BARRON, Wis. — Life around Barron, Wisconsin is back to normal one year after the home invasion kidnapping and murders... that shocked and frightened the entire community.
But the living, breathing definition of the community’s ‘normal’… is now different.
“My kids cannot just run around town. Like, unless they have a buddy,” reflected resident LaShonda Kee. “Buddy system, all the time, they have to have their own person.”
Community members tell us they've come a long way in the healing process since Jayme Closs escaped her captor in January, but scars from the ordeal remain.
“You know, we never used to lock our doors,” explained resident John Christianson. “We lock our doors now and a lot of people are making sure they're armed.”
There is no doubt that in some ways, Barron is forever changed, just like the abduction of Jacob Wetterling changed the small community of St. Joseph, and eventually, the entire state of Minnesota. Residents do feel, however, that things in Barron are getting better.
“People are getting, you could say, not as jumpy,” Christianson says.
“Some kids, parents said my kid doesn't want to sleep alone anymore,” said Barron resident Deb Johnston. “But I think again, you heal from that over time they get that sense of security back.”
As those in the community heal, they want to make sure Jayme does as well. Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says the community received some valuable advice on how to help the 14-year-old move forward from former kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart when she visited in March.
First step… taking down all those signs around town celebrating Jayme's return.
“They've been up long enough, welcome Jayme home, well everyone wanted to keep them up forever and I get that. I understand that,” Sheriff Fitzgerald reasons. “But it was time to move forward and that's what this community has done.”
Then - there's the matter of what to say to Jayme. Smart told them if you knew her before, say hi. But if not, you don't need to say anything -- because you didn’t know her 'before', and you don’t know what she’s been through.
“It's always there, the knowledge of what happened to her,” Deb Johnston says, “but I think being involved, she went out for cross country, and that support from friends and stuff and staying busy…has helped her.”