Feb 23, 2007 11:17 am US/Central
Jacob Wetterling's 29th Birthday: Still No Answers
by Caroline Lowe
(WCCO)
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It's been 18 years since Jacob was home for his birthday. (File)
The recent case of a Missouri man who was found with two abducted boys struck close to home for Minnesotans. The older boy was 11-years-old when he vanished four years ago -- the same age as Jacob Wetterling when he was abducted in October of 1989 in St. Joseph, Minn.
Jacob hasn't been seen since.
Saturday, Feb. 17 was Jacob's 29th birthday.
His dad, Jerry Wetterling, said "I don't know where Jacob is right now. Is he alive? Is he not alive? I don't know, but Jacob's being is still alive."
It's been 18 years since Jacob was home for his birthday. Jacob's parents and sisters Amy and Carmen gathered again this year to mark the sad occasion. Patty Wetterling, Jacob's mom, baked his favorite angel food cake. Jacob's dad drank from a mug that belonged to his son.
"The loss is real. The loss of all these years -- the parties, the holidays, the celebrations -- it's just not fair," said Patty Wetterling.
The family now includes a 2-year-old Lili, Jacob's niece whom he has never met.
After all these years, there are still no answers to what happened to the 11-year-old boy.
Jacob was biking home from a convenience store with his brother Trevor and a friend when a masked gunman abducted him.
"What happened? We don't know ... boom he's there, boom he's gone," said Jerry.
Jacob's parents drive past the abduction site twice a day. They always think of him and say a prayer.
"For me, it's just really haunting. It's kind of like an ache in the heart," said Jerry.
Patty Wetterling said she often talks to Jacob, "I find myself just ... asking the same questions. What else do we need to do? Where are you Jake?"
The Wetterlings were overjoyed when they heard the news that two abducted Missouri boys had been found. One of them, Shawn Hornbeck, was gone for more than four years. It made them smile and gave them hope.
"We know it happens. It is not real often, but it does happen," said Jerry.
On Jacob's birthday this year, the family looked at pictures of him in a family album. They also carefully studied a new age-enhanced photo, trying to imagine what Jacob would like today. His parents wonder how they can reach out to Jacob if he is somehow still alive.
Jacob's sisters are both married now. Amy is expecting a second child any day and brother Trevor sells real estate in another state.
Jerry Wetterling is still a chiropractor in St. Joseph. Patty Wetterling is a nationally recognized child safety advocate who lost a run for Congress last November.
"Honestly I believe it's Jacob's spirit that kind of lets me know it's worth fighting for. The world that he believed in, the world he knew, was good," Patty said. "I have this personal battle with the 'bad guy' going on for a very long time and I refuse to let him win."
The Wetterlings hope is that someday, someone will come forward and tell them what happened to Jacob so they won't spend another birthday wondering.
"I'd like to know that he's okay," said Jerry.
Anyone with information on Jacob Wetterling is asked to call the Stearns County Sheriff Department at 320-251-4240.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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