SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin prosecutor said Friday he has no plans “in the immediate future” to file additional charges against the man accused of kidnapping Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs and killing her parents.
Jayme was abducted from her family’s home near Barron and held for 88 days before escaping Jan. 11 from a cabin in Douglas County. Jake Patterson, 21, is charged with kidnapping and homicide in an attack at the Closs family home in Barron County.
Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf said in a statement that his decision involved considering several factors, including “the existence of other charges and victim-related concerns.” Fruehauf noted he retains the ability to file charges later if he chooses.
The announcement is significant because it could mean that details of any abuse Jayme suffered while in captivity may be kept private.
A criminal complaint says Patterson told investigators he saw Jayme getting on a school bus near her home and decided to abduct her. The 12-page complaint focused almost entirely on Jayme’s abduction and her escape, without lingering on her time in captivity.
Attorneys not associated with the case have said the decision to leave out a description of what happened in the remote cabin where Jayme was held for almost three months was probably intended to spare her more trauma. They also said it was likely unnecessary if prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove two killings that could put Patterson away for life.
The complaint said Patterson went to the Closs home Oct. 15 with the intent to abduct Jayme and with plans to kill if necessary. He allegedly told authorities he shot Jayme’s father, James Closs, through the front door, then went inside and found Jayme and her mother. He shot Denise Closs, then dragged Jayme to a car, the complaint said.
He took her to his cabin in Gordon, a township of 645 people in thickly forested Douglas County, according to the complaint.
