00:00:02
[Music] Baron, Wisconsin is on a high. The town can finally exhale after 88 agonizing
00:00:13
days of mounting pressure, sleepless nights, and dashed hopes. starting on that terrible October night.
00:00:27
I've been doing this for over 20 years and it's a crime scene like you rarely see. It's going to take a toll on our
00:00:33
people. No one could grasp the cruelty of a double murder and kidnapping of an innocent 13-year-old girl. Even seasoned
00:00:42
investigators were baffled, says Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald. We don't know why, how, um, you know, we don't know who
00:00:49
made the 911 call. Scary and you don't know what to expect anymore, no matter where you're at.
00:00:58
Law enforcement launched a massive search for the 5' 100 lb Jamie Clauss. We've searched the school. We've met
00:01:06
with your friends. Working with anybody that may have any bit of information. That afternoon, authorities issued a
00:01:13
statewide Amber Alert. We have a 13-year-old girl has vanished and we need to get a hold of her to make sure
00:01:20
she's okay. We all have the same goal in mind and that is to bring Jamie home. The entire community joined in prayer
00:01:27
and hope. We will overcome. I'm hoping and praying with God's help and the community that we all rally
00:01:37
around each other and help find this girl and bring her home. But it was not looking very hopeful.
00:01:44
We don't have any leads at this time. At day's end, Sheriff Fitzgerald sent out an urgent plea for help to the people of
00:01:51
Baron. The public should share the photo. Um, they should share our Facebook page.
00:01:56
They should share this newscast. Whatever it is, anybody that can get information about where she might be.
00:02:06
Slowly, the world began to learn a little bit about the eighth grader who disappeared without a trace. her aunt
00:02:13
and godmother, Jennifer Smith. If Jamie is the sweetest little girl, she wouldn't hurt a soul. A sentiment echoed
00:02:20
by the school superintendent, Diane Trembley. Jaime wrote on one of her assignments in response to the question,
00:02:26
"What would you do if you were given a million dollars, she said, "Feed the hungry and give the rest to the poor."
00:02:34
Sheriff Fitzgerald knew Jamie Clauss was in danger. He also knew time was of the
00:02:40
essence. Every second counts in this case. Sheriff, have you questioned any people
00:02:45
of interest? We follow up on every tip. The sheriff's department joined forces with law enforcement agencies across the
00:02:53
country. More than 100 officers combed through neighborhoods and searched for clues.
00:02:59
The Baron County Sheriff says they're using infrared technology and drones to help in their search.
00:03:05
FBI special agent in charge Justin Toolo offered the bureau's full support. The FBI along with our law enforcement
00:03:13
partners is committed to finding Jaime quickly and ask for the public's help in making that happen. Over 200 tips came
00:03:22
flooding in. Jaime's Amber Alert web page got 30,000 hits and friends like Melissa Salmanson organized a prayer
00:03:29
vigil. Everyone's feeling very helpless right now. Day four and still no leads. The sheriff
00:03:40
asked for a hundred volunteers to search the area. Go ahead. 300 people showed up and dozens had to
00:03:48
be turned away. I got granddaughters and a daughter, so I don't want this stuff to happen anymore. The days wore on with
00:03:56
no sign of the missing teenager, no sign of her abductor. I'm terrified. I'm I I want to stay in
00:04:04
my home where I know that I'm safe, that I can keep my baby safe. [Music] Despite their fears, the people of this
00:04:12
close-knit community kept hope alive. Tips kept coming in. We've received over,300 tips in our community and from
00:04:20
across the nation. We have closed,00 of those. The FBI offered a $25,000 reward, an
00:04:28
amount later doubled by Jenny O Turkey, the Claus's employer. The sheriff called upon more citizens to
00:04:35
join in the investigation. We are asking for about 2,000 volunteers to walk specific areas in or around the crime
00:04:43
scene to help with our investigation. [Music] They came in droves. They swarmed the
00:04:55
area in line formation through the woods, across the streams, and into the corn fields. I believe she's still
00:05:02
alive. I believe she's still out there, and the hope is what we're riding on, and that's what we're going to go with.
00:05:14
But in the middle of all this hope came a solemn reminder of what was lost. Two people who were deeply loved. James and
00:05:23
Denise Clauss, Jaime's mom and dad. Why? Why? They're normal people. Why would you? They don't bother nobody. They
00:05:33
don't They go to work. They go home. They're They're about their families. As time passed, the leads dried up and
00:05:41
the cold reality set in. [Music] 18 days into this investigation, still no suspect and no sign of Jamie Claus.
00:05:52
Investigators who had set up shop in the command center started leaving town. We
00:05:57
were averaging sometimes between 100 to 250 a day. Now we're down to that 25ish range. So we need to scale back the
00:06:04
operation itself from our 247 operation. The story slowly slipped from the headlines and life for the most part
00:06:18
went back to normal. But the people of Baron never forgot Jamie Claus. Lord Jaime's family has
00:06:26
been searching for 77 days in great anguish for their loved ones. [Music] On day 77, people of all ages and walks
00:06:41
of life called upon the spirit of Christmas to bring Jamie home. Jaime's uncle, Mike, addressed the
00:06:50
crowd. Our families like you, we just we just want Jamie home. That wish was about to come true.
00:06:59
[Music]