The police interviewed friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, but were at a loss to explain what had happened to Jason. On June 7, 1992, Suzie Streeter, Stacy McCall, and Sherrill Levitt, "The Springfield Three," disappeared after a graduation party in the heart of the Bible Belt. A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. He had no more than $60 on his person on the day he disappeared, and no personal items were missing from his room. "I don't understand how someone could just vanish with no trace, no foul play, nothing like that.". Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. in the days leading up and on June 13th seized the opportunity. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Jason Anthony Jolkowski (June 24, 1981 disappeared June 13, 2001) is an American man from Omaha, Nebraska who went missing while walking towards his former high school to meet a co-worker for a ride to work. ), Good video on the case from YouTuber Shauna Rae. Last updated January 11, 2019; picture added, age-progression updated. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. For those who are unfamiliar with the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski, I will elaborate. It was 2001, and 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski from Nebraska was on his summer break from community college. Where is Jason Jolkowski? A random thrill kill is statistically unlikely. Jason has a difficult time giving directions, & meeting at his former high school probably seemed logical to him. I tend to believe he somehow met up with foul play, but it also seems so unlikely to me? Updated 6 times since October 12, 2004. After searching through other case write ups and discussion threads, Ive come up with three theories which, again, are not based on evidence, but instead are based on the situation. Jason Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to parents Jim and Kelly. Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, was instrumental in making sure the need for the clearinghouse was clear to Nebraska lawmakers. All we really have at this point is speculation. As the days passed with no word, Jolkowski had trouble finding a source of advice or comfort -- partly because Jason's age meant he was classified as a missing adult rather than a missing child. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. Of course, that debris could have been cleaned or scattered by the elements in the time it took the police to begin investigating. In 2001, Jason Jolkowski was a hardworking 19-year old, living in Omaha, Nebraska. It probably means nothing, there was a pedestrian tunnel in that area that was closed a decade ago or so. Jason was described as shy, intelligent, and kind by those who knew him. The other missing teen in the area makes me wonder if there is someone nearby who likes teen boys. I want to say the simplest thing that happened here was some kind of hit-and-run - Maybe Jason was struck by a car while walking to the school, and the driver panicked, took his body and disposed of it somewhere its never been found. Wild guess, but I think that Jason was the victim of some random, horrible accident. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. On June 13, 2001, Jolkowski was called into work early. (I think these people made a call to Saul and got new identities). Update: A man found murdered in . Jolkowski has not been seen or heard from since then. 'There's no leads, nobody saw anything': 20 years since Jason Jolkowski was last seen, JASON JOELKOWSKIS FAMILY CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. Say was 16 when her 19-year-old cousin disappeared. At one point Jason apparently planned to walk the 4.5 miles to the Fizoli's where he worked, but then asked a co-worker for a ride for 10:45am (which they agreed to meet in the high school parking lot). But every explanation I can think of here is just weird. I do hope they looked closely at the coworker though, because that seems to be the only part of his day that was out of the ordinary. When the perpetrator realized Jason wasnt who they thought he was, they killed and obscured his remains to hide their crime. Jason was described by his parents as considerate and generous, the kind of person who would go out of his way to help others. Jason Anthony Jolkowski (June 24, 1981 - disappeared June 13, 2001) is an American man from Omaha, Nebraska who went missing while walking towards his former high school to meet a co-worker for a ride to work. [8] As of 2022, the Omaha Police Department continues to investigate the case. He was a part-time student in the radio broadcasting program at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa[3] and worked at a local Fazoli's restaurant. But his family and friends were certain that he wouldnt have run away, explaining that his family meant everything to him and that things were going well in his life. No answers, no clues, just the reminder that it's officially been 20 years and no one knows what happened to Jason Jolkowski. Would you be able to share some of your research? in 2003 his parents started a non profit called project jason but for unknown reasons the project went offline fairly recently. "On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski called his workplace, Fazoli's, stating that he made arrangements for a coworker to pick him up for his shift at Omaha Benson High School, where Jolkowski had previously attended school, due to his car being at the auto mechanic's.The school was eight blocks from his home. Between 11:15 and 11:30, Jasons coworker called his home phone to ask where Jason was, as he hadnt showed up to the school to be picked up. "His brother also looked out the window and saw him walking in the direction toward Benson. But this seems weird because 1) it means no blood or other physical evidence of Jason being struck was left in the street, and 2) it means all of this happened in the middle of the day in a populated neighborhood with no one noticing. Seemingly not involved in anything suspect. Jason's Background Reading this particular synopsis I was immediately struck with thinking the female coworker he was meeting must know more. He never arrived at the school and has not been heard from since. he had plans for the future and he wanted to work at a radio broadcasting program after graduating. Since his car was still at the auto repair shop, he had to figure out another way to get to work. On June 13, 2001, Jason was scheduled to work at Fazolis. I think the total lack of physical evidence points towards Jason leaving with someone willingly. She helped push through LB 111. Much healing to the family. "I remembered one time we had this idea to do a popsicle race at which color would melt the fastest and I know red one," recounted Michael Jolkowski, Jolkowski's younger brother.The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created an age-progression photo that shows what Jolkowski would look like now at the age of 39. (WOWT) - Twenty years ago on June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski went missing without a trace. Did they die in the fire? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The fourteenth anniversary of the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski recently passed us (he disapeared June 13, 2001). NOBODYAW S ANYTHING AND YOU KNOW, THE DETECTIVES JTUS DIDNT FIND ANYTHING. I guess its possible a hit-and-run could have still happened, but it just seems weird that no trace of it was left behind and that no one in the neighborhood heard any kind of commotion. He had taken the spring semester off of college to work and save money, and he was doing just that- working at a local Fazoli's fast food restaurant and was preparing to start a job at SITEL. I feel like he was maybe picked up by a neighbor who he had agreed to do something for like maybe help them take their trash cans back inside or help them lift/move something, something with their car, and then as a return favor they offered to give him a ride to the high school to meet his work colleague who was coming to get him. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. And the coworker is the only one who can claim Jason never showed up at the highschool. THATS A THAT' A LONG TIME CHESTER LINK FORMER. On the morning of June 13, 2001, his car was in the shop, so he began his ten minute walk to meet a co-worker who would give him a ride to work. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. Maple street has another entrnce to the high school, with a parking lot and houses and apartments on the other side of the street. Kevin Cole Trina Leech with a heart-shaped. It's important to point out that the only other person at Jason's home that day was his 13 year-old brother. He had a younger brother named Michael. The hashtag is meant to spread awareness of Jolkowski's story and encourage the public to keep an eye out for him. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. [4][5] The school was eight blocks (about 0.5mi (0.80km)) from his home. Jasons parents waited to report him missing until the following morning because they believed (wrongly) that it was necessary to wait a full 24 hours before notifying the police. You would just see who would start laughing. On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski was last seen walking to meet up with a coworker to get a ride to work. Security cameras at the school do not show Jason ever arriving to campus. One of the officers involved in the investigation was quoted as saying Jason's disappearance was the most baffling case hed seen in 30 years. He is described as a shy person who was not involved with drugs or alcohol and was close to his family at the time of his disappearance. The third theory is a bit of an amalgamation of the two previously discussed. This is when his disappearance was discovered. Did he walk or was he given a ride? Again, no idea of motive, that would help here, but pre-arranging a meet-up spot to me puts those persons most in the suspect pool. He did his household chores as usual up until the time he disappeared. I would be interested in reading thru an AMA with his mother. While these could just be coincidences, someone he knew might had taken advantage of this changed schedule---I feel Jason encountered someone he knew along the way to meet his ride and willingly went with them, perhaps under the pretense of bringing him to the ride faster, or to work. As this theory goes, Jason was walking when someone stopped and offered a ride. https://charleyproject.org/case/jason-anthony-jolkowski. Jason was last seen leaving his home to walk to Benson High School, where he was supposed to meet a coworker for a ride to work. So he called a co-worker and arranged to meet her at nearby Benson High School, roughly half a mile away from his home, and from there she was supposed to drive him to Fazolis. Jason Anthony Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981 in Grand Island, Nebraska. He was studying part-time on a radio broadcasting programme in Iowa, as well as. Jason Jolkowski was a 19-year-old college student from Omaha, Nebraska who mysteriously vanished on June 13th, 2001 while on a walk between 10:45 AM and 11:30 AM. When you look up images of Lake James Park on Google, the only images available come from an article about gang violence in Omaha which just strikes me as odd (http://netnebraska.org/article/news/956652/chaplain-former-gang-member-and-businesswoman-discuss-gang-violence-omaha). Privacy Policy. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. His family founded Project Jason, a non-profit assisting families of missing people, in 2003. My thinking is that he got into a car. there's a huge divide between West Omaha and north/east Omaha. He is described as a shy person who was not involved with drugs or alcohol and was close to his family at the time of his disappearance. According to the Omaha Police Department, the investigation remains open and active, but it is essentially a cold case with no promising leads. The neighbor . A neighbor saw him carry the cans into the garage at his house in the area of 48th and Bedford Streets. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I would not rule out a pedophile-like assailant completely--or more specifically, one who liked young males, not children. Jasons family reported him missing after waiting for 24-hours (which was a common waiting period put in place by many police departments back in the day Im unsure if they were told directly by police to wait). He left $650 behind in his bank account, which has not been touched since his disappearance. Jason Jolkowski. He didn't appear to be running away from a bad home or work life such as Maura Murray, Nick and Lisa Masee, or my personal favorite, Ray Gricar. But the main theory, which his family also believes to be true, is that Jason was lured into a vehicle by someone that day and then murdered. Nothing else had been taken from his bedroom. They say he is too responsible to have left without warning, and he was not having any problems at the time of his disappearance. 10/13/2022By edwarddentzel That poor family. He lived close to Jason and the high school, was the same age. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. June 13 marks 20 years since Jolkowski was unexpectedly called into work and agreed to meet a coworker at Benson High School for a ride. On the morning of June 13, 2001, his car was in the shop, so he began his ten minute walk to meet a co-worker who would give him a ride to work. His family came first.. This case feels as if its ice cold with no leads, but I have to believe that someone holds the key here. Perhaps some former classmates decided to prank him by lightly brushing him with a car (some sheriff insists that this is the solution to the Tara Calico mystery, but who knows) or threw a bottle at him and the unthinkable happened. he graduated from high school, was attending community college, and was able to hold down a job i think his disability wasn't severe enough to disrupt his work and school. His car was undergoing work at a local mechanic, and because the shift was unplanned, Jason had to make arrangements for a ride. He was last seen leaving his family home travelling in the direction of his former high school, where he was supposed to meet his ride to work. Boom, dead, end of story. He believes he could be one of the last people to see him that day. Possibly saw something he wasnt supposed to (car being stolen, drug deal, burglary? Assume a link would have been made if there was a serial killer in the area. Ill try to sum up some basic facts of the case - Jason Jolkowski was a 19-year-old who lived in Omaha, Nebraska with his parents and worked at the fast food restaurant Fazolis. Jason went missing when he was 19 years old. I hope his family gets closure one day. He agreed, the driver made their demands, and things went wrong. What's your theory on Jolkowski's disappearance? -, Press J to jump to the feed. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Included on the site are some names ripped from the headlines, including Brendan Gonzalez, Amber Harris and Jason Jolkowski. I think he either got into a car or went into a house during his walk and then for some reason didn't come back out. Maybe Jason was intentionally struck by a car or picked up in a case of mistaken identity. Though he did experience some communication difficulties throughout his childhood particularly when it came to speech and language expression- Jason is a highly intelligent person. On September 24, 2016, Unfound released the episode for Jason Jolkowski who went missing from Omaha, NE on June 13, 2001. A page on Charley Project shows an age-progressed photo of him with details: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/j/jolkowski_jason.html, And this CNN ireport from 2011: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-562589. It would have taken some time to load him into the boot, clean up any mess or evidence left behind etc. He was la. Or someone who seemed helpless and actually wasn't. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. He was a 6'2" 180 man. Especially considering the time of day and that Jason usually drove to work but had a change of plans because his car was at a repair shop. George and Jennie Sodder, along with four of their children, escaped, but five did not. At around 10:45 AM he helped his brother pull some trash bins from the curb into the garage and then set off on the eight-block trek from his home to the high school where a coworker had arranged to pick him. Not the best area in the city by far, but nowhere near the worst. My first instinct was that someone probably offered him a ride and he met with foul play. A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. Is anyone familiar with the area or does anyone know what the park looked like at the time of his disappearance? On June 13, 2001, 19-year-old Jason was on summer vacation at his familys home in Omaha, Nebraska, when he received a phone call asking him to come into work early. THERES NO LEADS. Are there any available pictures of the pedestrian tunnel under 52nd and Radial? So what happened to him? Jason Jolkowski's case is so baffling because there is no real fathomable reason to most of us as to why somebody would abduct him or harm him. Or Jason suffered a head injury that resulted in amnesia, which led him away from his life. it's important to note this, it was reported that jason had a mild learning disability with his speech and language but according to his parents he hwd above average intelligence. The then 19-year-old was walking seven blocks from his . Security cam footage from Benson High School confirmed that Jason never arrived that day. People who have been following disappearances and missing people for some time will probably be aware of his case, but here's a quick rundown from his Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jason_Anthony_Jolkowski. What makes this case so sad, yet baffling is Jason disappeared in broad daylight in his own neighborhood, while walking to his former high school to be picked up for a ride to work by a co-worker. It is not a bad area, it just isn't. Jolkowski's mother described him as "shy", "a quiet boy" with only "a small handful of friends. If it was arranged by someone else than maybe she wasnt there to begin with and he was intercepted by the person last to see him. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. Between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., Jolkowski's coworker called the house to find out why he hadn't met her at the high school. "Someone does know something and we need someone to come forward and help alleviate all our pain," said Jim Jolkowski, Jolkowski's father. Kelly was later awarded a Volunteer for Victims award from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, as well as Nebraska Governor's Points of Light Award. Agree look to the people who knew and/or planned for his trip to work. between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. his boss called his house asking about jason, saying he didn't show up. When I'm driving home I see people walking into houses like every single day but I have no idea if they live there, I just assume they do. I agree that suicide would be next to impossible for several different reasons, including nowhere to hide on the route. I went down a rabbit hole but could only find pictures of the pedestrian tunnel under Dodge. He agreed, the driver made their demands, and things went wrong. The wiki article gives much of the same info as this write up. That, or he was forced into a car. The driver then hid Jason somewhere yet unfound. This was a suburban neighborhood. (Im typing on my phone so I apologize if the formatting is off. "I remembered one time we had this idea to do a popsicle race at which color would melt the fastest and I know red one," recounted Michael Jolkowski, Jolkowski's younger brother. His car was in the shop for repairs and he initially said he would walk there, but then called back and made arrangements for a coworker to pick him up at Jolkowski's old school, Benson High School, eight blocks from his home. Suicide is also a plausible theory but his case doesn't point towards suicide in my opinion. Or Jason suffered a head injury that resulted in amnesia, which led him away from his life. Jason left his parents home around 10:45 am and was last seen by a neighbor setting trash receptacles out by the street. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. Jason would had known the area very well. "I didn't realize it's been 20 years. Incredibly frustrating all around. https://charleyproject.org/case/jason-anthony-jolkowski, https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/992083, https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Jason-Jolkowski-still-missing-17-years-later-485315181.html, http://www.kristenfoundation.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=hw&report=sp&ID=025, https://causes.benevity.org/causes/840-200256753, https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/after-16-years-jason-jolkowski-still-missing?_amp=true, http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4727dmne.html, https://texasequusearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/JolkowskiJason.pdf, https://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/28/grace.coldcase.project.jason/index.html, http://www.omahacrimestoppers.org/sitemenu.aspx?ID=642&P=missing, https://fox42kptm.com/amp/news/local/17-years-later-omaha-man-still-missing. [7], A police officer investigating his disappearance deemed it "the most baffling case" he had seen in thirty years. If he started his walk surely he would have been spotted by other neighbors or people out for a stroll, walking their dogs, etc. The only other outside possiblity is an accident. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. In a case like this, one with no witnesses or evidence of any kind, one can only speculate as to what might have happened. Blood and/or post-impact drama are not needed. AFAIK there arent any suspects or persons of interest in this case. He was to meet the co-worker at Benson High School, 8 blocks away. On the way out the door of his family's residence, he decided to help his younger brother take trash cans into the garage. Very, very sad case. On December 23, 1974, Rachel Trlica, Renee Wilson, and Julie Ann Moseley went Christmas shopping. The eight blocks between the Jolkowski home and Benson High School were made up of quiet residential streets with little traffic. the police first considered it a runaway scenario but 10 days after his disappearance they began interviewing neighbors and friends and conducting searches but nothing came out of it. Maybe Jason was intentionally struck by a car or picked up in a case of mistaken identity. 20 years, thats two decades.. Unsolved American missing person case from Omaha in 2001, "Family to hold vigil for missing student", "12 Years Later- Jason Jolkowski Still Missing", "Missing teen's parents help other families cope", "Discovery of body could be 'at least an answer', "MISSING: 20 year anniversary of Jason Jolkowski's disappearance", "Family's Loss Inspires Law To Help Find Missing Persons", "Kelly Jolkowski, Mother Of Missing Teen, Recognized For Aiding Victims' Families", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disappearance_of_Jason_Jolkowski&oldid=1140851759, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:36. Asha has not been seen since. ), and the perpetrators decided to get rid of him my bet is that he was offered a ride though. "Someone does know something and we need someone to come forward and help alleviate all our pain," said Jim Jolkowski, Jolkowski's father.At the event Sunday, Jolkowski's father also asked the crowd to pray for the family of Ryan Larsen, saying he understands what they are going through right now. I DIDNT REALIZE ITS BEEN 20 YEARS. He turned twenty June 24, 2001. This was at 10:45 a.m. Remember, back in 2001 cell phones were hardly ubiquitous yet, so it really could go either way. However, it appears Sam Sherman did not attend Benson High, at least according to the school's 1999 yearbook, which included the juniors, Class of 2000.