Patty Wetterling - Son's Abduction

Son's Abduction

In 1999, for the 10th anniversary of Jacob's abduction, Patty Wetterling decided to write an open letter to the abductor. Minnesota newspapers agreed to print it for her. Wetterling consulted the FBI for advice on how to word the letter. In the letter, Wetterling asks the abductor if Jacob is still with him. She offers compassion for the abductor, and says that all little boys, including the abductor when he was one, deserve a happy childhood. She tells him she's sorry if he did not have one, that she does not see him as an ugly, dirty old man, and that she hopes that if he ever goes fishing and catches something he cooks it for Jacob. She writes that she and her family are looking for answers, that only he can answer them, and that she wants to know what became of Jacob after the kidnapping. The letter generated some tips, but nothing substantial.

Also in early 2004, news reports circulated that new evidence was being considered in the abduction of her son. News outlets in the Twin Cities indicated that another boy had been assaulted not long before Jacob disappeared. Police were also ruling out the long-held belief that the abductor had gotten away in a car.

In 2010, news reports again focused upon an earth-moving project occurring on the Rassier farm, in close proximity to the Wetterlings' property. (The Wetterlings still live in the vicinity in which Jacob, his brother and a friend were riding at the time Jacob was abducted.) The Stearns County Sheriff, along with the FBI, were reportedly digging deep into the earth to remove some dirt. They took it away, apparently to be evaluated and tested in the police laboratory.