BARRON CO., Wis. — Jake Patterson, the man who pleaded guilty to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, Denise and James, was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Authorities said 21-year-old Patterson held Jayme hostage for 88 days at a cabin in Gordon before she escaped in January.
He kidnapped Jayme after killing her parents in their Barron County home in October, according to court records.
It was an emotional day in court as Jayme's family spoke out.
"Jayme lost everything. She must start over," said Sue Allard, Jayme's aunt.
A 13-year-old girl is now dealing with emotions no one should have to experience.
"She lives in fear, doesn't have a normal 13-year-old life," said Jennifer Smith, Jayme's aunt.
The family is still struggling with the reality their lives have become.
"I still don't believe it. I still think that I'm going to wake up someday and this is going to be a bad dream," said Kelly Engelhardt, Jayme's aunt.
The courtroom was left with the strong words of Jayme through a statement read by the family's attorney Chris Gramstrup. The statement reads:
“Last October, Jake Patterson took a lot of things that I loved away from me. It makes me the most sad that he took away my Mom and my Dad. I loved my Mom and Dad very much and they loved me very much. They did all they could to make me happy and protect me. He took them away from me forever. I felt safe in my home, and I loved my room and all of my belongings.
He took all of that too. I don’t want to even see my home or my stuff because of the memory of that night. My parents and my home were the most important things in my life. He took them away from me in a way that will always leave me with a horrifying memory.
I have to have an alarm in the house now just so I can sleep. I used to love to go out with my friends. I loved to go to school. I loved to do dance. He took all of those things away from me too. It’s too hard for me to go out in public. I get scared and I get anxious. These are just ordinary things that anyone like me should be able to do, but I can’t because he took them away from me.
But there’s some things that Jake Patterson can never take from me. He can’t take my freedom. He thought that he could own me but he was wrong. I was smarter. I watched his routine and I took back my freedom. I will always have my freedom and he will not. Jake Patterson can never take away my courage. He thought he could control me, but he couldn’t. I feel like what he did is what a coward would do. I was brave. He was not.
He can never take away my spirit. He thought that he could make me like him, but he was wrong. He can’t ever change me, or take away who I am. He can’t stop me from being happy and moving forward with my life. I will go on to do great things in my life, and he will not.
Jake Patterson will never have any power over me. I feel like I have some power over him, because I get to tell the judge what I think should happen to him. He stole my parents from me. He stole almost everything I love from me. For 88 days he tried to steal me, and he didn’t care who he hurt or who he killed to do that. He should stay locked up forever.”
Jayme's family spoke after the sentencing. Her aunt says they are satisfied with the outcome of the sentencing and that it is an important day in helping Jayme move forward.
