Viswa Vanapalli
Jayme Closs’s story is a remarkable one. The 13-year-old was kidnapped from her home after her abductor killed her parents. She was held captive for 87 days before she took her chance to escape and find help. CBS’s ‘48 Hours: Jayme Closs Comes Home’ details this very story of survival. Her abductor was 21-year-old Jake Patterson, a complete stranger who just decided to take Jayme. Curious to know what happened to him? We’ve got you covered.
Who is Jake Patterson?
Jake Thomas Patterson was born in 1997 to Patrick Patterson and Deborah Frey. Jake’s parents had a troubled marriage and were granted divorce in 2008. Jake was the youngest of three children and was described as quiet and quick-witted. After graduating high school in 2015, Jake signed up for the US Marine Corps in San Diego, California, but was dismissed five weeks into a 13-week training program.
Eventually, he started living alone in a remote cabin in Gordon, Wisconsin, after his father and siblings moved out. He picked up a few odd jobs but never worked at one place for a long enough time. On his way to work at a cheese factory sometime in early October 2018, Jake saw Jayme get on a school bus and decided that he would kidnap her. Jake tried to act on his plan twice before but was put off by the activity and cars parked at the Closs’ house. He finally went through with it on October 15, 2018.
Jake had taken his father’s shotgun, screwed on a stolen license plate to his car, and also bought a black mask. Jake shaved his head in order to not leave any forensic evidence. After midnight on October 15, he broke into Jayme’s house and killed her parents James and Denise. He then bound her, put her in the trunk of his car, and took her home. A 911 call from Denise’s phone at around 12:53 AM alerted the police. While she didn’t speak, there was some yelling that was heard. The police arrived roughly four minutes after that, but by then, it was too late.
Jake then held Jayme under his twin bed for close to three months. He placed weights, laundry bags, and other things to block her from getting out. When his father would come to visit, he would turn up the radio to cover the noises from his room. Jake would later admit to the police that while he had sexual thoughts about Jayme, he never acted on them because he felt guilty about killing her parents. He stated that he let Jayme walk outside on the lawn occasionally. On January 10, 2019, Jake told her that he would be gone for a few hours, and that was when Jayme escaped. She quickly found help and called 911. Jake was arrested soon after.
Where is Jake Patterson Now?
Jake confessed to the police about killing Jayme’s parents and holding her captive. He pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional first-degree homicide and one count of kidnapping. In May 2019, Jake was handed down two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Before his sentencing, Jake was apologetic. “I would do, like, absolutely anything to take back what I did, you know. I would die. I would do absolutely anything to bring them back.” After his conviction, he was registered as a sex offender. He was moved to a prison in New Mexico in July 2019 after safety concerns. As of now, he seems to be serving his sentence out at a correctional facility in the same state.
Read More: Where is Jayme Closs Now?
