Wetterling documents cost: $200,000

ST. JOSEPH - The investigative file into the abduction of Jacob Wetterling could be ready to be released to the public within the next 45 days.

The process of redacting and copying thousands of pages of statements, lead sheets and interview transcripts is entering its final stages. County officials estimate that preparing the file for release will cost as much as $200,000.

"I could see easily with personnel hours reaching $200,000," said Bruce Bechtold, chief deputy in the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. "It wouldn't surprise me."

The county recently received about 3,000 pages of transcribed interviews from audio and video recordings that had to be sent to a Blaine company to be digitized and then to an Arizona company to be transcribed. That will cost about $15,000 when it's done.

Read more: http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2017/03/24/wetterling-documents-cost-200000/99574272/

Additional background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Wetterling