2026 Author Series: Patty Wetterling & Joy Baker

The Friends of the Winona Public Library will kick off the 2026 Author Series with Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker on Saturday, June 27th at 1pm in the Winona Public Library’s Central Exchange Room. This event is free but does require a ticket as seating is limited. Tickets are available at winona.lib.mn.us/dear-jacob. Paperbacks & Pieces will be selling Dear Jacob at the event.
Patty Wetterling, along with co-author Joy Baker, tells the story of how eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling was kidnapped at gunpoint on October 22, 1989. Then, twenty-seven years later, on September 3, 2016, Danny Heinrich led authorities to the boy’s remains. In 2013, the Wetterlings were joined on their quest for answers by two unlikely allies- a local blogger and a plumber. Joy Baker convinced Jared Scheierl to come forward and share his story about being kidnapped from a nearby town and sexually assaulted the same year as Jacob. Together, these two uncovered a string of similar assaults that had never been fully investigated. The combined efforts of this foursome led to the breakthrough that solved the case.
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Image Description: Flyer for the Friends of the Winona Public Library’s 2026 Author Series featuring Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker. Includes the book cover for “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope” and event details: Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 1 PM at the Winona Public Library. Text notes that entry is free with a ticket, available at winona.lib.mn.us/ Logos for the library and Paperbacks & Pieces.