10 Minute Murder | Bingeable True Crime Stories

The Barron Wisconsin Murders and Jayme Closs’s Escape

·13 min·1 clip

Jayme Closs spent 88 days trapped under her kidnapper's bed while he hosted Christmas parties just feet away.

The episode opens with a 911 call from the Closs home in rural Barron, Wisconsin, on October 15, 2018. Deputies arrive four minutes later to find James and Denise Closs shot dead and their 13-year-old daughter Jayme missing. The killer, Jake Patterson, had left with Jayme in his trunk just 20 seconds before police cars sped past him. Patterson, a stranger to the family, had targeted Jayme after seeing her board a school bus while he was driving to work at a cheese factory. He made two reconnaissance trips to the Closs house before the attack, shaving his head to avoid DNA evidence. Patterson shot James at the door, then found Denise and Jayme hiding in the bathroom, where he taped Jayme's mouth, shot Denise, and abducted Jayme. He took her to his remote cabin in Gordon, Wisconsin, about 70 miles north, and kept her trapped under his twin bed for 88 days, sometimes for 12 hours without food or water. During this time, Patterson hosted family gatherings, including a Christmas party, while Jayme was hidden under the bed. A massive investigation involving the Barron County Sheriff's Department, Wisconsin DCI, and FBI generated over 4,000 tips but no leads. On January 10, 2019, when Patterson left for several hours, Jayme freed herself, put on his shoes, and ran through 20-degree weather in inadequate clothing. She encountered Jeannie Nutter, a social worker walking her dog, who helped her call 911. Jayme provided Patterson's name, car description, and location, leading to his quick arrest. Patterson confessed, and police used his cell phone data to build a timeline. He pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. At sentencing, Judge James Babler revealed Patterson had fantasies about kidnapping multiple girls and killing multiple families, calling him one of the most dangerous men ever. Patterson received two consecutive life sentences without parole plus 40 years. Jayme, in a victim impact statement, declared Patterson would never have power over her. Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald noted that despite the investigation, Jayme ultimately rescued herself. After recovery, Jayme moved in with relatives and became an advocate for missing children.

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