Suspect named in Jacob Wetterling disappearance

[Brickbat]

Investigators have named an Annandale man as a suspect in the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, the first time a suspect has ever been named in the 26-year-old mystery.

Authorities say they arrested Danny James Heinrich, 52, at his home Wednesday night on suspicion of receiving and possessing child pornography and have linked him to the abduction of the 11-year-old boy. He has not been charged in the Wetterling case.

Heinrich’s home was searched on July 28 by Stearns County authorities seeking possible evidence, including Jacob’s jacket. The warrant said no jacket was found, nor was any evidence directly linking him to Jacob’s disappearance.

But DNA was discovered on some clothing that may link Heinrich to a boy who was sexually assaulted in 1989, and Heinrich lives in an area where several other boys have been assaulted.

http://www.startribune.com/

Cross posted from LBN. Just posted Strib link, as I'm sure things will change as the press conference moves forward; I think it's happening now. Here's hoping for some closure...or at least progress.

[chillfactor]

1. Jacob's family really needs closure...

I remember that abduction and how devastating the fall-out was....it was a case that broke my heart....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. There's no such thing as "closure."

But they certainly deserve to know what happened to him.

[kickysnana]

3. My youngest was born the same month and year as Jacob.

It could have been any ones child. At the time it was everyone's child.

Hoping finally for some justice.

[ANOIS]

5. My youngest also (a boy)

but not the same month. It hit just as hard.

Everyone's child is so true.

Patty Wetterling is one of my heroes.

[Snobblevitch]

4. If this guy ends up being the person

who kidnapped Jacob, I feel sorry for the poor bastard who lives nearby and has had his farm searched several times and once was even excavated.

[scarletwoman]

6. Not a "suspect", a "person of interest" - per the clip of the press conference I heard on MPR

on my way home from work. The official who was speaking used the term "person of interest" in the clip.

We'll have to wait to see what the investigation turns up before the guy actually becomes a "suspect", or if he ever does.

[dflprincess]

7. This surprises me

I always figured it would turn out to be someone the church had sent to St. John's for "treatment".

I hope they have finally caught the guy and the family will get some answers.

[Snobblevitch]

8. Wow...

I'm not Catholic, I'm not defending anyone involved in sexual abuse done by members of the Catholic church, but has there ever been a priest caught abducting a child off the highway? It's my understanding that their victims have been members of their own parrish.

[dflprincess]

9. I'm not much of a Catholic anymore

but you would be surprised at the number of Catholics (including some elderly relatives - and those really shocked me) who have also speculated on this.

The reason they attacked kids in their own parishes was because it was easy to get to their victims. St. John's was (is?) one of the places they were sent to "recover". Do you really think that someone that twisted wouldn't be capable of grabbing a child off a street if that's the only way he could get to one?

[Snobblevitch]

10. Has a priest ever been caught doing this?

[dflprincess]

11. Not that I know of

how many child molester do get caught for abducting a child? It's taken 26 years for this guy to be publicly named a "person of interest".

And for how long did how many priests get by with molesting kids they had easy access to?

So, a child is abducted from a spot not too far where a child molesters are sent for counseling - you really think the police never checked that out as possibility (assuming the church hadn't kept it so quiet not even law enforcement knew they were there)?

[Snobblevitch]

12. I don't know if St. John's priests were investigated

about the Jacob Wetterling. My guess is that they were not.

I would bet the guy they are investigating is a more likely person to have abducted Jason rather than a priest from St. John's.

As a former Catholic, it might be satisfying to speculate about a priest being guilty of abducting Jacob, but it is mere speculation and not related to reality.

I'm not defending the atrocities committed by priests, it just bugs me to smear all priests without any evidence. If you give a link to a story about a priest who abducted a child from a highway, I will certainly admit I am wrong in my point of view.

[dflprincess]

13. I'm not saying all the priests at St. John's

but the abbey was used as place where "troubled" priests and brothers were sent for counseling. This includes ones who were sent there after being caught molesting children in their parishes.

There have also been accusations against the monks who taught at St. John's prep school and the Abbey did turn their records about them over to investigators in the last few years.

This is a link to a story WCCO ran about it in 2011 though it only mentions those who taught at the school.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/04/28/accused-of-sexual-abuse-the-monks-that-live-next-door/

[jwirr]

14. St John's is a place where priest who were abusers were

sent to receive counseling. No one is saying that the local churches priest was the one who abducted Jacob. Many people in counseling just walk away from their programs.

I was once driving down a road in front of a treatment center for drugs and was angry at the car in front of me for stopping for no reason. Turned out that as soon as the car stopped 3 kids ran out of the ditch and jumped into the car and it sped away. I LOL as I realized they were escapees.

I am not say that it was a priest but I am very sure that the police did investigate.