Wetterling mother slated for book talk in Northfield

If You Go Author Patty Wetterling and journalist Joy Baker discuss the memoir “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope” at Content Books, 314 Division St., on Thursday, April 4th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ASL interpretation will be provided at this event. 9eb677dd-3f6e-4ff3-9a2d-f1e9b2b47115

Hope was the only thing to cling to after a mother in small-town St. Joseph, Minnesota learned that her 11-year old son Jacob had disappeared.

The harrowing 27-year search for Jacob Wetterling that stretched from October 22, 1989, until September 2, 2016, has been captured in a rivetingly chronicled book, written by Jacob’s mother Patty Wetterling and local reporter/blogger Joy Baker.

Wetterling and Baker will be discussing the investigation which resulted in their book, “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope” at Content Books on Thurs. April 4 at 7 p.m.

In January, the authors addressed convention goers at the Minnesota Newspaper Association. They talked candidly about how the investigation for the kidnapped boy unfolded, as the Wetterling family struggled to maintain optimism and energy. They told the assembled journalists that they teamed up in 2013 after Baker uncovered key evidence in Jacob’s case.

Clues to unravel the case began when Baker convinced a plumber Jared Scheierl to come forward and share his story about being kidnapped from a nearby town and sexually assaulted the same year as Jacob. Together, Baker and Scheierl uncovered a string of similar assaults that had never been fully investigated. Their combined efforts led to the breakthrough that solved the case when Danny Heinrich led authorities to the boy’s remains.

The behind-the-scenes account of the missing person’s case offers a historical account of what has been done in the years since Jacob’s kidnapping to combat the problem of missing and exploited children.

The memoir also shows readers how the investigation ultimately gave Patty Wetterling her purpose as a national advocate, visionary, and educator on the prevention of child abduction and exploitation. For her own survival, Patty chose to focus on hope. She became a speaker, trainer, and national advocate for missing children. Her lobbying work took her to Washington, DC, where in 1994 Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling Act, establishing a national sex offender registry.

Today, Wetterling is a national consultant, who present her story at child abuse conferences and law enforcement trainings. She has received many awards, and she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Minnesotans of the Century by the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 1999.

Baker’s work on Jacob’s case has been featured in print and broadcast media as well as true crime podcasts. Today, she works as an independent marketing consultant, professional copywriter, and writing coach.