My understanding is that following the divorce of JP's parents, he bounced around before living at the "cabin" in Gordon on a permanent basis. There have been conflicting reports but this article seems to be the most accurate to me.
How did Jake Patterson's life lead to Jayme Closs?
So what could possibly have transformed this lean, prematurely balding and reserved young man into the alleged perpetrator of a brutal crime that shocked a nation?
Whatever the answer, it lies along the stretch of Hwy. 53 that runs roughly 100 miles from Barron, Wis., to the shores of Lake Superior.
It’s here where the 21-year-old Patterson spent most of his days,
living in a series of small towns dotting the highway before settling in at his father’s remote cabin 9 miles east of Gordon.
Frey and Jake’s father, PP, had a troubled marriage and divorced when Jake, the youngest of three children, was 11. Court records show that they filed for divorce in 2005, reconciled, then ended their marriage in 2008 after 19 years.
The divorce decree provided scant details other than outlining the financial arrangements and
joint child custody. Both parents were required to take a class titled “Effects of Divorce on Children.”
Moyer said the divorce bothered Jake, “like it would any kid.” But he’s not sure of the lasting impact.
As
Frey moved from one local town to another over the years, Jake began spending more time at his father’s home in Gordon, according to VF, whose son Dylan was a close friend of Jake’s through middle school and high school.
*****
ETA: The only mention of foster care seems to be from a neighborhood woman, I think? I'm not really sure who she is.
Jake Patterson: Suspected killer, kidnapper's life remains a mystery
One woman, PO, described Patterson and his brother as getting into trouble.
“They’ve stolen stuff before.
They’ve been in foster care,” she said. “And the dad I guess, I don’t know. I’ve met him and talked to him when I walked through the neighborhood, but that’s about all I know.”
