[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Person of interest in the Jacob Wetterling case arrested on separate child pornography charges[/title][fusion_text]Friday, October 30th 2015
Four law enforcement officials announced child pornography charges Thursday against a man they said is a “person of interest” in the 1989 abduction of Jacob Wetterling. During a news conference in Minneapolis, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger detailed the charges against 52-year old Daniel James Heinrich. Luger and other officials stressed multiple times Heinrich has not been charged in relation to Wetterling or the kidnapping and sexual assault of a Cold Spring boy earlier in 1989. Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner said the Annandale resident lived in the Paynesville area during the time of the Cold Spring kidnapping and St. Joseph abduction. Police arrested him Wednesday evening. The charges against Heinrich are comprised of four counts of possessing child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. He made his initial court appearance Thursday, with a detention hearing coming Friday or Monday. FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Thornton said a little more than a year ago, he met with Sanner, the BCA and investigators. They made a decision to conduct a cold case review of the Wetterling disappearance. During that review, the officials decided to further investigate Heinrich. Investigators tested clothing the Cold Spring boy was wearing the night he was assaulted. Using forensic technology that didn’t exist decades ago. Investigators found a DNA match between the clothing and Heinrich. This and other facts served as basis of a search warrant for Heinrich’s residence. On July 28th, law enforcement officers executed that warrant on Myrtle Avenue South in Annandale. Sanner said the investigation into Wetterling’s disappearance is ongoing, and he would not comment on certain aspects of the case. In a statement, Patty and Jerry Wetterling thanked everyone involved in the investigation and urged anyone with information about their son’s disappearance or Heinrich to contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.
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