Jayme Closs Has ‘Mostly Good Days’ 1 Year After Escaping Kidnapper: ‘She Misses Her Parents Terribly’

It’s a process. Jayme Closs has been doing her best to cope with her new reality one year after escaping the man who abducted her and killed her parents. The teenager “just wants to be a regular kid,” a source tells In Touch exclusively, noting how she was able to save herself in the situation, but she lost her mother and father in a “very brutal way.”

“She doesn’t like to dwell on it or talk about it much,” the insider reveals to In Touch. “There are mostly good days for her now, but she misses her parents [James and Denise] terribly.”

People feared the worst when Closs went missing in October 2018, shortly after her mom and dad were tragically found dead in their northwestern Wisconsin home. Three months later, the brave young lady was miraculously found alive and more details about the terrifying ordeal were revealed. In order to get back to safety in January 2019, she had to make a daring escape from her abductor, Jake Patterson.

Closs’ captor ended up pleading guilty to killing her parents in March, as well as to kidnapping the teen. He later was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

“The only bright spot in this crazy ordeal is how family, friends and the entire town rallied around her to make her feel safe,” an insider exclusively tells In Touch in an update. “Jayme likes living with her aunt and uncle and she’s happy being in school. She’s been to hell and back, so feeling grounded and loved, that helps the most. That’s what she‘s grateful for.”

In recent months, Closs has been spending time with her pals and partaking in activities to keep her busy. Looking ahead, she knows there’s still a lot to deal with emotionally, as a traumatizing experience like that doesn’t go away overnight.

“The day she was kidnapped was a blur, she can’t believe it was a year ago, but she’s moving on, slowly but surely,” the source concludes. “Jayme will never forget her ordeal, but she knows one thing — she’s a survivor and is lucky to be alive.”