Minneapolis — Jayme Closs, 13, who went missing almost three months ago from her Wisconsin home, was located alive Thursday evening, according to the Barron County Sheriff’s Office. Police said a suspect is in custody.
The sheriff’s office posted on Facebook: “A suspect was taken into custody in regards to this case. We do not [have] any other details at this time as this is a very fluid and active investigation. We will not be answering any questions or taking calls on this tonight.”
CBS Minnesota spoke to Jayme’s aunt Sue on Thursday evening, who said her niece was currently in the hospital.
“There was rumors earlier today, and I prayed and prayed and they come to not be true,” said Jayme’s aunt, Sue. “And I just shut myself totally down. I thought today was going to be the day, and then I find out two hours later that she’s found and I just cannot believe this.”
Closs disappeared Oct. 15, 2018, the same day her parents — James and Denise Closs — were found shot to death inside their Barron home.
CBS Minnesota reports that up until Thursday, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said investigators had not received any credible leads in this case, despite thousands of tips.
A 911 call with garbled audio was made from Denise Closs’ cellphone at about 1 a.m. on Oct. 15. Police arrived four minutes later to find her and her husband dead. There was no sign of Jayme inside the home.
Investigators will discuss the case with the media Friday morning at 11 a.m. ET at the Barron County Sheriff’s office.
News that Closs had been found came hours after Fitzgerald debunked a report she had been found alive near Walworth County — which is hundreds of miles away from Douglas County where Closs was found.
CBS Minnesota spoke with a woman over the phone who confirmed she was the one who first encountered Jayme Closs on Thursday afternoon.
She said she was walking her dog and nearing her cabin when she saw the 13-year-old walking down the road. Closs approached her and told her that she needed help.
“I was at the right place at the right time,” she told CBS Minnesota. The woman did not want to be identified by name.
