What drove a man to fatally shoot a couple in Wisconsin and kidnap their teenage daughter?
A criminal complaint filed Monday unspools a grisly crime that began when, according to authorities, suspect Jake Thomas Patterson, 21, spotted a girl boarding a school bus. It ended with her escaping Thursday from more than two months of captivity. Prosecutors charged Patterson Monday with kidnapping Jayme and killing her parents. They also charged him with armed robbery. The Associated Press reports Patterson sat expressionless as he appeared in court Monday via video feed from the county jail. Bail was set at $5 million.
Detective Jeffrey Nelson and Barron County District Attorney Brian Wright filed the complaint. Police say three sheriff’s deputies responded to an emergency call on Oct. 15 and drove to a home west of the city of Barron in northern Wisconsin. One deputy recalled spotting a red vehicle driving away from the home, but did not catch the license plate number of the car.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
