It appears the story of Jacob Wetterling is having its last chapter written, at long last, nearly 27 years after his abduction and disappearance burned his image into our consciousness. Human remains have been found in a field pointed out by a person of interest in his abduction. As of Saturday afternoon, authorities have not said it is Jacob, but his mother, Pattie Wetterling has told news media it is her son.

Jacob was 11 years old, riding his bicycle with his brother and a friend on a rural road in little St. Joseph, Minnesota when he was abducted by a masked gunman. He had never been found, and authorities and his parents could only speculate about what happened to him.

The case horrified people across Minnesota and the nation. If a young boy could be abducted and disappear in a small, closeknit rural town like St. Joseph, was anyone’s child safe? In the decades since, parents have grown more protective of their children. Sending kids outside to play, a common part of family life for generations, is now considered possible parental negligence. Letting kids walk to a park without supervision can result in a call to Family Services.

Unfortunately, finding Jacob, returning him to his grieving family and finding out what happened to him and who did it will not return the innocence that was lost when he disappeared. There are far too many children who have disappeared for us to feel safe again.