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5/22/07
 
DoubleDash
 
" May 21, 2007 11:34 pm US/Central ... Wetterling Siblings Reach Out To Other Kids ... ... Caroline Lowe ... Reporting ... (WCCO) This fall marks the 18 years since a stranger abducted 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling from his home in rural St. Joseph, Minn. He hasn't been seen since. ... Jacob was biking home with his younger brother Trevor and a friend. They had gone to a convenience store to rent a video. On the way home, Jacob was abducted at gunpoint by a masked man who ordered the other boys to run. ... ''I sometimes have dreams about it that I don't really remember,'' said Trevor. ''There is an unknown, we really can't think differently until there is proof.'' ... While Trevor and his sisters, Amy and Carmen, wait for answers to what happened to Jacob, the siblings have helped produce a survivors guide and video for other children whose siblings have been abducted. ... Six other siblings of abduction victims worked on the book with the Wetterlings. The book was unveiled at a U.S. Department of Justice ceremony May 25 in Washington, D.C. where Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was the keynote speaker. It was a very emotional ceremony with lots of tears and hugs as the video was shown in a packed theater. ... The nine siblings said they developed a strong bond as they shared their stories which were included in the book. The book is called, ''What About Me? Coping with the Abduction of a Brother or Sister''. ... The Wetterlings said it was comforting to see how much they had in common with the other siblings who came from opposite ends of the country. They hope it helps future victims' siblings (sadly, the Wetterlings are still the only siblings involved in the project who still don't know what happened to their loved one). ... ''If you are a sibling going through this, that they know that they are not alone,'' said Carmen. ... In the video, Amy talked about facing Jacob's birthdays without knowing where he was. ... ''I think we still have birthday presents in our garage wrapped up for Jacob from the first few years,'' she said. ... Trevor talked about his frustration when he heard police investigators question whether he was telling the truth about the abductor carrying a gun. ... ''They kept questioning like I wasn't telling them the truth,'' he said. ... ''I can't imagine anybody questioning that?'' asked Caroline Lowe. ... ''That really made me angry because, I was like, well let me put a gun to your head and then see what you do or see what you say, you know?'' said Trevor. ... Trevor was only in the fourth grade when Jacob was abducted. He said kids were sometimes cruel, second-guessing how he handled the situation. ... Amy, the oldest Wetterling child, said, ''I think Trevor's come a long way in having to come to terms with what happened and that he didn't, there wasn't anything he could have done to prevent it.'' ... The Wetterling siblings have avoided the media spotlight. They only agreed to talk publicly about their experiences to raise awareness of the sibling survival guide. ... While the Wetterlings are helping others, they are still waiting for answers to what happened to their brother. ... ''It's been more than half of all of our lives we have gone through having one less person in our family. It doesn't necessarily get easier, you, I guess, just learn how to live life,'' said Amy. ... Amy and Carmen are both married now and Amy has two young daughters. Trevor has moved out of state and sells real estate. ... "
 
 
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