by Dennis Dalman
A monument in honor of Jacob Wetterling was recently installed on the west side of Brian Klinefelter Park in St. Joseph.
The monument was a project coordinated by the Wetterling family and friends and the City of St. Joseph.
Jacob was only 11 years old when he was abducted near his St. Joseph home on Oct. 22, 1989. At the time, he, a younger brother and a friend were bicycling home on a dirt road after renting a movie and buying treats at a convenience store. A man got out of his car and ordered Jacob to get into it. He was never seen again until 27 years later when his abductor-murderer led authorities to a shallow grave near a pasture near Paynesville. That is where Jacob’s remains were recovered. It was learned on the same night he was abducted, Jacob had been driven to a site near Paynesville. There he was sexually abused and then shot in the head twice by his abductor not far from where he was then buried.
Jacob’s granite memorial monument shows an etched photograph of him along with 11 virtues Jacob demonstrated throughout his young life. They are these:
Be fair.
Be honest.
Be thankful.
Be joyful.
Be generous.
Be understanding.
Be positive.
Be a good sport.
Be a good friend.
Be gentle with others.
Be kind.
Jacob was the son of Patty and Jerry Wetterling. After his abduction, the couple helped found the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center that provides help for families of missing children and adults. It also educates people on ways to prevent abduction and sexual exploitation of children.
Jacob’s unsolved horrific abduction made news nationwide and beyond, to the point the name “Jacob” became connected to the devastation caused by missing children.
Last year, a book about Jacob was published, written by Patty Wetterling and friend and co-author Joy Baker. Entitled “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope,” the book describes the heartbreaking grief, agony, anxiety and hope the Wetterlings and others endured for so many years after Jacob’s vicious abduction.
Danny Heinrich, the man who committed the crime, was discovered living in Annandale and was charged with possession of child pornography. Later, he confessed to Jacob’s abduction/murder. He remains in prison, and it is unlikely he will ever be released.
Klinefelter
It’s a sorrowful irony that murder-victim Jacob’s memorial was installed in a park named in honor of another murder victim, St. Joseph police officer Brian Klinefelter. On Jan. 29, 1996, Klinefelter was shot by one of three young men in a car after Klinefelter conducted a traffic stop on Hwy 75 in St. Joseph. The three men were suspected of robbing an Albany liquor store earlier that day. Klinefelter died of his injuries one hour after he was shot. He left behind a wife and their 3-month-old daughter. There is a monument to honor Klinefelter in the park that was named after him.
Jacob Wetterling was a very happy, lively, clever and active boy who loved to play outdoors.
The Jacob Wetterling memorial monument is shown shortly before its installation in Klinefelter Park. To the left a large rock that was placed there years ago in Jacob’s memory, when he was still missing. The monument is only about one mile from Jacob’s home and the place where he was abducted on Oct. 22, 1989.
