Jake Thomas Patterson allegedly told police he decided to abduct Jayme after spotting her board a school bus. Authorities say he controlled her with threats of "bad things."
What drove a man to fatally shoot a couple in Wisconsin and kidnap their teenage daughter?
A criminal complaint filed Monday unspools a grisly crime that began when, according to authorities, suspect Jake Thomas Patterson, 21, spotted a girl boarding a school bus. It ended with her escaping Thursday from more than two months of captivity. Prosecutors charged Patterson Monday with kidnapping Jayme and killing her parents. They also charged him with armed robbery. The Associated Press reports Patterson sat expressionless as he appeared in court Monday via video feed from the county jail. Bail was set at $5 million.
Patterson allegedly said he was driving to his job at a cheese factory when he stopped behind a school bus and watched Jayme get on board. "The defendant stated, when he saw J.L.C., he knew that was the girl he was going to take," the complaint reads.
Patterson told police that he bought a balaclava, stole license plates from a car and attached them to his red Ford Taurus. He said he removed what he called a "kidnapping cord" that allowed for his trunk to be opened from the inside, according to the complaint. Then, Patterson took his father's shotgun and six shells, and carefully loaded it while wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints or DNA on the weapon.
He drove to the Closs home. Patterson told police he opened a glass storm door and then pounded on the wooden entry door. From that angle, Patterson shot James Closs in the head, he said. Then he forced his way in.
Inside, he discovered Denise and Jayme Closs in the bathroom. The complaint says he killed Denise Closs, dragged Jayme out of the house and locked her in the trunk of his car. He drove her to his home in Gordon, Wis.
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