CAMERON, WIS. – A thick fog fell in Barron County Saturday, perfect backdrop for the last scene in a sinister mystery.

Twelve days after being found shot dead in their home in Barron, Wisconsin, the missing 13-year-old parent of 13-year-old Jayme Closs was commemorated on Saturday at ceremonies in Cameron.

Hundreds of people in mourning flocked to the St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church at 11 am and 1 pm Funeral of James and Denise Closs.

Both have spent their lives in this corner of northwestern Wisconsin, where the roots of the family are deeply rooted in all local towns. James Closs, 56, was a basketball star at Ladysmith Lumberjacks High School, which took him to second place in the Wisconsin State Basketball Tournament in 1981.

Denise Closs, 46, grew up in the nearby town of Cornell. She has taught religious education in many Catholic churches in the region. The dear ones remembered her as a gentle soul who grew flowers, fed the birds, and helped everyone, in every way possible.

Missy Ruffin of Rice Lake has worked with both of them at the Jennie-O turkey factory in Barron for more than 20 years. She was particularly close to James Closs, with whom she worked "eight hours a day, five days a week for 15 years".

Ruffin sobbed as he left the service, dabbing his eyes with a tissue.

"I just hope they're at peace," she says, her voice muffled. "They did not hurt anyone. They did not disturb anyone.

"Why?"

No clue to kill

No one has the answer to this question, including the police.

Despite launching a nationwide hunt, checking over 1,700 tips and a local search intensive clues with more than 2,000 volunteers, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, still has no idea why James and Denise Closs were shot at their homes at the very beginning. the morning of October 15th.

"I do not know why it happened," he said. The extended family, he added, "continues to fight.

"I can not imagine what the family is going through," he said, "letting two people rest and one to take home."

Fitzgerald said his office and many other police departments were aggressively pursuing their investigation.

"Everyone wants to take Jayme home," he said.

Family members did not respond to interview requests on Saturday, and many funeral guests also declined to speak. The media present at the funeral were held away from the church grounds. They observed from afar that the porters brought a single coffin and placed it in a Cadillac silver hearse.

"It's a horrible thing for the city," said Jim Chuchwar, who lives in the country outside of Barron. After spending almost two weeks in the drama, Chuchwar said he was trying to avoid conversations.

"Talk about the Badgers, talk about the Gophers if you have to do it," he said. But it's a difficult subject to escape, he added. Just last night, he heard helicopters heard – presumably police helicopters.

Sports and inspiration

Ruffin, who worked with the couple, said that James Closs had remained a big sports fan after the end of his athletic career in high school. He has always played softball in the local teams in the area and his name appears on a board in the Barron Area Community Center weight room, paying tribute to those who have dedicated more than 1,000 hours of training. .

"Jim was entirely athletic," she said. "He was a big fan of Packer. Go to work, go home. James Closs was working in the factory area which was deboning the turkeys. He was delivering meat orders that Ruffin would weigh for shipping.

"We talked every day," she said.

The Closses were married in Las Vegas in 2003. Jayme was born two years later. she was their only child.

Denise Closs was very shy, said Ruffin, but was very much appreciated and had a group of good friends.

"She was all about Jayme," said Ruffin. "It was all about Jayme. She loved this girl.

Denise Closs was a dedicated family, filling her personal Facebook page with family photos, especially of her mother, Becky Naiberg, who died of cancer in 2016. Denise Closs has participated in several fundraising events for American Cancer Society in memory of her. mother.

On the last day, Denise Closs spent the afternoon at a birthday party for one of her nephews. According to the local newspaper Barron News-Shield, she brought gifts to everyone, not just the birthday boy.

She also filled her Facebook page with inspiring sayings.

"When it's raining, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars, "we read. Another: "Because someone we love is in paradise, a little slice of paradise is at home."

On December 7, 1976, the Chippewa Herald-Telegram aired a special program called "Wish Book" containing letters to Santa from children in the area. One of them came from Denise Naiberg, 4 years old, from Cornell, who later became Denise Closs.

She asked for a Sesame Street set, including Big Bird, a set of dishes and a doll with "a big bottle and a cradle to sleep in".

"I've really tried to be a good girl all year," she wrote. "I promise to continue to be a good girl."

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Jayme Closs is urged to contact Tip Line at 855-744-3879 or by email at [email protected].