AMBER ALERT WI - Jayme Closs, 13, Barron, missing after parents found shot, 15 Oct 2018 *endangered* #13

[bizzle2]

Would you move your child’s school because of transportation issues? Would you take her away from her friends? Seems more likely that one school was somehow more preferable over the other. Were her close friends going there? Did she switch schools due to bullying? Another incident? When was the switch made? This is a tough time in a child’s life.

I don't know the answer to any of those things. One guess is that the buses for her old school didn't have a route that would drop her off at the caretaker's new house, but I don't know that to be true. Sounds like she was pretty involved with dance and church. Maybe a bunch of her friends from those activities attended the new school. I don't know. I honestly don't think her changing schools has anything to do with the crime so I haven't paid much attention to it.

 

[carmenugt]

Thanks PommyMommy, I will bow to your experience. I just want the we lass found and being new maybe I am asking inappropriate questions. Seems worth it to find her.

No question is crazy. No view is inappropriate. Just dont revictimize the victims. Welcome.

 

[Mollyandme]

Yes, that I do understand. But why would Jayme return to her own home and didn't drive to auntie's home? Makes only sense, if auntie waited for her in the Closs' home.

I would think it would be normal for her Aunt to wait for her at the Closs home. It might have been beneficial to Jayme to return from school to her own home, do her homework, eat, relax after school where she lives and has a routine. She is lucky to have family members that help with these things IMO.

 

[Mercedes]

I wish we knew for certain the Closs family movements from the time Jayme and Denise left the family gathering, and what James was doing that evening, (working, home, out elsewhere) until the time the gunshots were heard at approximately 12:30.

Points to ponder:

-We do know the neighbors were out earlier that evening. What if the gunshots they heard at 12:30 were not the first gunshots?

-What if Jayme and Denise walked in on a burglary? If they came in through the garage, the front door might still have been locked when James got home. Was it he who actually kicked in the door?

-What door did the family typically use to enter the house when they parked in the driveway?

-If there were two perps, maybe one was stationed as a lookout.

-If he/they had the two females inside perhaps he/they tied one to a chair while sexually assaulting the other not knowing a man, James, would be coming home. If this is a possible scenario, perhaps Denise broke loose from the chair when Jayme was being assualted and this was how the ties/restraints were broken on the chair or cushion. This may have been when she was shot.

-Perhaps James was home first and was shot when the perp(s) tried to enter the home. If Denise and Jayme came in through the basement, they may not even have noticed the front door kicked in upstairs especially if it was dark.


I am not sure the original point of this whole horrific incident was to kidnap Jayme. As other posters have noted, why not take her at a time when she was alone rather than risk the confrontation with her parents?

Why was Dad’s truck parked so far away from the house?

Unfortunately, I still think the decision to take Jayme may have been made when the 911 call was made. The perp might have thought she was some type of insurance or bargaining point with authorities. Perhaps even he is surprised that he has not been caught yet. But what to do with Jayme?

IMO, an awesome post!

And to add, has it been confirmed that the neighbors were really out earlier that evening?

Also, assume for a minute the shots heard by the neighbors really were hunters or someone else, and we take the timing of the shots out of the equation, probably 90% of our theories are debunked. IMO Or at least need to be modified.

 

[Joebob77]

School admin said she was there because caretaker lived in district. That is curious. Maybe she switched elementary schools to the one her caretaker lived in bec it was preferable somehow. Now that she is in Middle School, she attends the only public Middle School in town.

I have seen that before. People will claim a caretaker in a better school district just to get into the better school or school of their choice. It's not uncommon.

 

[proctorelites]

‘It is right next door’: Barron community in shock over couple’s slaying in early morning hours
Mr. S. states in this interview that the Closs family lived there for 7 years. Just seems like he would know the difference between 7yrs & 17 years? If they bought the home in 2001, did they rent it out for a while prior to moving in years later? I understand Jayme moved school districts. Is it possible she has been under the care of someone else, living away from her parents for any period of time? I'm not taking his statement as fact I'm just trying to reconcile where the 7 years came from and why. We already know she moved districts so I question if there's more to understand in all of those small details.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion regarding the neighbors, but I personally find it frustrating to have to read through several pages of minutia that gets us nowhere in terms of trying to figure out what happened to Jayme. The only interest I have in the neighbors is that they heard 2 gunshots at 12:30 am.

That's MY opinion.

 

[Oakland CA]

Re: Timing
Mrs S. is clear it was 12:38. LE found clock to be 7 min fast. If she had misread as 12:58 (which would mean 12:51 am) that would mean that dad was killed, and (likely) mom called 911 at 12:56 before being killed.
While that makes sense in some respects, the neighbors would know if LE showed up right away or 25 min later, wouldn’t they?

Brilliant point.
I'm sure the neighbours can quite easily recall whether it was 5 minutes or 25 minutes between hearing the shots and having police show up.

ETA...Just read read PommyMommy's (thanks) post on the neighbours not being aware of what took place next door until they woke up next morning....so my post is moot.

Wonder why it took many hours for LE to make contact the neighbours.....probably just a lack of personnel.
Small town, small police force.

 

[Jethro4WS]

I tend to agree with the weight of the rope/string and the lightweight chair are good arguments against these being restraints. I originally posted the overused Occam's razor point with this chair. The simplest explanation is that they're cushion or decorative ties of some sort. But the knots and remaining ties looked irregular me when I reviewed a few days later. It's still possible that there is another explanation, restraints can't completely be ruled out.

Hopefully we'll get some better evidence to review and can move on from this chair, or better yet Jayme is found alive!

You never know how lightweight the chair may be. It could be older or more sturdier built furniture. There is an Amish Furniture store in Barron.

 

[bizzle2]

Brilliant point.
I'm sure the neighbours can quite easily recall whether it was 5 minutes or 25 minutes between hearing the shots and having police show up.

The neighbors didn't know when the police showed up. Didn't know anything had happened until the next day

 

[Get off my Lawn!]

Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion regarding the neighbors, but I personally find it frustrating to have to read through several pages of minutia that gets us nowhere in terms of trying to figure out what happened to Jayme. The only interest I have in the neighbors is that they heard 2 gunshots at 12:30 am.

That's MY opinion.

Allegedly

 

[Cartie]

Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion regarding the neighbors, but I personally find it frustrating to have to read through several pages of minutia that gets us nowhere in terms of trying to figure out what happened to Jayme. The only interest I have in the neighbors is that they heard 2 gunshots at 12:30 am.

That's MY opinion.

I think that's why people are discussing the neighbours to get a feel if that time is accurate jmho

 

[Suglo]

When I try to snip quotes, it messes up. How do you do it right?
TIA.

You can find info on how to do it here on this thread or ask if it doesn’t have the info you want

Help with the Websleuths Frequently Asked Questions List

 

[MassGuy]

IMO, an awesome post!

And to add, has it been confirmed that the neighbors were really out earlier that evening?

Also, assume for a minute the shots heard by the neighbors really were hunters or someone else, and we take the timing of the shots out of the equation, probably 90% of our theories are debunked. IMO Or at least need to be modified.

Exactly. I don’t have a firm theory, simply because of that time gap. If it doesn’t exist, then things simply make a lot more sense to me.

This looks like a home invasion type crime. These crimes are generally executed quickly, with a hard and fast entry and quick exit.

I can’t make sense of a home invasion with a pivot towards something more methodical.

That’s why I’m still skeptical of the circumstances and timing of those gunshots.

These neighbors do seem credible, and sure of what they heard and when they heard it.

I’m just scratching my head at the whole thing.

I’m obviously not alone in this.

 

[MadCityNative]

So the Smrekar home is 300 feet from the Closs home. That's not very far, and they heard a couple of rapid shots. But LE used the word "riddled" when describing the victims, did I read that correctly somewhere? How did they only hear 2 shots?

If it was a shotgun (or sawed-off shotgun), numerous pellets would have entered the bodies, especially at close range.

 

[BB71]

I have seen that before. People will claim a caretaker in a better school district just to get into the better school or school of their choice. It's not uncommon.

True, but why mention it if she is now in her own school district?

 

[whisperOFwings]

the chair, I don't think a chair like that would be strong enough to hold someone tied down. I think even a child wrestling restraints tied to it would break the wood rod in the back of the chair. I think odd things are just present and unrelated sometimes.

I strongly believe it was ties to a cushion for that chair. Even in the similar ties you posted, it shows them tied to interior spindles in some of them. Depending on the cushion, the ties might not reach to the corners. And I don't think you would want to restrain anyone using those tiny spindles either. They often come unglued just using them for everyday sitting in! They are flimsy and could break easily. Wouldn't make sense to tie anyone to them when you have stronger spindles to use.

Where are you Jayme?!?!

Bolded by me.
Well, I have a Windsor chair I kept from a set I bought 20-ish?? years ago.
I gave the table and chairs to my SIL a few years ago.
Anywhoo. I kept 1 chair as my computer chair but haven't used it in years.

So I will see if my hubby will let me tie him to it today when he gets home.
We will see if he can break the spindles.

 

[CJnashy]

To your home, I think?

No, Im not sure what their situation/arrangement was, but I keep the children in their home everyday.

 

[debirlfan]

If I wonder anything, it is why the Closs house was hit. If it was a breaking and entering or robbery, why wasn't the neighbor's house chosen. They have said they were not home until 11:30. That would be an easy place to rob. I think Closs house was the target. Why, I don't have a clue.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone got the wrong house. For example, I live on Old "x" road. There is also an "x" road. We're constantly getting deliveries for the people on the other road, and every time we have a substitute mail carrier, we get mail for someone on an entirely different road that shares our last name. Question for those who've been studying maps of the area - are there any similarly named roads in the area?

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I think that's why people are discussing the neighbours to get a feel if that time is accurate jmho

So, how does discussing whether the neighbors thought the Closs family lived there for 7 years or 70 years contribute toward that goal ?