Facebook Jayme Closs
The first possible clue emerged – and then was debunked – in the case of missing Barron, Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs. The Miami Police Department says there may have been a sighting of the missing girl in that city, although it’s not clear how she could possibly have gotten so far so fast.
However, only hours after the report, the Barron County sheriff said Wisconsin officials and the FBI do not consider the Miami report to be credible. He indicated it was released without consultation with Wisconsin authorities. Earlier in the day Tuesday, the sheriff had said it was being researched.
The disappearance of 13-year-old Jayme from the normally bucolic rural Wisconsin town, where the economy is dominated by a turkey plant where Jayme Closs’s parents worked, has vexed investigators. On October 15, 2018, the local sheriff in Barron County revealed investigators don’t understand what happened. They just know that they received a mysterious 911 call (they don’t know who made it), and then found Jayme’s parents, Denise and James Closs, dead in a violent scene involving gunshots.
Jayme Closs was missing and technology – from drones to infrared – didn’t find any sign of her around the family’s northern Wisconsin home. Authorities released updated pictures of Jayme Closs:
FacebookJayme Closs
Here’s what you need to know about the Miami sighting:
Miami Police Say Jayme Might Be in a Black Ford Explorer
On October 16, 2018, the Miami Police Department tweeted that Jayme might have been seen in Miami, Florida, writing, “Endangered Juvenile, Jayne Closs from Barron, WI, may have been seen in the afternoon of 10/15/18, in the area of N.W. 27 Ave and 11 St. If it was her, she was in a black Ford Explorer with a possible WI plate of I60WER. If you have any information please call 911 immediately.” (Although Miami police gave the missing girl’s name as Jayne, it’s spelled Jayme.) A witness reported seeing Jayme with two well-dressed bearded men at a gas station in Miami, according to WTMJ radio.
News media released video of the possible sighting at a Miami gas station.
Miami police, who posted the tweet at 9:52 p.m. on October 15, 2018, did not explain how Jayme could possibly have made it that far that fast. It would be a 25-hour drive to Miami from Barron, Wisconsin, which is located in the proximity of the Twin Cities. Flying is a possibility, of course, but with the FBI involved it’s hard to see how that wouldn’t leave a record trail that authorities could zoom in on.
According to KARE 11, “The tipster reportedly told police two well-dressed, Middle Eastern men were inside the SUV. Officers say the tipster said the men were in their 30s, roughly 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 and 200 to 250 pounds. They both reportedly had beards.”
Local10 Miami gave additional details on the report: “Jayme Closs might have been seen at a gas station along Northwest 27th Avenue and Northwest 11th Street. The person who reported it said she was with two men in their 30s who were about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9, weighing about 200 to 250 pounds and had beards. That same witness told police the black Ford Explorer they were in had a Wisconsin license plate tag of I60 WER.”
According to the Amber Alert website, on Monday, October 15, 2018 at 12:53 a.m., a 911 call was received from Barron, Wisconsin. Authorities subsequently found the girl’s parents dead, but Jayme was missing.
Asked about the Miami report during a news conference on October 16, 2018, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said only, “We are actively researching that tip.”
It’s the first time a possible vehicle description has been released, even though the disappearance has already sparked an Amber Alert. In the case of missing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts, there were many false sightings that did not turn out to be her.
On the evening of October 15, 2018, the Barron County Sheriff identified the Jayme’s deceased parents as James, 56 and Denise, 46, who worked at a turkey plant together. “They are husband and wife and the mother and father of Jayme, the missing 13 year old,” Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said in a statement that he posted to Facebook.
FacebookJayme Closs in a photo on her mother’s Facebook page.
“We don’t know how far she (Jayme) could have gone or if someone took her,” said Sheriff Fitzgerald in a news conference. “We don’t know the answer to that. We just know we have a violent crime scene and a missing 13-year-old girl.”
Authorities Haven’t Identified a Suspect
Denise Closs
Fitzgerald says there are many unknowns. As of October 15, 2018 and their latest public release, authorities said they don’t have a motive. They don’t have a cause of death. They don’t have a suspect. They don’t have a suspect vehicle description. They didn’t even release a working theory in the case, including specifying whether they think Jayme was abducted. They said gunfire was at the scene but stopped short of saying the parents were shot.
They received a 911 call from the home, which led to the bodies’ discovery, but they don’t know who made that call, Fitzgerald revealed.
“Our deputies on scene. This is a tough scene. And they’re frustrated,” said Sheriff Fitzgerald in the news conference. “…It’s just a different scene for us. We don’t have a suspect. We don’t have any leads right now. We’re working very diligently right now to get those leads. We’re working with other agencies.” He encouraged the public to share Jayme’s photo.
The sheriff said authorities don’t know who placed the 911 call because no one had contact with the 911 dispatchers. “We don’t know the answer to that,” he said, indicating that dispatchers “heard background noise. We are processing that.”
On Facebook, Denise’s page is filled with photos of Jayme and other family members.
In July 2017, she wrote of Jayme, “Happy Birthday to My Daughter Jayme Closs who is Growing up to be the Sweetest and most kind Hearted Girl…Love you to the Moon And Back..Hope you Have the Best Day Ever…” Jayme responded in the thread, writing, “Thank you for Awesome Birthday Mom …and Thank you Aunt Sue for Everything. love you all…”
Denise wrote with a photo of Jayme and an older male relative: “Live ..Laugh ..Love..” In 2016, Denise wrote that Jayme was starting 6th grade.
Her top post is about a deceased relative. It reads, “Happy Birthday in Heaven Aunt claudette..hope your dancing with all the other angels…?” Now that comment thread is filled with people offering prayers for Denise’s family in the wake of the deaths.
2. James & Denise Closs Worked at a Turkey Plant in Barron
Barron County officials have identified the two deceased individuals as James,56 & Denise Closs, 46…parents or missing 13 year old. Both parents worked at the Jennie-O in Barron.
Both James and Denise Closs worked at Jennie-O, which is a turkey plant in Barron, a town of about 3,300 people located in rural, northwestern Wisconsin.
Jennie-O is a major employer in the small community.
Denise Closs had no Wisconsin criminal history, a review of Wisconsin court records shows. The only thing that comes up is a money judgment civil case from 2011. James Closs also appears to have no criminal history. The only thing that comes up for James Closs of Barron is a 1998 divorce.
Jayme Closs
Sheriff Fitzgerald reiterated in the news conference that he wasn’t clear what happened yet: “That is the confusing part of this case. We don’t have any leads at this time on what really took place at that house,” he said, repeating several times that authorities are vexed by the case.
He added: “We don’t have a suspect or a vehicle,” explaining a delay in issuing an Amber Alert.
He said that the FBI had arrived on the scene along with the state Department of Criminal Investigation. “We have got to find some leads,” he said.
Jayme Closs, despite her young age, also has a Facebook page.
“I love to dance at Christine’s Dance Jazz, ice-skating, valleyball (sic), swim, Art, cross country, Track, Dance,” Jayme wrote on her Facebook page, which she filled with photos of herself with a middle school sports team and in dance outfits.
The Sheriff said of Jayme: “Right now, she’s missing and endangered. She’s not listed as a suspect. And as of now, we are just focused on finding a 13-year-old scared girl.”
The sheriff said he didn’t believe the public was in immediate danger “that we know of.”