Authorities are desperately searching for a 13-year-old girl from Wisconsin after her parents were found dead in their home. The police were called to the home just after 1 a.m. on Monday where they found the bodies of James and Denise Closs, and evidence that a gun was fired. Investigators have not said how the two were killed.
Local police put out an Amber Alert for Jayme Closs and enlisted the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the FBI.
"At the end of the day, I want a 13-year-old here safe and sound. That's our goal. That's our only goal right now," Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said in a news conference.
On Monday afternoon, authorities received a tip that the young girl may have been spotted in Miami, Florida. A witness reported seeing a girl matching Jayme's description sitting in a black SUV which had Wisconsin license plates. The girl was accompanied by two well-dressed bearded men.
“The vehicle was occupied by 2 well dressed, middle eastern males in their 30’s, about 5’7” to 5’09”, 200-250 lbs., and both had a beard. Furthermore, inside the vehicle was a young girl fitting the description of Jayme Closs,” the Miami Police Department said in a press release. “If you have any information please call 911 immediately.”
While Fitzgerald is hopeful they can find the teenager, he is not sure if he believes that Closs was spotted in Florida. He told Fox 9 that his department is following up on the tip, but questioned the timing of the sighting. It takes over a full day to drive from Wisconsin to Florida, and the sighting occurred just 15 hours after police responded to the call at her parent's home.