Where Are You Jacob?

Episode of 20/20 · July 18, 2026 · 1 h 27 min

Deborah Roberts revisits the 1989 abduction of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling with his parents, survivor Jared Scheierl, blogger Joy Baker and investigators who ultimately identified Danny Heinrich.

Summary

This 20/20 episode, reported by Deborah Roberts, recounted the October 22, 1989 abduction of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Jacob's parents Patty and Jerry Wetterling, his best friend Aaron Larson and neighbor Rochelle described the evening the three boys biked to a convenience store and were stopped by a masked gunman who took Jacob. First responders described footprints and tire tracks near the Rassier farm driveway, the massive search involving the National Guard, and the media campaign in which Jerry was wrongly suspected by the public.

Investigators soon linked the case to the January 1989 abduction and assault of 12-year-old Jared Scheierl in nearby Cold Spring, which involved nearly identical threats. As years passed without answers, focus turned in 2004 to neighbor Dan Rassier, who recounted aggressive interrogations, a wired conversation with Patty Wetterling and a 2010 dig on his family's farm; he was later cleared. Patty Wetterling became a national child-safety advocate whose work led to the sex offender registration law.

Blogger Joy Baker's research uncovered a string of 1980s assaults on boys in Paynesville, and Scheierl's review of his own case file surfaced a hat that might hold DNA. An FBI cold case review in 2014–2015 connected Danny Heinrich, an early suspect, to Scheierl through a DNA match; a search of his home found child pornography and footage of children, leading to federal charges. In 2016 Heinrich led authorities to Jacob's remains and confessed in exchange for a 20-year sentence. The episode closed with Scheierl's $17.2 million civil judgment against Heinrich and Patty Wetterling's reflections on her book Dear Jacob and her son's legacy.

Chapters

0:42
The abduction night
Aaron Larson recalls the masked gunman who stopped the three boys and took Jacob.
2:13
The Wetterling family and St. Joseph
Patty and Jerry Wetterling describe small-town life, their four children and Jacob's personality.
5:51
October 22, 1989
The parents recount allowing the boys to bike to the store and the phone call that Jacob had been taken.
12:20
First response and the crime scene
Deputy Bruce Bechtold and Dan Rassier describe the scene, a speeding car and footprints near the driveway.
25:16
Massive search and media glare
Searches involving the National Guard and national media coverage unfold while Jerry is wrongly suspected by the public.
31:35
The Cold Spring connection
Jared Scheierl describes his similar January 1989 abduction and assault, which investigators linked to Jacob's case.
41:26
Dan Rassier under suspicion
In 2004 investigators focus on neighbor Dan Rassier, Patty wears a wire, and a 2010 dig of his farm finds nothing.
48:52
Patty's activism and Joy Baker's blog
Patty becomes a child-safety advocate while blogger Joy Baker begins researching the case.
51:25
The Paynesville incidents and Danny Heinrich
Baker uncovers 1980s assaults in Paynesville, and investigators recount Heinrich's history as an early suspect.
1:03:16
Cold case review and DNA break
An FBI review and new DNA testing match Heinrich to Scheierl's abduction.
1:08:30
Search, arrest and plea deal
A search of Heinrich's home leads to child pornography charges and a deal in which he leads authorities to Jacob's remains and confesses.
1:23:25
Aftermath and legacy
Scheierl wins a civil judgment and Patty Wetterling reflects on her book and Jacob's legacy.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Aaron Larson
Larson says the abductor's face was covered with a nylon stocking and that his gruff, gravelly voice is what stands out in memory.
“He had a nylon stocking over his face where you couldn't see any of the eyes or any of his features”
Listen from 11:46 · Abduction of Jacob Wetterling
Aaron Larson
Larson recalls the abductor ordered the boys to stop, turn off their flashlights, and said he had a gun.
“All of a sudden, a man came out from this area over here. He said, stop, I have a gun, and told us to turn off our flashlights”
Listen from 13:17 · Abduction of Jacob Wetterling
Bruce Bechtold
Bechtold says shuffling adult and child footprints at the scene suggested the abductor was pulling Jacob along to a waiting car.
“It didn't look like someone had just gone for a walk. It looked like somebody was pulling this kid along”
Listen from 23:53 · Abduction of Jacob Wetterling
Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling says the public began reporting Jerry as a suspect because they disliked how he appeared on television.
“People started turning in Jerry as a suspect. And it's like, they didn't like the way he looked on TV. He wasn't sad enough”
Listen from 29:55 · Abduction of Jacob Wetterling
Jared Scheierl
Scheierl describes being released after the assault and told to run and not look back or be shot, matching language used in Jacob's abduction.
“dropped me on the outside of Cold Spring and told me to run, don't look back or he'd shoot”
Listen from 35:47 · Abduction of Jared Scheierl
Dan Rassier
Rassier recounts that he viewed the accusatory interview as a joke and told investigators so as he left.
“Pam Jensen says to me, well, you took that pretty well. I go, well, it's a joke. The whole thing is a joke”
Listen from 45:13 · Dan Rassier investigation
Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling says that after her wired conversation with Rassier she told the FBI he was either innocent or a psychopath.
“I told the FBI as I'm tearing off the microphone, he's either innocent or a psychopath”
Listen from 46:54 · Dan Rassier investigation
Joy Baker
Baker says she found a 1987 article about five Paynesville boys assaulted by a man using threatening language similar to Jacob's abductor.
“I found this story about these five cases of young teenage boys who had been followed, assaulted”
Listen from 51:39 · Paynesville assaults
Chris Bertelsen
Bertelsen says his friends consistently described the Paynesville attacker as having a low, gravelly voice.
“One of the consistent things with all of my friends was that he had a low, gravelly voice, a mumbly voice”
Listen from 54:30 · Paynesville assaults
Linked moment · 1:23:41Skip to 1:23:41 using a listen link in the info box.
Jared Scheierl
Scheierl says anger over the statute of limitations barring prosecution led to depression and alcoholism before he recovered.
“because of my anger with the statutes of limitations and the injustice, it just stopped working. It wasn't good. Depression caught up”
Listen from 1:23:41 · Statute of limitations
Jared Scheierl
Scheierl says his civil judgment validated his suffering even though he is unlikely to collect the money.
“I didn't lose. I wasn't denied justice. The pain and suffering was real, and it justified that”
Listen from 1:25:06 · Abduction of Jared Scheierl
Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling says she wrote her book to share what kept the family going in hopes of helping other families.
“Part of me wanted to write to share some of what kept us going if it could help another family”
Listen from 1:25:40 · Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope
Jerry Wetterling
Jerry Wetterling says Jacob's legacy is showing that all children deserve opportunity to flourish safely.
“I think Jacob's legacy is showing that all kids are really awesome, and they need every bit of opportunity to flourish”
Listen from 1:26:11 · Abduction of Jacob Wetterling
Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling says she refused to let Jacob's abductor take her marriage, her other children, or a world of childhood innocence.
“I refused to let the man who took Jacob take away anything more. You can't have my marriage. You can't have my kids”
Listen from 1:26:54 · Abduction of Jacob Wetterling

People

In the conversation

Deborah RobertsABC News correspondent and 20/20 co-anchor who conducted the episode's interviews
David MuirABC News anchor and 20/20 co-anchor
Patty WetterlingMother of Jacob Wetterling and child-safety advocate, author of Dear Jacob
Jerry WetterlingFather of Jacob Wetterling and chiropractor in St. Joseph, Minnesota
Aaron LarsonJacob Wetterling's best friend, present at the 1989 abduction
RochelleWetterlings' next-door neighbor who babysat the night of the abduction; label also carries a podcast promo
Joy BakerBlogger who researched the Wetterling case and co-wrote Dear Jacob
Jared ScheierlSurvivor of a 1989 abduction and assault in Cold Spring, Minnesota, later linked to Danny Heinrich
Dan RassierFormer band teacher whose family farm adjoined the abduction site; long a person of interest before being cleared
Chris BoeckersRetired FBI special agent on the child abduction rapid deployment team that reviewed the case
Bruce BechtoldFormer Stearns County deputy and first officer on the scene
Ken McDonaldMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator
Pam JensenStearns County Sheriff's Office captain and investigator on the case
Chris BertelsenPaynesville, Minnesota resident who witnessed a 1987 attack on a friend
Chris NewberryProducer and director of the documentary Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling

Discussed

Danny HeinrichPaynesville, Minnesota man who confessed to abducting and killing Jacob Wetterling in 2016
Jacob Wetterling11-year-old boy abducted near St. Joseph, Minnesota in 1989
Trevor WetterlingJacob's younger brother, present at the abduction
Dennis KernInvestigator who located a saved hair sample identified as Heinrich's

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From the publisher

An 11-year-old is kidnapped while biking home, leaving his parents searching for answers. Now, another previously-abducted victim speaks out after helping solve the mysterious case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 30, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime·Parenting