Jason Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981 in Grand Island, Nebraska. 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. The hit and run thing is possible but this was a young tall guy over 6 foot tall, not an infant. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. THATS A THAT' A LONG TIME CHESTER LINK FORMER. Jolkowski was supposed to start a new job a week after he vanished, and was excited about it; he never showed up to begin work there. Not even a stream, or a drainage culvert. I would think someone familiar, local to the neighborhood some how was responsible of at least Jason's disappearance. During the summer of 2001, Jason was staying at his family's house and he was working part-time at an Italian fast-food chain restaurant. He also worked at a local Italian restaurant called Fazolis. I would like to see what people think of this case. Jolkowski's loved ones suspect foul play may have been involved in his disappearance. At around 11:15, Jasons coworker called his house to ask where he was, as he was late in meeting her. 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. 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. "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. [2] Shortly after his disappearance, the school's security cameras were checked, but none of them showed Jolkowski arriving at the school. Or were they abducted from the home before the fire ever started? Age progression photo courtesy of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This is one of the most baffling missing persons cases Ive looked into so far, for a few reasons. He initially planned to walk to his job, which was located over 4mi (6.4km) away, due to his car being at an auto repair shop, but eventually made arrangements for a co-worker to give him a ride. That's a long time," said Link. ), and the perpetrators decided to get rid of him my bet is that he was offered a ride though. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. Not the best area in the city by far, but nowhere near the worst. Assume a link would have been made if there was a serial killer in the area. In the early morning hours of December 25, 1945, the Sodder family's home burned down. Not common, but it does happen. It could also be a random attack but what are the odds that no one noticed anything? 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. Foul play is suspected in his case. 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. This is easily the most baffling missing persons case Ive ever come across mostly because of the tight timeframe and area constraints. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. "Family still searching for missing son", "Month Passes Without Clue of Disappearance of Son,", "MISSING: 20 year anniversary of Jason Jolkowskis disappearance,". On Sunday afternoon, friends, family and neighbors gathered to share memories, paint and hide rocks with #FindJasonJ on them. Very, very sad case. THEE'S A TREE AT ROBERTS PARK PLANTED OFF THE KEYSTONE TRAIL IN HORON OF JOKOWSKI SUNDAY AFTERNOON FRIDSEN FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS GATHERED TO SHARE MEMORIES PAINT AND HIDE RKSOC WITH THE HASHTAG FIND JASON JAY EVERYONE TIME. Jason agreed to meet this coworker at the local high school, as it was easier than giving directions over the phone. Some theorize that Jolkowski was murdered by a neighbor, others believe he was a victim of a hit-and-run and was disposed of by the perpetrators, and there are some who think he may have even been mugged. 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. Unfortunately, with this mark, I will have not had him more years than I had him in my life since he disappeared at the age 19. 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 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. I would imagine that someone who did something like this would not be a one-time offender, and could be linked to other crimes. 10/13/2022By edwarddentzel No answers, no clues, just the reminder that it's officially been 20 years and no one knows what happened to Jason Jolkowski. I agree that suicide would be next to impossible for several different reasons, including nowhere to hide on the route. 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. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find. For more information, please see our his room was full of his belongings and there was no sign that he planned on leaving. George and Jennie Sodder, along with four of their children, escaped, but five did not. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. His mother founded Project Jason, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the families of missing people and publicizing missing person cases, after her son vanished. he only had $60 on him when he went missing. 19-year-old jason jolkowski went missing on june 13th, 2001 in nebraska. The hashtag is meant to spread awareness of Jolkowski's story and encourage the public to keep an eye out for him. There are sketchy areas, but not really where he went missing (source: literally grew up a block away). Jason Jolkowski. Beyond that Too old for the typical paedophile. The only other outside possiblity is an accident. His case remains unsolved. the school's security cameras were checked but none of them showed jason arriving at school or being anywhere even near it. He reportedly had learning disabilities speech and language disabilities (I was mistaken when I originally said learning disabilities; apparently his speech disabilities made him seem like he had a mental handicap when he didn't) and was described as gullible at times. I tend to believe he was met with foul play as well. "So there's no way of knowing.". That poor family. "Chester Link said he's that neighbor who saw Jolkowski walking toward the high school. Jolkowski carried his red work t-shirt with him at the time of his disappearance. "His brother also looked out the window and saw him walking in the direction toward Benson. He never arrived at the school and has not been heard from since. 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. Are there any available pictures of the pedestrian tunnel under 52nd and Radial? All we really have at this point is speculation. Cookie Notice The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Debris would have been left at the scene? "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. On April 15, 2005, Centre County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Ray Gricar went out for a drive and was never seen again. 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. true, with so little evidence there is little to do but speculate. And by the time nine days had gone byany clues were long gone. 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. at the time of his disappearance he was a part time student in a community college in iowa, and he worked at a restaurant. Incredibly frustrating all around. Benson High is bounded by Bedford, North 50th, Maple and North 52nd streets with 50th street being the least traveled/queitest residential street and would had made the quickest route from Jason's house to the high school.if you look at Google Maps you will also see a Spencer street and Wirt Street off N50th, which are dead ends by the high school fieldsI wonder if Jason ever used these as a short cut? 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. As much as I want to believe that Jason is alive out there somewhere, I dont think he would have left his family in the dark for this long if he knew who he was. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Privacy Policy. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. 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. There is a website and foundation started by Jason's mother in 2003: http://www.projectjason.org/about/about-jason.html It gives details on Jason and the case of his mysterious disappearance near his family home in Omaha, Nebraska. "I didn't realize it's been 20 years. Then, the driver killed Jason either by accident or on purpose, worried he would tell about the encounter. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. There's no indication that the coworker had anything to do with it. 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 of 2022[update], Jolkowski's whereabouts remain unknown. Nothing else had been taken from his bedroom. "I don't understand how someone could just vanish with no trace, no foul play, nothing like that. Okay now this I find interesting. [4][5] The school was eight blocks (about 0.5mi (0.80km)) from his home. 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. Since Jolkowski had trouble giving directions, he arranged for them to meet at Benson High School, which he and his co-worker had previously attended. Murphy recalled a memory from those lost years: We really didnt have a name for it, but it was kind of a who laughs first game. more like highly connected jason 6foot 1605 second victim 6 ft 160 both 19 from the the same street. He left $650 behind in his bank account, which has not been touched since his disappearance. Police waited over a week with most sources stating the timeframe as nine days before beginning to investigate Jasons disappearance. He agreed, the driver made their demands, and things went wrong. As I understand, the co-worker who was giving him the ride was questioned extensively--more than anyone else in fact. Some people try to take hope away from you. "Say was 16 when her 19-year-old cousin disappeared.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. the area around his school is very quiet and it's reported to have little pedestrian or vehicle traffic. NOBODYAW S ANYTHING AND YOU KNOW, THE DETECTIVES JTUS DIDNT FIND ANYTHING. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. She never saw him and surveillance footage from the school showed that Jolkowski never arrived. Lol it's not the best area but it's not a bad area. between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. his boss called his house asking about jason, saying he didn't show up. A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. If you or anyone you know have any information regarding Jasons disappearance, please contact the Omaha police department in reference to Case Number RB85214T. Not that it matters much since he apparently didn't make it to the school anyway. It was as if he had simply vanished without a trace. 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. From what we know about Jason he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would want to inconvenience people or let people down so it's possible the neighbor had offered a ride all the way to work but he's knows he's made arrangements to be collected from the high school so he says down the block to the high school is fine so as to not put out the girl who was already on her way to get him. 19-year old Jason Jolkowski was called into work early on June 13, 2001. The fact that the investigation was so delayed likely led to the loss of any clues that might have been found. 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. As this theory goes, Jason was walking when someone stopped and offered a ride. "There's no leads, nobody saw anything, and detectives just didn't find anything," said Donita Say. Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, was instrumental in making sure the need for the clearinghouse was clear to Nebraska lawmakers. 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. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. The driver then hid Jason somewhere yet unfound. Asha has not been seen since. 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. The wiki article gives much of the same info as this write up. At around 11:15, Jasons coworker called his house to ask where he was, as he was late in meeting her. I went down a rabbit hole but could only find pictures of the pedestrian tunnel under Dodge. Last updated January 11, 2019; picture added, age-progression updated. And he was never seen from or heard from again.". 'There's no leads, nobody saw anything': 20 years since Jason Jolkowski was last seen, JASON JOELKOWSKIS FAMILY CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. 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. And he was never seen from or heard from again. He had no more than $60 on his person on the day he disappeared, and no personal items were missing from his room. When trying to determine what happened in any given case, I tend to go by Occams razor - the simplest explanation or the explanation that makes the fewest assumptions is likely the correct explanation. Jason Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to parents Jim and Kelly. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Jolkowski's parents successfully campaigned for "Jason's Law", a statewide database for missing people in Nebraska. Then, the driver killed Jason either by accident or on purpose, worried he would tell about the encounter. He has no known enemies. On June 13, 2001, Jolkowski was called into work early. You would just see who would start laughing. 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. Or Jason suffered a head injury that resulted in amnesia, which led him away from his life. Jason Anthony Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska. A random thrill kill is statistically unlikely. People paint rocks that have the hashtag #FindjasonJ to raise awareness about Jason Jolkowski's disappearance at Roberts Park in Omaha on Sunday. He was a part-time student at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and dreamed of becoming a radio DJ one day. At 10:45, Jason was seen bringing garbage cans in from the curb. Despite circumstantial evidence pointing to his stepmother, the case remains unsolved. He was studying part-time on a radio broadcasting programme in Iowa, as well as. 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. Prior to his disappearance, Jolkowski was a part-time student in the radio broadcasting program at Iowa Western Community College; he also worked at a local Fazolis restaurant. There had been no additional sightings of him and there was no forensic evidence or even circumstantial evidence to work with in this case. He was an unusually polite person, said Kelly Jolkowski. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. She helped push through LB 111. I have read somethings from her relating to missing persons and what goes into looking for them. [2][11] Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, later received a Volunteer for Victims award from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in 2010 and the Nebraska Governor's Points of Light Award in 2014 in recognition of her work to support families of missing people.[12]. 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. Which makes me think---did Sherman and Jason ever know each other? He falls into the category of missing for no comprehensible reason, along with Brian Shaffer, James Tedford, and Trevaline Evans. Jolkowski never made it to the high school, and he has not been seen or heard from since. I tend to believe he somehow met up with foul play, but it also seems so unlikely to me? I dont think theres any way he could have committed suicide and his body has still not been found 20 years later. 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. Many articles mention Jason had a hard time giving directions, so the high school was a logical spot to meet. 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. For a downloadable poster, click here. 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.