To Whomst Should The $50,000 Reward In The Jayme Closs Kidnapping Case Be Awarded?

ABC News- It’s not clear where the $50,000 reward offered in the Jayme Closs kidnapping case will go now that the 13-year-old is home safe, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said.

Suspect Jake Patterson, 21, is accused of gunning down Closs’ parents in Barron, Wisconsin, on Oct. 15 and fleeing with the 13-year-old to his rural Wisconsin home. Closs managed to escape Thursday after allegedly being held captive there for nearly three months.

Closs, lauded by officials for making what they called a brave break for freedom, told police she crawled out from where Patterson allegedly trapped her under his bed when he left the house Thursday.

Closs fled the home and approached a woman walking her dog to plead for help, officials said. The dog walker rushed Closs to a neighbor who called 911.

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Madison News- Jayme was discovered Thursday by a woman walking her dog near the small northwestern Wisconsin town of Gordon, 60 miles (100 kilometers) away from her hometown of Barron. The woman, Jeanne Nutter, took Jayme to the home of Peter and Kristin Kasinskas, who called 911.

Peter Kasinskas told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the couple does not want the reward. He says if anyone gets it, Jayme should because “She got herself out.”

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Jayme Closs has escaped from her horrific, devastating ordeal. Yes! Way to go! That is tremendous. When kidnapped children escape, it’s always cause for celebration. But once the cake plates and confetti clear, the lawyers have to roll up their sleeves to sort through the red tape. And in this case, that means determining to whom the reward money should go. Lucky for you, I, like Charlie, know a lot about the law and various other lawyerings thanks to my four-day law school education. Here’s how I see it:

The $50,000 reward was offered for “information that leads to locating 13-year-old Jayme Closs.” That’s pretty broad language. When Closs escaped, she “approached a woman” walking her “dog.” Why is dog is quotes? Because the species of dog, Canis lupus familiaris, is one of the biggest species of animals, with over one billion different known breeds. For all we know, she may have been walking her wolf. They are difficult to domesticate, but it has been done before:

The woman, Jeanne Nutter (Nutter? I hardly know her!) then brought Closs into the house of Peter and Kristin Kasinskas. They phoned the police, and those are the facts, Jack.

As I see it, there are THREE possible recipients for the money.

1. Jayme Closs

The Kasinskases think that Jayme deserves the money for saving herself. However, based on what we know, she did not provide information that led to locating herself. “Escaping” is not “providing information.” Had she taped a sign to the window of the house that said “I am Jayme Closs, Sagittarius, and I have been kidnapped, please help,” that would be information. No money for her.

2. The Kasinskas couple 

The Kasinskases made a phone call, but they were simply the messengers. By that point, Jayme had been discovered. Perhaps they were the first ones to recognize her, but that’s only because they look like the type of people who watch a ton of TV. They relayed information, like a telephone pole. No money to them, please.

3. Jeanne Nutter and her wolf

Here’s your hero, folks. She listened to Jayme and took her to a home where she probably said “Turn off that TV, I found a kidnapped girl!” THAT’S information. She deserves all of the $50,000 and not a dime less.

If Jeanne wants to give some of her money to Jayme, so be it. That’s how America works. But based on the way the reward was set up, the money should go to Jeanne. Case closed.

PS- Here’s the bad guy. Sheesh. Fit the bill much? Dude looks like the son of Tommy Smokes and Trent.

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