Jayme Closs, a Wisconsin teen who disappeared after her parents were found dead in their home, isn't a runaway and may be in danger, authorities say.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said during a media briefing Tuesday that he can't reveal why authorities believe 13-year-old Closs is in danger because it could compromise the investigation. But he repeated his plea for the public's help in finding her.
Deputies responding to a 911 call found the bodies of 56-year-old James Closs and 46-year-old Denise Closs at around 1 a.m. Monday in their home in the western Wisconsin town of Barron. No cause of death has been released but authorities said gunshots had been fired.
Fitzgerald says Jayme was last seen at a family gathering Sunday afternoon, but he provided no details. He didn't comment about the validity of a tip that she had been spotted at a Miami gas station Monday afternoon.
Miami police say a witness reported seeing a girl fitting Jayme's description in a black Ford Explorer with two well-dressed, bearded men at a gas station Monday afternoon. Miami is about 1,700 miles (2,735 kilometers) south of Barron.
Fitzgerald said Jayme is not considered a suspect in her parents' deaths.
The FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are helping in the search for Jayme, but at a news briefing Monday evening, Fitzgerald said they had no suspects or leads.
"At the end of the day, I want a 13-year-old here safe and sound. That's our goal. That's our only goal right now," Fitzgerald said.
An Amber Alert was issued without a description of a suspect or vehicle. Meanwhile, deputies searched the area around the family's home with drones and infrared equipment and talked to Jayme's friends and middle school classmates, hoping to develop some leads.
Jayme is described as 5-feet (1.5 meters) tall and 100 pounds (45 kilograms), with strawberry-blond hair and green eyes.
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