AMBER ALERT WI - Jayme Closs, 13, Barron, missing after parents found shot, 15 Oct 2018 *endangered* #19

[daisy6441]

I think even if that airport scenario had been the case, we'd know far more by now considering airport surveillance that likely would have been pulled. But this isn't the case, as the Sheriff made it clear that that tip was "not credible" and it was not JLC:

"We have no credible information about the Miami incident," Fitzgerald said. Then he added: "I can't say that it was not her."
Search rapidly expands for missing Wisconsin teen whose parents were slain

As for the wording on the Barron County site, I'm not reading too much into it. The FBI site lists JLC as missing and endangered:

JAYME CLOSS — FBI
The FBI is offering a reward of up $25,000 for information leading to the whereabouts of missing and endangered 13 year old Jayme Closs.

Also, I'm not sure of procedures but I doubt just any one could come into an airport with a minor and put them on a plane.

 

[margarita25]

Thank you for the follow up.

Question: Do we know if Barron County Sheriff's Department squad vehicles have dash cam? TIA

I would assume this would be standard. The thing is, I recall LE saying they didn’t see any cars in the area, so I assume from this that no vehicles passed them along the way.

 

[daisy6441]

It definitely crossed my mind, but it didnt make immediate sense with what little we know (or more heavily - what we dont know), but its something I still think is possible.

Depending on the person it could be any reasoning for wanting them dead. The reason for hiring someone though would mean they are close to the victims and want to distance themselves. Hit men don't take hostages that I have heard unless they were also paid to do that for whatever reason. Maybe didn't want her dead, wanted her for other reasons. Plans to make her reappear at a later time after the client gets what they want.

 

[margarita25]

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never understood why on earth someone would want to ingest a drug that basically rots your teeth out and annihilates your organs and ages the eff out of you and then kills you, often then dirt poor. For some minutes of feelin’ high? Destroy the only body you have and are stuck in. Okay. But whatever.

Me neither. And unfortunately imo it is a huge problem these days with our younger generation (as well as adults), as is heroin, and imo this is ruining people’s lives and contributing to our society being destroyed on an overall level. I see methheads and zombies walking among us and it is truly frightening as their brains are FRIED and there is an increased propensity for violence, moo.

Sooo many crimes here end up having a meth factor.

 

[Gardener1850]

Thought that occurred to me yesterday was did they have life insurance and who benefits if Jayme is missing? Any one could be listed as beneficiary. Did the house they were living in belong to the grandmother who died? Maybe that is why they changed schools. They inherited the house so they moved?

They didn't move. Jayme simply changed schools. The house was bought by James and Denise sometime prior to 2001 (members in the thread previously found the records). Jayme had lived there all her life. The neighbors are just not good with recalling dates IMO or they didn't pay attention to when their neighbors moved in. I don't think there is any inheritance. Jennie-O paid for the Closs funeral and the family has been trying to raise money for the future when Jayme is found (either for another funeral for her or to get her help/counseling). The money they are raising will go to charity if not used for Jayme. Here is a link about the fundraising: Entire country helping raise money for Closs family, as friends share more stories
I don't think a wealthy family would have let the Jennie-O company pay for the funeral nor be asking for donations to help Jayme. I think the Closs family were hard working people who probably lived pay-check-to-pay-check on factory jobs and never had extra money set aside for something like a double funeral, let alone life insurance and/or an inheritance. JMO.

 

[GordianKnot]

SABBMFF from Whiskers' (Superb!) Case Details Summary:

• Ongoing Investigation
  • The FBI and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are assisting in the investigation. Fitzgerald says the FBI technicians are specialized in missing children. [5]
  • Deputies searched the area around the family's home with drones and infrared equipment, but they didn't find any clues as to her whereabouts [9]
  • Officers also were at Jayme's middle school talking with her friends and acquaintances, hoping to develop some leads [9]
  • Authorities just told volunteers that this is a 14 mile long crime scene. From city of Barron all the way to Turtle Lake. [11]
  • We're providing a number of resources -- investigative, technical, tactical intelligence as well as agents from our 'Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team [12]
  • "Individuals who commit acts of violence may display changes in their behavior and individuals around that person may observe those changes." [12]
  • The death of her parents James and Denise now ruled a double homicide by gunshot [15]
  • The department says at this point there are no signs of drug or alcohol use and say this case is particularly interesting as there were no weapons found on scene. [15]
  • They’re talking with friends, family and classmates as well as scouring Facebook and Snapchat for any sign of Jayme or any indication as to what happened. [15]
  • There is no history of family trouble or custody disputes [16]
  • [BS] declined to comment on the rest of the case and the family of [JC] and [DC]. He said he was advised by Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald to not to talk about it for the integrity of the investigation. [28]

• Jayme attended a Cameron School but transferred to Riverview Middle School in Barron because her family caretaker moved to that area, said Fitzgerald. [23]
  
• "After more discussion with Fitzgerald on Saturday morning, Fitzgerald said he was not releasing any information about how the door got opened. He said when the deputies arrived at the house, James was found dead at the door." [24]

Some Random Thoughts/Questions:

1) How did LE determine the crime scene to be 14 miles long and to end at a specific location, i.e., Turtle Lake?
2) Why did LE describe this case as being "particularly interesting" b/c no weapons were found on the scene? It struck me as being an odd comment. Is it because 0 weapons at the scene ruled out the possibility of it being a murder/suicide OR is there some other reason? Do we know whether or not either parent had registered firearms which were not found in the home when it was searched?
3) Has it been made public what time James' shift at work ended that night? IMO, depending on the time he got off work, it's possible some sort of confrontation was already in progress when he arrived home and his arrival on the scene escalated the situation.
4) IMO, that transfer of schools could be a vital piece of information to the case. Could be nothing, but it really needs to be (and I'm sure is being) investigated thoroughly by LE.

(O/T: Whiskers, thank you so much for providing that excellent Case Details post for this forum! It is one of the most comprehensive, well-constructed summaries I have ever seen. It's a very, very helpful as a reference guide when reviewing facts of the case! )

 

[daisy6441]

They didn't move. Jayme simply changed schools. The house was bought by James and Denise sometime prior to 2001 (members in the thread previously found the records). Jayme had lived there all her life. The neighbors are just not good with recalling dates IMO or they didn't pay attention to when their neighbors moved in. I don't think there is any inheritance. Jennie-O paid for the Closs funeral and the family has been trying to raise money for the future when Jayme is found (either for another funeral for her or to get her help/counseling). The money they are raising will go to charity if not used for Jayme. Here is a link about the fundraising: Entire country helping raise money for Closs family, as friends share more stories
I don't think a wealthy family would have let the Jennie-O company pay for the funeral nor be asking for donations to help Jayme. I think the Closs family were hard working people who probably lived pay-check-to-pay-check on factory jobs and never had extra money set aside for something like a double funeral, let alone life insurance and/or an inheritance. JMO.

They could have life insurance through their jobs. With Jayme gone there is no one to pay it out to. Jennie-O probably paid as a gesture of kindness.

 

[KLM6]

Yes, seems JS was referring to mail being delivered to their home in error. Here's the CNN.com - Transcripts from AB's show:

BANFIELD: Can I ask you about the Closs family? I mean, this is just such a horror that is been visited on them. I think most people are wondering, what were they like?

SMREKAR: They were very quiet people. We only saw them come and go from their home. We took mail up to them that got delivered to us, and they didn`t even want to come to the door. They were just quiet, preferred I guess to be alone. You didn`t see them out in the yard doing anything. At least we didn`t.

(Random thoughts: Perhaps JS saw both cars in the driveway, and thus assumed they were home. Or saw lights on. There could be a variety of reasons how she knew they were home, to think they were not answering. But interesting to note JS's observation nonetheless considering there is speculation of a perp coming to the front door unannounced in the middle of the night. Would JC/DC have even gone to the door in a middle-of-the-night situation like that, if it is to be believed that they wouldn't even come to the door for a neighbor, delivering mail? Random thoughts. Jmo)

First, I do find the neighbors curious. I have lots of questions about them. But as far as them describing the Closs's here, I felt like they were painting a picture of innocence. They were quiet, didnt bother anybody, kept to themselves, etc. I feel like they were answering their own question, "why these people"? We dont know that other neighbors, by comparison, arent high-traffic, noisy, party-in-the yard type of people. So to the neighbors, the Closs's may have been different. I dont get the feeling (yet) that the neighbors dislike the Closs's, just that they didnt know them well. Also, the Closs's worked shift work and possibly didnt keep "normal hours" at times, so them not answering the door at times doesnt surprise me. They very well could have been sleeping, not ignoring.

 

[rainynights]

Does anyone wonder if this was a professional hit?
I haven't wrapped my head around this theory yet but I'm going to consider it.

At this point, I haven't wrapped my head around that either, but seems possible.

Barron County Sheriff's Department
In addition, we are seeking information about the victims, Denise and James Closs. We are hopeful to learn more about the Closs family to help bring Jayme home. If you spent time with members of the Closs family recently, or if you have ever had a misunderstanding with members of the Closs family, or know someone who has, please call the tipline.

 

[CuriousMaine]

Does anyone wonder if this was a professional hit?
I haven't wrapped my head around this theory yet but I'm going to consider it.

In the traditional organized crime sense? I think a legit pro wouldn't be loud, neighbors wouldn't have heard the shots. Also lacking any known or suspected motivation for a pro hit.

 

[OhThatVictoria]

Depending on the person it could be any reasoning for wanting them dead. The reason for hiring someone though would mean they are close to the victims and want to distance themselves. Hit men don't take hostages that I have heard unless they were also paid to do that for whatever reason. Maybe didn't want her dead, wanted her for other reasons. Plans to make her reappear at a later time after the client gets what they want.

If it was a “hit”, she could have been taken to create confusion re: motivation for the murders (make it look like an abduction).

 

[cluciano63]

Jmo the “silence” is a result of lack of valid clues.

 

[CuriousMaine]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

The silence is SOP in these types (abduction/murder) of cases. I'm not discounting a political motive or involvement, but silence is not an indicator, IMO.

 

[MassGuy]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed>

The silence is because the police likely don’t have much to work with.

There wouldn’t be any political motives in play here, even if this guy was prior military or LE.

People like that commit crimes too, and LE doesn’t care about protecting these people. A criminal is a criminal, and a killer a killer.

 

[daisy6441]

@Gardener1850 Jennie-O in Barron has two openings for a shift worker and a "supply person" (machine operator). Only other openings I can see are for interns. Could these be James and Denise's jobs?

"Excellent pay and benefit package including health, dental, vision, life & disability insurance, vacation, holidays, flexible spending accounts, retirement savings plan with 401K match, continuing education, and much more."

Sounds like the benefits were pretty good. And it says life insurance.
Since the next of kin is gone any money they had is even more tied up than normal. The rest of the family might not have been able to pay and they would definitely have a hard time becoming executor to get the funds James and Denise had in their bank account or insurance.

 

[photographer4]

Yes, seems JS was referring to mail being delivered to their home in error. Here's the CNN.com - Transcripts from AB's show:

BANFIELD: Can I ask you about the Closs family? I mean, this is just such a horror that is been visited on them. I think most people are wondering, what were they like?

SMREKAR: They were very quiet people. We only saw them come and go from their home. We took mail up to them that got delivered to us, and they didn`t even want to come to the door. They were just quiet, preferred I guess to be alone. You didn`t see them out in the yard doing anything. At least we didn`t.

(Random thoughts: Perhaps JS saw both cars in the driveway, and thus assumed they were home. Or saw lights on. There could be a variety of reasons how she knew they were home, to think they were not answering. But interesting to note JS's observation nonetheless considering there is speculation of a perp coming to the front door unannounced in the middle of the night. Would JC/DC have even gone to the door in a middle-of-the-night situation like that, if it is to be believed that they wouldn't even come to the door for a neighbor, delivering mail? Random thoughts. Jmo)

So they didn't want to come to the door for a neighbour who they didn't seem to know very well... so to me, it seems James must have thought he knew who was at his door that awful night....

Also, what made the neighbours think they didn't want to answer the door when they delivered mail? How are they sure the parents were even home? Maybe it was two cars in the drive, but they were out with friends in someone else's vehicle? I'd like more clarification on where that idea came from.

 

[JnRyan]

Does anyone wonder if this was a professional hit?
I haven't wrapped my head around this theory yet but I'm going to consider it.

You've got to be kidding! That is truly a bizarre theory!

Then, this is a bizarre case. I'll add it to my list of scenarios.

 

[kidetect22]

This doesn’t really add any kind of help to this case... but I almost feel like now a days, these cases are harder to crack because we rely so much on technology and someone seeing something, knowing something. Also, harder to crack because now more than ever, I feel violent acts are happening more at random! Ex: mollie tibbets... I thought for sure it was someone she knew, someone she trusted and I was completely off...

While this could be random, I really don’t think it is! It just doesn’t make sense that anyone could get in and out that fast, with a child and not know the area well and not have a plan! It just doesn’t add up. Atleast not for me. With that said, I feel like when the truth does come out, it’s going to be more basic, and more straightforward than we even imagined! Like whoever the suspect or suspects are, will not be a huge shock. Maybe a simple argument at work, or within the family. Maybe something happened that James and Denise didn’t even tell anyone about because it was so minor or didn’t feel like it needed addressed. Whoever did this was mad about something! I’m just not sure what!!!! IMO

 

[kkdj]

This doesn’t really add any kind of help to this case... but I almost feel like now a days, these cases are harder to crack because we rely so much on technology and someone seeing something, knowing something. Also, harder to crack because now more than ever, I feel violent acts are happening more at random! Ex: mollie tibbets... I thought for sure it was someone she knew, someone she trusted and I was completely off...

While this could be random, I really don’t think it is! It just doesn’t make sense that anyone could get in and out that fast, with a child and not know the area well and not have a plan! It just doesn’t add up. Atleast not for me. With that said, I feel like when the truth does come out, it’s going to be more basic, and more straightforward than we even imagined! Like whoever the suspect or suspects are, will not be a huge shock. Maybe a simple argument at work, or within the family. Maybe something happened that James and Denise didn’t even tell anyone about because it was so minor or didn’t feel like it needed addressed. Whoever did this was mad about something! I’m just not sure what!!!! IMO

BBM
or scared about something......

 

[CuriousMaine]

Also, I'm not sure of procedures but I doubt just any one could come into an airport with a minor and put them on a plane.

I considered a private plane, but still, even small private airstrips should have been equipped with cameras and Flight Logs, Air Traffic Control checked by LE. (I would hope).