MINNEAPOLIS _ Authorities in northwestern Wisconsin say they expect to reveal details Wednesday about the killing of a couple whose 13-year-old daughter remains the subject of a frantic nationwide search since she was last seen at a family gathering Sunday.
An army of law enforcement officers has been dissecting more than 200 tips since early Monday but has yet to locate Jayme Closs, the teen who local, state and federal law enforcement officials fear is in harm's way following her disappearance and the deaths amid gunfire of her parents, 46-year-old Denise Closs and 56-year-old James Closs.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said late Tuesday afternoon in his second of two news conferences that he expects to disclose details from Midwest Medical Examiner's Office that will shed light on how the Closses were killed.
For two days, Fitzgerald has acknowledged that "gunshots are involved" in the deaths, but he has declined to say whether gunfire killed either or both of them.
He also said he has no information on how long the parents were dead before the bodies were discovered after a 911 call brought deputies to the home, which is set back in woods along Hwy. 8. Family members told CBS News in a telephone interview that the front door of the family's home was shot in.
Jayme's grandfather, 72-year-old Robert Naiberg, said nothing seemed amiss at the family gathering attended by Jayme and her mother Sunday afternoon. He said Jayme's father was at work at the time.
Naiberg, Deniss Closs' father, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that Jayme "was quiet as always" at his grandson's birthday party. Denise Closs, Naiberg said, was "a thoughtful person (who brought) a little gift for everybody" at the party.
The sheriff said it's his belief the gathering was where Jayme was last known to be, adding that it was not held at the Closs home.
A more somber gathering was held Tuesday night, when a community vigil at St. Peter Catholic Church brought people together to pray for Jayme's safe return. Ribbons of blue and green were handed out _ blue for the teen's favorite color; green for awareness about missing children.
The FBI, state investigators and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are assisting Barron County in the search for the girl that Fitzgerald described as a "sweet and shy 13-year-old who enjoys dancing and sports."
The national center said Monday afternoon that an Amber Alert had been issued in an effort to spread the word about Jayme's disappearance. The center's notice said the teen was taken from her home early Monday morning, "likely with a gun."
Among the tips was one from Miami, where police tweeted about an SUV spotted at a gas station with Wisconsin license plates and a passenger who may have been Jayme.
Many hours later, the Wisconsin sheriff said that while "I can't say that it was not her ... we have no credible information about the Miami incident."
Jayme is described as white, 5 feet tall, 100 pounds, with green eyes and blond or strawberry blond hair.
Anyone with information that could lead to her being found is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office at 715-537-3106 or 911.
