ST. JOSEPH — The parents of a Minnesota boy abducted 26 years ago said Tuesday they have as many questions as everyone else after federal authorities identified a “person of interest” in the case, and they urged people to keep calling in tips that might finally explain what happened to their son.

Patty and Jerry Wetterling gave brief statements outside their Minnesota home, not far from where their 11-year-old son Jacob was abducted in 1989. Daniel James Heinrich, 52, is being held on child pornography charges that stemmed from a search of his home for evidence in Jacob’s disappearance, but authorities have declined to call him a suspect and say he has denied involvement.

“We have as many questions or more as all of you,” Patty Wetterling told a cluster of reporters. “We will let law enforcement and the process continue and will watch impatiently for answers.”

Jerry Wetterling, wearing a button with Jacob’s picture on his lapel, thanked police for still working on the case and the media for continuing to cover it.

“But you know what?” he said. “No one plays a more important role than you everyday citizens in reporting that little piece of information, that when added to other pieces of information will solve the puzzle and bring Jacob home.”

Although Jacob’s kidnapping has generated more than 50,000 leads over the years, the crime remains unsolved and continues to haunt Minnesota law enforcement officers.