Barron County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that missing teen Jayme Closs has been found alive, months after she disappeared following her parents’ death. A suspect in the case was also reportedly apprehended. Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. ET/10:00 a.m. CT, officials will hold a press conference to announce additional details.
Closs was declared missing last October, after her parents, James and Denise Closs, were found dead.
The Barron County Sheriff’s Office was notified Thursday by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, after they found Jayme 66 miles away from where she had last been seen on October 15, 2018. Douglas County officials announced that they took a suspect into custody 11 minutes after they found Jayme alive.
A woman in Gordon, Wisconsin, who did not wish to be identified, said the 13-year-old girl approached her asking for help. The woman then went to a neighbor to call 911. Jayme reportedly said that she did not know where she was, but that she believed she had been there most of the time she was missing.
Jayme Closs reportedly was taken to a hospital for treatment, with plans for her to be reunited with family members after.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald announced Closs’ return in a Facebook post Thursday night.
“We promised to bring Jayme home and tonight we get to fulfill that promise,” Sheriff Fitzgerald said. “From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!”
The sheriff said the investigation of the case is ongoing, and that his office is being assisted by the FBI and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.
[Image via Barron County Sheriff’s Department]
