AMBER ALERT WI - Jayme Closs, 13, Barron, missing after parents found shot, 15 Oct 2018 *endangered* #29

[daisy6441]

So who makes the final call about what is seen at the "viewing" of a body? The funeral director / staff? I'm asking because frankly, if I am paying them for a service, and I want it done a particular way, that is how it is going down, or I'd find another service provider who could accommodate my requests. Is it possible that LE decided that the casket would be closed and advised the family accordingly? Also, in a case such as this, where evidence is important, who prepares the body for funeral (especially if the casket will be closed)? Does the ME just ensure the proper steps are taken before releasing the body to the funeral home? Did the funeral home staff ever see either body? I'm doubting that they did. Infact, I'm still not entirely convinced the funeral actually included the bodies - maybe it just was put on by LE to see who attended, and who did not?

It's gotta be case by case decisions by the funeral director. I imagine there are many variables in each situation. My husbands father committed suicide with a shotgun to the head-not great to say the least.... They were still given the option of a family viewing, and I believe would've done a public viewing had we insisted (we didn't). The funeral director was very clear though that it wouldn't be great, and I can tell he didn't think it was the best idea but they still had the private family viewing. He repeatedly cautioned that there was only so much they could do. I imagine if you push hard enough, you can do whatever you want-you are paying for the service after all.
However, I am sure an active criminal investigation would impose more non-negotiable regulations on it.

Songbird, I think you are definitely onto something I would not have thought of. This pertains to another post I read too. I bet other than the coroner and LE no one else saw the bodies. I was thinking it was because of the physical damage but I think now it was more about the integrity of the case and having limited people know where on their person they were shot, how many times and with type of weapon used. I believe all of these things would/could be recognized if DC and JC were allowed to be shown. I would bet the funeral director didn't see them either.

I saw something recently that due to the severe damage to a body they were unable to embalm them. I can't remember exactly how the person was killed but there was so much damage that the embalming fluids would just run back out. Also being in refrigeration for extended periods can cause deterioration. It could be the funeral home advised against it and the family decided against grandpa's wishes that it was best not to view them.

 

[Lillymac]

I saw something recently that due to the severe damage to a body they were unable to embalm them. I can't remember exactly how the person was killed but there was so much damage that the embalming fluids would just run back out. Also being in refrigeration for extended periods can cause deterioration. It could be the funeral home advised against it and the family decided against grandpa's wishes that it was best not to view them.

I personally can't imagine wanting to view the remains after a death that all reports indicate was horrific. But, really isn't my business. jmo

 

[stephlovescheese]

Loved ones of missing 13-year-old Wisconsin girl hold onto hope she will be found
Loved ones and friends of 13-year-old Jayme Closs released balloons at a weekend vigil and reaffirmed their pledge to find her alive, marking two months since police believe she was abducted from her Wisconsin home where they found her parents shot to death.

WQOW The grandfather of Jayme Closs, Robert Naiberg, speaks during a balloon release, Dec. 15, 2018, in Barron

"I wish every day that whoever has you would just let you go or drop you off somewhere safe so I could pick you up," RN, 72, told the crowd, reading from a prepared statement.

The group released 200 green and blue balloons into a clear and chilly Wisconsin sky to let the community know the search for Jayme will not end.

"I need my sweet granddaughter Jayme back," RN said.

Awww grandpa’s statement at the end is making me tear up. So heartbreaking for all.

 

[FruitSnack]

Are they allowed to bring the notebooks home?

yes and they are monitored by the school.the school can literally go on them any day or times and see live screen what your child is doing, they can also access yourwebcam. we opted out of the program but we then had to provide her with one. fir the privacy of our family we bought our kids their own.
Barron doesn't seem to have a chromebook program. I was shocked to see how many notebooks they need. one school in my area is completely paper free. which is ironic cause paper industries is what keeps our employment here.

 

[CuriousMaine]

Thank you for your expert knowledge. I'm no expert by any means but I have shot both all types of long guns and various handguns. I was given my first .22 rifle when I was 11 years old.

Imo the perp did not use a shotgun but used a handgun instead.

I know some seem to think a shotgun had to be used but as you clearly state 90 percent of all homicides by firearm handguns were used. It may even be higher than 90 percent.

A handgun has been used countless times and many of the victims were killed instantly.

So it leaves me puzzled as to why some seem to think handguns cant kill victims instantly because they have thousands of times?

And as far as the sound they make when fired they can be extremely loud.

When we go to the gun range and I shoot at targets with my. 357 or .44 magnum long barrel its like a cannon going off. At times I have forgotten to bring my protective head gear or ear plugs and my ears will ring for hours afterwards.

As you know that is why LE always has on protective gear when they go to the police range to target practice with their service weapon because it can cause hearing loss.

Using a shotgun is much more clumsy and bulky and can't be concealed as easily. Many legal firearm owners who own handguns are very proficient when using their handguns. Even at my age I can still hit the bullseye.

An aside...I come from a long history of having police officers in my family and close friends who are in law enforcement.

I have asked every one of them would they say 'bullet casings' when referring to shotgun shells. They all looked at me like I had lost my mind lol with a puzzled look with some giving me eye rolls lol as if I was trying to ask them a "gotcha' question lol. And the general consistent answer was 'no of course not since they are totally different.'

All of them during their professional careers have testified in court concerning the exact firearms that had/have been used in committing crimes including identifying any bullet casings or shell casings found at the scene.

One I talked with is a very close friend of ours who is the sheriff in a neighboring county. He told me if any of his deputies ever used the incorrect terminology on either they would immediately be called to his office. He said it's never happened with any of his deputies. They are taught during their ongoing training including how to properly identify bullet casings vs identifying shell casings and making sure the right terminology is always used.

Lol! One thing I learned when talking to all of them it seems to be a pet peeve of theirs when they hear the media or regular citizens use the wrong terminology when talking about two totally different type of weapons.

Jmo

You're welcome, and thank you. I'm not an expert. I simply train & practice; teach basic pistol shooting and safe handling; shoot amateur marksman rifle matches a few times a year. I'm an above average shooter-fish in a very small pond. I also serve on the board of directors for a firearm rights organization, which is why I pay close attention and delve into so much statistical data/research/regulations, etc..

I started shooting .22 rifle with my dad when I was 8 yo.; hunted as a teen into my twenties then took a 20 year break to raise kids and not much else. It's only been the last decade or so that I began pistol training, carrying, reloading, rifleman matches, etc.

I would not be surprised if it turned out to be 1-4 perpetrators, employing an arsenal of weapon types who traipsed all about the house for hours, but with the limited information we know right now, it doesn't seem likely.

 

[FruitSnack]

That seems so bizarre... what if the child's toddler brother gets hold of it and breaks it.. then the family, who may not be able to afford it, would have to replace it.
I can see having computers in the school for all kids to learn on and to use, but.. just seems like such a large expense for public schools to expect the taxpayers to foot the bill for.
Not saying it isn't true, obviously it is true.. but still seems odd. And then to think that all schools aren't the same, adds another factor.. aren't all the schools supposed to have the same learning opportunities? jmo.

our school offers the first one free. if you need to be replaced cause of neglect or such, you owe $300. if it's a detective device, then they get it replaced for free. think they are just trying to get parents and students to be responsible for them, keep them away from toddlers.

 

[daisy6441]

I had to catch up on reading since I didn't check on the thread for a couple days. Someone has put the idea in my head that if no evidence of an intruder was found then perhaps the evidence was explained by them having a reason to be there. The killer could have admitted to being at the house prior to the incident. Didn't the sheriff say he felt like they had probably already interviewed the killer? "Of course my fingerprints were on the door. I was there yesterday helping Jim."

 

[WhimsicalWillow]

I am trying to take a break from the KB case and find out more about this one. I don't know what the latest updates are. Can anyone recommend where I should start reading?

 

[bizzle2]

I had to catch up on reading since I didn't check on the thread for a couple days. Someone has put the idea in my head that if no evidence of an intruder was found then perhaps the evidence was explained by them having a reason to be there. The killer could have admitted to being at the house prior to the incident. Didn't the sheriff say he felt like they had probably already interviewed the killer? "Of course my fingerprints were on the door. I was there yesterday helping Jim."

Just to clarify, the sheriff has said it is possible they already interviewed the killer. He didn't say probably.

I see what you are saying and something like that is certainly possible. I'm assuming they've checked alibis for anyone whose DNA was found, but it's possible that they can't really zero in on a friend whose DNA was found in the house if they don't have anything else indicating that person may be involved.

Sounds to me like they are stumped when it comes to the who and why at this point so they really can't rule anything out.

ETA: Just thinking about this more, the time of the crime might make it a little more difficult to verify alibis. I mean, at 1am on a Monday most people are going to be sleeping. That's a perfectly reasonable alibi at that time of the night, and it's tough to disprove if there is no cell phone data or eyewitness/video to refute it.

 

[Ms Buffyton]

Yes, the sheriff said that they were going to re-interview people and that they may have already interviewed the murderer. For a case to be completely COLD after two months is so sad when I think of poor Jayme. Her name needs to be kept out there, but you can only let go of so many balloons honoring her. Maybe it's time to get a fresh set of eyes on the case. New FBI agents perhaps. But they have cut back on so many resources, as they have to devote time to other cases involving the horrific crimes that happen here everyday. There are so many unanswered questions of the timeline of the family that day. OR maybe LE has evidence, but want to make sure everything is completely in order to avoid the infamous Steven Avery case that occurred in Wisconsin several years ago.

 

[CuriousMaine]

I am trying to take a break from the KB case and find out more about this one. I don't know what the latest updates are. Can anyone recommend where I should start reading?

Whiskers put together a great timeline with links, see the first page of each thread.
Not much recent, but the sheriff has trickled out a few details lately, mainly that there's been little to no trace/biological evidence found to point directly to a suspect. I'm afraid this one is going to rest on someone talking or Miss Jayme being found.

 

[Wrenny]

"Thirdly, allowing the public see the location of any wounds, even if they weren't disfiguring, would have been revealing evidence in a still unsolved murder case."

Very valid.
I'm not sure if I still think so, but early on I heard something about a knife, and I wondered whether Denise was carved up before she was shot. Cause of death being gsw doesn't mean there weren't other injuries. And not being sure the cause of death was gsw until the autopsy?

 

[Wrenny]

First, morticians are picky. My brother was killed in an accident that damaged his right eye in a way that the mortician could not cover up, so he only allowed a single viewing by the immediate family, with damaged side covered with a cloth.

So sorry about your brother.
Yet they did allow immediate family to view. If Denise's dad wasn't allowed to view, might be more to it.
My stepson was killed in an accident and had head damage. He also had some tissue harvesting for donations. Yet when we pressed the funeral director, the family was allowed to see his body before he had fixed the cosmetics, with a sheet over the worst of it. I'm glad he did. At the actual viewing he had so much makeup and a wig, he didn't look like him at all.

 

[human]

Many of the classes here are offered online. They are often for extra credit. Teachers also have additional learning resources for students that are offered online. This has been pretty common for many years.
One of my grandchildren who is a senior will graduate with three college class credits he took online while still in high school. It isn't bizarre at all. In fact I find it bizare that it isn't the same in your country.
I can't quote figures, but no students are deprived or discriminated against because the school is in a lessor economic bracket. These devices are provided to the schools at a very reduced rate. Think of them as an electronic textbook only offering so much more to the student.

In MN where I lived, there was a discussion of online instruction but the problem is in rural MN there is not reliable interent service.

I cannot even imagine the incredible issues with handing out computers. Who is responsible if they get damaged?

Did Jayme’s school hand out computers?

 

[Wrenny]

The funeral director was very clear though that it wouldn't be great, and I can tell he didn't think it was the best idea but they still had the private family viewing. He repeatedly cautioned that there was only so much they could do.

Pretty much what the funeral director said in the case of my stepson as well.

 

[JRW]

I know it's a poor area but I am surprised yo see the kids aren't all supplied with chromebooks from the school. I don't know of a school around my area that doesn't give each kid a chromebook in 7 grade and they keep it for future years.

I can't remember where I read it but kids at her school are supplied with a tablet or a laptop of somesort for homework. I don't know if that was recovered or not. I'm thinking it was I'll have to look

 

[sbsuzilight]

The police department in Barron is 3 miles away from the Closs house. He was likely coming from the police building.

Do you know the address or what street the police department is on? I was trying to find it on a map.

 

[JRW]

In MN where I lived, there was a discussion of online instruction but the problem is in rural MN there is not reliable interent service.

I cannot even imagine the incredible issues with handing out computers. Who is responsible if they get damaged?

Did Jayme’s school hand out computers?

Barron Area School District - Laptop Insurance Program

 

[girlhasnoname]

A great summary/recap to this case can be found in the first posts at the beginning of each thread. A lot of information is contained and linked there. Whiskers did a very detailed post(s).

HTH

 

[JRW]

It was the front storm door.

The front porch is very small. I'm trying to think what it would be like for someone to open the storm door, lean back and kick the door open, take shots at someone, drag someone out of the house. I know its possible, but the porch doesnt leave much room to move around. Also there is a porch light directly in front of the door. I'm curious if the porch light works or was burned out. Not much room to conceal who is at the door