[5][2][10] In 2005, after lobbying by his parents, "Jason's Law" was passed by Nebraska Legislature, providing for a statewide database on missing persons. 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 think someone drove by in a car and grabbed him. After Jason didn't show up to the high school as planned, the coworker either called her boss (who eventually called Jason's home) or directly called Jason's home to inquire about his whereabouts and say that he didn't make it to the meeting spot. He lived close to Jason and the high school, was the same age. In a case like this, one with no witnesses or evidence of any kind, one can only speculate as to what might have happened. On December 23, 1974, Rachel Trlica, Renee Wilson, and Julie Ann Moseley went Christmas shopping. He was studying part-time on a radio broadcasting programme in Iowa, as well as. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. Hed be talking to me on the phone and hed put me on hold so he could tuck his brother into bed. (Jason attended and graduated from Benson High, where he was supposed to meet his ride to work). 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. The fact that Jason disappeared in a fifteen-minute window in the light of day with no clues seems unfathomable. He agreed, the driver made their demands, and things went wrong. jason jolkowski has never been seen or heard from since then. A later check of security cameras at Benson High School show he never arrived on campus. If not, I think gang violence could be a possibility but I honestly doubt that no one would've noticed given how residential the area is. Its either a neighbour or someone related to his work, who knew exactly what his plans were for the day. His photo is shown age progressed to 36 years. more like highly connected jason 6foot 1605 second victim 6 ft 160 both 19 from the the same street. Of course, that debris could have been cleaned or scattered by the elements in the time it took the police to begin investigating. What is more is Sherman had a job interview that day (which he went to) but never returned home. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. I believe this is my first write-up so please take it easy on me. One Minute and Forty-Three Seconds. He was walking towards his old high school to meet a coworker for a ride. You would say one word, and it was usually something silly. People paint rocks that have the hashtag #FindjasonJ to raise awareness about Jason Jolkowski's disappearance at Roberts Park in Omaha on Sunday. 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). Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. This was a suburban neighborhood. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. But short of some kind of workplace conspiracy I can't think of what else it could of been. Surely if a car hit a person, someone nearby would have heard? As this theory goes, Jason was walking when someone stopped and offered a ride. Okay now this I find interesting. 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. Project Jason . However, nothing I have ever read has actually stated where the co-worker intended to meet Jason. 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. The first theory is that Jason was the victim of a hit and run accident that left him either dead or with life-threatening injuries. "There's no leads, nobody saw anything, and detectives just didn't find anything," said Donita Say. 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. I imagine that if Jason was hit, someone would at least hear the impact or screeching tires. From the way he's described it seems he was a shy introverted kid who didn't have a large circle and kept himself to himself. I would think someone familiar, local to the neighborhood some how was responsible of at least Jason's disappearance. NEIGHBOR SAYS HE WAS ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO SEE HIM THAT DAY WALKING TOWASRD THE SCHOOL. Boom, dead, end of story. As mentioned before, there is a park on the way to the high school from his home. His car had been in the shop for at least a few days by the time he vanished and I think someone had observed him walking to work or to a ride, etc. Jason Anthony Jolkowski 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. Jason was supposed to meet his female coworker at the high school around 11 AM, and was last seen by a neighbor returning trash cans into his house. He was a quiet, shy guy, just a year out of high school. She helped push through LB 111. At around 11:15, Jasons coworker called his house to ask where he was, as he was late in meeting her. "Family still searching for missing son", "Month Passes Without Clue of Disappearance of Son,", "MISSING: 20 year anniversary of Jason Jolkowskis disappearance,". 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. Lets explore. "There's no leads, nobody saw anything, and detectives just didn't find anything," said Donita Say. Something random like this is always possible, but no one in the neighborhood reported hearing or seeing a vehicle accident in the middle of the day. Might be interesting to look up if any other crimes were reported in the area that same day. Missing From: OMAHA, NE. The driver then hid Jason somewhere yet unfound. When the perpetrator realized Jason wasnt who they thought he was, they killed and obscured his remains to hide their crime. If there was a river or other body of water of any size on his route I would bet a lot of money he ended up there. Asha has not been seen since. 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. 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. Updated: Jun. There is no history of problems with him outside of some school bullying. [8] As of 2022, the Omaha Police Department continues to investigate the case. I think he was walking toward the high school as he planned to and was intercepted by someone. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. His mother described him as being quite shy, preferring to keep a small group of friends. "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. Something random like this is always possible, but no one in the neighborhood reported hearing or seeing a vehicle accident in the middle of the day. And by the time nine days had gone byany clues were long gone. No answers, no clues, just the reminder that it's officially been 20 years and no one knows what happened to Jason Jolkowski. He appeared to have originally planned on walking to work that day, but called the restaurant to say he would be getting a ride with a coworker. Obviously, it's been almost 20 years since Jason vanished but I wonder what the park looked like back then. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. [2], At 10:45a.m., Jolkowski was last seen by a neighbor, who witnessed him helping his younger brother pull trash cans from the curb back to the house. I'll 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 Fazoli's. He reportedly had learning disabilities speech and language disabilities (I was mistaken when I originally said learning disabilities; apparently his speech . Jason was not known to be street smart and was generally trusting..and it could had even been someone he knew. The eight blocks between the Jolkowski home and Benson High School were made up of quiet residential streets with little traffic. "I didn't realize it's been 20 years. Im actually a day late on this, so I apologize. As he had been without a car for a number of days, it is possible he had been sighted and registered as a target. As of 2023[update], Jolkowski's whereabouts remain unknown. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Jason Anthony Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981 in Grand Island, Nebraska. Privacy Policy. In order for this theory to make sense, the driver of the offending car would have had to remove Jason from the scene and hide him somewhere to avoid prosecution. -, Press J to jump to the feed. 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. It was 2001, and 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski from Nebraska was on his summer break from community college. On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowskis manager called him into work earlier than expected. Thirty years later, we still have no answers as to what happened to them. 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. Or were they abducted from the home before the fire ever started? OMAHA, Neb. At the time, he had a job at a local Fazolis fast food restaurant, though he was set to start a new job at a local radio station in mid to late June of 2001. true, with so little evidence there is little to do but speculate. 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. He lived on the 3600 block of Bedford Ave, close to Jason's family. Debris would have been left at the scene? A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. Update: A man found murdered in . Its very unfortunate there is so little hard evidence to work with and I feel so bad for his family. Though they were spotted that day in the mall, they have not been seen since and the vehicle they arrived in was left behind. If there was a river or other body of water of any size on his route I would bet a lot of money he ended up there. I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW SEONEOM COULD JUST VANISH WITH NO TREES. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. I would be interested in reading thru an AMA with his mother. He had no more than $60 on his person on the day he disappeared, and no personal items were missing from his room. 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. 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. NO FOUL. His car was undergoing work at a local mechanic, and because the shift was unplanned, Jason had to make arrangements for a ride. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. We have no evidence that anyone wanted to harm Jason, but the motive could have been something impersonal like robbery. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. 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. According to the Omaha Police Department, the investigation remains open and active, but it is essentially a cold case with no promising leads. Would you be able to share some of your research? N 50th Ave leads right into the high school grounds, and it too is somewhat secluded/not very traveledso, Jason could had taken any of these routes to the high school, if he got that far. I'd suggest foul play and that the chance he is alive is vanishly small. Jolkowski was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Jason Jolkowski has been missing since 2001. He has not cashed any of his paychecks, used his cellular phone or ATM card, or picked up his car from the auto repair shop since his disappearance. Their point of contact for this case is James Reisinger, who can be reached at 402-444-5818. 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. Jason had to walk about eight blocks, in a zig-zag like pattern from his house at North 48th street and Pinkney Street to Benson High school, which would had involved walking along Bedford Ave for at least one to five blocks, depending on the exact route he took. Under an hour later, between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., Jolkowski's co-worker had called his home stating that Jolkowski had failed to be at the high school for a ride to work. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. (I think these people made a call to Saul and got new identities). This is one of the most baffling missing persons cases Ive looked into so far, for a few reasons. The route most likely for Jason to have taken is so straightforward it's very hard for me to think of any place somebody could hide a body or do whatever happened to him without anyone witnessing anything. I would not rule out a pedophile-like assailant completely--or more specifically, one who liked young males, not children. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Jason Jolkowski has been missing since June 2001. Possibly saw something he wasnt supposed to (car being stolen, drug deal, burglary? HOPING SOMEONE WILL COME FORWARD WITH NEW INFORMATION. No suspects have ever been identified in this case. In 2001, Jason Jolkowski was a hardworking 19-year old, living in Omaha, Nebraska. the school was eight blocks away from his home. We have no evidence that anyone wanted to harm Jason, but the motive could have been something impersonal like robbery. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. He left $650 behind in his bank account, which has not been touched since his disappearance. In order for this theory to make sense, the driver of the offending car would have had to remove Jason from the scene and hide him somewhere to avoid prosecution. the school's security cameras were checked but none of them showed jason arriving at school or being anywhere even near it. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. Maybe he was seen as an easy target due to his shy nature as well. 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 Jolkowski," Disappeared, November 19, 2021, "Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski", Wikipedia, "There's no leads, nobody saw anything," Emily Tencer, KETV 7, June 13, 2021, "Family still searching for missing son", Marion Rhodes, Omaha World-Herald, January 5, 2004, "Month Passes Without Clue of Disappearance of Son," Kamahria Hopkins, Omaha World-Herald, July 13, 2001, "MISSING: 20 year anniversary of Jason Jolkowskis disappearance," WOWT News, June 12th, 2021. and our 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. Like I said maybe he saw something . Suicide seems highly unlikely to me simply because he was on foot and his body was never found. People from west O tend to think of north O as scary and dangerous. he only had $60 on him when he went missing. Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, was instrumental in making sure the need for the clearinghouse was clear to Nebraska lawmakers. Vanished Into Thin Air: The Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski | by Jenn Baxter | Medium 500 Apologies, but something went wrong on our end. "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. I do think Jason got at least as far as crossing Bedford Ave. On the other hand, we have a large park, Gallagher Park across from the front of the high school on N 52nd street and there is, at the immediate south-west of the high school very easy access to the NW Radial Highway (Rt 64) which leads out to I-680, 480 and Interstate 80 within ten minutes. At the same time, I dont think he would have been able to make it far from any accident scene without being seen and recognized, let alone not being recognized for so many years after. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://netnebraska.org/article/news/956652/chaplain-former-gang-member-and-businesswoman-discuss-gang-violence-omaha. Security cameras at the school do not show Jason ever arriving to campus. I suppose it makes as much sense as any other scenario. That poor family. There hasnt been any activity on his bank cards or cell phone. AFAIK there arent any suspects or persons of interest in this case. at the time of his disappearance he was a part time student in a community college in iowa, and he worked at a restaurant. Unfortunately, I think this goes forever unsolved. At the time of his disappearance . There are no indications that he had any of the typical issues that would get a person murdered. Did he walk or was he given a ride? Jason wasn't 100% what he wanted to do yet with his life, but was . Jason Jolkowski. 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. He believes he could be one of the last people to see him that day. His case remains unsolved. In 2021, the Jolkowski family gathered with Jasons friends at a park for a grim commemoration the 20th anniversary of his disappearance. The one thing I would really like to know is did anyone (or how long until) did someone attempt to call Jason's cell phone---and did his co-worker-ride also have a cell phone? Jason Jolkowski disappeared on June 13, 2001 headed to Benson High School for a ride to work at Fazoli's on 80th and Cass Street in Omaha Nebraska. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. His family insists he would not have run away and he had no known enemies or reasons why someone would want to kidnap or harm him in any way. It could had been at either the front, 52nd entrance or the Maple street sideMaple was closer to his house if he went by way of North 50th Street AND North 50th Ave (they are two different streets, adjacent)a little confusing if you had to give directions! Of course, that debris could have been cleaned or scattered by the elements in the time it took the police to begin investigating. And the coworker is the only one who can claim Jason never showed up at the highschool. Not a single shred of evidence. Next year will mark 20 years since Jason's disappearance and we're still left with many more questions than answers. What happened to the Fort Worth Missing Trio? Did they die in the fire? Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find. :/ I just think this case has gotten way too little attention over the years for how insane the circumstances around it are. [2] At the time he disappeared, Jolkowski was living in his parents' home on 48th and Bedford Street in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha. 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. At around 11:15, Jasons coworker called his house to ask where he was, as he was late in meeting her. Not common, but it does happen. There had been no additional sightings of him and there was no forensic evidence or even circumstantial evidence to work with in this case. If he started his walk surely he would have been spotted by other neighbors or people out for a stroll, walking their dogs, etc. Perhaps some predator of some sort got him into a home/building or more likely into a car and tricked him and/or took him against his will. (Im typing on my phone so I apologize if the formatting is off. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The then 19-year-old was walking seven blocks from his . NOTHING LIKE THAT. 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. Jason was described as a 'homebody' by his mom, and was generally well liked by friends although he was noted to be pretty shy and reserved. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jason_Anthony_Jolkowski. Jason was last seen by a neighbor, Chester Link, who spotted him helping Michael, his younger brother, take the garbage cans back to the garage and then walking in the direction of the school at about 10:45 a.m. that morning. I'm not quite sure who arranged what, but it was agreed upon that Jason would make around a 15 minute walk from his home on N 48th St to a nearby high school called Benson High Magnet School. That's a long time," said Link. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. Project Jason: https://projectjason.org Jason's Link at Project . Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. According to the blog Disappeared, the authorities initially assumed that Jason was just another teenage runaway and did not begin to investigate his disappearance until 10 days after he went missing.