AMBER ALERT WI - Jayme Closs, 13, Barron, missing after parents found shot, 15 Oct 2018 *endangered* #25

[Irmese]

Police said that they tried to phone the house but the phone was "disconnected". I'm trying to understand what that means. Presumably, if police had a phone number for the landline, then the phone was connected and paid for. Does "disconnected" mean that the line was cut?

Sorry, I don't really understand your question.

I wonder if the Closs family had any work done around the home recently? Isn't that how Elizabeth Smart was first noticed and targeted by her abductor?

Shari Smith's killer, Larry Gene Bell, was an electrician who had done some work in her family's home. His other victim was Debra May Helmick, a more opportunistic crime.

 

[KLM6]

No bashing because thinking outside the box is important too. How would the door being kicked in fit with suicide though? I’m not following that aspect.

Thank you for allowing me to have an opinion, even if its different. Lol. Respectfully, TOS forces me to leave it where I left it.

 

[OhThatVictoria]

Your post flags a niggling question I have had about their finances, and potential motive.

Why was James working 60-80 hours a week? I understand being a go-getter and wanting to provide and save for retirement, but that sounds like *alot* of hours for a turkey plant.

Just dwelling on this, as it really stands out for me. 60-80 hours a week is common place in certain professions, but generally not this type of role or industry.
Why the excessive hours?

Amateur opinion and speculation

Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? From what I gather, being a “lead” (senior worker, like Asst Supervisor), required more hours than a standard shift due to paperwork and possibly, clean-up). In additon, JC and DC might have been. building up reserves for Jayme’s education, their retirement. They were older parents. How long can one perform manual labor when you’re nearing 60? Lots of work place injuries in poultry processing (highest in the industry). He could have been covering shifts for people out / sick / injured. Finally, another maybe is perhaps they had credit card debt he wanted to pay off (medical bills?).

Speculation.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I wish there was a sad face button to push.

Additional Smileys/emoticons

(sad smiley)

 

[IceIce9]

I've considered the closed casket news as possible evidence that the wounds were in the head/neck area and were obviously severe. This might explain why there was no communication on the 911 call, because the person simply couldn't speak.

I thought the same, the closed casket might indicate severe trauma to the face or head.

My thought about no communication during the 911 call include that the person making the call was attempting to be silent so the intruder wouldn’t be aware the call was being made.

 

[andreww]

Wouldn't there be powder burns on the hands of someone who committed suicide by a gun? Perhaps they thought suicide at first because of a wound to the head.

I think as the first officer arrived he saw the feet at the door and made the suicide notation. Remember, this police force saw zero murders this year, so it likely wasn't on their minds.

 

[jayaxx]

ive been traveling for 2 weeks. i cannot believe that there has not been closure or really even any movement.

 

[Lillymac]

I have questions about the way the Call Log is created.
How does the information from each officer get entered into the computer? Is someone live at the scene entering information? Does all the info come into a central database. Is it proof read and corrected?
My son, retired lieutenant Dallas, TX PD, is coming for Thanksgiving today, so I'm going to talk to him about this. Any questions, let me know and I will ask him.

 

[CocoChanel]

This goes in the “outside the box” category:

Several times posters on this case have referenced the horrible 2010 case of the Ohio murders of Tina Herman, her friend Stephanie Sprang, and Tina’s 11-yr-old son Kody Maynard. Tina’s daughter, 13-yr-old Sarah Maynard had been kidnapped. Sarah was found ALIVE within a week in the basement of the killer, matthew hoffman. Below are links to the WS forum on the case, and a MSN story about it.

GUILTY - OH - Two women & child killed, 13yo abducted, Apple Valley, 10 Nov 2010 #9

Killer Stuffed His House With Leaves

There are definite similarities with the Closs case. But what caught my eye in the MSN story above was this bit (BBM):

The released documents show that police taped hours of conversations with Hoffman saying little. It was a bad dream that prompted him to confess. Hoffman told an investigator that he'd had a dream about being at a food processing plant.

"Hoffman said he opened a trash bag at the food processing plant and saw cut up body parts and he got a knot in his stomach and it all came back to him," according to the case files.

Just a strange very strange detail.

Praying that Jayme is also found alive, and soon, even though the trauma she has experienced would preclude her being “well”.

 

[Rubiconbob]

Wouldn't there be powder burns on the hands of someone who committed suicide by a gun? Perhaps they thought suicide at first because of a wound to the head.

Suicide was only mentioned because officers have dealt with no of those in Barron co. And it’s more likely than murder in that county.... (all counties).

Your right. Initial officer sees feet and head wound would make anyone think suicide.

One possibility is perp knocked on door and quickly put gun to head to gain entry... perp quickly pulls trigger by mistake or choice.. that would certainly look like suicide.

 

[jayaxx]

2 more weeks have passed and I'm gonna beat the same drum again. Release the 9-1-1 call. It may or may not have something on it that will jar something, be recognizable to someone, or advance the case, but if nothing else it will get people thinking about it again. Its going cold and people are moving on and its terrible. I feel so bad for this poor girl.

 

[KLM6]

I think as the first officer arrived he saw the feet at the door and made the suicide notation. Remember, this police force saw zero murders this year, so it likely wasn't on their minds.

Im sorry but I have to disagree. I dont believe these officers did disregard homicide at all, because even though they called it a suicide at first, they continued to take precaution and didnt immediately charge into the house. They also advised they were "clearing" the house which means they suspected something wasnt right. To say they havent seen a murder so they wouldnt react as if it was a murder isnt correct at all, imo.

 

[Lillymac]

Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? From what I gather, being a “lead” (senior worker, like Asst Supervisor), required more hours than a standard shift due to paperwork and possibly, clean-up). In additon, JC and DC might have been. building up reserves for Jayme’s education, their retirement. They were older parents. How long can one perform manual labor when you’re nearing 60? Lots of work place injuries in poultry processing (highest in the industry). He could have been covering shifts for people out / sick / injured. Finally, another maybe is perhaps they had credit card debt he wanted to pay off (medical bills?).

Speculation.

This is in no way a disparaging remark. There are other reasons a person works long hours. One of them is that, they just do not want to go home. I know this from personal experience. And no one was more surprised than the family when marriage issues came to light. Also if James was in management, was he paid over-time? 60, 70, 80 hours a week is almost every waking hour. So sad all that work and sacrifice ended this way.

 

[Mandrew]

Was James working so many hours regularly or recently. With the holidays coming, it makes since a turkey processing plant would need a lot of overtime.

 

[OhThatVictoria]

This goes in the “outside the box” category:

Several times posters on this case have referenced the horrible 2010 case of the Ohio murders of Tina Herman, her friend Stephanie Sprang, and Tina’s 11-yr-old son Kody Maynard. Tina’s daughter, 13-yr-old Sarah Maynard had been kidnapped. Sarah was found ALIVE within a week in the basement of the killer, matthew hoffman. Below are links to the WS forum on the case, and a MSN story about it.

GUILTY - OH - Two women & child killed, 13yo abducted, Apple Valley, 10 Nov 2010 #9

Killer Stuffed His House With Leaves

There are definite similarities with the Closs case. But what caught my eye in the MSN story above was this bit (BBM):



Just a strange very strange detail.

Praying that Jayme is also found alive, and soon, even though the trauma she has experienced would preclude her being “well”.

That’s crazy !

 

[Mistermagoo]

I have questions about the way the Call Log is created.
How does the information from each officer get entered into the computer? Is someone live at the scene entering information? Does all the info come into a central database. Is it proof read and corrected?
My son, retired lieutenant Dallas, TX PD, is coming for Thanksgiving today, so I'm going to talk to him about this. Any questions, let me know and I will ask him.

I am not sure how it gets entered but the thing that people need to realize is that it is not a live mic situation. Because of this we do not know why it was reported a possible suicide. I do know that one officer (329) reported possible suicide attempt and a different officer (325) advised of 1 male down multiple rounds spent. (329) did not say 1 male down , possible suicide so who knows what led him to think suicide. Do we know that these 2 officers were at the same loc of the house? no
You have to also remember that Barron County came across that horrible murder /suicide just 1 year earlier. Perhaps the house was quiet and it seemed nothing was going on and it reminded him of that scene.
My bottom line is that we have no idea what conversations were taking place amongst the officers or even where each officer was at the scene.

 

[KLM6]

We need LE input. When a person dies instantly, the body basically freezes in place (except for falling of course). There are expressions left on their faces, their hand stays in position if they were holding something, even if that something falls away, etc. The officer didnt just walk up and automatically assume James killed himself simply because murders dont happen in Barron County. If thats the case, Ill throw in my towel right now and give up all hope on these officers because that is not how LE officers react. Something at that scene made him speculate suicide or he never would have said it. mho.

 

[bellyup]

Your post flags a niggling question I have had about their finances, and potential motive. Why was James working 60-80 hours a week? I understand being a go-getter and wanting to provide and save for retirement, but that sounds like *alot* of hours for a turkey plant. Just dwelling on this, as it really stands out for me. 60-80 hours a week is common place in certain professions, but generally not this type of role or industry.
Why the excessive hours? Amateur opinion and speculation

I looked at Jennie-O's current job offerings and employee reviews and it does seem common for this company to require a significant amount of overtime and shift work. Many of the listings clearly state 40+ hour a week with over time required. Some list 12 hour shifts.

I don't think the amount he worked was abnormal or "excessive" for this company in this town. Seems like it was the norm.

 

[Randazzo]

My thought about no communication during the 911 call include that the person making the call was attempting to be silent so the intruder wouldn’t be aware the call was being made.

I've thought about this too but I don't think it's the reason. Most people don't change the sound settings on their phones, so just dialing 911 would likely have been loud. Much louder than whispering into the phone. I think someone dialed 911, dropped or tossed the phone, and it took the perp(s) almost a minute to find it to hang it up.

 

[andreww]

Im sorry but I have to disagree. I dont believe these officers did disregard homicide at all, because even though they called it a suicide at first, they continued to take precaution and didnt immediately charge into the house. They also advised they were "clearing" the house which means they suspected something wasnt right. To say they havent seen a murder so they wouldnt react as if it was a murder isnt correct at all, imo.

Clearing the house is standard police procedure. What makes me think that the suggestion of suicide came from outside or from the car is that if he had been close enough, or had passed by James, he would have realized that there was no gun. He's going to a rural house, likely expecting a domestic disturbance, and he sees what appears to be a body at the front door. Suicide is a natural first conclusion. Not sure why we are even discussing it, suicide was off the table within a few minutes.