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Jayme Closs, 13, found alive three months after parents' murder | Jayme Closs, 13, found alive three months after parents' murder |
(about 4 hours later) | |
A 13-year-old Wisconsin girl missing since her parents were discovered shot dead in their home three months ago has been found, malnourished and dirty, after fleeing her captor in a remote community. | |
At a press conference on Friday, investigators named the suspect as 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson and said he had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping. Police said Patterson was arrested based on a description of his vehicle that Jayme was able to provide. | |
Patterson was being questioned on Friday in connection with the abduction of Jayme Closs and murders of James Closs, 56, and his wife Denise Closs, 46. Their bodies were found on 15 October at their home near Barron, a town of 3,300 in north-western Wisconsin. | |
The Barron county sheriff, Chris Fitzgerald, said investigators believe Patterson killed Jayme’s parents because he wanted to abduct her, and that Patterson “took many steps to hide his identity”. | |
As of Friday morning, investigators had found no evidence that showed a relationship between Patterson and the family. Police said they were not looking for additional suspects. | |
Fitzgerald said Jayme managed to escape from a remote home on Thursday. She approached a woman who was walking her dog near Gordon, where Patterson lives. That woman alerted a neighbor, who called 911. | |
Jayme, who authorities believe was at home during the shooting, had been missing since police responded to a “mysterious” 911 call just before 1am on 15 October. | Jayme, who authorities believe was at home during the shooting, had been missing since police responded to a “mysterious” 911 call just before 1am on 15 October. |
No one spoke on the call, authorities said, but “a lot of yelling” could be heard in the background. Police arrived just four minutes later to find the door to the Closs house kicked in, two bodies shot dead and the family dog. No gun or suspects were at the scene and the 13-year-old was nowhere to be found. | |
Her disappearance sparked massive searches, with 2,000 volunteers scouring woods and fields in suburban Minneapolis, and the offer of a $25,000 (£20,000) reward for her safe return. | Her disappearance sparked massive searches, with 2,000 volunteers scouring woods and fields in suburban Minneapolis, and the offer of a $25,000 (£20,000) reward for her safe return. |
Investigators said they had received thousands of tips but Patterson had taken “measures to avoid detection”. | |
“It’s a remote area, there isn’t a lot of houses in that area,” Fitzgerald said. “He not only concealed his identity from us, it appears he concealed her from other people.” | |
Jayme was found around 4pm on Thursday in Gordon, about an hour’s drive from the Closs home. Described as skinny and dirty with matted hair and wearing shoes too big for her feet, she approached a woman walking her dog, telling her her name and saying she needed help, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. | |
The woman, named as Jeanne Nutter, accompanied Jayme to a nearby house so they could call the authorities. The house owner, Peter Kasinskas, described Jayme as quiet and “pretty flat”. The teenager was offered food and water, which she refused. | |
“I honestly still think I’m dreaming right now,” Kasinskas told reporters. “It was like I was seeing a ghost. It was scary and awesome at the same time. My jaw just went to the floor.” | |
Late on Thursday, investigators blocked all streets leading to the cabin believed to belong to the suspect, according to the Star Tribune. | |
Authorities said it was unclear if Jayme had been held at the same residence the entire team and that no one else was found in the home. | |
In a first statement, Fitzgerald, announced that Jayme had been found and thanked the community for delivering Jayme to safety. | |
“We promised to bring Jayme home and tonight we get to fulfill that promise,” he said. | |
Jayme was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. On Friday Fitzgerald said she had been medically cleared, was out of hospital and was being interviewed by law enforcement. | |
Sue Allard, Jayme’s aunt, told the Star Tribune she could barely express her joy after hearing the news on Thursday night. | |
“Praise the Lord,” Allard said, between sobs. “It’s the news we’ve been waiting on for three months. I can’t wait to get my arms around her. I just can’t wait.” | |
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report | Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report |
Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
news | news |
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