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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 1 hour 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.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. Jayme Closs escaped a remote house on Thursday, fleeing on foot to be found by a woman who was walking her dog. The 13-year-old was taken into police custody after the woman stopped at a nearby home to call police.
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. Investigators named the suspect as Jake Thomas Patterson, 21, and said he was being charged with two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. Police said Patterson planned his actions and took steps to keep himself from being seen.
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”. Patterson was found down the road from the house from which Jayme escaped and was arrested based on a description of his vehicle the teenager was able to provide, police said.
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. Barron county sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said investigators were still trying to determine what Jayme had experienced and establish why Patterson appeared to have been determined to abduct her.
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. “The will of a kid to survive – it’s unthinkable,” said Fitzgerald, who was emotional after spending 88 days trying to find the teenager.
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. Fitzgerald said that as of Friday morning, there was no indication Patterson had a relationship with the family, nor was there evidence he had social media contact with Jayme. He said Patterson did have a tie to Jayme’s home town, Barron, but would not elaborate on the connection.
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. “This case remains very active as we stand before you today,” said Fitzgerald.
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. Despite receiving thousands of tips concerning Jayme’s disappearance, police said the search was made more difficult by steps the suspect took to keep himself from being seen by police and the public.
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, also his friends.”
“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.” Investigators questioned Patterson, who is unemployed and has no criminal history locally or in the state of Wisconsin, on Friday morning. The house in which Jayme had most recently been held was searched.
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. Investigators said it was not yet clear if Jayme had been in the same house for the entire three months of her disappearance or if she was abused by her captor.
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. The local district attorney’s office said it planned to issue a criminal complaint next week.
“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.” Police said Jayme had been medically cleared to reunite with her family and would be reunited with them after being questioned by investigators on Friday morning.
Late on Thursday, investigators blocked all streets leading to the cabin believed to belong to the suspect, according to the Star Tribune. Sue Allard, Jayme’s aunt, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune she could barely express her joy after hearing the news on Thursday night.
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.”“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 Police said they were not looking for additional suspects and that no one else had been found in the residence from which Jayme escaped.
“It is an incredible day,” said Justin Tolomeo, FBI special agent in charge of Milwaukee.
Tolomeo said the case had been difficult because of the steps the suspect took to evade law enforcement, but the teenager had overcome those obstacles to stage her own escape.
“It was Jayme who made the break,” he said.
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