On day 11 of search for Jayme Closs, Barron residents remain vigilant

BARRON, Wisconsin (KMSP) - No more than two miles from the Closs family house, just off Hwy. 8, a Barron County farmer chopped stalks Thursday with his eyes focused on the cornfield and Jayme.

“You’re always looking. In the back of your mind, maybe something happened and she’s placed here. We’re always looking for her. I’ve got quite a few fields within a short distance of where the scene was,” the farmer said.

Fields, farmland and woods were scoured this week by an army of volunteers who found no evidence connected to Jayme Closs’ disappearance.

The farmer, who asked that we not use his name, said he won’t stop doing his part.

In fact, he and his wife reached out to authorities earlier this week about a “strange” phone call they received from an out-of-area phone number. They were worried it might be connected to the nationwide search.

“They actually asked for Jayme and then kinda acted funny,” the farmer said. “We had the phone number they called from and delivered it to the police department.”

It’s now 11 days later and investigators continue to press for more information after Jayme was at home when her parents were shot to death early in the morning Oct. 15 and was gone by the time responding officers arrived.

The sheriff said she isn’t a suspect, but rather a missing and endangered child. Her photo has been plastered on billboards from coast-to-coast.

“We love you to the moon and back. We will never stop looking for you,” said Jennifer Smith, Closs’s aunt, in a news conference Wednesday.  

Her aunt has made a direct plea to Jayme to come home.

The FBI, with no suspect information, is offering a $25,000 reward to crack the case.

“Like everyone here, we want to bring Jayme home,” said Justin Tolomeo, the FBI Special Agent in charge. “We stand together with our state and local law enforcement partners working day and night to find Jayme.”