Search near Closs house turns up empty in Wisconsin
Hundreds of tips but no suspects in the search for 13-year-old Jayme Closs; Matt Finn reports from outside the Closs house in Barron, Wisconsin.
A Closs family member who wishes to remain unidentified tells Fox News exclusively that relatives are shocked by the mysterious double murder of 56-year-old James Closs and 46-year-old Denise Closs and don’t have a clue why the Wisconsin couple were shot dead in their home.
“It’s a shock to the system,” the family member tells Fox News.
The relative says Denise Closs was very close to her relatives and has been described as “the family’s angel ... she would take vacation days if you needed help.”
The family member acknowledges the rampant rumors surrounding the double murder and 13-year-old Jayme's disappearance. Some people online and also folks in the Closses’ hometown of Barron, Wisconsin, have speculated that Jayme might have had a boyfriend or met someone who took advantage of her and killed her parents.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow. We’re not ruling anything out,” the family member said.
To date, no member of law enforcement or anyone from the Closs family has indicated that Jayme had some type of boyfriend.
The Barron County Sherriff, Chris Fitzgerald, released a statement Friday urging anyone who knew the Closs family or had recently been with them to come forward.
“We are seeking information about the victims Denise and James Closs. We are hopeful to learn more about the Closs family to help bring Jayme home. If you spent time with members of the Closs family recently or if you have ever had a misunderstanding with any members of the Closs family or know someone who has, please call the tip line,” Fitzgerald wrote in an online post.
Police say James and Denise Closs were shot to death in their hometown of about 3,300 people, some 90 miles northeast of Minneapolis, around 1 a.m on Monday. It’s likely Jayme witnessed her parents' murders and has since vanished.
Someone inside the home called 911 from a cellphone during the crime but that person did not interact with dispatch. Police arrived at the house in about four minutes to find Denise and James dead.
New 911 logs appear to indicate Denise’s cellphone placed the 911 call and that James Closs answered the door and was the first to be shot to death.
“ADVISED ONE MALE DOWN, MULTIPLE ROUNDS SPENT. REQUESTED THAT ADMIN BE NOTIFIED,” the 911 call logs read around 1:04 a.m.
Then at 1:05 a.m.,
“ADVISED THE DOOR HAS BEEN KICKED IN. ADVISED THAT THE MALE WHO IS DOWN HAD ANSWERED THE DOOR. UNKNOWN IF ANYONE IS MISSING.
Police say responding officers made it to the Closs house in about four minutes.
“ADVISED TWO SUBJECTS DOWN,” at 1:08 a.m.
Police say they have not recovered a gun.
A 14-mile search of the ditch along Highway 8 near the Closs home did not yield any evidence of value, according to Fitzgerald.
The FBI tells Fox News ongoing searches could be happening without the public or media aware.
Jayme Closs is widely described as a sweet, shy girl. In many of her social media pictures, she is seen smiling with friends.
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