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Jayme Closs’s Kidnapper Gets Life in Prison Without Parole Jayme Closs’s Kidnapper Gets Life in Prison Without Parole
(about 1 hour later)
BARRON, Wis. — For 88 days, Jayme Closs was at the mercy of a man who killed her parents and held her prisoner in a cabin in rural Wisconsin.BARRON, Wis. — For 88 days, Jayme Closs was at the mercy of a man who killed her parents and held her prisoner in a cabin in rural Wisconsin.
On Friday, she was asking a judge to sentence the man, Jake Patterson, to life in prison, and to make certain that he stays “locked up forever.”On Friday, she was asking a judge to sentence the man, Jake Patterson, to life in prison, and to make certain that he stays “locked up forever.”
The judge agreed. He sentenced Mr. Patterson to life in prison without any possibility of parole, after hearing from Jayme and her aunts and uncles, who asked him to impose the maximum sentence. The judge agreed. He gave Mr. Patterson two life sentences without any possibility of parole, after hearing from Jayme and her aunts and uncles, who asked the judge to impose the maximum.
“You are the embodiment of evil,” the judge, James C. Babler, told Mr. Patterson. “You are an extreme danger to the public in general.” “You are the embodiment of evil,” the judge, James C. Babler, told Mr. Patterson, calling him “one of the most dangerous men to ever walk on this planet” and “an extreme danger to the public in general.”
In addition to the two life sentences for killing Jayme’s parents, the judge also sentenced Mr. Patterson to 40 years for the kidnapping.
Before the sentencing, a sobbing Mr. Patterson said that he wished he could undo what he had done. “I will do, like, absolutely anything to take back what I did,” he said. “I don’t care about me. I’m just so sorry.”
As the state laid out the details of the harrowing case, Mr. Patterson shook his head frequently at pronouncements that he had no remorse.
The emotional sentencing hearing in Barron County Circuit Court gave Jayme, who is 13 and has been living with an aunt and uncle, a chance to describe how she had persevered through the ordeal.
In a statement read by a lawyer, Jayme described how Mr. Patterson had hoped to win her over even as she was held captive, often under his bed, last fall. But in the end, she got the better of him, and escaped.In a statement read by a lawyer, Jayme described how Mr. Patterson had hoped to win her over even as she was held captive, often under his bed, last fall. But in the end, she got the better of him, and escaped.
“He thought that he could own me, but he was wrong,” Jayme said in her statement at Mr. Patterson’s emotional sentencing hearing in Barron County Circuit Court. “I was smarter. I watched his routine and I took back my freedom.” “He thought that he could own me, but he was wrong,” Jayme said in her statement. “I was smarter. I watched his routine and I took back my freedom.”
She added: “Jake Patterson will never have any power over me.”She added: “Jake Patterson will never have any power over me.”
Mr. Patterson, 21, who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and to kidnapping, had faced a mandatory life sentence. But during his hearing Friday afternoon, it was up to Judge Babler to decide whether Mr. Patterson would ever have an opportunity for parole.
Jayme and her relatives made it clear they never wanted Mr. Patterson to leave prison alive.Jayme and her relatives made it clear they never wanted Mr. Patterson to leave prison alive.
“He stole my parents from me. He stole almost everything I love from me,” Jayme said in her statement. “For 88 days he tried to steal me, and he didn’t care who he hurt or who he killed to do that. He should stay locked up forever.”“He stole my parents from me. He stole almost everything I love from me,” Jayme said in her statement. “For 88 days he tried to steal me, and he didn’t care who he hurt or who he killed to do that. He should stay locked up forever.”
As the state laid out the details of the harrowing case, Mr. Patterson shook his head frequently at pronouncements that he had no remorse. [Her abduction set off an intense manhunt. But Jayme herself ended up breaking the case.]
“I’ll just say that I will do, like, absolutely anything to take back what I did,” he said through tears when he was given a chance to speak. “I’m just so sorry.” Mr. Patterson, 21, who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and to kidnapping, had faced a mandatory life sentence. But during the hearing Friday afternoon, it was up to Judge Babler to decide whether Mr. Patterson would ever have an opportunity for parole.
The case terrified residents and mystified the police for months, and ended only when Jayme, 13, staged an escape after almost three months in captivity. The case terrified residents and mystified the police for months, and ended only when Jayme staged an escape after almost three months in captivity.
Mr. Patterson, who was once voted “most quiet” in high school, later told investigators that he had first seen Jayme boarding a school bus while he was on his way to his job in a cheese factory.Mr. Patterson, who was once voted “most quiet” in high school, later told investigators that he had first seen Jayme boarding a school bus while he was on his way to his job in a cheese factory.
He said “he knew that was the girl he was going to take,” according to a police report of his confession.He said “he knew that was the girl he was going to take,” according to a police report of his confession.
He went to Jayme’s home, in Barron, Wis., about 90 miles northeast of Minneapolis, early on the morning of Oct. 15, 2018. He went to Jayme’s home in Barron, about 90 miles northeast of Minneapolis, early on the morning of Oct. 15, 2018.
After Mr. Patterson parked in the driveway, Jayme’s father, James Closs, shined a light outside and asked to see a badge, as if he thought the police had come to the house.After Mr. Patterson parked in the driveway, Jayme’s father, James Closs, shined a light outside and asked to see a badge, as if he thought the police had come to the house.
Mr. Patterson killed him with a shotgun blast, according to the confession. He told the police that he thought the 12-gauge shotgun was “the best choice of shell and weapon to kill someone.”Mr. Patterson killed him with a shotgun blast, according to the confession. He told the police that he thought the 12-gauge shotgun was “the best choice of shell and weapon to kill someone.”
He forced Jayme’s mother, Denise Closs, to cover Jayme’s mouth with tape, then shot the mother in the back of her head, killing her.He forced Jayme’s mother, Denise Closs, to cover Jayme’s mouth with tape, then shot the mother in the back of her head, killing her.
He tied Jayme up, put her in his trunk and began the drive to a cabin about 70 miles north, in Gordon, Wis.He tied Jayme up, put her in his trunk and began the drive to a cabin about 70 miles north, in Gordon, Wis.
Mr. Patterson, dressed head to toe in black, was nearly caught. He told the police that about 20 seconds after driving away from Jayme’s home, he yielded on the road to three police cars racing past with their lights and sirens on. He said he had kept the loaded shotgun in the front seat and most likely would have shot at the officers had they stopped him.Mr. Patterson, dressed head to toe in black, was nearly caught. He told the police that about 20 seconds after driving away from Jayme’s home, he yielded on the road to three police cars racing past with their lights and sirens on. He said he had kept the loaded shotgun in the front seat and most likely would have shot at the officers had they stopped him.
At the cabin, he often forced Jayme to stay underneath a bed, boxing her in with bins that had barbell weights stacked against them, to make it hard for her to move and to alert him if she tried to do so. Sometimes she would be forced to remain there for 12 hours with no food, water or chance to relieve herself. The ordeal would last 88 days. At the cabin, he often forced Jayme to stay underneath a bed, boxing her in with bins that had barbell weights stacked against them, to make it hard for her to move and to alert him if she tried to do so. Sometimes she would be forced to remain there for 12 hours with no food, water or chance to relieve herself. The ordeal lasted 88 days.
On Jan. 10, Mr. Patterson told Jayme he would be gone for a few hours. After he left, she pushed the bins and weights out of the way, found a pair of his shoes to put on and left the house. She saw a woman walking her dog, and yelled for help.On Jan. 10, Mr. Patterson told Jayme he would be gone for a few hours. After he left, she pushed the bins and weights out of the way, found a pair of his shoes to put on and left the house. She saw a woman walking her dog, and yelled for help.
“I’m Jayme Closs,” she told the woman. “I don’t know where I am. He killed my parents.”“I’m Jayme Closs,” she told the woman. “I don’t know where I am. He killed my parents.”
The woman took Jayme to a neighbor’s house and called the police. As the police were driving Jayme away, officers saw a suspicious car with a broken taillight.The woman took Jayme to a neighbor’s house and called the police. As the police were driving Jayme away, officers saw a suspicious car with a broken taillight.
A police cruiser followed the car and pulled it over. An officer asked Mr. Patterson to step out of the vehicle. As he did, Mr. Patterson said he knew what was happening.A police cruiser followed the car and pulled it over. An officer asked Mr. Patterson to step out of the vehicle. As he did, Mr. Patterson said he knew what was happening.
“I did it,” he told the officer, according to the police report.“I did it,” he told the officer, according to the police report.
In a jailhouse letter to a television station in Minnesota, Mr. Patterson said he had decided to plead guilty so that Jayme and her relatives did not have to “worry about a trial.”In a jailhouse letter to a television station in Minnesota, Mr. Patterson said he had decided to plead guilty so that Jayme and her relatives did not have to “worry about a trial.”
He said he had “huge amounts” of remorse, adding, “I can’t believe I did this.”He said he had “huge amounts” of remorse, adding, “I can’t believe I did this.”