us if Heinrich would just confess to the abduction and fill in the details that occurred after the fact, but given his history of denying crimes that he committed (such as his assault on Jared), it just doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to start talking now. It’s so frustrating. Surely, he understands that Jacob and all of the boys that he victimized are sons with loving parents, possibly brothers with loving siblings, and friends. As Patty has said again and again, it’s time to bring Jacob home.
67. Pamela Brown | November 14, 2015 at 2:40 pm
Good points, KAK. One thing that I read just a day or two ago was that when Heinrich was originally questioned in 1989 he ‘lawyered up’ and then he was not charged and let go. Would someone do that if they had nothing to hide? I don’t think so.
68. SARA | November 15, 2015 at 8:55 am
I find it interesting that no assaults occured after jacobs abduction. Am I wrong? If that is so, that indicates to me that perhaps jacob remained alive because heinrichs behavior changed. A sex addict always needs his “fix”.
One good thing about the arson is that obviously they found no fatalities in that fire. What was being hidden? Doesn’t make sense as obviously it wasn’t porn stuff because there was tons of that in his home. So the question remains, what was the fire about? How did it get started, by a cigarette? Interesting to see what the fire chief thinks started that fire. Did heinrich smoke? The victims mention smoke smells on the perps hands. What about the mental issues with heinrichs brother? Did he have a raspy voice also? Did he smoke? It will take a village to solve this crime. I have to say I think Joy in herself alone is a village. What a remarkable woman, to of uncovered as much as she has and to of stayed with this. It only takes one person to change the world. Joy is that change! Thank you Joy, you are truly a blessing!
69. clarence dee | November 15, 2015 at 9:29 am
Hey Joy: just heard you on the star tribune website. You are getting better and better at this…hang in there,
70. Curious Georgia | November 15, 2015 at 10:37 pm
It seems hard to believe, if Heinrich indeed is Jacob’s abductor, that he could have kept him alive and no one in that small town would not have known. It seems more likely that it would have been too risky to act again after the manhunt for Jacob ensued and a composite drawing of the suspect was released. It had been pretty easy to continue to grab boys in Paynesville and not be pursued too seriously by the police but it was a different story with Jacob’s abduction. Before Jacob’s abduction,It appears that the molester moved to other towns outside of Paynesville not because of police action so much as starting to be recognized by the boys he had previously accosted.
71. Kathryn | November 16, 2015 at 12:55 pm
According to the recent report by WCCO, the suspected arson at a Paynesville home that Heinrich is known to have visited happened early Sunday morning, November 12, 1989. According to the search warrant for Heinrich, when he was questioned on 1/24/1990, he said he was unemployed at the time of Jacob’s abduction and couldn’t provide an alibi, but he said he was not in St. Joseph that weekend. He spent his Sundays “driving around Paynesville, washing clothes, or watching a movie….After consulting his records, [Heinrich’s] last day of work at Fingerhut Corporation was 10/8/1989 and he was unemployed until 11/12/1989 when he started at North Star Mailing in St. Cloud, MN.”
The day Heinrich gave for starting his new job is November 12, 1989, the same day of the suspected arson. The arson happened early that morning. We aren’t given a specific time; “early morning” could mean any time from 12 a.m. on. Of course, we don’t know that Heinrich had anything to do with the arson, and whether starting a job that same day means he is less likely to be connected to the arson, or if he had a reason now that he would be working again to go to that house before he started his new job. The search warrant says Heinrich moved out of his residence that same month, 11/89, and doesn’t give the exact date that he moved, but it says he lived at his residence “through November 1989,” so he must have moved at the end of the month. He moved into his father’s residence.
72. Donavon Mickelson | June 20, 2016 at 2:24 am
I recall shortly after the abduction of Jared that the abductor had boots on like someone in the military. I thought it was important then and still believe it is.