Kidnapping of Jayme Closs
Jayme Lynn Closs (b. July 13, 2005) is the only child of James and Denise Closs of Barron, Wisconsin. On October 5, 2018, Jake Patterson drove to the Closs home to kidnap Jayme Closs. Activity in the home deterred him, as he was afraid he would leave witnesses. Patterson made a second attempt two days later but again aborted for the same reason. On October 15, he made a third visit, this time armed with a shotgun. Shortly before 12:53 a.m, Patterson parked his car at the end of the driveway. Wearing a black coat and ski mask, he approached the front door of the home, carrying the shotgun. James Closs, 56, shone a light on Patterson through a glass pane in the front door and asked him to show him his badge. Patterson called out, "Open the fucking door!" Patterson fired once, fatally shooting Closs. Forcing his way into the house, Patterson checked every room in the house because he wanted "no witnesses left behind." He found the bathroom door locked and began shooting it down. Inside the bathroom were Denise Closs, 46, and Jayme. Denise was comforting Jayme, who was crying loudly. At 12:53 a.m., Denise Closs made a 911 call.
While Denise Closs did not speak, the operator heard a disturbance and yelling before the phone call disconnected. When the dispatcher called the number back, they reached the voicemail of Denise Closs. Patterson bound Jayme's wrists and ankles using duct tape, then fatally shot Denise Closs. He dragged Jayme outside, almost slipping on blood, placed her in the trunk of his car, and drove away. The police arrived four minutes after the 911 call. Patterson later told investigators that he pulled over 20 seconds down the road from the house. Deputies sped by with emergency lights and sirens on. Neighbors said they heard two gunshots but dismissed them since hunting was common around their homes. After arriving at his cabin, Patterson made Closs change into a different pair of pajamas, then forced her under his mattress and sealed off all exits before going to sleep.
Patterson believed that Closs was too afraid of him to make any escape attempts. He “never put special locks on doors because she wouldn’t escape.” They also slept on the same bed. Patterson would rarely let Closs out of the cabin, only for brief walks on the lawn after checking for bystanders. On the afternoon of January 10, 2019, Patterson told Closs he was leaving for a couple of hours. He put her under his bed before boxing her inside with his belongings, per his usual routine. After he departed, Closs pushed out the objects around the bed. She ran from the house wearing a light shirt, leggings, and a pair of Patterson's sneakers. Closs came across a local woman, Jeanne Nutter, walking her dog. Nutter recognized Closs from news reports and immediately took her to a neighbor's house. After police were called, Closs told them "Jake Patterson" had killed her parents, taken her, and kept her prisoner just a few houses away from her current location in the neighborhood. The neighbors described Closs as calm, quiet, dazed, and surprised that they recognized her from news coverage.
The police arrived around 4:45 p.m. and removed Closs from the area for her safety. The description Closs provided for Patterson and his vehicle enabled deputies to spot his car just minutes afterwards when Patterson drove by the house. After a deputy stopped him, Patterson exited his vehicle and said, "I did it."
A hospital admitted Closs under guard. The next morning, they released her to the custody of her aunt, Jennifer Smith. Hormel, the parent company of the Jennie-O store where Closs's parents worked, announced on January 24 that they would grant $25,000 reward money to Closs for rescuing herself.
