Missing for 27 Years, Jacob Wetterling's Remains Have Been Found

Jacob Wetterling was abducted 27 years ago. After almost three decades of searching, his body has finally been recovered.

PEOPLE reports the remains were found in an undisclosed location in Minnesota and DNA tests were conducted for identification.

It was a tragic end to an already tragic situation for the Wetterling family. After years of hoping this was not the end they longed for they expressed their grief, "All I can confirm is that Jacob has been found and our hearts are broken. I am not responding to any media yet as I have no words." Patty Wetterling said.

Jacob, his brother Trevor, and best friend Aaron Larson were riding their bikes home from a convenience store on October 22, 1989. A masked man with a gun is said to have forced them into a ditch to lie face down. He then asked the boys their ages, released Trevor and Larson to run into the woods and not look back. After that moment, Jacob was never seen or heard from again and until now, nobody had been charged with the crime.

Recent developments have linked Danny Heinrich to the case. He was arrested last October on 25 felony counts of child pornography after several three-ring binders full of images were found but has said to have cooperated with officials.

Heinrich is also linked to a sexual assault case from the same year Jacob disappeared.

The Jacob Wetterling Resource center issued this statement, "We didn't want Jacob's story to end this way. In this moment of pain and shock, we go back to the beginning.The Wetterlings had a choice to walk into bitterness and anger or to walk into a light of what could be, a light of hope. Their choice changed the world."