Filmmakers look for public's help to finish Jacob Wetterling documentary

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - For nearly 3 decades, Jacob Wetterling’s disappearance was one of Minnesota’s most well-known missing persons cases.

Now, a group of local filmmakers are taking a closer look at his story.

“This is a fascinating Minnesota story that is close to my heart, but I don’t know if anyone has done a proper, in-depth look at it,” said Christ Newberry, a documentary filmmaker. “Certainly not as a documentary film.”

Newberry says the Wetterlings agreed to participate in a documentary about the case the week before Danny Heinrich was arrested.

In fact, the first day of filming was the day Jerry and Patty Wetterling addressed the media outside their home for the first time after the break in the case.

“The gathered media was at the end of the driveway and here I was in the kitchen. It was remarkable. I think it makes for a pretty fascinating scene in the film,” Newberry added.

He says the filmmakers have up to 200 hours of interviews with those close to the case, but they’ve started a crowdfunding campaign to raise $60,000 to hire an editor to finish the film.

“I know the Jacob story means a lot to Minnesotans and I believe the community will rally around to get Jacob’s story shared with the world,” Newberry said.

So far, the filmmakers have raised about $10,000. If they reach their goal, they hope to release the documentary by the middle of next year.