The following is a timeline of the key events that occurred in the investigation of Jacob Wetterling's abduction and murder -- and details of how authorities say investigators "went off the rails" in its search for the eventual suspect.
The following is a timeline of the key events that occurred in the investigation of Danny Heinrich, the man who was eventually charged in the kidnapping and murder of Jacob Wetterling.
The information comes more than 41,000 pages of records documenting the investigation that were released on Thursday.
COLD SPRING ABDUCTION
Jan. 13, 1989: A 12-year-old Cold Spring boy is kidnapped and assaulted. He was walking home when he was approached by a man. After the boy approaches the man's car, the man grabbed him, threw him in the car and says, "I have a gun, don’t try anything." A description of car is given to authorities – the boy says it smelled like a new car, was light blue, had bucket seats, interior made of cloth, had a luggage rack, transmission on the steering column and automatic seat belts. Description of the suspect states the man was wearing camo fatigues, a brown baseball hat, had rough, dark skin, a husky build and a very deep voice.
Jan. 14, 1989: Additional description of suspect taken from the Cold Spring boy: Suspect had a portable radio wrapped in gray duct tape in the front seat of the car, which looked like a portable police scanner. Says the suspect drove in circles, with exaggerated turns, in an effort to try to confuse him of specific locations. He also said the suspect told him, “You’re lucky to be alive,” and instructed him to “start running” and “keep running” or he would be shot. Suspect keeps the boy’s jeans and underwear as “trophies.”
Jan. 16, 1989 – Officer Zieglmeier writes he has information regarding a possible suspect of the Cold Spring boy case, indicating it could be Danny Heinrich who has a 4-door Mercury Topaz with a light blue interior, and says Heinrich knows and is often accompanied by Duane Hart (a convicted sex offender). Zieglmeier states Heinrich is in the National Guard and is often seen in military fatigues. Detectives find Heinrich’s vehicle parked at his father’s home in Paynesville and appear to dismiss Heinrich as a suspect based on a few discrepancies in the boy’s description of the suspect vehicle and Heinrich’s vehicle -- such as the transmission was on the console and the car did not have automatic seat belts. A Jan. 16 report states, "As of this date and time officers have not interviewed Danny Heinrich regarding this matter."
Jan. 18, 1989: The Cold Spring boy tells investigator, unsolicited, that he was mistaken and the vehicle did not have automatic seat belts and the transmission was not on the steering column but was on the console. He also says the vehicle did not have luggage racks.
Feb. 10, 1989: Investigators speak to the Paynesville Police Chief regarding the Cold Spring boy's case. But there is no mention in the files about the previous assaults of young boys in Paynesville at this time.
JACOB WETTERLING ABDUCTION
Oct. 22, 1989: At 9:15 p.m., a male subject approaches three young boys. Jacob Wetterling is abducted. Tire tracks and footprints are left at the scene.
Oct. 24, 1989: Tire tracks at the scene are identified as Sears Superguard radials. Plaster casts are made of the tire tracks. Adult footprints are also photographed. Trevor Wetterling gives a description of the suspect saying he was 5-foot-10, wore dark clothes, a nylon stocking over face and was armed with a handgun. Aaron Larson's description – dark clothes, 5-9, voice was rough and says the suspect said, “I got a gun, put the bikes in the ditch.” [similar to Cold Spring case] Suspect also tells Aaron to “run towards the woods,” tells Trevor to “run as fast as you can through the woods,” and had told Cold Spring boy to “start running, keep running.”
Oct. 23, 1989: Investigators do a neighborhood survey, checking 22 homes.
Nov. 30, 1989: This is the first time the Cold Spring abduction has been mentioned in the Wetterling abduction. "Essentially, the task force has been spinning its wheels since Oct. 22," Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson said.
Dec. 12, 1989: Danny Heinrich is interviewed. His vehicle is found to have Sears Superguard radial wheels. Notes from officers dismiss dozens and dozens of possible suspects because they do not have Sears Superguard radial wheels. The only other vehicle found to have Sears Superguard radial wheels (in thousands of pages of reports) was a disabled station wagon. Heinrich also said to commonly wear camo and army boots, but he denies wearing them when not on duty. A previous report from when Heinrich was listed as a suspect in the Cold Spring case states, "Heinrich is seen on a regular basis in military fatigues."
Dec. 16, 1989: This is the first determination that the two abductions -- Cold Spring and Wetterling -- are believed to be the same suspect.
PAYNESVILLE INCIDENTS
From Aug. 1986 to late fall 1988, there are eight incidents of young boys who were assaulted – seven victims, one was victimized twice.
Aug. 1986: Boy knocked off bicycle and struck. Suspect described as male, 5-foot-9, mud on face (Heinrich had military background, would’ve known how to use mud or paint as a disguise, Gudmundson said.)
Aug. 21, 1986: Two boys leave pizza place, boy struck and knocked to the ground. Suspect groped front pockets of boy's pants. Suspect was said to be 5-foot-8. As second boy approached, man fled.
Nov. 30, 1986: “Heavy-set” man wearing nylon comes out of the bushes, puts hand over boy’s mouth and drags him into the trees. Suspect says, “Shut up or I’ll kill you.” His voice is described as low, "static-filled." Man gropes boy, took stocking cap and cut off a piece of boy’s hair – another trophy, Gudmundson says – and told victim to keep laying or he’ll blow his head off. Then asked him his name and age.
Feb. 14, 1987: Boy attacked in stairwell by heavy-set man with dark clothing, and a possible mask covering his face. He spoke in a deep low whisper. Victim was told to be quiet or he would be killed. Suspect groped victim, asked what grade he was in and took his wallet (again, a trophy). Then told victim not to move or he would be killed.
May 17, 1987: Previous victim in February incident is knocked off bike by pudgy man in dark clothing with a dark looking face. The suspect groped victim and the victim screamed he had already gotten him. Victim fled, leaving behind a blue baseball cap.
Sept. 20, 1987: Two boys approached by a chubby male, 5-foot-8, with his face either painted or wearing a mask. As they saw him approach, they screamed and ran.
Summer of 1988: Group of boys were camping when a man with a husky build, raspy voice, wearing a panty hose over his face (like Wetterling abduction) and camo pants, plus a green Army-type jacket, black boots and gloves. Suspect held a knife next to a boy’s throat, sat on the victim and said, “Shut up or I’ll kill you.” Boy fought back and escaped.
Late fall of 1988: Boy delivering newspapers when suspect knocked him off his bike. Suspect was wearing a ski mask, black gloves, black pants and a black shirt.
BACK TO THE WETTERLING ABDUCTION
Oct. 24, 1989: At 3:40 p.m., a victim of an attempted Paynesville assault appears at the sheriff’s office and talks to a deputy who is assigned to the Task Force. He speculates the Wetterling abduction is connected to the Paynesville incidents because of the way they were done – "quick, military and proficient."
Jan. 5, 1990: That tip from a victim (reported on Oct. 24) is finally checked by a St. Cloud officer assigned to the Task Force.
Jan. 8, 1990: Paynesville Police Chief is interviewed and says Paynesville has experienced one year of incidents and believes Danny Heinrich, who is in the National Guard, should be considered a suspect.
Jan. 10, 1990: A FBI agent interviews Heinrich about the Wetterling abduction and writes, "It should be noted that Mr. Heinrich bears a strong resemblance to the artist’s composition of the abductor in the Cold Spring incidents involving (name redacted). He is also about the same physical size and commented in our interview that he was a member of the National Guard out of Willmar."
Jan. 12, 1990: Report written by a detective states a polygraph examination was given to Danny Heinrich and Heinrich registered “deceptive” on all questions pertaining to the kidnapping of the Cold Spring boy and Jacob Wetterling. Heinrich says he failed because he was “nervous.”
Heinrich’s 1982 Ford EXP 2-door blue vehicle is photographed.
Report states: "Photographs taken are consistent with tires found at the (Wetterling) scene by gross tread design." Tires on the vehicle were Sears Superguard radials. Report was taken by the same investigator who was called to the Wetterling abduction scene and the one who took the plaster casts of the tire marks.
Report also states: "It should be noted, that during the interviews, writer observed Mr. Heinrich’s soles of his shoes. Found them to appear to be consistent with the footprint pattern at the scene of the Wetterling abduction.” Heinrich’s shoes are sent to the FBI lab. Analysis finds Heinrich’s right shoe and the right shoe imprint left at the Wetterling scene corresponded in design.
It is decided Heinrich will be placed under surveillance. Heinrich is under surveillance for parts of three days.
Reports from surveillance: Heinrich’s vehicle is seen taking odd routes, circling back and taking dirt roads, suspect turned lights off and vehicle was lost … Notes from other cases states Heinrich drove in a pattern trying to confuse his victims, and often took rural dirt roads. “His actions certainly should have set off alarm bells since an innocent man would be unlikely to take the driving maneuvers to escape the surveillance team,” Gudmundson states.
Jan. 15, 1990: FBI agent arranges to have the tires taken off Heinrich’s vehicle and vacuum the interior of the car. Background information on Heinrich is run by interviewing coworkers and acquaintances by sheriff’s investigators and the FBI.
Jan. 16, 1990: FBI agent's report states: "I received a report of Heinrich’s DWI arrest from 1986 in Paynesville, where officers confiscated a battery operated police scanner that was hooked up to a cigarette lighter. [Cold Spring boy reported a police scanner on the front passenger seat of the vehicle].
A blue 1987 4-door Mercury Topaz repossessed from Heinrich is located in Princeton. [Cold Spring boy stated vehicle had child locks ... the Mercury Topaz has child locks], Cold Spring boy is brought to the vehicle and says, "… that he feels this vehicle is similar to the vehicle he was abducted in and felt the seat and stated it felt like the seat of the vehicle where he was abducted." The boy also said on a scale of 1-10 of how likely this vehicle was to being the suspect’s vehicle (one being least likely), he would rate the vehicle an 8 or 9.
Jan. 23, 1990: A search warrant is executed by the FBI and the sheriff’s office at Danny Heinrich’s father’s home in Paynesville. Items confiscated in that search include army boots, camo pants and a camo shirt, two police scanners, a zippered vest [Vest was never shown or photographed to the Cold Spring victim, who said his perpetrator was wearing a gray vest at the time of his abduction]. Search also finds photographs of young boys, some in their underwear or out of the shower, in a locked trunk. Heinrich objects to the photos being confiscated saying they “just don’t look right.” The photos are not confiscated.
Jan. 24, 1990: Heinrich appears at the sheriff’s office and asks about his tires. He is asked if he would submit to a physical line-up and Heinrich replies he would not unless a court order directed him to and after he had an attorney.
Jan. 25, 1990: Heinrich is interviewed by FBI agents and admits to burning the photographs found in the locked trunk because they looked bad and they were no kind of pictures to have anyway.
Jan. 26, 1990: Heinrich is in a physical line-up, which he consents to. Two young men, who saw a suspicious person and car a week before Wetterling’s abduction, see Heinrich in the line-up. The Cold Spring boy does not pick out Heinrich in the lineup. A detective asks the Cold Spring boy if he had a clear picture of his perpetrator, and he indicated that he did not have a clear picture of him and it’s become less clear as time has gone by. [None of the victims from Paynesville, nor Aaron Larson or Trevor Wetterling, were asked to be part of this line-up]. No voice lineup is done with Heinrich, despite him verbally threatening several victims.
Feb. 7, 1990: Heinrich appears at the sheriff’s office demanding his property back. According to the report, Heinrich was upset with officers inquiring from friends and relatives whether or not he is a homosexual. Heinrich indicated he was going to place an end to the investigation and sue those involved.
Feb. 9, 1990: Heinrich is arrested in a bar in Roscoe. Heinrich is interrogated by FBI agents. Arresting someone late at night, at a bar, who may be drunk was, as Gudmundson said, “a serious mistake.”
Heinrich is interrogated by FBI agents and monitored by agents of the Behavioral Science Unit (crime profilers) of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, VA.
The file does not indicate the profilers wrote a report of this interrogation but a retired Stearns County detective told Gudmundson the profilers told officers they don’t believe Heinrich did the crimes.
Gudmundson calls the interrogation of Heinrich on this date “perhaps the most fatal flaw in the investigation.” He says one of the agents who interviewed Heinrich was fresh out of the academy and “perhaps may or may not have ever interviewed a homicide suspect.”
The MN BCA had given their most experienced homicide experts to this case but were kept at “more than an arms length” from this investigation, according to Gudmundson.
Information was provided to Special Agent Al Garber that the FBI made a positive match of fiber found inside Heinrich’s Mercury Topaz and a fiber found on the Cold Spring boy’s snowsuit but the source was informed he should not tell anyone in the sheriff’s department about the match.
Feb. 9, 1990: A booking card shows Heinrich was arrested for first-degree criminal sexual conduct/kidnapping and then “released per County Attorney Pat Strom.”
There is no mention of Heinrich following his release until background investigations are noted in March/April 1990.
April 23, 1990: The first mention of MN BCA having anything to do with Heinrich is reported when a BCA agent and a sheriff’s detective interview a man who knew Heinrich.
April to May 1990: 10 background investigations of Heinrich are conducted.
October 1990: This is the only time Heinrich is mentioned since those background investigations in April/May.
Feb. 8, 1991: All items confiscated during the Jan. 23, 1990 search warrant were returned back to Heinrich.
March 1991: Special Agent Al Garber and a corrections investigator interview Duane Hart in a MN Correctional Facility, after Hart says he is being suspected of abducting Wetterling and wants to provide police with information about Heinrich that might be helpful.
Hart is a convicted sex offender and is described as a "groomer" of young boys, where Heinrich is described to ambush and attack young boys and take “trophies” from his victims.
Hart tells Garber that in the early fall or summer of 1989, he saw a black “ninja” type suit next to Heinrich’s bed (much like one that a perpetrator was wearing in a Paynesville incident).
Hart also tells Garber, Heinrich showed him a dark blue pistol (much like the one in the Wetterling investigation that Trevor and Aaron described the suspect holding).
Hart states Heinrich also asked him how to get rid of a body.
October 1991: Hart tells Garber in a second interview he thinks the person who kidnapped Wetterling was a "loner" and a construction worker who was working in St. Joseph at the time of the abduction. [Heinrich worked at Fingerhut before being let go on Oct. 8, 1989 which is three miles from the scene of Jacob’s abduction]. Three previous interviews of those who knew Heinrich described him as a loner, including his brother.
Hart says he believe the person who sexually assaulted boys in Paynesville had a blue car and that the child abductor in the Cold Spring case carried a police radio.
Based on reading the file, Gudmundson states it doesn’t appear anything was done with this information from Hart.
There is no mention of Heinrich in the files for more than 20 years.
July 18, 2012: DNA profile was obtained from the Cold Spring boy’s snowsuit and sweatshirt.
March 5, 2015: DNA results from a blue hat (from a 1987 Paynesville incident) come back to three individuals.
May 12, 2015: Hairs from Danny Heinrich that were taken voluntarily on Jan. 12, 1990 are deemed suitable for nuclear DNA testing.
July 12, 2015: Lab reports of the blue hat state, “The predominant male DNA matches Danny James Heinrich.” The hat comes back as an 80.5 percent match to Heinrich.
July 27, 2015: A search warrant is submitted by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office for Heinrich’s home in Annandale.
Sept. 2, 2016: Jacob Wetterling’s remains are found and removed from a farm near Paynesville.
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