21-year-old man charged in Jayme Closs abduction, parents’ murders

BARRON, Wis. (FOX 9) – Jake Patterson, 21, is now charged in connection with the abduction of 13-year-old Jayme Closs and the murders of her parents, James and Denise, in their home in Barron, Wisconsin on Oct. 15.

After missing for 88 days, Jayme escaped from Patterson’s home in Gordon, Wisconsin on Thursday and found help from a dog walker, who took her into a nearby home and called 911. She was taken into protective custody and reunited with her family on Friday.

Police arrested Patterson a short time later after they spotted the vehicle Jayme had described. Police believe he was out looking for the teenager at the time.

Patterson was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, one count of kidnapping and one count of armed burglary.

According to the criminal complaint, Jayme told investigators she was asleep in her room when Patterson came to the family’s house. Her dog started barking, so she went into her parents’ room and saw a man with a gun at the front door. He was dressed in all black and was wearing a face mask, hat and gloves.

Jayme and her mom, Denise, hid in the bathroom in the bathtub and Denise called 911 from her cell phone.

In an interview, Patterson told investigators he “was determined to take Jayme that night and was going to kill anyone in the house because he could not leave any eyewitnesses behind.”

Patterson said he dragged Jayme across the front yard toward his car. He said he told her she needed to walk, but then he realized she could not because he had taped her legs together at the ankles.

Patterson is expected to make his first court appearance via video conference at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.