Shraman Mitra
When Trevor Wetterling decided to accompany his brother, Jacob Wetterling, and their friend, Aaron Larson, to a video rental shop in St. Joseph, Minnesota, he had no idea that it would change his life forever. When returning home, the trio was ambushed by Danny Heinrich, who allowed Trevor and Aaron to escape but ended up abducting, sexually abusing, and murdering Jacob in cold blood. While Hulu’s ‘Still Missing Morgan’ as well as ABC’s ’20/20: Snatched’ mentions this tragedy, it portrays how Trevor was affected by the ordeal. Well, let’s delve in and find out where he is at present, shall we?
Who is Trevor Wetterling?
A native of St. Joseph, Minnesota, Trevor Wetterling grew up alongside his brother, Jacob, and shared an excellent bond with his family. While he was close to his parents, he and Jacob were inseparable from childhood. People who knew them mentioned how they were always excited to do everything together. Besides, like most 10-year-olds, Trevor loved spending time with his friends, although he had no idea that one of these hangouts would change his life forever.
As October 22, 1989, was a Sunday, Trevor, Jacob, and Aaron decided to spend their evening watching a movie together. Hence, they cycled to a nearby video rental store and were returning home at around 9 PM when Danny James Heinrich spotted them and ambushed them in a secluded part of the road. Armed with a gun, he forced the trio to throw their bikes in a ditch before lying face-down on the road. He then asked the three their ages, and since Trevor was the youngest, Danny allowed him to escape into the woods. Next, the assailant asked each boy to show their face, and finally, he asked Aaron to run away without looking back and forced Jacob into the car.
Trevor later mentioned that he never saw his brother alive again, and his deceased body was recovered in 2016. In the following days, the former was forced to relive the nightmarish tragedy multiple times as the police kept questioning him about the day’s events. Even though Trevor was already dealing with his brother’s disappearance, law enforcement officials kept asking him for a specific description of the abductor. Sadly, he had to revisit the ordeal in his mind, hoping for a lead to Jacob’s safe return. Yet, years passed without any news of the missing boy, and with time, his family began fearing the worst.
Where is Trevor Wetterling Today?
Once the case was reopened in 2015, the police reinterviewed several witnesses and even reexamined the evidence they had already collected. Eventually, in 2016, they announced Danny James Heinrich as a person of interest. Trevor was surprised to learn that authorities had questioned him shortly after Jacob’s disappearance but were forced to let him go for lack of evidence. Still, he was willing to cooperate with the investigation in any way possible and hoped that his brother’s killer would eventually be brought to justice.
Although DNA evidence matched Danny to the January 1989 kidnapping of Jared Scheierl, the statute of limitations prohibited detectives from charging him with the same. Thus, they searched the suspect’s house and arrested him after recovering multiple binders full of child pornography pictures from the property. By this time, the police knew it would be challenging to tie Danny to Jacob’s murder. So, they consulted with the victim’s family before offering the suspect a deal in which he could plead guilty to a single count of possessing child pornography images in exchange for admitting to Jacob’s murder and leading authorities to his body.
Once Danny accepted the deal, Trevor attended the trial hearing with his mother, Patty Wetterling, and was relieved to learn that the judge had sentenced his brother’s murderer to 20 years in federal prison in 2016. Since then, Trevor Wetterling has embraced privacy and prefers to keep his life away from the eyes of the media. Nevertheless, we can confirm that he currently lives in Centennial, Colorado, and has built a happy life surrounded by his loved ones. Besides, Trevor is happily married to Trish Hansen Wetterling, and the pair are proud parents to two wonderful children. His courage against the demons of his past is truly inspiring, and we hope he remains happy in the years to come.
Read More: Jerry Wetterling: Where is Jacob Wetterling’s Dad Now?
