She Was Only 13 When a Stranger Murdered Her Parents and Took Her Away

She Was Only 13 When a Stranger Murdered Her Parents and Took Her Away

On October 15, 2018, 13-year-old Jayme Closs was at home with her parents in Barron, Wisconsin, when a stranger came to their house with a horrifying plan. Twenty-one-year-old Jake Patterson had decided he wanted a girlfriend and, instead of pursuing a normal relationship, targeted a child he barely knew.


Patterson approached the Closs home in the early morning hours and shot Jayme’s parents, James and Denise Closs, killing them so there would be no witnesses. He then forced Jayme out of the house and drove her to his own home, where he kept her captive for nearly three months.



While Patterson was away, Jayme was ordered to hide beneath his bed. He knew that keeping her out of sight was essential to preventing anyone from discovering what he had done. Jayme later described how she lived under constant fear, never knowing when she would be allowed out or when Patterson might return.

Patterson later claimed that he and Jayme spent time together watching television, playing games, cooking and talking, and he denied sexually assaulting her. His account did not change the central reality of what had happened: Jayme had been kidnapped after her parents were murdered and was being held against her will.

Then, on January 10, 2019, everything changed. Patterson left the house after forcing Jayme back beneath the bed. This time, she decided she could not wait any longer. She managed to escape, ran down a rural road in the freezing Wisconsin weather, and encountered a woman who immediately helped her and contacted authorities.

After 88 days in captivity, Jayme was finally free.

Patterson was arrested shortly afterward and eventually pleaded guilty to murdering James and Denise Closs and kidnapping Jayme. In May 2019, he was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murders, plus 40 years for kidnapping Jayme. He remains in prison.

Jayme survived one of the most terrifying ordeals imaginable, and her escape finally brought an end to the 88-day search that had gripped the nation.

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