Attorney: Jacob Wetterling’s Killer Shed ‘Countless Tears’

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The lawyer for the man who confessed to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling says his client has shed "countless tears" for Jacob and his family in the 27 years since his death.

Danny Heinrich will be sentenced Monday on a child pornography charge that stemmed from the investigation into Jacob's disappearance. As part of his plea deal, Heinrich confessed to killing the St. Joseph boy, and prosecutors agreed not to charge him with murder. The plea deal calls for a 20-year sentence.

In a memo filed Thursday, defense attorney Reynaldo Aligada says nobody should feel sympathy for Heinrich. But he says Heinrich hopes to convey how sorry he feels.

Prosecutors say in their memo no sentence can ever truly reflect the "cruel, sadistic and narcissistic" character of Heinrich.