On This Day

Minnesota man Danny Heinrich admits to kidnapping and murdering 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling on October 22, 1989

On October 22, 1989, Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an 11‑year‑old from St. Joseph, Minnesota, was kidnapped from his hometown and murdered later that night.

On October 22, 1989, Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an 11‑year‑old from St. Joseph, Minnesota, was kidnapped from his hometown and murdered later that night. His abductor's identity remained unknown for nearly 27 years. On September 1, 2016, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension recovered human remains from a pasture near Paynesville, about 30 miles from the abduction site. On September 3, Wetterling's family announced that the remains were Jacob's, and authorities confirmed the identification through dental records. On September 6, Danny Heinrich, a long‑time person of interest in the 1989 abduction and sexual assault of 12‑year‑old Jared Scheierl, confessed to kidnapping and murdering Wetterling, as well as abducting and assaulting Scheierl.

Historical Significance

On October 22, 1989, Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an 11‑year‑old from St.

Events Before

  1. Lithuania adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the Litas and becoming the 19th member of the Eurozone

    Lithuania adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the Litas and becoming the 19th member of the Eurozone

  2. 17-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand becomes the youngest golfer in men's or women's golf history to be ranked No. 1 in t

    17-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand becomes the youngest golfer in men's or women's golf history to be ranked No. 1 in the world

  3. Marvin Gaye's family wins a record $7.3 million lawsuit for music copyright infringement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell

    Marvin Gaye's family wins a record $7.3 million lawsuit for music copyright infringement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I.

  4. TV personality Kris Jenner and athlete Bruce Jenner divorce after 13 years of marriage

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  5. Barack Obama and Raúl Castro meet in Panama, the first meeting of US and Cuban heads of state since the Cuban Revolution

    Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and general who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the one-party communist state, from 2011 to...

Events After

  1. Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian titl

    Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian title and record 23rd Grand Slam event singles victory

  2. Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GS

    Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GSA Today"

  3. Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lew

    Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis

  4. World's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years

    World's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years

  5. Bob Dylan receives his Nobel Prize for Literature at a private ceremony in Stockholm

    Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 6, 2016?
On October 22, 1989, Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an 11‑year‑old from St. Joseph, Minnesota, was kidnapped from his hometown and murdered later that night. His abductor's identity remained unknown for nearly 27 years.
Why is Minnesota man Danny Heinrich admits to kidnapping and murdering 11-year-old J... significant?
On October 22, 1989, Jacob Erwin Wetterling, an 11‑year‑old from St.

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