Questions surrounding Jacob Wetterling abduction are answered, 27 years later

Since 1989, a family and an entire state were haunted by a question: What happened to the 11-year-old boy who was abducted on a rural road in St. Joseph, Minnesota?  Earlier this month, the mystery was finally solved when Jacob Wetterling’s murderer recounted in federal court the horrific details of the boy’s final hours.

Danny Henirich, 53, said he kidnapped the boy, drove him into the countryside and sexually assaulted him before executing him. He confessed as part of a deal with federal prosecutors and after leading authorities to Jacob’s shallow grave in the town of Paynesville, in central Minnesota.

Heinrich pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography and is expected to spend 20 years in prison. The unusual deal was struck with the approval of Jacob’s parents, Patty and Jerry Wetterling, who have become advocates for missing and exploited children.

Read the Star Tribune report here.

Read the St. Paul Pioneer Press report here.

Ryder Cup brings trafficking concerns

The Ryder Cup comes to Chaska later this month, bringing concerns about the potential for a spike in sex trafficking.

In an Aug. 26 report, Liz Collin of WCCO-TV detailed how authorities are combing online websites like backpage.com and residents are being urged to report suspicious activity in neighborhoods where there are hotels and homes to rent.

Chaska’s population is expected to swell from 20,000 to 80,000 when the Ryder Cup begins at Hazeltine National Golf Club on Sept. 30.

Watch the WCCO-TV report here.