Home United States USA — Criminal Jayme Closs' grandfather says family doesn't know suspect Jake Thomas Patterson

Jayme Closs' grandfather says family doesn't know suspect Jake Thomas Patterson

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21-year-old suspect expected to appear in court and be formally charged on Monday over attack that left Closs' parents dead
Madison, Wis. — The grandfather of a northwestern Wisconsin girl who authorities say was abducted during a home invasion that left her parents dead said Saturday that the family has no connection to the suspect and doesn’t understand why he targeted her, deepening a mystery that has captivated the state for months.
Someone blasted open the door of James and Denise Closs’ home near Barron with a shotgun in October, gunned the couple down and made off with their 13-year-old daughter, Jayme Closs.
Jayme had been missing for nearly three months Thursday when she approached a stranger near the small, isolated north woods town of Gordon and pleaded for help. Officers arrested 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson minutes later based on Jayme’s description of his vehicle. He was jailed on suspicion of kidnapping and homicide.
Investigators have said Patterson’s goal was to kidnap Jayme, but he appears to have no connection to the family. Jayme’s grandfather Robert Naiberg said in a telephone interview Saturday that the only thing the family knows for sure is that no one knew Patterson. He said Jayme told FBI agents she didn’t know him at all.
« He didn’t know Jayme, he didn’t know Denise or Jim, » Naiberg said. « (Jayme) don’t know him from Adam. (But) he knew what he was doing. We don’t know if he was stalking her or what. Did he see her somewhere? »
Attorneys for Patterson called the affair « a very tragic situation » and said they were relying on the court system to treat him fairly. Charles Glynn and Richard Jones said in a statement that they await Patterson’s initial court appearance and the filing of charges against him on Monday.

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