First Images Show Squalid Basement ‘Torture Chamber’ Where Jayme Closs Was Held For Nearly Three Months

Police in Wisconsin have released the first images of the space where teen Jayme Closs was held captive for nearly three months, a cramped basement space strewn with garbage that was described by one news outlet as a “torture chamber.”

The 13-year-old managed to escape last week, finding her way to a neighbor who kept Closs safe until police could arrive. Closs had been kidnapped on October 15, after her parents were murdered in their Barron, Wisconsin, home. Police said she was kidnapped and held hostage by Jake Thomas Patterson, who is also accused of killing her parents, and they have now released images of the garbage-strewn room where she was held.

The New York Post published images of the space inside a rural cabin where Patterson is alleged to have kept Closs. The report noted that the grounds of the cabin were littered with old cars, rusty bikes, and assorted garbage.

The inside of the cabin was strewn with garbage as well, including piles of old and rotting food.

“Multiple empty containers of Cranberry Smirnoff Ice, Grape Henry’s Hard Soda and black cherry White Claw Hard Soda are heaped in the rubbish alongside an empty but new-looking package of 80 Member’s Mark brand female adult diapers,” the report noted.

Radar Online, which also published photos of the space where Jayme Closs was held, referred to the space as a “torture chamber.” Police have released few details about what happened to Closs during her time in captivity, but they have said that they believe Patterson acted alone and was not known to the family at all before the kidnapping. Patterson used to live in the home with his father and brother, but authorities said his father transferred ownership to a local bank a week after Closs’s parents were murdered.

Inside look at Wisconsin cabin where Jayme Closs was held captive https://t.co/qm9fFF4VY7

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 14, 2019

Neighbors who helped to rescue Jayme Closs after she managed to break free said that she appeared to be thin, dirty, and she looked very tired. One said it was clear that the girl had not bathed in weeks.

One of those who rescued her, Peter Kasinskas, said he armed himself with a gun and stood guard at the family’s front door until police arrived, knowing that Jayme’s captor could be looking for her. Police did say that Jake Thomas Patterson was driving around looking for Jayme after her escape. He was apprehended by police shortly after her escape, and police have hailed Jayme as a hero for her brave actions in escaping and helping direct them to her kidnapper.