$25,000 Reward Offered As Search For Jayme Closs Enters 11th Day
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — It's been 11 days since Jayme Closs disappeared from her western Wisconsin home, and now the FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the 13-year-old's whereabouts.
On Wednesday, her relatives made an emotional plea for her safe return.
"To whoever may know where Jayme is, please contact the Barron County Sheriff's Department," said aunt Jennifer Smith. "Jayme, we need you here to fill that hole we have in our hearts."
The teenager went missing on Oct. 15. Early that morning, an inaudible 911 call led police to her home in Barron, Wisconsin, which is about 90 miles northeast of the Twin Cities.
When they arrived at the scene minutes after the call, police found the door busted in and Jayme's parents, 46-year-old Denise and 56-year-old James, shot dead.
Jayme was nowhere to be found.
In the days since the teenager's disappearance, more than 1,400 tips have been received by law enforcement. Investigators have looked into most of them.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says investigators are looking for two vehicles of interest captured on surveillance video near the Closs home on the morning of Oct. 15.
The vehicles are described as a red/orange car, believed to be Dodge Challenger, and a black SUV, believed to be either a Ford Edge or Acura MDX.
Earlier this week, a massive ground search with 2,000 volunteers was conducted near the Closs home, with searchers combing through fields and forests. The day-long search ended Tuesday with no new clues.
The sheriff's office is asking people who see suspicious activity or remember anything unusual to call 715-537-3106. Anyone who sees Jayme Closs or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call 911.
This weekend, funeral services are planned for the teenager's parents. The services are to be held Saturday at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Cameron, Wisconsin.