Jayme Closs Found Alive, Back With Her Family

BARRON COUNTY, WI — After a nationwide search that lasted 87 days, 13-year-old Jayme Closs was found alive.

Sheriff’s officials held a press conference at 10 a.m. CDT Friday to release some of the details that led authorities to her amazing discovery. According to multiple reports, Closs’ discovery was as improbable as it was shocking to the person who came to her aid.

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According to a KTSP report Friday, after a night in the hospital, Jayme is back in the loving arms of her family.

“She’s been cleared from the hospital. There is a reunification process in place that is going on right now. It includes medical, mental evaluation, questioning by detectives … Then finally reunification with her family.”

A Town of Gordon resident was walking her dog when Closs came up to her, asking for help. The dog walker rushed her to the nearest house, according to a CNN report Friday.

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>> Related Reading: Jake Patterson, 21, Arrested In Jayme Closs Case: What We Know

According to CNN, Kristin Kasinskas opened her door to see the dog walker and Closs standing on the porch. She called 911. Ten minutes later, sheriff’s deputies said they arrested a suspect in one of the biggest missing persons cases in Wisconsin history.

“I honestly still think I’m dreaming right now. It was like I was seeing a ghost,” her husband, Peter Kasinskas, said in a StarTribune report.

Authorities said Closs had dirty, matted hair and shoes that were too big for her feet, and that her emotions were “flat” upon her discovery.

On Friday, authorities said the man arrested in the case was Jake Patterson, 21. According to authorities, Patterson was quietly arrested by Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies just minutes after Closs was rescued.

Patterson is being held in the Barron County Jail and is awaiting formal charges, authorities said. The Barron County Sheriff’s office is recommending both murder and kidnapping charges.

Watch Live: Sheriff’s officials deliver an update on the Jayme Closs case Friday morning.

Authorities Shared Tragic Events

Closs disappeared on the morning of Oct. 15. A nationwide Amber Alert was issued, indicating that she was in danger. Information released by local authorities in mid-October shed more light on the tragic moments after Jayme Closs’ parents were killed prior to her unexplained disappearance.

The 911 call made to local authorities on the morning of Oct. 15 came from the mother’s cell phone, and the door to their home was kicked in, investigators said.

During the 911 call, dispatchers reported hearing “a lot of yelling” and multiple gunshots. Authorities tried calling the cellphone back, but didn’t get an answer. They tried to call the home’s land line, only to learn that it had been disconnected.

The transcript’s initial entries say that emergency responders were dispatched for an apparent suicide attempt, but that the call was quickly changed to a homicide call. Authorities have not indicated who made the call. A transcript of that 911 call is available here.

Neighbors Shocked

Neighbors Tom and Joan Smrekar woke up early the morning of Oct. 15 to the sound of two gunshots, only seconds apart at 12:31 a.m. They were interviewed by the FBI later that day.
“They were fine neighbors,” Tom Smrekar told the Associated Press. “We really don’t know them — our contact has been minimal.”

Jayme’s grandfather, 72-year-old Robert Naiberg told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that nothing appeared out of the ordinary when Jayme and her mother appeared at a family gathering on Oct. 14 while Jayme’s dad was at work.

Family Pleaded For Jayme’s Return

During a press conference held in Barron County in October, Closs’ aunt Jennifer Smith pleaded for her niece’s safe return.

“Not a moment goes by when we aren’t thinking of you and praying for you. Your family and friends miss you so much: your sparkling eyes, your bright smile, your soft little giggles,” Smith said. “Your dog, Molly, is waiting for you. She’s sleeping in one of your sweatshirts — and will only eat chicken. Grandpa needs new artwork on his fridge. Aunt Susie wants to go jogging in the park with you. I want that girls’ shopping date we planned. I even brought your favorite iced coffee with me today.”

Massive Search Turned Up Empty

An Amber Alert was issued following Jayme Closs’ disappearance, and local authorities worked in partnership with the FBI and Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.

Law enforcement expanded their search to the entire United States, and added resources as they attempted to discover anything that could have helped to track down Closs.

At the time, officials believed she was kidnapped at gunpoint.

Photo Via Barron County Sheriff’s Department