For Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, January 10, 2019 is a day that will stay with him forever.
It was one year ago when Wisconsin teenager Jayme Closs made a daring escape 70 miles away from her family's home in Baron, Wisconsin. Jayme had been held captive inside a home in rural Gordon, Wisconsin for 88 days. Her kidnapper, Jake Patterson, took her from her family's home after killing her parents during the early morning hours of October 15, 2018.
"Jayme saved herself," Fitzgerald said as he recalled Jayme's case. "She's a hero in our eyes and the word resiliency has a new definition, at least here in Barron County and I think across the globe, really."
Related Police find Jayme Closs alive — suspect in custody
According to investigators, Jayme escaped while Patterson was out of the home. Closs escaped after pushing objects far enough from underneath a bed where Patterson kept her while he was away. Closs then left the home, came upon a woman walking her dog, and told the woman she was Jayme Closs.
They then went to a nearby home and called the police. Court files released in December 2019 detail the 911 call made to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Patterson's arrest.
Related New files detail Jayme Closs case
Fitzgerald says that since Jayme's escape and the arrest of Patterson, there's a new sense of security, at least in Barron.
"This was such a random crime, so there's a different feel around here," Fitzgerald said. "The community itself is a lot closer-knit because and I think that's really special."
Jayme's story is one of hope for law enforcement and other missing people searches.
"It's what law enforcement officers work for every day. We want to solve every case as soon as it comes in," he said. "Tragedy happens in the world and you have to take the good with the bad. There are a lot of other kids missing in the world and we were just lucky enough to have a 13-year-old girl who had the will to survive and the strength to escape."
As for the one year anniversary of Jayme's escape, Fitzgerald believes it's good to see her and the community living their lives.
"She's living her life and if our paths cross this week that's great, but if they don't, I know she's got a smile on her face and that's all that matters to me."
The one year anniversary comes the same week that the Barron County Sheriff's Office announced they identified remains dating back to 1982 as those of a missing Minnesota man. That case remains unsolved and is under investigation.
For more on kidnappings and missing persons nationwide, click here.