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In the Dark, Part 1: The Crime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05_xDrBiavo

When does a cold case become a failed investigation? "In the Dark" examines how law enforcement handled the kidnapping of Jacob Wetterling, an 11-year-old Minnesota boy. The case went unsolved for nearly 27 years. The series will reveal the sweeping consequences of the case: the creation of the federal sex offender registry, a community damaged by law enforcement mistakes and the devastating effects of publicly labeling a man a "person of interest.

Part 1: The Crime

This program contains material that some listeners may find disturbing.

This episode tells the riveting story of a notorious kidnapping that went unsolved for nearly 27 years and asks the question: Why did it take so long to find the killer? A team of reporters demonstrate that law enforcement investigators made crucial errors on the night of the disappearance and in the days afterward. Then, a discuss how the case led to the development of the federal sex offender registry, plus questions about the effectiveness of the registry.

Join us for the first in this five-part series on Sunday, January 29 at 7 p.m.

Missed the broadcast? You can hear it online.