Posted on 10/16/2019 2:46:55 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
BARRON, Wis. - The Wisconsin girl whose parents were fatally shot before she was kidnapped and held captive for 88 days says she's thankful for the kindness and concern from people all over the country and is feeling stronger every day.
Jayme Closs issued a statement Monday, a day before the one-year anniversary of the crimes at her home near Barron in northwest Wisconsin. Closs said she is getting back to the activities she enjoys and loves hanging out with her friends.
The statement was read by family attorney Chris Gramstrup at a news conference at the Barron County Sheriff's Department.
Grampstrup says Jayme, who has celebrated her 14th birthday, is working very hard on her emotional well-being. Her parents, James and Denise Closs, were killed at their home by Jake Patterson who abducted Jayme and held her at a cabin an hour north. Patterson is serving life in prison.
More:
Jayme Closs’ full statement at her kidnapper’s sentencing: ‘I was brave. He was not’
Before Jake Patterson was sentenced to two life sentences for kidnapping Jayme Closs and killing her parents in October, her family attorney read powerful words from her in court.
Here’s her full statement:
“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.”
‘Jake Patterson can never take away my courage’
“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’t ever change me, or take away who I am’
“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.”
He should have been executed the same day.
Sure doesn’t feel like it has been a whole year, already.
“He should have been executed the same day.”
Right after he plead guilty in a fair trial, yes.
Yeah, they moved the POS to a prison in New Mexico. He would’ve been snuffed out in a Wisconsin prison.
Pedophiles/Freaks tend to get ‘Dahmerized’ on the inside in our state.
“Not that there’s anything WRONG with that.” ;)
Time for the inmates to deliver justice...
Why does she feel the need to say anything at all?
I wouldn’t want a thousand pairs of eyes watching me after going through what she did.
Constantly bringing it back up means she has to live through those moments again. Would you not wish to avoid that?
But so many Freepers were insistant that this girl was his accomplice.
I am sure that she does (wish to avoid this), but to be honest with you, it’s only one year out. On anniversaries of events, especially traumatic ones, it will be unavoidable for her. It’s buried deep within her psyche and she will continue to deal with this on anniversaries whether she wants to or not, at least for the first few years. Give her time and space. Pray for her to continue to heal. She has a lot to deal with. Resist the idea that she is doing this for attention, if that’s what you were getting at.
She wasn’t there. That was a statement that her lawyer read at the sentencing.
Her Aunt has been vigilant in keeping her out of the public eye. This has been her first ‘surfacing’ actually, in a year, and even at that, it was another statement read by a representative to tell the public how she’s coming along.
Also, FWIW, the factory where her parents worked started a fund for her. All of her college education is paid for. She is living with her Aunt and cousins. She has a pretty good support system, considering.
Still, my heart just breaks for her. :(
Sometimes this is the best therapy!
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