A homemade straitjacket, dog cages, and a locked bedroom door — investigators say this was the reality for two little girls in Wexford County.
A Michigan couple already sentenced to a decade in prison for the horrific abuse of their adopted daughters is now facing additional consequences in their home state — after a search of their own house uncovered evidence that shocked investigators.
Jessica Klimp, 45, appeared in Wexford County Circuit Court this week and pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree child abuse. Her husband, Jason Klimp, 45, had already pleaded guilty to the same charges in March, according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
Both have had their parental rights permanently terminated.
What investigators found inside the home
The Michigan State Police executed a search warrant at the Klimps’ Wexford County residence after the couple was arrested in Tennessee in February 2024. What they found inside painted a disturbing picture of life for the children in that home.
Key findings from the search warrant
- A “man-made straitjacket” found inside a child’s bedroom
- Security alarms installed on the bedroom door from the outside
- Dog cages that appeared to have been used to confine the children
Authorities say the abuse was systemic and targeted two of the couple’s four adopted children. At the time of the Tennessee arrest, eight children total were living in the home — four biological and four adopted.
How it began: a 12-year-old who looked half her age
The case first came to light in Fentress County, Tennessee, when paramedics were called to the family’s home after one of the adopted daughters collapsed. Jason Klimp reportedly put the child in a cold shower trying to revive her before help arrived.
When first responders got there, they were stunned. The girl was 12 years old — but she was so severely malnourished that paramedics initially guessed she was between 6 and 8. Her body temperature had dropped to a dangerously low 95.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Her skin was discolored.
She and her sister had been kept on a diet of only liquefied food served from a bottle. When police asked why, the 12-year-old told them it was because they “ate too much and would get sick.”
Punishment for ordinary childhood mistakes
The abuse didn’t stop at starvation. Investigators learned the couple punished the girls for wetting the bed by forcing them to sleep on plastic totes in a 60-degree basement — without blankets.
“Kids deserve to grow up in a loving home free from abuse. The cruelty that these children endured is heartbreaking, and while no outcome can erase the trauma, I hope these convictions will provide a sense of justice and healing.”— Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel
Where the case stands now
In October 2025, a Tennessee judge sentenced both Jason and Jessica Klimp to 10 years in prison for aggravated child abuse. They were then extradited back to Michigan to face the additional Wexford County charges.
Jason Klimp is scheduled to be sentenced in Michigan’s 28th Circuit Court on June 16. A sentencing date for Jessica Klimp has not yet been set. Their Michigan sentences will run concurrently with the 10-year Tennessee terms.
Both biological and parental rights have been terminated for all four adopted children.
