The genre of true crimes consists of numerous heartbreakers, yet there is nothing that captured the imagination of the audience as much as the kidnapping of Jayme Closs. It is a terrible story that started with a nightmarish experience for a small town in Wisconsin, continued with an elaborate nationwide search for three months, and ended with an exemplary act of bravery performed by an ordinary individual.
What made this case so special was the fact that its ending depended not on technological developments or forensic evidence, but on the strength of a young girl.
The Night That Changed Barron, Wisconsin Forever
October 15, 2018 would turn out to be an eerie day for the quaint little town of Barron, Wisconsin. In the early hours of the morning, just minutes past one, a hysterical, largely silent call was made to 911 by James (age 56) and Denise (age 46) Closs. Though there were no verbal communications to the operator, the calls were laced with noises of structural damage and cries.
The police who arrived at the scene less than five minutes after that found themselves dealing with a ghastly double homicide. James and Denise Closs were both found dead by gunshot wounds inflicted by a shotgun. The whereabouts of their 13-year-old daughter Jayme remained unknown.
An AMBER alert was promptly released. Initially, the police were left empty-handed. They had no suspects, motives or even traces left behind on social media of any enmity towards the family.
Case Profile: The Abduction and Escape of Jayme Closs
| Attribute | Victim Details | Criminal Details |
| Full Name | Jayme Lynn Closs | Jake Thomas Patterson |
| Other Names | Jayme Closs | “The Barron County Kidnapper” |
| Current Age | 20 years old (As of 2026) | 28 years old (As of 2026) |
| Date of Birth (DOB) | July 13, 2005 | June 17, 1997 |
| Birth Place | Wisconsin, United States | Wisconsin, United States |
| Birth Sign | Cancer | Gemini |
| Hometown | Barron, Wisconsin | Gordon, Wisconsin |
| Current Residence | Barron County, Wisconsin (With family) | Penitentiary of New Mexico (Maximum Security) |
| Nationality | American | American |
| Profession / Status | Student / True Crime Survivor | Incarcerated Felon (Former short-term laborer) |
| Case Connection | Abduction Survivor / Eyewitness | Convicted Double-Murderer & Kidnapper |
| Weapon Used | N/A | 12-gauge pump-action shotgun |
| Incident Date / Time | Oct 15, 2018 (Abduction) – Jan 10, 2019 (Escape) | 12:53 AM (Time of initial home invasion) |
| Incident Place | Barron, Wisconsin (Home invasion site) | Gordon, Wisconsin (Confinement cabin site) |
| Prior Attempts | None | 2 aborted attempts weeks prior due to house activity |
| Current Legal Status | Granted protective freedom & local rewards | Serving 2 consecutive life sentences without parole + 40 years |
| Primary Fame / Legacy | International recognition for individual bravery & survival | Notorious for calculated, random stalker-kidnapping |
88 Days of Captivity: Inside the Cabin in Gordon
As countless volunteers and many police officers searched the upper Midwest after thousands of dead-end leads, Jayme was imprisoned around 70 miles to the north, in a remote cabin in Gordon, Wisconsin.
Her kidnapper was a young man, 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson. The sheer randomness of the crime, as would later become evident from court papers, was what made it so shocking. Patterson did not have any personal relationship with the Closs family. He had merely spotted Jayme getting on the school bus on her way to work for a short period of time and spontaneously decided to abduct her.
During her 88 days in captivity, Jayme was subjected to severe physical and psychological control:
- Physical Confinement: Whenever Patterson left the cabin or had visitors, he forced Jayme to crawl under a twin bed frame raised only two and a half inches off the floor.
- Barricading Tactics: He tightly packed heavy plastic tote bags and barbell weight plates around the perimeter of the bed so that any movement from her would create a loud noise.
- Psychological Terror: He threatened her with immediate, severe violence if she ever attempted to move or escape.
The Escape: How Jayme Closs Saved Herself
Patterson made his way to tell Jayme about his departure from the cabin on January 10, 2019. Seeing a chance, Jayme managed to pull herself free from the heavy weights and boxes that pinned her under the bed. Jayme put on one of Patterson’s big shoes and ran into the snowy and freezing Northwoods.
Jayme finally met up with Jeanne Nutter, a local social worker taking a walk with her dog. Upon seeing Jayme and realizing that she was a missing girl, Nutter took her to the home of a neighboring family member and called for help.
“This is Jayme Closs! Call 911!”
— The words spoken to neighbors as Jayme emerged from the woods.
Minutes after police arrived to secure Jayme, a local deputy spotted Patterson driving through the neighborhood, searching for his escaped captive. When pulled over, Patterson stepped out of his vehicle and simply stated, “I did it.”
Legal Consequences and the Justice System
In order to save Jayme from suffering through the emotional trauma that comes with a public trial, the prosecutors obtained a quick legal solution. In March 2019, Jake Patterson pleaded guilty to two charges of first-degree intentional homicide and one charge of kidnapping.
During the emotional sentencing hearing in May 2019, Jayme decided to avoid showing up in court but provided a strong statement through her lawyer:
“Jake Patterson cannot take away my strength. He believed that he could manipulate me, but he couldn’t. I feel that his actions were those of a coward. I had my strength. He didn’t.”
Patterson was sentenced to spend two life sentences consecutively with no chance of parole, plus another 40 years consecutively for kidnapping. For security reasons and to prevent problems throughout the state, Jake Patterson was then transferred from Wisconsin to spend the rest of his life at a maximum security prison in New Mexico.
True Survival Over Victimhood
Jayme was given into the care of her aunt and godmother, Jennifer Naiberg Smith. People from her hometown of Barron supported her, and she was given an award of “Hometown Hero” while the company her parents had been working with awarded her a prize of $25,000 for being able to save herself.
This case will always form the basis of studying survival and overcoming traumas as it focuses on the agency, internal fortitude, and sheer heroism of a little girl who saved herself when everyone else seemed to be looking for her.
Pre-Meditation and Aborted Kidnapping Attempts
While the crime was sparked by an impulsive fixation when Jake Patterson saw Jayme boarding a school bus, the execution of the kidnapping involved intense calculation. Patterson did not just attack on a whim on October 15; he had thoroughly stalked the residence beforehand.
- Two Failed Attempts: Patterson drove to the Closs family home on two separate nights prior to the actual abduction. On both occasions, he aborted his plan because he noticed headlights or activity inside the house. He explicitly stated to investigators that he left because he was terrified of leaving behind witnesses.
- Vehicle Modifications: To ensure anonymity, Patterson meticulously prepared his vehicle. He manually unscrewed the interior dome lights of his car so he wouldn’t be illuminated when opening the doors, switched out his license plates, and completely disassembled the emergency interior trunk-release handle and cable so Jayme could not escape from inside while he was driving.
The Fatal Deception at the Front Door
When Patterson arrived on the night of the murders, he approached the house in a ski mask while heavily armed. James Closs saw him walking up the driveway and shone a flashlight through the small glass pane of the front door.
According to Patterson’s confession, James mistook him for a law enforcement officer due to his tactical clothing and asked him to show a badge. Patterson yelled, “Open the door!” before immediately firing his shotgun through the glass pane, killing James instantly. This tragic misunderstanding explains why the family was initially caught completely off guard.
The Final Moments in the Bathroom
One of the most disturbing details in this case involves the 911 call. Having broken into the house, Patterson proceeded to search every room, in order to remove any witnesses. Denise had carried Jayme into the bathroom, where she tried to protect her daughter in the tub by locking the door and standing in front of her.
Denise called 911 at 12:53 AM. She did not have time to say anything, as Patterson broke the bathroom door down with his shoulder. During that time, Jayme was screaming, and Patterson forced Denise to tie her daughter’s mouth with duct tape. Shortly after that, he shot Denise dead.
The Heartbreaking Near-Misses During Captivity
Throughout the first three months of her captivity in the isolated city of Gordon, there were some very close calls that may have potentially altered the course of her rescue:
- The Sirens: Just moments after Jayme had been kidnapped, the police arrived in a matter of minutes as Patterson drove off down the road with her still locked in the trunk of his car. In her interview with the police following her recovery, Jayme explained that while she was locked in the trunk, she heard the police sirens drive past her on the way towards the family home where they had just received the 911 call.
- The Random House Break-In: Nearly two weeks after the kidnapping, an unrelated man burglarized the empty Closs family home stealing some of Jayme’s clothes. Though he was swiftly arrested by the police, this random break-in threw the investigation off track momentarily causing a false lead in their searches.
- The Holiday Detention: During the holiday period, Patterson took his granddaughter to see his grandparents in another city for several hours leaving Jayme alone at the cabin under the bed and covered by the heavy bed frame.
FAQs
How long was Jayme Closs held captive, and how did she escape?
Jayme Closs was held captive for 88 days in a remote cabin in Gordon, Wisconsin.
Did Jake Patterson know Jayme Closs or her family before the crime?
No. Investigations and court confessions confirmed that Jake Patterson had absolutely no prior relationship, connection, or interaction with Jayme or her parents.
What was Jake Patterson’s legal sentence?
In March 2019, Jake Patterson pleaded guilty to prevent Jayme from having to endure the trauma of testifying in court.
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