When authorities used sophisticated new DNA testing on some of Jared’s clothing past year, court documents say they discovered a match to Danny Heinrich. He said he acted alone. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner and a forensic odontologist identified the remains as Wetterling’s earlier today. Additional DNA testing will be performed by the BCA. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the FBI, the Stearns County Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office are now in the process of reviewing and evaluating new evidence in the Jacob Wetterling investigation.
When asked by a prosecutor if he returned to the burial site one year later, Heinrich said yes, and detailed how he dug up and collected Jacob’s remains and put them in a garbage bag.
Danny Heinrich, the man who led authorities to the remains of Jacob Wetterling, admitted in U.S. District Court Tuesday, Sept. 6, that he abducted and killed the 11-year-old boy some 27 years ago.
As part of the plea agreement, Heinrich will not face state murder charges. Light up the state and show his family our support. “We have no words”.
She and husband Jerry set up the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, which aims to prevent the exploitation of children.
“There’s grief and also a big relief that we can finally put the story to rest”, said Jeff Kummer. It shines on in a different way. Jacob Wetterling was abducted months later, and investigators long suspected that the two cases were related.
Heinrich confronted the boys, told Jacob’s brother and friend to run and forced Jacob into the vehicle.
Heinrich said he left Jacob there and went home to his Paynesville apartment. He was never charged in that case.
Heinrich was in court Tuesday because he had been charged with 25 counts of child pornography in a separate case from Wetterling’s abduction.
Heinrich took the stand and gave disturbing details of the attack, CBS Minnesota reported via Twitter. “My prayers are with them”.
And, if they are honest, they will tell you that those sidelong glances continue to this day – as do making sure kids you know are close by.
Danny Heinrich, who was indicted past year on 25 child pornography counts, was scheduled to go to trial next month on the charges.
WCCO reported that within the first four months after Wetterling’s abduction, Heinrich was contacted by Stearns County investigators and the Federal Bureau of Investigation four times.
“The spark began in the moments after the abduction of Jacob Wetterling, when his family decided that light is stronger than darkness”. He said at that time that he was not involved in the case, authorities have said.
As a 13-year-old in 1986, Troy Cole, of Paynesville, was pulled off his bike and sexually assaulted not far from where Wetterling’s remains were found. Cole believes Heinrich assaulted him. “I want the Wetterlings to know I had no idea”, David told KARE.
Jacob’s mother, Patty Wetterling, and other family members appeared at the same news conference with Luger. “I’m still processing it in some ways”, he told WCCO-TV.
His mother, Patty Wetterling, always kept hope her son would be found alive.
Here’s a snapshot of what happened since Jacob was taken.
According to McDonough’s report, Heinrich said Jacob asked, “What did I do wrong?”
Authorities named Heinrich as a person of interest last October when they announced the child pornography charges.
A year after the kidnapping, Heinrich returns to where he buried Jacob and notices his jacket is partially exposed, according to his 2016 testimony.
But most times a slow stream of vehicles moved at a crawl around the curve in the road as drivers and passengers gazed out the windows.