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Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping Jayme Closs, Killing Her Parents

Facebook/Jayme Closs
Jayme Closs escaped after being held captive for nearly three months

The man accused of kidnapping and holding 13-year-old Jayme Closs for nearly three months and killing her parents has pleaded guilty.

Jake Patterson, who's 21, now faces a maximum of two life sentences for the two first-degree intentional homicide charges and 40 years for kidnapping.

READ: Patterson Decided To Take Jayme Closs After Seeing Her Get On A School Bus, Complaint Says

Before accepting the plea, Circuit Court Judge James Babler questioned the defendant: "Mr. Patterson, do you understand that by pleading guilty you give up your right to a trial? You understand that by pleading guilty you give up your right to maintain silent?”

Last October, after spotting Closs getting on a school bus, Patterson broke into the family home in Barron, Wis., shot and killed her parents, and kidnapped Closs. She escapedin January.

Patterson will be sentenced in May.

LaToya was a reporter with WUWM from 2006 to 2021.
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