The reward for bringing home 13-year-old Jayme Closs has been doubled to $50,000, two weeks after she vanished from her home and her parents were shot dead.
Authorities announced on Friday that the reward amount had been increased thanks to the help of the factory Jayme’s parents worked in Barron, Wisconsin, as the desperate, nationwide search for the teenager continued.
The push to bring Jayme home came a day before her parents Denise, 46, and James Closs, 56, were laid to rest in private funerals.
‘At this time, I want to thank Jennie-O and all of its employees for their cooperation during this tragic time for them with the loss of two of their employees and their willingness to help bring 13-year-old Jayme home,’ Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said in a statement Friday.
Still missing: The reward for details on Jayme Closs’ whereabouts has doubled to $50,000. The 13-year-old vanished moments after her parents were gunned down earlier this month
Funeral services were held Saturday for the parents of Jayme Closs, the 13-year-old Wisconsin girl who has been missing ever since her parents were found shot to death inside their home
Family and friend’s gathered to pay their respects to the couple at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Cameron
The bodies of Denise, 46, and James Closs, 56, were found shot dead in their Wisconsin two weeks ago. Jayme has not been seen since and was believed to have been inside the home at the time
The teenager is believed to be in danger but police have no idea where she is.
Meanwhile, the grief-stricken community has held a double funeral from Jayme’s parents.
A joint funeral service to commemorate the couple took place Saturday afternoon at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Cameron, Wisconsin. A private family burial will be held at a later date.
Investigators believe Jayme was abducted October 15 before dawn after her parents, James, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, were gunned down in their home in Barron.
Two thousand volunteers helped investigators search a five-mile radius around the Closs home earlier this week, but no evidence was found.
Investigators believe Jayme is still alive, and they won’t stop searching until they bring her home.
As of Thursday, authorities had received 1,740 tips and closed over 1,400 of them, according to Fitzgerald.
James and Denise Closs were honored with a funeral service Saturday.A private family burial is set for a future date
The Jennie O Turkey Factory where both parents worked contributed a further $25,000 to double the reward to $50,000
Jennifer Smith and Suzy Allard – Denise Closs’s sisters – thanked the public for their continued ‘love and support’ as they continue to hope for the safe return of their ‘sweet Jayme’
The family of Jayme Closs spoke out in a public appeal on Wednesday in Wisconsin
Search efforts intensified in Barron,Wisconsin as two thousand volunteers turned out to assist officers from Barron County Sheriff’s Department in their attempt to find missing Jayme Closs
Members of the search party were asked to register and have their driver’s licenses scanned for safety and as an ‘investigative tool’
‘It’s important to show people, you know, hope, and that we all care,’ one of the volunteers, Josh Murphy, told ABC News. ‘It’s been chaos. A lot of people felt it. I can feel the pain of the family even though they’re not part of my family. That’s how I keep focused on showing hope. The hope is what we’re riding on.’
Authorities now are looking for two vehicles of interest after cars were spotted near the Closs home around the time of the crime.
One vehicle was likely a red or orange 2000 to 2014 Dodge Challenger, based on surveillance footage from nearby homes and businesses. The second car was likely a black 2006 to 2010 Ford Edge or a black 2004 to 2010 Acura MDX, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Closs’s murders and Jayme’s disappearance occurred on October 15.
Pictured are two of the vehicles of interest: A black 2006-2010 Ford Edge and a red or orange 2008-2014 Dodge Challenger
Searchers were instructed to hold the line and report any resistance or hostility they might encounter to law enforcement
Just before 1am local time, someone called 911 from Denise Closs’ cellphone, and the 911 dispatcher heard ‘a lot of yelling.’
The dispatcher called the number back but was unable to leave a voicemail.
More attempts were made, but the phone was not answered. Authorities then tried to call the landline to the house but that that was found to be disconnected.
By the time authorities reached the home minutes later, they fund that the front door had been kicked in and the couple had been shot to death.
Their daughter, Jayme, was believed to be home when her parents killed but she had been abducted by the time authorities arrived.
An Amber Alert has been issued for Jayme. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff office tip line 1-855-744-3879 or email jaymetips@co.barron.wi.us
Investigators announced a $50,000 reward for any tips leading to her location
Steven Fowler of luck Wis., and his dog Cheeka search a cornfield along 15th Ave. near highway 25 just North of Barron in the search for Jayme Closs