“We’d chat about the weather or you know, just small talk, nothing in depth”.
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Along with the sentence, Heinrich will be required to register as a sex offender and “may never be released again”, the Star Tribune reports, citing the county attorney.
The man who abducted, sexually molested and killed 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling in 1989 stood before a judge Tuesday and gave chilling details of the Minnesota boy’s final moments.
(AP Photo/Craig Lassig, File).
She became a national advocate for missing children, and with her husband, Jerry Wetterling, founded the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, which works to help communities and families prevent child exploitation.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – For almost 27 years, one man knew where Jacob Wetterling was. However, he has pled guilty to “one count of receiving child pornography, a crime for which he is expected to spend 20 years behind bars”, reports the Star Tribune.
“This was not an opportunity we could pass up – after nearly 27 years, Danny Heinrich was willing to talk, and we had to grab the moment”, Luger said.
For 10 months, prosecutors said they had been willing to negotiate, but it wasn’t until ten days ago when Danny Heinrich’s lawyers said he was willing to deal. He admitted to sexually assaulting the child and then shooting him in panic after seeing a police auto drive by on the outskirts of Roscoe, Minnesota.
“Any plea agreement with Heinrich would have to include a lengthy prison sentence and an confession that could be independently verified”, said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
“Heinrich has been held in custody since last October on federal child pornography charges at which point authorities said he was a person of interest in Jacob’s disappearance”. His smiling face was burned into Minnesota’s psyche, appearing on countless posters and billboards over the years.
Heinrich had always been under investigators’ scrutiny.
Heinrich was known to police already at the time of Jacob’s death – but for another case. Part of this negotiation was he wouldn’t face murder charges.
“He’s taught us all how to live, how to love, how to be fair, how to be kind”, Wetterling said.
The Star Tribune reports that “Heinrich pulled the auto onto a country road that he knew well, one with a field approach about 100 yards ahead”.
The federal and state investigators talked to the Wetterlings and explained that the statute of limitations would not allow them to bring sexual assault or kidnapping charges and they did not have the evidence to prove murder, Luger said. After asking the boys their names and ages, he told Trevor and Aaron to run, keeping Jacob behind. They didn’t have Jacob’s body, so they couldn’t file murder charges against Heinrich for the killing.
“Running HOME for Jacob” – a 5K run planned by the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC) – will be held October 22, exactly 27 years after he was abducted from a rural road in his hometown of St. Joseph.
Asked whether he abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered Jacob, Heinrich said: “Yes, I did”.
Investigators zeroed in on Heinrich then but J.S. was unable to identify him, Sanner said. But he led authorities to Jacob’s remains last week, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing case.
Heinrich said he replied “OK, you can get dressed”.
“He started to cry”.
Heinrich said at some point a patrol vehicle with sirens and lights passing nearby caused him to panic. He said he panicked, pulled his revolver and put two rounds inside.
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He said he told Jacob to turn away from him because he had to use the bathroom. The gun didn’t fire.
