More than four years after John Wetteland stood accused of sexual assault on a child, a Denton County judge granted the prosecution’s request to dismiss charges against the former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Wetteland, now 56, was arrested in 2019 for alleged continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.
According to a probable cause affidavit acquired by WFAA in 2019, Wetteland was accused of abusing a child three times between 2004 and 2006 in Bartonville. The abuse allegedly took place in the bedroom of Wetteland’s home.
He was eventually tried on three counts of aggravated assault of a child. Wetteland, who faced 25 years to life in prison if convicted, defended himself in the case, denying any wrongdoing.
During the trial, the jury also received an account of the alleged abuse from his accuser.
A mistrial was declared in September 2022 when the jury deadlocked at 10-2 and could not agree on a verdict. It was not clear whether the majority supported conviction or acquittal.
Denton County prosecutors initially planned to retry the case but decided to drop the charges last week. On Thursday, Judge Lee Ann Breading honored their motion.
The Dallas Express contacted the Denton County District Attorney’s office for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Wetteland pitched for four MLB teams during his 12-year career, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Montreal Expos, the New York Yankees, and the Texas Rangers.
Wetteland was the 1996 World Series MVP as a member of the Yankees, the same year he led the American League with 43 saves.
He pitched for Texas from 1997 until his retirement in 2000. He amassed 150 saves in his four seasons with the Rangers and is a member of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame, underscoring his beloved reputation before the allegations against him were made public.
The Dallas Express also contacted the Texas Rangers public relations team and asked if any consideration was given to removing Wetteland from their Hall of Fame. The Rangers did not respond to our request for comment by the time of this article’s publication.
