(KNSI) – The mother at the center of Minnesota’s most famous kidnapping case is releasing a memoir about the decades-long search for her son.
Patty Wetterling’s Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope is the untold story surrounding the disappearance and the family’s struggles during the 27-year search for Jacob Wetterling. The memoir tells how Patty found her purpose and maintained her optimism and energy to keep fighting for her son.
In the wake of Jacob’s kidnapping, Patty advocated for missing children and their families. Her work led to the passage of the Jacob Wetterling Act, which established the National Sex Offender Registry.
The book is available on October 17th, just five days before the 34th anniversary of the 11-year-old boy’s kidnapping at gunpoint. His disappearance shattered many small towns’ feelings of safety and forever changed how parents raised their kids in Minnesota.
Jacob was abducted from a rural road near St. Joseph on October 22nd, 1989 while riding his bike home with friends. His remains were found near a field in Paynesville in September 2016. His abductor and killer, Danny Heinrich, made a plea deal with authorities and led police to the site. Heinrich is serving life in prison.
The book will be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Minnesota Historical Society and Target. She wrote the book with investigative reporter Joy Baker.
ABC’s 20/20 recently finished filming a two-hour special on the case, which will air on Friday, October 13th.
___
Copyright 2023 Leighton Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be broadcast, published, redistributed, or rewritten, in any way without consent.