New Details Emerge In Closs Kidnapping As Charges Were Filed Against Jake Patterson
Charges were filed on Monday afternoon against Jake Patterson, the Gordon, WI man suspected of kidnapping Jayme Closs and killing her parents in October. He faces two counts of first degree intentional homicide, kidnapping, and armed burglary.
WCCO shares that the criminal complaint filed on Monday details how prosecutors say Jayme's parents were killed on October 15, including that Jayme's mom Denise tried to barricade Jayme and herself in the bathroom. Also included in the complaint were details about Jayme's captivity and how Patterson allegedly knew of Jayme.
The report from WCCO explains that Jayme was forced to hide under a bed for up to 12 hours at a time without food, water, or bathroom breaks; and with laundry bins and totes filled with weights around the bed so she couldn't move them. There was at least one described incident where Jayme was hit on the back after angering her captor, with a threat that future punishment would be worse if it occurred again.
The Associated Press (via WJON) reports that the criminal complaint states that Patterson allegedly saw Jayme boarding a school bus one day, and it was then he decided he wanted to take her. The complaint says that Patterson told investigators that he was driving to a job at a cheese factory near Almena, WI when he stopped behind a school bus and watched her board the bus. The complaint says that while he initially didn't know who she was, Patterson "knew that was the girl he was going to take".
The complaint goes on to say Patterson allegedly went to the Closs home on two prior occasions with the intent of taking Jayme, but wasn't able to do so because there were too many people around. On the night of the kidnapping, the complaint alleges Patterson successfully broke down the bathroom door after entering the home and killing Jayme's father, which is when he killed Jayme's mother and dragged Jayme from the home and put her in his trunk after taping her hands and ankles.
The complaint states that Patterson allegedly told investigators he "basically assumed he had gotten away with killing James and Denise, and kidnapping J.L.C" (Jayme Closs) after a few weeks passed. The complaint says he stated he had never met Jayme through any social media, and only learned her name after the abduction. The complaint also says Patterson stated that he only learned the names of the two people he had killed after seeing their names reported in the news and on social media.
Jayme was kept in a space under a bed, as described in the complaint. The bed was described as a twin bed that sat about two and a half feed off the floor. The bed was in the corner of a room, with only one side open. This opening would be covered by totes with barbell weights and free weights put up against them, all pushed against the bed so Jayme couldn't get out.
The complaint states that Patterson believed Jayme tried to escape on at least two occasions. The complaint describes Patterson hitting a wall and screaming a lot to the point he knew she was scared enough not to try escaping again. The complaint says Patterson stated Jayme was fearful of him enough that she knew not to leave the bedroom without him. On instances where he would leave the house, the complaint says Patterson would warn her not to try to escape, allegedly saying "bad things would happen to her".
The complaint alleges Patterson's father would visit the home, typically on Saturdays, and states that Patterson would make Jayme go under the bed, at which point he would put the totes and weights in front of the opening and turn up the radio in the room to cover up any noise she might make.
The day Jayme escaped (January 10) was described in the complaint as well, with the complaint saying Patterson told Jayme he was going to be gone for five to six hours. Patterson made her go under the bed where she had reportedly been kept many other times. According to the complaint, after Patterson left, Jayme was able to push the weighted containers away from the bed to crawl out and escape. The complaint states that when he returned, he noticed that Jayme was not under the bed, and after looking around the house he found footprints outside. He then got in his vehicle and began driving around looking for her. After a few minutes of driving around, the complaint states he was met by police when returning to his home, at which point he knew he was caught. WDIO reports that Patterson told a Douglas County officer that he knew why they were there on Thursday, and was quoted as saying "I did it."
You can see the whole criminal complaint filed here.
Patterson continues to be held at the Barron County Jail, where he has been since his arrest on Thursday.
UPDATE: 3:30 pm 1/14/19
Patterson appeared via video conference from jail on Monday afternoon for his initial court hearing in Barron County for the case. The judge set bail for Patterson at $5 million, and his next court appearance was set for 11 am on February 6, 2018.