AMBER ALERT WI - Jayme Closs, 13, Barron, missing after parents found shot, 15 Oct 2018 *endangered* #11

[Msl1966]

I hadn’t thought of this, but this makes everything make sense. Why they weren’t calling it an abduction.

I agree...makes so much sense. If she ran and got down drive or out onto road, they could’ve grabbed her and taken her. Not necessarily what they intended.

 

[JohnTate90210]

Is anyone familiar with the 2002 abduction of Jennifer Short? It is eerily similar! In 2002 a husband-wife and only daughter were living off a highway in South Carolina. The parents were each shot in the head and the 9-year-old was kidnapped and found 1 month later.

It was in Virginia.

 

[MsBetsy]

Not the storm door. Their main door has a small window in it

The main door has a window? That would mean James would have seen who was at the door. Are you sure there was a window in it?

 

[Abba's Tears]

It feels like we're all working on a critical 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle but none of the pieces will fit together no matter how hard we try to find where they go. I so hope for a break in this case where the pieces start to fit and the case can be built against whomever did such a terrible thing. With the main objective of course, to find Jayme.

 

[Mom24]

If he is a member here he hasn't been on for a while nor paying very close attention. Jacob Wetterling was found 2 years ago and someone confessed: Jacob Wetterling - Wikipedia

He may have been intoxicated (meth is big in the area-- or so I read here) or perhaps is someone who likes to try to freak other people out for his own enjoyment. JMO.

Might not have even happened. We're all assuming the woman telling the story is being truthful, she could just be someone looking for a few dollars for a paid story and 15 minutes of fame.

 

[kas]

The main door has a window? That would mean James would have seen who was at the door. Are you sure there was a window in it?

Zoom in and you see it

 

[Jabarn]

I think there’s a good chance DC and JC ran somewhere to hide possibly even in different locations in the house, maybe in the basement, when they heard the confrontation between the perp and dad at the front door. That might explain the length of time between the dad being shot at the front door (if it happened at 12:31) and the 911 call 20 minutes later. Maybe there had been a chase in the house when they were discovered with lots of screaming as heard in the call. Wherever the mom was killed it only took LE up to 5 minutes to find her after finding the dad at the front door.

There are two scenarios that hold water for me.

The first is what you describe: James was home, or arrived home, and he was the first to go down and in either scenario, the intrudors(s) entered the house after he was down.

The second is the one I keep going back to: James walked into the situation in progress and got shot.

I am off here for tonight. No way to know for sure, but I think one of the two scenarios is most likely. Hope to come back here tomorrow and find an arrest has been made.

 

[BlinkOfAnI]

Probably crazy so apologies. Not a theory. More a scenario of hope created in my head. I can remember when meth hit our town many years ago. Working as a PO I received many cases and meth being fairly new, was shocked at the behavior caused by addiction from this drug. Rage, anger, psychotic manifestations, being found by police hiding in the bushes with clothes torn off after breaking into a home, many, many random break-ins, senseless murder of a mother and daughter, just to name a few. My hope is that this was random by a young local person hopped up on meth who went to school with Jayme but didn't know this was her house. Tried to break in, killed Dad, Mom and some point something came through the haze when he saw Jayme and took her with him. Not really an opinion. Just thoughts of hope.

 

[PommyMommy]

Volunteer Search Party Helps Uncover New Clues In Case Of Missing Wisconsin Teenager
The volunteers were dispatched in teams, each being led by an investigator, to search individual mapped out areas.
The search teams extended in a 5-mile radius surrounding the home of Jayme's parents, Denise and James Closs, after the couple was found killed on Oct. 15.
The FBI tweeted a thank you to all the volunteers who made their way through "roadsides and cornfields in Barron for items that may be related to the disappearance."
One local resident, AH, said The family needs answers. We need to find her, our winter is coming. There are no words to describe how important it is."

 

[Jethro4WS]

How many investigators are working on this case? The county sheriffs department couldn’t have many detectives.

Sheriff has said that there are 200 officers working the case. There are other counties that have sent deputies and detectives, state police officers and detectives, as well as FBI agents and Wisconsin DCI agents.

 

[Shurlokt]

We are not far from the time frame that the ground freezes and snow stays for the duration of fall & winter making ground evidence detection & collection much more difficult.

 

[FlamingoLady]

Sheriff has said that there are 200 officers working the case. There are other counties that have sent deputies and detectives, state police officers and detectives, as well as FBI agents and Wisconsin DCI agents.

I worry that as time goes by, these numbers will dwindle. There needs to be a break in the case soon!

 

[katydid23]

Yeah, I am a grandmother now, but if I had kids that were 13 in this day and age, they would be very restricted in what they could do online. I certainly know they wouldn't have a phone at 13.

Phones can be an important protective tool for a 13 yr old. My 13 yr olds had a lot of extracurricular activities after school. Their cells were of vital importance for me to know what was going on each day with rides, etc.

 

[Msl1966]

If mom did run into the bathroom, it would support her possibly being the target. IMO the reason she didn’t run to protect her daughter, was because she knew the person was after her.

I really feel the dad came home to whatever was happening and kicked in door himself and was shot.

Another random thought...Not sure how this would impact the door being kicked in, but it looks like the glass door handle is on the right and the front door handle/knob is on left. You’d have to hold the glass door wide open to get a good kick at the knob side of the door. I don’t recall what part of door was kicked.

 

[photographer4]

<modsnipped- unfounded speculation which is not victim friendly> I don’t think she committed any of the murders at all - she’s a victim.

 

[Mom24]

What if Jayme ran and the perp(s) had to chase after her because she could ID him/them?

I keep wondering this. Dad is killed instantly, then the intruder enters the home looking for mom. He finds her and shoots her. Jayme attempts to run out, mom makes her way to the bathroom and dials 911 but can't speak due to her injuries. The dispatcher hears Jayme screaming for help as she's running out and intruder follows her and shoots her in the woods. That's the shots the neighbors hear. It's dark out, he can't find her but he's sure she's been hit and he runs back in the house finishes off mom and leaves. I really believe they're going to find Jayme in the woods.

 

[Betty P]

First time comment
Logically speaking:
The perpetrator most likely knew the family. Basic homicide fact & standalone kidnappers or traffickers normally don't want attention. Trafficking also normally happens to people who are in vulnerable situations where the family doesn't protect them.
Wanted to harm both of the parents: if just the father then why would he proceed after killing him. If just the mother then why would he wait till the father was home after a late shift. In towns of this size, similar to that of my extended family, people know everyone's schedules.
Jayme was probably a target of a sinister motive.
The house being positioned right off the highway makes it very unlikely that anyone would be able to case it without drawing suspicion without knowing them. Especially so if they are reclusive.
The front door being the entrance lends to it being personal. Vs. the glass door in the rear?
I can't recall another case where someone kidnaps without that being one of the main objectives.
The length of time the perp took in the home, without taking anything makes it seem as though it was a place where they felt comfortable.
The perp most likely left in a car, considering the officer's response time. Also weighing the idea of walking in a rural area to murder and kidnap is far fetched. I also think there would be more physical evidence if she was able to run.
If reports that she was on her own phone at the party earlier in the day are true and it isn't in the house, then it seems likely that the perp grabbed it, turned it off and took it with him to conceal fingerprints.
Also seems like this person would be able to get off the road quickly, whether at a home or hotel.

This all being said, one fact comes out and all of this could change.

BBM

This stands out to me, too. The nearly half-hour that passes between the time the neighbors hear gunshots and the call to 911 is extremely relevant. As you say, the killer felt comfortable remaining in the home for a period of time before leaving with Jayme. Was he talking to her, convincing her she should go with him, that he "loved" and would take care of her? Was he having her pack things - warm clothing, blankets, food? Some similar cases in recent years have seen kidnappers of teens taking them up into the mountains, cabins, similar remote places where they hide out.

ETA: MOO, he had been in the house before, was probably close to the family "like an uncle or second father", similar to James DiMaggio, who kidnapped Hannah Anderson

Kidnapping of Hannah Anderson - Wikipedia

Good friend of the parents, possibly no children of his own. Often went on family outings, invited family to his place, etc. Usually, these guys prey on teen daughters of single moms, but they also hang around teen girls whose fathers or both parents are frequently gone from home for work.

 

[lex8396]

Could Jayme have had a babysitting ad on CRAIGSLIST or responded to an ad looking for a babysitter? It seems lot of crimes happen from dishonest people on these sites.

 

[chi123]

I worry that as time goes by, these numbers will dwindle. There needs to be a break in the case soon!

Me too. Im worried this is gonna go cold shortly, unfortunately WS is filled with cold cases that have descriptions of a possible vehicle used but nothing else. Especially if these 2 cars were simply near the area and were just seen on blurry surveillance video.

Im hoping tomorrow we'll hear that they uncovered more evidence or anything. It was troubling to me that they came right out and said the day after the murders that they had pretty much nothing, not often we hear that especially so early.

 

[ludakristen]

I keep wondering this. Dad is killed instantly, then the intruder enters the home looking for mom. He finds her and shoots her. Jayme attempts to run out, mom makes her way to the bathroom and dials 911 but can't speak due to her injuries. The dispatcher hears Jayme screaming for help as she's running out and intruder follows her and shoots her in the woods. That's the shots the neighbors hear. It's dark out, he can't find her but he's sure she's been hit and he runs back in the house finishes off mom and leaves. I really believe they're going to find Jayme in the woods.

I think if she was shot and killed near the house, she would’ve been found by now. Scent dogs would’ve found her.
I think it’s more likely she was taken, killed elsewhere and dumped. And like Mollie Tibbetts and so many others, she won’t be found until the person who took her confesses. IMO