Alleged killer applied for liquor store job on day Jayme Closs escaped after 88 days in captivity

Accused murderer Jake Patterson applied for a job hours before kidnapped teenager Jayme Closs was found in the Wisconsin woods, according to reports.

The man accused of kidnapping a teenage girl after allegedly murdering her parents in rural Wisconsin applied for a job at a liquor store hours before she escaped, according to reports.

“I’m an honest and hardworking guy,” reads Jake Patterson’s resume. “Not much work experience but I show up to work and am a quick learner.”

The 21-year-old handed the application to the business just after noon on Monday, January 10.

The missing 13-year-old was found alive hours later, after emerging from the freezing Wisconsin woods and flagging down a dog walker, telling her “I’m Jayme Closs!” and “He killed my parents!”

Jayme was “skinny and dirty”, wearing a baggy T-shirt and New Balance trainers too large for her, which she appeared to have grabbed in a hurry to make her escape. Her description of the alleged kidnapper’s car led to his arrest in the following few minutes.

The criminal complaint filed against Patterson — who has been charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping — alleges he set his sights upon the 13-year-old after spotting her while commuting to his first day of work at a cheese factory.

A manager at Saratoga Liquor company told media Jake Patterson applied for a job at Superior Liquor on the day Jayme Closs escaped.

Patterson saw Jayme boarding a school bus and decided she was “the girl he was going to take”, according to the criminal complaint filed by Barron County District Attorney’s office.

He allegedly bought a balaclava from a local Walmart the following day, which was his second and “last day” of work at that job.

After stalking the Closs family home at least two times and deeming it too crowded with guests, he is alleged to have entered the home on October 15 last year by breaking the front door open with a shot gun.

He then allegedly shot and killed Jayme’s father and mother and kidnapped the terrified teen from the family’s home in Barron County, keeping her in crude and cruel captivity for 88 days at his home about 120km away in Gordon.

It is alleged that while Patterson was out of the house he would force Jayme under his double bed, which he turned into a type of cage, pushing it against the wall and packing the sides with laundry bags and securing with weights and barbells.

Jayme survived 88 days allegedly being held by Mr Patterson after he allegedly shot her parents at their home in Wisconsin. Picture: Barron County Sheriff’s Department

He controlled Jayme by telling her “bad things” would happen, according to the criminal complaint which further alleged that on at least one occasion Patterson hit her “really hard” on her back with a device used for cleaning blinds, because she had made him mad.

She was also warned the punishments would worsen if she misbehaved, according to the legal case.

Little insight is given into the day-to-day life Jayme endured while allegedly held in captivity by Patterson, with few coming forward to give an insight into the mind of the alleged murderer and kidnapper.

‘QUIETEST PERSON IN CLASS’

Patterson’s resume lists three previous examples of employment. Some of the business names have been blacked out.

The 21-year-old appears to have worked as an unskilled labourer, working for eight months labouring for an unknown company earlier this year.

Before that he served in the Marine Corps, his resume claiming he took part in the “Boot Camp” in San Diego for the better part of 2017.

However, records obtained by CNN give his dates of service as just over a month, three years ago. The official dates obtained list his service between September 14, 2015, to October 20, 2015.

The resume also lists Patterson as spending three months working in production, “kitting and stocking screens”.

He obtained a diploma from Northwood High School where he was voted “quietest person in class”. He appears to have remained similarly estranged from his peers and society after graduation.

Patterson’s family were reportedly ‘devastated’ as they attended his arraignment on Monday. Picture: Richard Tsong-Taatarii via AP

Patterson’s father, who attended his arraignment on Monday, told the media: “All I care about right now is Jayme’s family.

“I want to get them a note,” he said, visibly shaken, before he was escorted to a public viewing area by a deputy.

His family are said to be “shocked” and “devastated”.

Patterson is believed to have been mostly unemployed and did not visit any of the businesses in his local town of Gordon in Wisconsin with enough frequency for anyone to recognise him.

Gordon had a population of about 645 at the 2000 census, and is described by locals as a town where “everybody knows everybody”, but no locals seemed to know Patterson.

He told police that he believed he had escaped detection after no police approached him in the two weeks following the alleged murders, according to the court documents.

Patterson was arrested about 10 minutes after Jayme flagged down a dog walker, who called 911.