BARRON, Wis. — A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months.

Jake Patterson, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. A count of armed burglary was dropped. The intentional homicide counts carry a sentence of life in prison.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent earlier this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he didn’t want the Closs family “to worry about a trial.”

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on Oct. 15 at the family’s home near Barron, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Patterson’s cabin near the small, isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles (97 kilometers) from her home.

According to a criminal complaint, Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme “was the girl he was going to take” after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home.

Jayme told police that on the night of the abduction, the family dog’s barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, with the shower curtain pulled shut.

They heard Jayme’s father get shot. Patterson then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jayme’s mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside, threw her in the trunk of his car, and took her to his cabin, the complaint said.

During Jayme’s time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, “bad things could happen to her.” He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn’t hear her, according to the complaint.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. On Jan. 10, Jayme escaped from the cabin while Patterson was away. She flagged down a woman who was out walking a dog and pleaded for help. Patterson was arrested minutes later.</s>Jake Patterson,21, plead guilty on Wednesday to three of four charges against him for kidnapping a 13-year-old Wisconsin girl, killing her parents and holding her captive in a cabin for three months.

As part of a plea deal, Patterson plead guilty to two charges of first degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping, all felony charges.

A fourth charge filed against Patterson, burglary with a dangerous weapon, was dismissed and read into the court record.

In addition, the state will not file criminal charges against Patterson for crimes committed in Douglas County that may be associated with the Barron County charges, Fox News reports.

Patterson faces life in prison on the homicide counts and a maximum 40 years on the kidnapping charge.

His Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, May 24.</s>BARRON, Wis. - Jake Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and murdering her parents, a move that spares the teenager and her family from enduring a trial.

Patterson, 21, appeared in Barron County Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon to be arraigned on first-degree intentional homicide, kidnapping and armed burglary charges. He is being held in the Polk County Jail on a $5 million cash bond.

In court, Patterson repeatedly answered "yes" to a range of questions from Judge James Babler about whether he understood the charges, and whether he was certain he wanted to plead guilty. He hung his head at times as he spoke.

Patterson entered his three pleas one at a time, growing more emotional with each utterance of the word "guilty." He hesitated for several seconds, sniffled and his voice broke, as he admitted to kidnapping Jayme.

Jayme's family filled four rows in the courtroom and could be seen comforting one another at times. Two of Patterson's relatives also attended, one of whom cried throughout the hearing.

Babler set sentencing for the afternoon of May 24, and revoked Patterson's bond.

'No guilt, no remorse, no empathy': Criminal profilers say Jake Patterson case stands out

'Our hearts are broken': Father of Jayme Closs' alleged abductor says he's struggling to understand what happened

The hearing adjourned after about 18 minutes. As Patterson left the courtroom, he said, "Bye, Jayme," although she did not appear to be in the courthouse Wednesday.

Patterson faces up to life in prison for each of the homicide charges and up to 40 years in prison for the kidnapping charge.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop the armed burglary charge, and to not charge Patterson with any crimes related to the time he kept Jayme in captivity at a home in Douglas County.

Patterson, who had no known connection to the Closs family, gunned down James and Denise Closs on Oct. 15 and abducted Jayme, then held the teenager in the Douglas County town of Gordon for 88 days. During her captivity, Patterson and Jayme told police, he forced her to hide under a twin bed when he had company or left the house. He also threatened also and yelled at her.

Patterson began planning Jayme's abduction after he saw her board a school bus, according to his statement to police. He visited the Closs home twice before the kidnapping and murders, and shaved his head and face to avoid leaving DNA behind. He also made modifications to his car, including replacing his plates with a stolen one.

Jayme escaped on Jan. 10 and was rescued by Patterson's neighbors. Patterson was apprehended by police a short time later.

The decision not to charge Patterson in Douglas County means details of Jayme's captivity will likely remain unknown.

Officials declined to comment following the hearing. Jayme's family was quickly ushered out of the courtroom, and Patterson's family left the building without speaking to reporters.

In a letter to a reporter from Minneapolis-based KARE-TV, which the NBC affiliate published this month, Patterson said he would plead guilty to spare Jayme and her family from a trial. He expressed regret, saying he "can't believe I did this."

"No one will believe or can even imagine how sorry I am for hurting Jayme this much," he wrote.

Jayme Closs kidnapping: Jayme Closs captured the nation’s attention. Why don’t these other missing kids?

Follow Haley BeMiller and Dough Schenider on Twitter: @haleybemiller and @PGDougSchneider</s>BARRON — A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months, in a move that spares the girl and her family from the possible trauma of having to testify at his trial.

Jake Patterson, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped a count of armed burglary. Patterson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced May 24; Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent earlier this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he didn't want the Closs family "to worry about a trial."

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on Oct. 15 at the family's home near Barron, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Patterson's cabin in near the small, isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles (97 kilometers) from her home.

Patterson stoically answered "yes" and "yeah" to repeated questions from Barron County Judge James Gabler about whether he understood what he was doing. Later, as he responded "guilty," to each count, he could be heard sniffling. He paused for several seconds after the judge asked him about the kidnapping charge before stuttering, "guilty."

Defense attorney Richard Jones told Gabler that Patterson "wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him" and brushed off strategies presented to him, including trying to suppress his statements to investigators.

"He rejected all that and has decided this is what he wants to do," Jones said.

According to a criminal complaint, Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme "was the girl he was going to take" after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home.

Jayme told police that the night of the abduction, the family dog's barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, with the shower curtain pulled shut.

They heard Jayme's father get shot. Patterson then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jayme's mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside, threw her in the trunk of his car, and took her to his cabin, the complaint said.

During Jayme's time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, "bad things could happen to her." He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn't hear her, according to the complaint.

Prosecutors in Douglas County, where Jayme was held, announced soon after Patterson's arrest that they did not plan to bring charges in that county — a move seen as potentially sparing her from having details of her treatment becoming public. Patterson's plea Wednesday increases the chances that those details will remain private.</s>March 27 (UPI) -- The 21-year-old man charged with killing two Wisconsin parents and kidnapping their 13-year-old daughter pleaded guilty to the crimes Wednesday.

Jake Patterson, of Gordon, Wis., appeared in a Barron County courtroom and entered a guilty plea on two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and a third count of kidnapping, Wisconsin online court records indicate.

A fourth felony, burglary while armed with a dangerous weapon, was dismissed, the court records show.

Patterson was charged in mid-January in the killing of James M. Closs, 56, and Denise J. Closs, 46, the parents of 13-year-old Jayme Closs.

They were found dead in their Barron, Wis., home in mid-October. Jayme was missing until January, when she escaped Patterson's captivity and was found some 65 miles north of Barron in Douglas County, Wis.

A criminal complaint said Patterson targeted Jayme for kidnapping when he spotted her boarding a school bus. He raided her home and shot her parents to death before kidnapping the girl.

Jayme was held under a bed for hours on end during her captivity, according to the complaint.

As part of his guilty plea, Patterson will not face charges related to potential crimes committed in Douglas County, court records show.

Patterson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24, according to the court records, and faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. His cash bond, set in January at $5 million, was revoked Wednesday.</s>The man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs is expected to plead guilty in Wisconsin Wednesday.

Jake Patterson, 21, is charged with kidnapping, homicide and armed burglary.

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Patterson is accused of kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents last October. Closs was able to escape after 88 days.

In a letter to a Minneapolis TV station, Patterson says he intends to plead guilty but neither his attorneys nor prosecutors have commented on Wednesday’s arraignment hearing.</s>A Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents.

His admission spares the girl, who was held captive in a remote cabin for three months, from having to testify at his trial.

Jake Patterson, 21, sniffled as he pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping on Wednesday. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped a count of armed burglary. Patterson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on 24 May. Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he did not want the Closs family “to worry about a trial”.

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on 15 October at the family’s home near Barron, about 90 miles (145km) north-east of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Patterson’s cabin near the small, isolated town of Gordon, 60 miles from her home.

The plea, coupled with an earlier decision by prosecutors not to bring charges in the county where Jayme was held, increases the chances that the details of her time in captivity will remain private.

Patterson answered “yes” and “yeah” to repeated questions from the Barron county judge James Babler about whether he had understood what he was doing. Later, as he responded “guilty” to each count, he could be heard sniffling. He paused for several seconds after the judge asked him about the kidnapping charge before stuttering “guilty”.

The defence attorney, Richard Jones, told the judge that Patterson “wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him” and brushed off strategies presented to him, including trying to suppress his statements to investigators.

Members of the Closs family and Patterson’s father and sister all left court without commenting.

According to a criminal complaint, Patterson told the authorities he decided Jayme “was the girl he was going to take” after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home.

During Jayme’s time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved “bad things could happen to her”. He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn’t hear her.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. On 10 January, Jayme escaped from the cabin while Patterson was away. She then flagged down a woman who was out walking a dog and pleaded for help. Patterson was arrested minutes later.</s>After vanishing for nearly three months, 13-year-old Jayme Closs was found safe and sound. Jake Thomas Patterson admitted to kidnapping her after killing her parents. Get all the facts we know about this case.

Update March 27, 2019: Jake Patterson, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping on March 27, per The Daily Beast, bringing an end to a heartbreaking tragedy. Jake admitted to fatally shooting James Closs and his wife, Denise Closs, in their Barron, Wisconsin home on Oct. 15, 2018, before kidnapping their young daughter, Jayme Closs, 13. Barron County prosecutors said they will drop the burglary charge against him, and will not file charges for any crimes in Douglas County, which occurred while Jayme was in captivity.

He now faces life in prison, as he waived his right to a trial with a guilty plea. “We represent him, we work for him, and this is what he wants,” his attorney, Richard Jones, said in Barron County Court Wednesday. “[Patterson] has wanted to enter a plea since we met him.”

Original Jan. 11, 2019: Jayme Closs, 13, went missing October 2018, the same month after police discovered her parents murdered in their Barron, Wisconsin home. Nearly three months after she vanished, Jayme was found alive on Jan. 10. Shortly after she was found, the Barron County’s Sheriff’s Office said a suspect was taken into custody, according to NBC News, and on Jan. 11, the authorities released his name: Jake Thomas Patterson, 21. As the details surrounding this horrible murder and this young girl’s disappearance come to light, here are the details we know about her suspected abductor.

1. He was first held on numerous charges. Jake Thomas Patterson, of Gordon, Wisconsin, is being held in jail on two charges of first-degree intentional homicide of Jayme’s parents, James Closs, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, according to NBC News. He was also charged with one count of abduction. Jake, according to the Carron County’s sheriff, does not have a criminal history locally or in the state of Wisconsin.

2. The authorities weren’t looking for additional suspects. During the Jan. 11 press conference, the authorities said they are not looking for any additional suspects involved in this case. “Jayme was the only target,” the authorities said during the press conference, adding that he didn’t know her parents.

3. The officer revealed Jake’s identity for the first time during the press conference. The world got its first major look at Jake when the sheriff showed his mug shot, revealing a 5’11, balding white male with glasses.

4. He allegedly kept her hidden from the public for months. “Jayme was taken against her will and escaped from a residence in which she was being held,” said Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald at a press conference, according to the New York Post. “The subject planned his actions and took many proactive steps to hide his identity from law enforcement and the general public.”

5. Jayme helped the authorities catch him. After three months, Jayme suddenly turned up at the doorstep of Peter and Kristin Kasinskas in Gordon, WI, along with one of the couple’s neighbors. Jayme reportedly approached a resident who was walking their dog and provided a description of the car she fled from, leading to Jake Thomas Patterson’s arrest.

“She kind of flung the door open and said, ‘Call 911, this is Jayme Closs!” Kristin recalled. “I knew it was her the second she walked in the door.”

We’ll continue to update this post with any new information about her alleged kidnapper.</s>A Wisconsin man charged with abducting 13-year-old Jayme Closs and fatally shooting her parents pleaded guilty Wednesday, bringing some closure to a case that made national headlines as authorities searched for the kidnapped teen for months.

Jake Patterson wept through the brief court appearance, struggling to utter the word "guilty" on two counts of intentional homicide, which carry a sentence of life imprisonment, and one count of kidnapping; the remaining armed burglary charge was dismissed during the hearing.

One of Patterson's attorneys, Richard Jones, told the court that the 21-year-old had "wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him" and was adamant that "this is what he wants to do."

Officers escorted Patterson out of the courtroom Wednesday. Before leaving, he faced the gallery and said, "Bye, Jayme," according to the Star Tribune.

As The Washington Post previously reported, Patterson was arrested in January and confessed to stalking Jayme in October and to killing her parents, James and Denise, on Oct. 15. According to police documents, after kidnapping Jayme, he kept her captive in a cabin for 88 days. The teenager escaped Jan. 10.</s>BARRON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, in a move that spares the girl held captive in a remote cabin for three months from the possible trauma of having to testify at his trial.

Jake Patterson, 21, sniffled and his voice caught as he pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped a count of armed burglary. Patterson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced May 24; Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he didn’t want the Closs family “to worry about a trial.”

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on Oct. 15 at the family’s home near Barron, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Patterson’s cabin in near the small, isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles (97 kilometers) from her home.

The plea, coupled with an earlier decision by prosecutors not to bring charges in the county where Jayme was held, increases the chances that the details of her time in captivity will remain private.

Patterson stoically answered “yes” and “yeah” to repeated questions from Barron County Judge James Gabler about whether he understood what he was doing. Later, as he responded “guilty,” to each count, he could be heard sniffling. He paused for several seconds after the judge asked him about the kidnapping charge before stuttering, “guilty.”

Defense attorney Richard Jones told Gabler that Patterson “wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him” and brushed off strategies presented to him, including trying to suppress his statements to investigators.

“He rejected all that and has decided this is what he wants to do,” Jones said.

Members of the Closs family and Patterson’s father and sister all left the courthouse without commenting.

According to a criminal complaint, Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme “was the girl he was going to take” after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home. He told investigators he plotted carefully, including wearing all-black clothing, putting stolen license plates on his car and taking care to leave no fingerprints on his shotgun.

Jayme told police that the night of the abduction, the family dog’s barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, with the shower curtain pulled shut.

Patterson shot Jayme’s father as he entered the house, then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jayme’s mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside, threw her in the trunk of his car, and took her to his cabin, the complaint said.

During Jayme’s time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, “bad things could happen to her.” He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn’t hear her, according to the complaint.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. On Jan. 10, Jayme escaped from the cabin while Patterson was away. She then flagged down a woman who was out walking a dog and pleaded for help. Patterson was arrested minutes later.

Patterson grew up in the cabin where he held Jayme. He wrote in his high school yearbook of plans to join the Marines after graduation, but he was kicked out barely a month after joining up. He worked just a single day at a turkey plant in 2016 before quitting; he told investigators he spotted Jayme while heading to work at a cheese factory where he already planned to quit after two days.

The day Jayme escaped, Patterson had applied online for a job at a liquor store with a resume that misrepresented his experience.

Laura Tancre, of nearby Star Prairie, said she was relieved by Patterson’s plea and “happy for the little girl.” Tancre, 57, worked at the same plant as Jayme’s parents and called them “very nice people.”

“I think he should get life for killing both parents,” she said. “I’d hate for him to get out and be able to do it again.”
Jake Patterson pleads guilty to the kidnapping of teenager Jayme Closs and the murder of her parents last year.