Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton is grieving with the Wetterling family as the mystery of Jacob’s disappearance slowly unravels nearly 27 years later.

Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith issued statements Saturday afternoon after Jacob’s remains were found in a central Minnesota field.

“I hope they [Wetterlings] will find solace in knowing that they do not stand alone,” Dayton says. “Jacob’s story has touched the lives and hearts of Minnesotans for a generation.”

Smith also offered comments on the developments of the case.

“There is nothing parents fear more than losing their child,” she says. “We stand in solidarity with the Wetterlings as they seek justice, and peace. We will always keep Jacob in our hearts.”

Jacob Wetterling was 11-years-old when we was kidnapped by a masked gunman near his St. Joseph home Oct. 22, 1989.