HORRIFYING

Jayme Closs’ Alleged Kidnapper Held Christmas Party While She Was Trapped Upstairs: Report

Houseguests reportedly had no idea that the teen was trapped upstairs during the gathering.

Jake Thomas Patterson, the suspect arrested for the kidnapping of 13-year-old Jayme Closs and the October murder of her parents in their Wisconsin home, allegedly held a Christmas party in his house while Closs was trapped under a bed upstairs. Although Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald would not confirm the story, two law-enforcement sources independently told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the suspect held the “Patterson Retreat” gathering, and that his houseguests were unaware that the teen was being held under his twin bed. “The family was there,” said one of the sources. Patterson “told (Jayme) that if she made a noise or tried to escape, he would kill her,” the source added. The Journal Sentinel notes that Closs was in captivity for 16 more days, before she eventually escaped and was discovered on January 10. Patterson was arrested the same day, and has since been charged with kidnapping, armed burglary, and two counts of first-degree murder.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

Kidnapper Hid Jayme Closs Under His Bed for Hours at a Time

Kate Briquelet