Missing Wisconsin Girl Was Present When Parents Were Shot to Death: Sheriff

Jayme Closs, the 13-year-old Wisconsin girl who’s gone missing, was at her house when her parents were shot to death and was likely abducted shortly after the murders, officials said.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said at a press conference on Oct. 17 that evidence from the house and a 911 call indicated that the teenager was at home when her parents were killed at their home in Barron, about 80 miles northeast of Minneapolis, early in the morning on Oct. 15.

“Based on our investigation thus far, we believe Jayme was in the home at the time of homicides and we believe she is still in danger,” Fitzgerald said, reported WCCO. “Every second counts in this case.”

Officials said previously that the 911 call, which came in around 1 a.m., prompted a police response to the home, where they found the bodies of James and Denise Closs.

When officers arrived, Jayme Closs was gone. Her disappearance prompted a nationwide amber alert.

No solid tips have materialized as of yet, Fitzgerald said, urging members of the public to contact law enforcement with any information they might have. A tip from Florida was deemed not credible.

Fitzgerald also said on Wednesday that no gun was found at the scene but confirmed that the couple was shot dead, which he had not previously, saying he was waiting for autopsy results. The autopsies concluded the deaths were homicides.

The FBI in office in Milwaukee said Closs was likely taken from the house by an unknown person who had a gun, reported ABC.

Area Residents React

People living in the small town of Barron said they hope the case is resolved soon.

“It would be nice if we could find something out, it’s been very mysterious situation, kind of creepy,” Pat Richter, who lives in the area, told WCCO.

“We want Jayme to come home safe and unhurt. We just pray for her that she comes home hopefully soon,” added Barron resident Jenny Wiehe.

Others noted that the murders have really affected the atmosphere.

“There’s a lot of fear, there’s a lot of anxiety through the kids, through the adults,” dance studio owner Christine Fink told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “It’s opened our eyes that it can happen here.”

Residents held a vigil on Tuesday night and about 200 met in a residents-only meeting with Fitzgerald on Wednesday night.

From NTD.tv

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