Murder of Jacob Wetterling
Jacob Wetterling | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jacob Erwin Wetterling February 17, 1978 Long Prairie, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | October 22, 1989 (aged 11) Paynesville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Body discovered | September 1, 2016 Paynesville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Burial place | St. John's Abbey Cemetery 45°34′32″N 94°23′45″W / 45.5756533°N 94.3958367°W |
| Mother | Patty Wetterling |
On October 22, 1989, Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an 11‑year‑old from St. Joseph, Minnesota, was kidnapped from his hometown and murdered later that night. His abductor's identity remained unknown for nearly 27 years. On September 1, 2016, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension recovered human remains from a pasture near Paynesville, about 30 miles from the abduction site. On September 3, Wetterling's family announced that the remains were Jacob's, and authorities confirmed the identification through dental records. On September 6, Danny Heinrich, a long‑time person of interest in the 1989 abduction and sexual assault of 12‑year‑old Jared Scheierl, confessed to kidnapping and murdering Wetterling, as well as abducting and assaulting Scheierl.