The woman who found abducted Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs last week opened up about the surreal experience in an interview that aired Monday, describing how her past work as a social worker came into play.
Jeanne Nutter told “CBS This Morning” that she had been walking her dog in the rural town of Gordon, Wisconsin, on Thursday when a visibly shaken Closs approached her and called out for help.
The 13-year-old girl had been missing since Oct. 15, the day police discovered her parents had been shot to death in their Barron home, about 65 miles south of Gordon. Police believe Closs was home when her parents were murdered.
“I was at the end of my driveway; I saw a young woman who appeared to be in distress,” Nutter told CBS. “She was probably about 10 or 12 feet from me saying, ‘I need help.’ All I knew is, whoever this child is, she’s in trouble.”
Nutter said she was startled to see Closs navigating the below-freezing weather in a sweatshirt and leggings. As they approached one another, Nutter said she immediately recognized Closs’ face from the pictures shared by police and local media in recent months.
“A lot of things went through my head,” Nutter said. “I quickened my pace and got to her, and she just sort of fell into me and said, ‘I’m Jayme.’ And I said, ‘I know.’”
Nutter said she relied on her past experience with Child Protective Services to make Closs feel as safe as possible. Closs pointed out the property where she had been held for more than 80 days, which allegedly borders Nutter’s property. After deciding that her own house wouldn’t create enough distance from Closs’ alleged captor, Nutter took the teenager to a neighbor’s house, where they called police.
“I didn’t want her to know I thought my place wasn’t safe, because I wanted her to be calm,” Nutter told CBS. “Kids need to be safe. Get them safe first, ask questions later.”
“I was not calm inside, [but] I did not want her to know that,” she added. “So, I just practiced all my skills: Talk softly, don’t ask her any questions.”
The suspected captor, 21-year-old Jake Patterson, has been charged with kidnapping her and murdering her parents. Patterson allegedly told investigators he was driving to his job at a cheese factory one day near Almena, Wisconsin, when he stopped behind a school bus and watched Jayme get on, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Closs has been reunited with her family, including her aunt Sue Allard, who told “CBS This Morning” that she still feels “a little in shock” over her niece’s return.
“I have to pinch myself,” Allard said. “I woke up this morning and finally, I didn’t have that pit in the bottom of my stomach any more.”