Following his prison sentence, a civil commitment is possible, meaning he could spend the rest of his life in custody. She thanked all the law enforcement officials who helped solve the almost 27-year-old mystery of her son’s abduction.
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“I want to say ‘Jacob, I’m so sorry.’ It’s incredibly painful to know his … last hours, last minutes”, Patty Wetterling said, according to the Star Tribune.
The Star Tribune reported that Heinrich also detailed his molestation of another boy, 12-year-old Jared Scheierl, in Cold Spring, Minnesota, nine months before he abducted and murdered Jacob.
Danny Heinrich, 53, confessed to abducting, sexually assaulting and killing 11-year old Jacob Wetterlin in 1989.
Patty Wetterling says Jacob was alive to his family up until authorities found his remains last week. Still, she said, her son’s legacy will continue.
Patty and Jerry Wetterling agreed to support the deal. 11 for Jacob – 11 things that people of all ages can do so that we nurture a culture of kindness and compassion.
Jacob wore a red No. 11 jersey when playing youth sports. Heinrich panicked upon hearing a police auto, loaded his revolver, shot the boy and buried him in a place finally uncovered last week, federal authorities said.
Heinrich faces the statutory maximum of 20 years on the child pornography count, though Judge John Tunheim will decide his sentence.
Heinrich is set to be sentenced November 21.
Local, state and federal authorities kept Jacob’s abduction a top priority for decades and chased more than 50,000 leads over the years.
In chilling detail, Heinrich stood before a federal judge Tuesday and calmly described how he abducted, molested and killed Jacob, as some members of the Wetterling family cried. A flurry of negotiations began, but nothing was guaranteed until Heinrich signed his plea agreement in court Tuesday and publicly admitted what he did. “And, of course, we need to bring Jacob home”.
Heinrich had been on authorities’ radar since Jacob’s abduction, Loven said.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – For almost 27 years, one man knew where Jacob Wetterling was.
As part of the deal, which Jacob’s family approved, prosecutors insisted that Heinrich lead them to the boy’s remains.
Jacob went missing near his home in St Joseph in October 1989.
Danny Heinrich’s status conference is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
Among the key factors, authorities took a fresh look at the case in 2014, as the 25-year-anniversary of Jacob’s abduction approached.
Heinrich was never charged in that case.
2010: Investigators spend two days searching and digging at a farm near where Jacob Wetterling was last seen.
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The buried remains were identified as Jacob’s on Saturday.
