The home of James and Denise Closs in Barron, Wis. is seen with Barron County Sheriff vehicles parked outside in October 2018. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Oct. 15, 2018: Barron County Sheriff's Office receives a frantic 911 call at 1 a.m. from a home just outside Barron, Wis. When they arrive, they find the bodies of 56-year-old James Closs and 46-year-old Denise Closs. Their daughter, 13-year-old Jayme, is gone. She was last seen on Oct. 14 at a family function. Jayme "is missing from the residence" and her life "is considered endangered," Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says at a news conference later that day. An Amber Alert is issued. A tip from Miami is dismissed.

Oct. 18: About 100 volunteers trudge through brush and scour ditches along Hwy. 8 looking for clues, but find nothing.

Oct. 22: A "gathering of hope" for Jayme draws a crowd to a local high school football field. Earlier that day, authorities ask the public to look for two cars seen in the area around the time Jayme disappeared.

Oct. 23: About 1,500 volunteers cover a dozen square miles searching for clues in the second search for Jayme.

Oct. 24: Jayme's family members break their silence at a news conference and deliver an emotional plea for her safe return. A $25,000 reward for information leading to Jayme's whereabouts is announced.

Oct. 27: Hundreds of mourners attend a funeral service for James and Denise Closs in nearby Cameron, Wis.

Jan. 10: Jayme is found alive in the town of Gordon, Wis., at 4:43 p.m. Minutes later, suspect Jake T. Patterson, 21, is arrested.

Jayme Closs case timeline

about the writer

Staff Reports