He never arrived at the school and has not been heard from since. Jason wasn't 100% what he wanted to do yet with his life, but was . He was not seen ANYWHERE after the sighting outside his house with the trash cans. It's just residential streets all the way to the high school. That's a long time," said Link. He disappeared while walking from his family home towards his former high school to meet his ride for work. I especially find it interesting that he was leaving that job, and that someone on Reddit mentioned the boss is the one who arranged Jason been picked up by the colleague. That's a long time," said Link. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. The other missing teen in the area makes me wonder if there is someone nearby who likes teen boys. 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. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It would have taken some time to load him into the boot, clean up any mess or evidence left behind etc. He has no known enemies. 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. Jolkowski's loved ones suspect foul play may have been involved in his disappearance. 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. So what happened to him? Possibly saw something he wasnt supposed to (car being stolen, drug deal, burglary? The eight blocks between the Jolkowski home and Benson High School were made up of quiet residential streets with little traffic. "So there's no way of knowing.". The fact that the investigation was so delayed likely led to the loss of any clues that might have been found. The fact that the investigation was so delayed likely led to the loss of any clues that might have been found. ), and the perpetrators decided to get rid of him my bet is that he was offered a ride though. 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. She was witnessed that night by several motorists walking along the highway, but when one of them tried to talk to her, she ran into the nearby woods. At the time of his disappearance . 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. The only other outside possiblity is an accident. I would imagine that someone who did something like this would not be a one-time offender, and could be linked to other crimes. 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. 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. 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. Jason went missing when he was 19 years old. Unfortunately, I think this goes forever unsolved. Privacy Policy. He also worked at a local Italian restaurant called Fazolis. And he was never seen from or heard from again. "I didn't realize it's been 20 years. I don't think he was forcefully abducted (large adult male); I think it more likely that someone he knew saw him walking and offered to give him a ride the rest of the way to the school. Jason was also said to have no interest in partying and no known involvement with alcohol or drugs at any point in his life. Time for a new Jason Jolkowski thread. What do you guys think - reddit Jolkowski has never been heard from again. I would be interested in reading thru an AMA with his mother. the school's security cameras were checked but none of them showed jason arriving at school or being anywhere even near it. He has brown hair and brown eyes. 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. 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. 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. This case blows my mind and I've done so much research. 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. This is one of the most baffling missing persons cases Ive looked into so far, for a few reasons. Though they were spotted that day in the mall, they have not been seen since and the vehicle they arrived in was left behind. [4] It was reported that he planned to eventually become a radio DJ for KIWR. (Im typing on my phone so I apologize if the formatting is off. Or were they abducted from the home before the fire ever started? Jason left his parents home around 10:45 am and was last seen by a neighbor setting trash receptacles out by the street. 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. The third theory is a bit of an amalgamation of the two previously discussed. They think, well, you should be over that by now, you should be back to normal. 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. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. 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. Jason agreed to meet this coworker at the local high school, as it was easier than giving directions over the phone. Everyone deserves hope.". There are no indications that he had any of the typical issues that would get a person murdered. Thats just hard to fathom. He was studying part-time on a radio broadcasting programme in Iowa, as well as. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. :/ I just think this case has gotten way too little attention over the years for how insane the circumstances around it are. 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. Jim and Kelly Jolkowski went on to create Project Jason, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance to the families of missing people. 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. Jason was described by his parents as considerate and generous, the kind of person who would go out of his way to help others. He believes he could be one of the last people to see him that day. 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. Although suicide is an option, it would be a very short timeframe for him to take his own life, not taking into consideration how he had arranged to be picked up already. 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. I would like to see what people think of this case. OMAHA, Neb. Surely if a car hit a person, someone nearby would have heard? This is when his disappearance was discovered. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Thirty years later, we still have no answers as to what happened to them. his room was full of his belongings and there was no sign that he planned on leaving. Then, the driver killed Jason either by accident or on purpose, worried he would tell about the encounter. 20 years, thats two decades.. Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. THATS A THAT' A LONG TIME CHESTER LINK FORMER. Jolkowski never made it to the high school, and he has not been seen or heard from since. Incredibly frustrating all around. The fourteenth anniversary of the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski recently passed us (he disapeared June 13, 2001). Did he walk or was he given a ride? He didn't appear to have underworld connections like Jimmy Hoffa, Judge Crater, or Adolphus Von Gontard. Not even a stream, or a drainage culvert. But, lets remember there were a few things out of the ordinary that day: his car was in the shop--had been all week--he called in unexpectedly and he was about to start a new job. "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. He left $650 behind in his bank account, which has not been touched since his disappearance. 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. And he (Jason) was the one who always lost. What is more is Sherman had a job interview that day (which he went to) but never returned home. AFAIK there arent any suspects or persons of interest in this case. He had a younger brother named Michael. The driver then hid Jason somewhere yet unfound. Apparently the coworker giving Jason a ride was checked out by law enforcement and cleared. Then, the driver killed Jason either by accident or on purpose, worried he would tell about the encounter. This was a suburban neighborhood. "I don't understand how someone could just vanish with no trace, no foul play, nothing like that. Jason agreed to meet this coworker at the local high school, as it was easier than giving directions over the phone. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. George and Jennie Sodder, along with four of their children, escaped, but five did not. Some people try to take hope away from you. This was 2001 it wouldn't have been as simple as shooting the girl a text saying "I got a ride already on my way". I don't think someone hit him with their car because he was in broad daylight and a residential area.. someone would have seen / heard something. "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. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Jolkowski's parents successfully campaigned for "Jason's Law", a statewide database for missing people in Nebraska. "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. I have to laugh at those comments. 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. A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. (WOWT) - Twenty years ago on June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski went missing without a trace. 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. It was a seemingly normal day in June of 2001. When he failed to arrive, his co-worker phoned his house at some time between 11:1511:30 a.m., looking for him, but he was not there. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. He pops in to help the person with whatever, is overcome, or maybe is assaulted and fatally hurt. 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. 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. MISSING: Jason Jolkowski, 20 Yrs., Omaha, NE, 06/13/01 Jason was last seen leaving his house to get a ride to work from a co-worker. Jason was described as shy, intelligent, and kind by those who knew him. 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. 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. 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). There had been no additional sightings of him and there was no forensic evidence or even circumstantial evidence to work with in this case. For more information, please see our 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. It probably means nothing, there was a pedestrian tunnel in that area that was closed a decade ago or so. 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. Following his disappearance, there was no further activity on either his bank account or his cellphone. 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. I agree. Background Jason Anthony Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981 in Grand Island, Nebraska to parents Kelly Murphy and Jim Jolkowski. He was a part-time student at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and dreamed of becoming a radio DJ one day. He believes he could be one of the last people to see him that day. 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. I think he was walking toward the high school as he planned to and was intercepted by someone. [9], Jolkowski's mother and father created Project Jason in his honor to help families through a loved one's disappearance. All we really have at this point is speculation. One Minute and Forty-Three Seconds. Jason Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to parents Jim and Kelly. The fact that Jason disappeared in a fifteen-minute window in the light of day with no clues seems unfathomable. In the early morning hours of December 25, 1945, the Sodder family's home burned down. 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. 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. jason was last seen at 10:45 a.m. by a neighbor. That, or he was forced into a car. One thing I learned in my college anatomy course is that the human body is terrifying frail. [7], A police officer investigating his disappearance deemed it "the most baffling case" he had seen in thirty years. [4][5] The school was eight blocks (about 0.5mi (0.80km)) from his home. Jason Jolkowski - Disappeared Vanished Into Thin Air: The Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski 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. there's a huge divide between West Omaha and north/east Omaha. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, was instrumental in making sure the need for the clearinghouse was clear to Nebraska lawmakers. . Last updated January 11, 2019; picture added, age-progression updated. What happened to Jason Jolkowski? Jason Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to parents Jim and Kelly. Idk how someone would drive by and "grab" someone of Jason's size. "There's a plaque and a tree at Roberts Park planted off the Keystone Trail in honor of Jolkowski.On Sunday afternoon, friends, family and neighbors gathered to share memories, paint and hide rocks with #FindJasonJ on them.The hashtag is meant to spread awareness of Jolkowski's story and encourage the public to keep an eye out for him. Jason Jolkowski: The Cubs Fan Who Didn't Come Home He wasn't the type of victim that we think of who may have been abducted by sex trafficking thugs or pedophiles, such as victims Asha Degree, Johnny Gosch, or Amy Lynn Bradley. the school was eight blocks away from his home. Project Jason: https://projectjason.org Jason's Link at Project . Have you seen this child? Jason Jolkowski - National Center for Missing He was to meet the co-worker at Benson High School, 8 blocks away. Jason deserves peace and his family deserves answers. There's a plaque and a tree at Roberts Park planted off the Keystone Trail in honor of Jolkowski. It could also be a random attack but what are the odds that no one noticed anything? According to the Omaha Police Department, the investigation remains open and active, but it is essentially a cold case with no promising leads. His mother described him as being quite shy, preferring to keep a small group of friends. Their point of contact for this case is James Reisinger, who can be reached at 402-444-5818. At the time of his disappearance in 2001, Jason was 19-years-old and working at an Italian-American restaurant chain . 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. Or Jason suffered a head injury that resulted in amnesia, which led him away from his life. Age progression photo courtesy of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. There's no indication that the coworker had anything to do with it. Which makes me think---did Sherman and Jason ever know each other? Update: A man found murdered in . Might be interesting to look up if any other crimes were reported in the area that same day. At around 11:15, Jasons coworker called his house to ask where he was, as he was late in meeting her. 12, 2021 at 10:46 AM PDT. 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. The Missing: Jason Jolkowski - The Morbid Library 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. 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. So today, you will hear the original intervie Jason Anthony Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska. NO FOUL. On September 24, 2016, Unfound released the episode for Jason Jolkowski who went missing from Omaha, NE on June 13, 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jason_Anthony_Jolkowski. 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.