Missing Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs was still at home when her parents were shot to death this week, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said Wednesday. He said authorities still have no suspects in the case, but believe Jayme, 13, is in danger. “I just want to bring Jayme home,” said Fitzgerald.
Jayme Closs’ whereabouts have been shrouded in mystery after a 911 call that lead police to her home in Barron, Wisconsin, where her parents were found dead. Now, investigators from Barron County, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are searching for the girl described by friends as a “sweet and shy” middle schooler who enjoys dancing and sports. Authorities have received more than 400 tips on Jayme’s disappearance. Officials determined that James, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, died from gunshot wounds early Monday and ruled their deaths as homicides, Fitzgerald said Wednesday. Further details about the autopsies were not available, and the murder weapon has not been found.
What happened?
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call around 1 a.m. Monday, Fitzgerald said. When deputies responded, they found Jayme Closs’ parents dead inside their home, about 80 miles northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme was missing.
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI said there are no suspects at this time and they are unsure of what happened to Jayme. They’ve done first and secondary searches on the home and surrounding area, deployed drones and infrared equipment and have been in contact with Jayme’s family and her middle school friends.
What about the 911 call?
Authorities know what cellphone made the 911 call, but Fitzgerald would not release that information Tuesday. From earlier police reports, we know the call came from inside the house and there was no interaction with the dispatcher, only “noise and things heard,” Fitzgerald said.
When was Jayme reported missing?
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department asked for the public’s help finding Jayme around 8 a.m. Monday, but said because they didn’t have much information, an Amber Alert couldn’t immediately be issued. By 3:30 p.m., a nationwide Amber Alert was sent out. She is described as 5-feet-tall, 100 pounds with blond or strawberry blond hair.
Was she seen in Florida?
Police in Miami said they received a report from someone who believed they saw Jayme in their area Monday afternoon in a black Ford Explorer with a possible Wisconsin plate of I60WER. The tipster said a girl who looked like Jayme was in the vehicle with two well-dressed, bearded men. Fitzgerald said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference that the FBI followed up on the tip and it is “not credible.”
