WI - Jayme Closs, 13, Barron,Media, Maps and Timelines *NO DISCUSSION*

[PommyMommy]

JAN 20, 2019
Prayer service held at Jayme Closs' church to celebrate her return - Video
Hundreds of people from Barron and the surrounding communities gathered at the church Sunday. After nearly three months in captivity, the community was excited to celebrate at the place Closs received her first communion and started her religious education.

Until Oct. 15, Closs was in the 8th grade class of PG, the Parish Director.

“Denise was a sweet person to me, so I’m sad,” said Gerber. “I’m sad that she’s not here and just so ecstatic when Jayme came home and then for a split second my heart dropped almost in tears of mourning that her mom wasn’t here to welcome her home in her arms.”

The prayer service intended to bring closure for Jayme, her family, her friends and those on the front lines leading the investigation to bring her home safely.

“They can hold their heads high because they have responded well because they’ve had the eyes of the nation upon them and they have remained strong in their hope. They need to hold their heads high tonight,” said Father John Gerritts.

Jayme herself was not ready to attend the service Sunday, but the event was videotaped and will be given to her to view at a time when she’s comfortable watching it.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 20, 2019
Russ Weseman on Twitter
The church that #JaymeCloss grew up in had a prayer service for the young girl and the community celebrating her return #jaymazimg

Dr. Mehmet Oz on Twitter
.@NancyGrace shares the latest updates on the abduction of Jayme Closs. What were the conditions in the cabin where she spent 88 days in captivity? Why she was targeted by Jake Patterson and how she was able to escape? The answers to these questions and more tomorrow.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 20, 2019
A Wisconsin community came together Sunday night to give thanks and celebrate the safe return home for Jayme Closs, Reg Chapman reports. WCCO 4 News At 10

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 20, 2019
Service of gratitude held for Jayme Closs
Jayme's cousin said a tearful prayer for the 13-year-old's friends.

"Help them in these coming days as Jayme returns to their lives," she said.

Musicans LS and AA were honored to take part.

"It really did hit home in a strong way for me," AA said.

Father JG says it was difficult to decide on a message.

"They have one of the greatest miracle stories to be shared. What could anyone possibly add to that?" JG said.

So he decided to let the people of Barron County, in the home church of Jayme Closs' family, to know how the rest of the world is seeing them: a community that stuck together, never blamed each other and most importantly never lost hope.

"It's important to do this after everything people have been through, because we want to make sure we remember that God indeed did answer our prayers," Gerritts said.

Jayme's aunt JS, who is now her caregiver, is also a member of St. Peter. So Jayme will be able to continue going to church there.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 21, 2019
FOX11 BTS on Twitter
oday on @DrOz, Nancy Grace shares the latest updates on Jayme Closs and her miraculous escape, 88 days after she was abducted. And, kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart weighs in on what may be next for Jayme. That's all at 1:00 p.m. on FOX 11.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 21, 2019
Jayme Closs rescued herself. Should she get the reward money? (Updated article)
Fitzgerald told CNN that he and the FBI will be consulting on the reward soon to make a decision about what happens with the money. FBI Milwaukee spokesman Leonard Peace also confirmed that the FBI is continuing to review the reward.

"That's a question for someone else other than me," District Attorney Brian Wright said Monday.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 22, 2019
Suspect Jake Thomas Patterson hosted a Christmas gathering while Jayme Closs was imprisoned in the same house, sources say
He held a Christmas Day gathering for family members at "Patterson Retreat," the former family home that Patterson is accused of turning into a prison for 13-year-old Jayme Closs.

While the family marked the holiday, the houseguests had no idea that another person was there — the terrified girl Patterson was holding captive, forced to stay hidden under a twin bed, sources told reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald wouldn't confirm the Christmas gathering, saying he wouldn't know whether such an event took place.

But two law-enforcement sources separately said the visitors included two members of Patterson's immediate family and the people they were dating.

"The family was there," one source said. Patterson "told (Jayme) that if she made a noise or tried to escape, he would kill her."

One source identified Patterson's father and sister as the family members who made the Christmas visit to the ramshackle house at 14166 S. Eau Claire Acres Circle in Gordon, a town of about 750 located about 70 miles north of Jayme's home town of Barron.

The second source confirmed that the investigation had found that those family members visited Patterson on Christmas.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 23, 2019
Jake Patterson, accused of abducting Jayme Closs, isolated himself after high school
His increasing isolation continued until late 2018 when Patterson, four months after his 21st birthday, was so far off people's radar that he was able to avoid being a suspect in the shotgun murders of a Barron County couple and the kidnapping of their 13-year-old daughter, Jayme Closs. That's despite, as prosecutors now allege, having held Jayme captive for nearly three months in the house where he'd lived since 2006.

When he began high school at Northwood in 2011, Patterson didn't present a memorable figure.

"He was just kind of there," one classmate would later recall of the freshman whose 2012 yearbook photo shows him smiling in a T-shirt, tousled brown hair and glasses.

Before junior year, students noticed changes. He began sporting a crewcut. And he showed flashes of a temper, although a classmate said he wasn't the only student to do so.

"Something simple like someone throwing a ball (in gym class) and hitting him in the face by accident would set him off," the longtime acquaintance said. "He would cry or get really upset and whip a ball back with anger. That's the closest I'd seen him be violent."

Problems began to emerge on the home front, too. And his potential support group had grown smaller.

At some point — it's unclear when — his father moved out of the house in Gordon, neighbor Daphne Ronning said. With their sister already gone, it was just Jake and Erik, who was almost four years older.

People who know Patterson remain stunned. Fisher said her son, who didn't want to be interviewed for this story, has spent sleepless nights periodically interrupted by tears.

"I'd thought, 'Boy, there's a kid who's got it together, who's gonna go far in life,'" said Fisher, who recalled Patterson coming over to play video games and the board game "Risk." "Now he's got this whole community torn up."

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 23, 2019
Hormel Foods and Jennie-O Turkey Store Announce Their Plan to Donate $25,000 Reward Directly to Jayme Closs | Hormel Foods
JANUARY 23, 2019
BARRON, WIS.

During a company event today, Hormel Foods announced that it is working with law enforcement officials to move forward with its plans to donate the company’s $25,000 reward contribution directly to Jayme Closs.

“On behalf of the entire Jennie-O and Hormel Foods family, we are overjoyed at the news of Jayme’s safe return,” said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “Her bravery and strength have truly inspired our team members around the world. Barron is an incredibly strong community and one that never lost hope. We celebrated with the community, and the world, that Jayme is home.”

“First and foremost, Jennie-O Turkey Store is a family,” said Steve Lykken, Jennie-O Turkey Store president. “Here in Barron our Jennie-O family is dealing with a very tragic situation. While we are still mourning the loss of longtime family members Jim and Denise, we are so thankful for Jayme’s brave escape and that she is back in Barron. The company has expressed its wishes to donate the $25,000 to Jayme. Our hope is that a trust fund can be used for Jayme’s needs today and in the future.”

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 23, 2019
Jennie-O to donate $25,000 in reward money to Jayme Closs
The FBI and Jennie-O contributed a total of $50,000 for information on Jayme's whereabouts. Jennie-O and its parent company, Hormel Foods, announced Thursday that they're working with law enforcement to get its share of the reward to Jayme.

Jennie-O to donate $25,000 in reward money to Jayme Closs
Hormel Foods and Jennie-O say they'll donate the $25,000 it had offered in reward money for information leading to Jayme Closs directly to the 13-year-old girl.

Jennie-O to Donate $25,000 in Reward Money to Jayme Closs
Jennie-O President Steve Lykken says in a statement that he hopes a trust fund can be set up for Jayme’s current and future needs.

Jennie-O Turkey Store will donate $25,000 reward to Jayme Closs, citing teen's 'bravery'
Jayme Closs will receive at least half of the $50,000 reward established during her 88-day disappearance.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin has reached out to the FBI for more information on the agency's plans for its portion of the reward.

Paul Blume on Twitter
Hormel Foods & Jennie-O Turkey Store Announce Their Plan to Donate $25,000 Reward Directly to #JaymeCloss Good idea here.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 23, 2019
Man seeks to demolish home; Site of double homicide
Motivated by what he says is a concern for painful memories in the Barron area, a Minnesota resident has started inquiries about buying the former home of James, Denise and Jayme Closs, and having it demolished.

Todd Sharkey, of Stillwater, Minn., said Friday, Jan 18, 2019, that he has extended his offer to the Closs family, and is awaiting word from their legal representative before he proceeds.

If his offer is approved, Sharkey said he would start a fundraising campaign to buy the property for whatever remains on its mortgage.

“I have no connection to the family or the area,” Sharkey said. “But I’ve been following the case and it is heartbreaking.”

Sharkey said part of his concern arises from the assumption that Jayme Closs will continue to live in the area (she is staying with her aunt and uncle, Cameron residents J and R Smith).

“The county told me that they’re on board with (the idea), and they’d be willing to waive any (property) transfer fees,” he added.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 24, 2019
My advice for Jayme Closs (from a child abduction survivor who has walked in her shoes)

In these early days, Jayme needs time and space, and her privacy must be respected.

Additionally, traumatic experiences can result in hypersensitivity. Emotions may run from one end of the spectrum to the other in mere seconds. Even the most gentle of touches, welcomed one moment, may be unbearable the next. Jayme’s family may learn that she will need to set new boundaries, and that while this can be highly confusing to all, they are hers to set.

Public curiosity often becomes both invasive and painful. There are aspects of Jayme’s captivity that she may never wish to share. We may never know, nor do we need to know, the horrors that this child may have experienced. Everyone must be cognizant of the fact that Jayme’s existence goes beyond the headlines, and she must be allowed to continue her healing without interference.

This world that she has been thrown into, one that she did not ask for, will be difficult to navigate. I’ve traveled these waters and know how invasion of privacy and misguided public perception can impede the recovery process. People often speculate about how they would react if faced with a dire situation. Never judge survivors for what they did, or did not do, in order to survive. Whatever choices they may have made were the right ones because they kept them alive – and that is heroic.

In the end, this is Jayme’s story and hers alone.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 24, 2019
Will DA add charges in Jayme Closs case?
The question of whether additional charges will be filed in Douglas County, where Closs was believed to have been held captive for 88 days, remains open. District Attorney Mark Fruehauf this week said the case is still under review and declined to give any specifics about the investigation.

So, what considerations might factor into Fruehauf's decision?

Cecelia Klingele, assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that a prosecutor's chief concern is making sure a defendant is held responsible for his or her actions.

Klingele said it's not uncommon for a defendant to be charged in multiple jurisdictions when crimes have occurred in more than one location. Sometimes that comes from a worry that charges in one jurisdiction won't be enough to punish a defendant adequately.

The charges filed in Barron County this month are enough to put Patterson in prison for the rest of his life.

"These are very, very serious charges," Klingele said. "The evidence in this case appears to be strong, and when you have a strong case for serious crimes, particularly crimes where there's a mandatory life sentence on the line, typically (these) charges are going to be enough to hold a defendant accountable."

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 24, 2019
Jayme Closs kidnapping ‘a shock’ to the community, but so...
“We just don’t see stranger abductions happen, particularly with no prior knowledge of the child or family or location — almost ever,” she said. “Everything about this case was highly, highly anomalous.”

Though fears are stoked and emotions are running high, Klingele said it’s important to keep some perspective.

“Obviously, it’s everyone’s great fear, something like this,” she said. “And it’s a terrible tragedy. But it’s also just an extraordinarily rare event.”

That’s a reminder for media outlets, too.

“It’s really important to the degree possible for the media to help send the message that parents don’t need to be terrified to send their children on school buses each morning,” Klingele said. “This is such atypical behavior that (professionals) will see it once in their career, if that often.

“Your kid is much more likely to get hit by lightning.”

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 25, 2019
Stephen Kelley on Twitter
BREAKING: The Douglas County District Attorney says he will not issue new charges against Jake Patterson, the man who confessed to kidnapping Barron teen Jayme Closs and killing her parents in October. @WQOW

Hunter Sáenz on Twitter
#Breaking: Douglas Co. DA does not anticipate to file criminal charges against Jake Patterson, he man accused of kidnapping #JaymeCloss. DA said several things considered including other charges already filed in Barron Co. and “victim-related concerns.” @WKOW

Doug Schneider on Twitter
Breaking news on the #JaymeCloss case: The Douglas County District Attorney says it does not anticipate filing a criminal complaint against Jake Patterson in the immediate future, citing "the existence of other charges and victim-related concerns."

Seth Kaplan on Twitter
JUST IN: Charges will *not* be brought against Jake Patterson in Douglas Co. Many legal analysts expected this so that the possible ugly details from what happened to Jayme Closs in that home wouldn't be revealed.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 25, 2019
Douglas County Attorney: No charges expected for Jayme Closs' alleged captor
he Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says it does not anticipate filing charges against Jake Patterson, the man accused of kidnapping Jayme Closs and holding her in his home.

Gordon is in Douglas County, but Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf announced Friday in a release that the decision to not file charges is due to the existence of other charges and “victim-related concerns.”

Charges have already been filed against Patterson in Barron Co., Wis. where he allegedly killed her parents and kidnapped her from her home.

Fruehauf did say his office does “retain the ability to charge Patterson at any time within the statute of limitations for any crime it determines Patterson has committed."

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 25, 2019
Douglas County, Wis. prosecutors won't file charges any time soon against Jake T. Patterson
Prosecutors in the county where 13-year-old Jayme Closs was held captive after her abduction last October announced Friday they will not file charges against the perpetrator any time soon.

Jake T. Patterson is already being held on charges of murdering Closs’s parents, kidnapping the girl and breaking into their Barron County home after authorities say he confessed to those crimes.

Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf said in a statement released late Friday afternoon that a decision on whether to file criminal charges in his county “involves the consideration of multiple factors, including the existence of other charges and victim-related concerns”

Fruehauf said in the statement that his office retains the ability to charge Patterson later, however — at any time within the statute of limitations for any crimes he may have committed.

Patterson has already been charged in Barron County with fatally shooting Jayme’s parents, Denise and James Closs, at their home on the outskirts of Barron, Wis., in the early morning hours of Oct. 15 and abducting Jayme.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 25, 2019 - Article with pdf of Douglas Co Press Release
Douglas County DA Says No Charges Against Patterson
Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf said in a press release that prosecutors aren't able to charge Patterson "at any time within the statute of limitations for any crime it determines Patterson has committed."

"A prosecutor’s decision whether to file criminal charges involves the consideration of multiple factors, including the existence of other charges and victim-related concerns," the statement read, adding, "The matter remains under review at this time."

https://www.wpr.org/sites/default/files/1.25.2019_patterson.pdf

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 25, 2019
Jayme Closs Case: Former WI Attorney General opens up about investigation
Former Attorney General Brad Schimel, who led the Wisconsin Department of Justice's involvement in the Jayme Closs case, says investigators always had reason to believe the 13-year-old was alive.

“At what point did you stop thinking she might have been killed that night too?” CBS 58 Investigates asked Judge Schimel.

“Well when she didn't turn up somewhere in a matter of a couple days, then we had great hope,” Judge Schimel said. He adds that after killing two people, taking the teen alive was a liability and only made sense if the suspect intended to keep her.

And the more time passed, the more investigators believed Jayme was still out there, especially after hunting season, when thousands of people take to the woods and no one found anything.

“We believed somebody was holding her, which is not good,” Judge Schimel said. “We knew that meant this was a very difficult life for her but alive is a very good thing.”

Now the Barron community is focused on keeping an eye on Jayme; making sure she feels their support as she adjusts to her new normal.

“People with that kind of strength of character, we can be hopeful that they can find some degree of healing,” Judge Schimel said.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 28, 2019
Jayme Closs not being found within days gave investigators "great hope" she was alive, former attorney general says
In most kidnapping cases, the passing of time breeds despair, but it was the lack of Jayme Closs being found in those first few days that gave investigators hope she was still alive.

While the lack of serious breakthroughs sparked speculation that Jayme’s case was lost, Schimel said for investigators, it actually gave them hope that she could still be found alive.

“Well when she didn't turn up somewhere in a matter of a couple days, then we had great hope,” Schimel told WDJT. “We believed somebody was holding her, which is not good. We knew that meant this was a very difficult life for her but alive is a very good thing.”

Given the severity of the crime, some were shocked to find out that Patterson had no criminal history in Barron County or Wisconsin. Although it may be shocking, Schimel explained it wasn’t a rarity in this type of case.

“That is common, that individuals who prey on children don't have a lengthy history, criminally, that we didn't hear of them before,” Schimel said. “The ones we know about, we're keeping our eye on.”