It was 20 years ago today that 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted by a masked gunman as he and his brother and best friend biked home from a convenience store in rural St. Joseph, Minn. He hasn't been seen since.

Last Saturday night, I drove up to St. Joseph to attend a children's concert in Jacob's honor. I didn't go to cover the event but to be there to personally try to find a place to put this tough anniversary. I have watched many of our stories and read news articles over and over again, looking for a clue that might give some answers to what might have happened to Jacob.


An age-progression picture showing what Jacob Wetterling would look like at age 29.

My own children were 5 and 2 when Jacob was abducted. Like so many parents of young children back then, it affected how I viewed the world and raised my kids. As a crime reporter, I know stranger abductions are extremely rare and that most of these crimes involve someone known to the victim. But seeing a young boy snatched by a stranger in rural St. Joseph penetrated the sense of safety for all our kids.

Over the years, I have posted many stories about Jacob's unsolved kidnapping on our Cold Case page. I would love to be able to write a final chapter on what happened to Jacob before another anniversary comes around. I wish it for his family and for all of us who raised our kids wondering who snatched a child on a Sunday night so close to his home.