October 22, 1989

Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an eleven year old from St. Joseph Minnesota, was kidnapped while riding his bike with his brother, and a friend back from the convenience store. When a masked gunman told them all to put their bikes on the ground and lay down by the curb. When Jacob told his brother and his friend to go and run in the other direction and what ever you do to not look back, just keep running in the other direction. They did look back and they saw the masked gunman take Jacob by the arm and dragged Jacob into the car.

The local police were called to the scene of the abduction only minutes later and a search ensued that involved hundreds of volunteers, local law enforcement, FBI agents, and others. Jacob’s case has resulted in over 50,000 leads and has been studied by staff and trainees at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia.

To date, law enforcement and Jacob’s family still do not know what happened to Jacob or his abductor or where they are now.

Thanks to Mr. Gunderson’s 6th grade class at Virginia-Roosevelt Elementary School for the research on October’s Day in History.

Thanks also to Minnesota’s Learn and Serve America Service Learning Program for their help.

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