Jayme Closs has the nation’s attention today as she made it home safely after 88 days of being held by her abductor. Before the latest on the missing teen hit the news, a woman walking her dog had the first encounter with the 13-year-old Wisconsin girl. While Jeanne Nutter walked her golden retriever she saw a young girl coming toward her.
The woman first noticed that the girl’s shoes were way too big for her feet. Then as she got closer she recognized her face. Jayme Closs has been missing for months and her face has been splashed across all forms of media since she went missing.
It was back on October 15 when Jayme’s parents, James Closs, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, were found dead in their Barron, Wisconsin, home. There was no sign of Jayme, and the 13-year-old has been missing since then.
The fear that Jayme Closs was abducted by her parent’s killer was confirmed by Jayme herself now that she is home. Jeanne Nutter happened to be walking her dog on Thursday when Jayme approached her.
“Please help me. I don’t know where I am. I’m lost,” she told Jeanne. And that’s exactly what Jeanne did. First, she asked the teen what type of car her abductor was driving.
As she walked with Jayme, Jeanne wanted to be ready to run with the teen at any time if that vehicle should approach. Once Jeanne realized she was the missing girl, she wasn’t about to take any chances, she wanted to keep her safe.
Apparently, Jeanne’s thinking was right on track. Before police arrested her abductor, Jake Thomas Patterson, he was out looking for the teen who managed to make an escape from him.
Here is mugshot. Jake Thomas Patterson behind bars in the Barron Co jail. Sheriff says #JaymeCloss absolutely was his target. pic.twitter.com/W0J7oBk2zr
— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) January 11, 2019
After Jayme approached Jeanne, the two headed to the home of a nearby neighbor. Peter Kasinskas answered the door and Jeanne urgently directed the man.
“Don’t ask me questions, just call 911 because I have Jayme,” she said to the neighbor.
The Kasinskas couple called 911 and wrapped Jayme in a blanket. Then this group of four waited for the authorities to arrive.
“She’s a child who’s been traumatized,”Jeanne told reporters when they asked how she was doing. According to WPR, she was asked what thoughts were running through her head when she first realized this was the teen missing for the last several months.
“All I wanted to do is get that kid safe,” Jeanne shared. She is a retired child protection worker, so she was careful about the questions she asked Jayme as she didn’t want to traumatize her any further. She knew law enforcement officials had questions of their own to ask the girl.
Jayme Closs, a 13-year-old girl from Wisconsin, has been found alive. She had been missing since Oct. 15 when her parents were found fatally shot in the family's home. A relative says Jayme had been held by "a guy in the woods" but managed to flee.https://t.co/IfBaYcIafe
— NPR (@NPR) January 11, 2019
Jeanne said Jayme is an amazing kid for having survived her months-long ordeal. She also said when Jayme first approached her, she was most likely in shock. Jeanne added that she too was in shock and amazed the teen was alive. She had been missing for 88 days.
“I just did what I would expect any human being to do — to take care of a child,” Jeanna said.
Once authorities came to the Kasinskas home where Jeanne brought Jayme, they were able to get the information they needed to make an arrest. Jake Thomas Patterson is now behind bars in Barron County Jail.
Jayme’s family shared their reactions when the phone call they all prayed for finally came. As you can imagine they felt their prayers were answered.
Jayme was taken to the hospital and treated overnight on Thursday. Reports indicate she was medically cleared to go home on Friday.