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

[Amonet]

While the trail at this moment appears cold, as per LE, here are some scenarios we can hope for

(Just has a thought...check robberies today, maybe banks...again just a thought)

Anyway here some some things we can hope for:

1. The suspect talked to someone about this crime either before or since and that witness comes foreward (family, friend, etc.).

2. Someone sees Jayme after recognizing her picture on SM or the news and calls LE.

3. Someone sees a woman who appears to be in distress and calls LE, even though they don’t know Jayme.

4. The pair (what how does LE know it’s just one suspect?) is spotted during the perp’s commission of another crime and hopefully nobody is hurt and the suspect is apprehended and Jayme is recovered safely.

5. LE receives a new lead via surveillance footage (business, residential or traffic/toll)
(Any nearby toll booths? They would check this).

6. Something new comes back from electronic footprint analysis.

7. Jayme escapes from her abductor.

8. The FBI gets a hit on a similar case/previous crime which leads them to the perp’s identity.

9. The perp turns himself in (very unlikely, moo, hardly worth typing as a possibility but that would be great wouldn’t it )

I would think it might be worth looking into robberies or leaving without payment at liquor stores or gas stations?

 

[wont_stop]

After reading the comments on the mom's FB, I feel that this case will be solved.

I pointed the PD in that direction just in case.

So Walmart is in another town thats only 10 miles away. Hopefully that town really keeps an eye out. Thank you.

Yes, it’s called Rice Lake. It’s a bit bigger but still tiny. Barron is about an hour away from anything with more than 15,000 people.

 

[margarita25]

"Joan Smrekar and her husband live right next door to the Closs family, who they describe as “very quiet, almost reclusive.” The Smrekars reported hearing two high-powered gunshots after 12:30 a.m. Monday."
Source: Parents found dead, 13-year-old girl missing in Barron County, Wisconsin

I think it's interesting that the family is described as reclusive. Did Jayme go to public school or was she homeschooled?

We had a case here locally a few years ago where a homeschooled teen around her age was tricked into meeting up with an older man she met online. Sometimes when teens don't have a lot of experience in the world and are actively shielded from it, they fail to see red flags. Hopefully, her social media accounts will give them answers quickly.

Q: “Did Jayme go to public school or was she homeschooled?“

A: “Officers also were at Jayme's middle school talking with her friends and acquaintances, hoping to develop some leads, officials said.“

Amber Alert: Teen missing, parents found dead in Wisconsin home

 

[cody22]

"Joan Smrekar and her husband live right next door to the Closs family, who they describe as “very quiet, almost reclusive.” The Smrekars reported hearing two high-powered gunshots after 12:30 a.m. Monday."
Source: Parents found dead, 13-year-old girl missing in Barron County, Wisconsin

I think it's interesting that the family is described as reclusive. Did Jayme go to public school or was she homeschooled?

We had a case here locally a few years ago where a homeschooled teen around her age was tricked into meeting up with an older man she met online. Sometimes when teens don't have a lot of experience in the world and are actively shielded from it, they fail to see red flags. Hopefully, her social media accounts will give them answers quickly.

Public Junior High School is where she attended.

 

[MassGuy]

What about little HC (I think those are the initials), the little girl taken after a man got into the home and attacked her mother and left the mother for dead? The little girl wasn't the target but she got taken.

And I don't see how the number of bullets correlates to anything but the number needed to do the job? If you've got a gun and the two victims are in bed or corralled together then you might only need two bullets.

The scenario you put forth certainly does happen, but it happens less on the whole.

If your goal is solely to kill two people, you usually see a level of overkill. Occasionally, these assailants fire until their gun is dry.

The odds of surviving a single gunshot is obviously far greater than surviving multiple. That’s why it’s rare for a killer to stop with one shot per victim (if that is what happened here).

Killers generally don’t like to take that chance.

Edit* Explained by the use of a shotgun.

 

[chi123]

It's not often that the police come right out and say they have absolutely nothing on a case, especially this early. Not a good sign.

 

[onealwayssearching]

I agree. It feels personal. But if indeed there were only 2 gunshots, perhaps not "uncontrolled rage" or "out of control on drugs" personal. It doesn't seem like a random home invasion. MOO.

This crime feels very personal to me also. I believe the killer(s) knew their intended victims They most likely let them in. This crime screams Anger, Rage and possible Vengance. I think that if this killing was planned, it wouldn't have happened with (Jayme) at home when a killer would expect a 13 yo to be home. These killer(s) were very pissed off at these 2 adults. <modsnip - speculation, politicizing>

 

[Colorado303]

I am also wondering if the parents were shot with TWO different weapons. I would think to shoot one, the other would run. There may have been two perpetrators. Even a man and woman.

Interesting thought. Especially since the neighbor who heard the gunshots thought one was louder than another. If both shots were fired inside the house, I don't know that the noise would be that different at a distance if the same gun was used. Wonder if one shot was from inside the house and the other from outside.

 

[Gardener1850]

"Joan Smrekar and her husband live right next door to the Closs family, who they describe as “very quiet, almost reclusive.” The Smrekars reported hearing two high-powered gunshots after 12:30 a.m. Monday."
Source: Parents found dead, 13-year-old girl missing in Barron County, Wisconsin

I think it's interesting that the family is described as reclusive. Did Jayme go to public school or was she homeschooled?

We had a case here locally a few years ago where a homeschooled teen around her age was tricked into meeting up with an older man she met online. Sometimes when teens don't have a lot of experience in the world and are actively shielded from it, they fail to see red flags. Hopefully, her social media accounts will give them answers quickly.

Public school, no evidence of homeschooling. LE have talked to other students at her middle school and are placing an extra protection detail at the school.

I don't put much weight on the neighbor's comment because the houses are far apart with woods between. Also, both parents worked at a turkey processing factory. I wonder which shifts they worked? If they worked a late night/early morning shift where they slept daytime hours, they might not see their neighbors much. JMO.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

I wonder what positions the mom and dad held at the Jennie O plant. Perhaps one of them was in a management position and recently fired an employee or something similar.

 

[margarita25]

They will also be looking at her social media and text messages. It’s possible that she communicated with this guy at some point.

Child predators are sometimes willing to go to incredible lengths to get what they want, to include multiple murder.

“Child predators are sometimes willing to go to incredible lengths to get what they want, to include multiple murder.”

You really remind me of our Late Great @Foxfire sometimes. You would’ve loved him.

This is totally something he would say, moo.

 

[margarita25]

It's not often that the police come right out and say they have absolutely nothing on a case, especially this early. Not a good sign.

Exactly.

 

[Amonet]

Random thoughts...

How did Jayme get to and from school?
If she took the bus, where was the bus stop?
Did someone see her at the bus stop in the mornings/afternoons?
Is track or cross-country ongoing now?
Where did she run for practice?
What businesses did she run past?
Whose homes did she run past?
Was there road construction near the home?
Homes being built?
Were there people who saw her run on a regular basis?
MOO

If someone was watching J at a bus stop or out running, why not abduct her between the bus stop/run and her home? Why go into the home and kill the parents? It seems to be making things way harder than they need to be?

 

[Miamama]

New scenario running through my head...

-Perp is known to parents and has fixated on Jayme.

-He enters home to take her, with a gun to assure compliance

-He already has her when interrupted by one of her parents

-He holds gun to Jayme to mentally subdue parent. Other parent is in process of calling 911 then maybe responds to (goes to) Jayme and spouse before speaking with operator. One of the 3 calls out help.

-Perp cant leave parents alive because they know him, so kills them at close range in succession. (He still has Jayme to keep other parent from running after first is shot).

With the neighbors house being close enough to hear gunshots (I cant remember..did I read .3 miles?) it might not make sense that he went in with the intention of shooting, then taking Jayme. That would take too long, and too much chance of Jayme getting away.

 

[Alethea]

Additional pictures shared by a Missing org:

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

The scenario you put forth certainly does happen, but it happens less on the whole.

If your goal is solely to kill two people, you usually see a level of overkill. Occasionally, these assailants fire until their gun is dry.

The odds of surviving a single gunshot is obviously far greater than surviving multiple. That’s why it’s rare for a killer to stop with one shot per victim (if that is what happened here).

Killers generally don’t like to take that chance.

Shotgun wounds are different than handgun wounds. Shotgun wounds are huge. The tissue and bone damage are severe owing to the fact that the pellets (not a single bullet like a handgun) scatter as they travel. Close-range shotgun wounds to the chest, abdomen or head are fatal. A killer only needs to close-range shoot the victim once with a shotgun.

 

[margarita25]

Interesting thought. Especially since the neighbor who heard the gunshots thought one was louder than another. If both shots were fired inside the house, I don't know that the noise would be that different at a distance if the same gun was used. Wonder if one shot was from inside the house and the other from outside.

(This warms my heart to have you here Colorado303, helping in another case, after the loss of your friend, Shanann and you finding your way here through those lovely girls. Thank you again for being here and for sticking around.)

 

[margarita25]

Additional pictures shared by a Missing org:

She’s holding a phone.

 

[margarita25]

Just noticed new thread for woman missing from Crow Wing county
MN, in Maroon Honda hrv. That's only 3.5 hrs from barron, WI. Could have been car jacked, vehicle used for this abduction?? Looks like she hasn't been seen since 11p 10/14. Lack of details in both cases.

Wait what, good find, we need to look at this asap, moo.

ETA:

MN - MN - Lisa Finnerty, 52, Crow Wing County, 14 Oct 2018

 

[wont_stop]

This crime feels very personal to me also. I believe the killer(s) knew their intended victims They most likely let them in. This crime screams Anger, Rage and possible Vengance. I think that if this killing was planned, it wouldn't have happened with (Jayme) at home when a killer would expect a 13 yo to be home. These killer(s) were very pissed off at these 2 adults. <modsnip - speculation, politicizing>

<modsnip - referenced portion of post has been removed>They have zero criminal
records at all. Barron and the whole surrounding area is incredibly white. The county is 95% white only. The town of Barron itself is about 90% white. Basically the only minorities are a few percent Asian (Hmong immigrants) and around 8% black, due to an influx of Somali immigrants. <modsnip - referenced portion of quoted post removed>.