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In the Dark

What did Dan Rassier say when he called 911 the night of the abduction? We don't know

APM Reports tried to get a transcript of Dan Rassier's 911 call. First the Sheriff's Office said no; then it said it didn't have it.

September 27, 2016

What did Dan Rassier say when he called 911 the night of the abduction? We don't know
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At one point on the night of Jacob Wetterling's abduction, a neighbor, Dan Rassier, called 911 to report suspicious activity on his property, flashlights shining outside his home. Because APM Reports wanted to confirm what Rassier and law enforcement told us about that, we wanted a transcript of the call. Actual recordings aren't usually open to the public but transcripts of the calls typically are.

We were unsuccessful. First the Stearns County Sheriff's Office told reporter Madeleine Baran it couldn't provide the transcript because it was part of an active investigation. Once APM Reports involved its lawyer, Mark Anfinson, the explanation changed. The Sheriff's Office said the transcript didn't exist.

It also said the actual recording never had been saved. In the end, the Sheriff's Office did provide a short summary of the call and the fact that it took place at 10:45.

Here's the communication between APM Reports and the Sheriff's Office.


From: Lieser, Mary
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 1:01 PM
To: Baran, Madeleine


From: Baran, Madeleine
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 10:05 AM
To: Lieser, Mary


From: Lieser, Mary
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 10:52 AM
To: Baran, Madeleine


From: Anfinson, Mark
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 2:48 PM
To: Lieser, Mary


From: Quinn, Matt
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2016 11:02 AM
To: Anfinson, Mark
Cc: Lieser, Mary


From: Quinn, Matt
Sent: Friday, July 1, 2016 9:13 AM
To: Anfinson, Mark


From: Anfinson, Mark
Sent: Friday, July 1, 2016 9:46 AM
To: Quinn, Matt


Page 9 of Correspondence With SCSO on Request for 911 Call Transcript


From: Anfinson, Mark
Sent: Friday, July 8, 2016 4:04 PM
To: Kendall, Janelle


From: Kendall, Janelle
Sent: Friday, July 8, 2016 4:24 PM
To: Anfinson, Mark
Cc: Quinn, Matt; Kendall, Janelle


From: Quinn, Matt
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 9:28 AM
To: Anfinson, Mark


From: Anfinson, Mark
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2016 11:35 AM
To: Quinn, Matt


From: Quinn, Matt
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2016 11:41 AM
To: Anfinson, Mark


Page 15 of Correspondence With SCSO on Request for 911 Call Transcript
Page 16 of Correspondence With SCSO on Request for 911 Call Transcript
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