Neighbors of missing Wisconsin girl heard gunshots 20 minutes before 911 call
Investigators searching for missing Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs are asking the public to help find two vehicles of interest. The 13-year-old has been missing since her parents were found dead in their home more than a week ago.
Jayme was last seen October 14 at a family member's birthday party. Early the next morning, a garbled 911 call was made from her mother's cell phone but when police arrived at the Closs home about four minutes later, they say Jayme was gone, and her parents were dead.
In an interview with DailyMail.com, neighbors of the Closs family said they heard two gunshots about 20 minutes before the 911 call was made. They thought it was a hunter in the area.
"I asked him, I said, 'Are those gunshots?'" Joan Smrekar recalled. "What makes us feel bad is because we didn't call in right away, that maybe we could have saved her."
The Barron County sheriff said Monday two vehicles were spotted on surveillance video near the home. They are described as a red or orange Dodge Challenger, and a black Ford Edge or Acura MDX. The sheriff made a plea for information on those vehicles and for volunteers to help search for Jayme.
The small community of Barron, Wisconsin, came together at a high school football stadium Monday night to pray for Jayme's safe return. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said they've received more than 1,300 tips so far and have closed out 1,100 of those. Because of tips investigators are expanding the ground search. He asked for 2,000 volunteers -- nearly half the population of Barron -- to come out Tuesday to walk specific areas.
With few leads, people in Barron are staying alert and are desperate for Jayme to be found.
"I'm terrified. I want to stay in my home where I know that I'm safe that I can keep my babies safe," one woman said.
The sheriff is also asking for people here to walk their property, check their cabins, and report anything suspicious. He said investigators still believe Jayme is in danger and they have not ruled out any scenarios.
