MINNEAPOLIS _ A mother and father are dead and their 13-year-old daughter is missing from the family's home in northwestern Wisconsin, where authorities are urgently turning to the public in hopes of finding the young teen before harm comes to her.
A 911 call to the Barron County Sheriff's Office shortly before 1 a.m. local time Monday brought deputies to a home in the 1200 block of Hwy. 8, just west of the city of Barron, where they located the man and woman.
Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said that while "gunshots are involved" in the deaths, he's not ready to say more about the circumstances inside the home, located roughly 80 miles northeast of the Twin Cities.
Fitzgerald also did not disclose the parents' names, but public records confirm they are Denise J. Closs, 46, and James M. Closs, 56.
Daughter Jayme Closs "is missing from the residence" and her life "is considered endangered," he said.
"We've searched the area around the residence," Fitzgerald said in an on-camera interview with reporters outside his office. "We've used drones, we've used infrared. We've searched (her) school and met with her friends."
Fitzgerald said the case is "taking a toll" on the men and women in his office under such urgent circumstances.
"We're tired, we have families, but we are pushing through that," he said. "It's frustrating when we don't have a lead. That's why I'm begging and pleading with the public to help us share this (information)."
The sheriff said that the FBI, state investigators and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are also assisting in this case.
The national center said early Monday afternoon that an Amber Alert has been issued in an effort to spread the word about Jayme's disappearance.
The center's notice about Jayme said she was taken from her home early Monday morning "likely with a gun."
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.
Fitzgerald said "we have a lot of unknowns in this case," including who made the call to 911.
Authorities have no suspect or vehicle information, the sheriff said, adding that Jayme is not considered a suspect.
"Our main objective is to locate the 13-year-old," he said.
