his mother described him as shy and said he had a small handful of friends, so he doesn't seem like the type to have enemies or something like that. He agreed, the driver made their demands, and things went wrong. Jolkowski never made it to the high school, and he has not been seen or heard from since. 20 years, thats two decades.. Did they die in the fire? Which makes me think---did Sherman and Jason ever know each other? There are sketchy areas, but not really where he went missing (source: literally grew up a block away). Not a single shred of evidence. That's a long time," said Link. Agree look to the people who knew and/or planned for his trip to work. Jason's Background On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski was last seen walking to meet up with a coworker to get a ride to work. No suspects have ever been identified in this case. Might be interesting to look up if any other crimes were reported in the area that same day. 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. Its either a neighbour or someone related to his work, who knew exactly what his plans were for the day. Project Jason . 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. ya, and the almost complete lack of publicity for the Sherman case, which happened only a month later is very, very odd. A ng man helped his younger brother with the garbage cans before heading off to meet a coworker for a ride. That's a long time," said Link. I have absolutely nothing to support this belief. I agree. He never arrived at the school and has not been heard from since. He believes he could be one of the last people to see him that day. 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. [2] Shortly after his disappearance, the school's security cameras were checked, but none of them showed Jolkowski arriving at the school. And the coworker is the only one who can claim Jason never showed up at the highschool. It is not a bad area, it just isn't. NOBODYAW S ANYTHING AND YOU KNOW, THE DETECTIVES JTUS DIDNT FIND ANYTHING. Jason was also said to have no interest in partying and no known involvement with alcohol or drugs at any point in his life. OMAHA, Neb. The wiki article gives much of the same info as this write up. He never showed up to the school and has never been seen or heard from since. Or someone who seemed helpless and actually wasn't. On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowskis manager called him into work earlier than expected. They think, well, you should be over that by now, you should be back to normal. 'There's no leads, nobody saw anything': 20 years since Jason Jolkowski was last seen, JASON JOELKOWSKIS FAMILY CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS. "His brother also looked out the window and saw him walking in the direction toward Benson. Since his car was still at the auto repair shop, he had to figure out another way to get to work. I could also see him thinking he may be late to work and accepting a ride from someone who said they would take him (provided he got to the pickup place a little late and his co worker was not there). The eight blocks between the Jolkowski home and Benson High School were made up of quiet residential streets with little traffic. Project Jason: https://projectjason.org Jason's Link at Project . He was almost 20, but he was 19. As of 2023[update], Jolkowski's whereabouts remain unknown. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. 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. Jolkowski never made it to the high school, and he has not been seen or heard from since. "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. more like highly connected jason 6foot 1605 second victim 6 ft 160 both 19 from the the same street. 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. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. Then, the driver killed Jason either by accident or on purpose, worried he would tell about the encounter. [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. Has anybody tried to contact authorities to get them to reveal more about this guy's case? My general impression from reading of this case is that Jason was perceived as a little younger than is actual age of nineteen (almost 20), despite his 6-foot frame at 165lbs. Following his disappearance, there was no further activity on either his bank account or his cellphone. On September 24, 2016, Unfound released the episode for Jason Jolkowski who went missing from Omaha, NE on June 13, 2001. On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowskis manager called him into work earlier than expected. Its very unfortunate there is so little hard evidence to work with and I feel so bad for his family. Privacy Policy. 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. Apparently the coworker giving Jason a ride was checked out by law enforcement and cleared. He was walking towards his old high school to meet a coworker for a ride. Lol it's not the best area but it's not a bad area. 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 usually drove to work, but on that day his car was getting repaired, so he had arranged for a coworker to pick him up at a school close to his parents house. at the time of his disappearance he was a part time student in a community college in iowa, and he worked at a restaurant. Where was the tunnel located? Remember, back in 2001 cell phones were hardly ubiquitous yet, so it really could go either way. 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. This case blows my mind and I've done so much research. 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. No history of drugs, no history of being involved with anyone unsavory. "I didn't realize it's been 20 years. 19-year old Jason Jolkowski was called into work early on June 13, 2001. Very, very sad case. JUST THE REMINDER THAT ITS BNEE 20 YEARS AND NO ONE KWSNO WHAT HAPPENED TO JASON JOCHOWSKI. Maple street has another entrnce to the high school, with a parking lot and houses and apartments on the other side of the street. I agree that suicide would be next to impossible for several different reasons, including nowhere to hide on the route. Jason wasn't 100% what he wanted to do yet with his life, but was . 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. There's a plaque and a tree at Roberts Park planted off the Keystone Trail in honor of Jolkowski. 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. 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. The hit and run thing is possible but this was a young tall guy over 6 foot tall, not an infant. Despite circumstantial evidence pointing to his stepmother, the case remains unsolved. If you know something, come forward. Honestly, I dont know how families do it. 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. 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 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. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find. In 2021, the Jolkowski family gathered with Jasons friends at a park for a grim commemoration the 20th anniversary of his disappearance. I think the total lack of physical evidence points towards Jason leaving with someone willingly. For a downloadable poster, click here. The details of this case provide a very tight timeframe and swath of area for whatever happened. 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. This is one of the most baffling missing persons cases Ive looked into so far, for a few reasons. (WOWT) - Twenty years ago on June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski went missing without a trace. (Im typing on my phone so I apologize if the formatting is off. Did he walk or was he given a ride? I would think someone familiar, local to the neighborhood some how was responsible of at least Jason's disappearance. 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. Always seemed really out of place, tons of graffiti constantly. 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. :/ I just think this case has gotten way too little attention over the years for how insane the circumstances around it are. NOTHING LIKE THAT. Or Jason suffered a head injury that resulted in amnesia, which led him away from his life. At 10:45, Jason was seen bringing garbage cans in from the curb. "So he was last seen taking the trash cans into his house and a neighbor saw him do that," said Say. 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. Im curious to know a little more. 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. He believes he could be one of the last people to see him that day. Not that it matters much since he apparently didn't make it to the school anyway. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. For those who are unfamiliar with the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski, I will elaborate. MISSING: Dylan Rounds, 19, Idaho Falls, ID . For more information, please see our Jason never reached the rendezvous location and he was never seen again. Much healing to the family. As I understand, the co-worker who was giving him the ride was questioned extensively--more than anyone else in fact. Unfortunately, I can not find anything that tells us what Jason did in the previous days he did not have his car---did he actually go to work? (Jason attended and graduated from Benson High, where he was supposed to meet his ride to work). "So he was last seen taking the trash cans into his house and a neighbor saw him do that," said Say. 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. 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. [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. 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. This case feels as if its ice cold with no leads, but I have to believe that someone holds the key here. Foul play is suspected in his case. 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. Everyone deserves hope.". What places did it connect to? Some people try to take hope away from you. Seven-year-old Kyron Horman went missing from his elementary school on June 4, 2010, and hasn't been seen since. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Police waited over a week with most sources stating the timeframe as nine days before beginning to investigate Jasons disappearance. 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. kind of thing I wonder if anybody would have even noticed. What's your theory on Jolkowski's disappearance? 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. He had no more than $60 on his person on the day he disappeared, and no personal items were missing from his room. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KETV-TV. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Jason Jolkowski. 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. 19-year-old jason jolkowski went missing on june 13th, 2001 in nebraska. 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. 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. Asha has not been seen since. 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. This is one of the most baffling missing persons cases Ive looked into so far, for a few reasons. I know it definitely happens but if a neighborhood creep called a passing young man into his house, with a "Can you help me reach this top shelf?" [9], Jolkowski's mother and father created Project Jason in his honor to help families through a loved one's disappearance. Despite the enduring pain of their loss, Jason's family still remains hopeful that one day theyll have closure and definitive answers about what happened to their son. The third theory is a bit of an amalgamation of the two previously discussed. 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 pops in to help the person with whatever, is overcome, or maybe is assaulted and fatally hurt. The then 19-year-old was walking seven blocks from his home to Benson High School in order. Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. 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. Jason Jolkowski has been missing since 2001. 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! 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 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. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. 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. YEAH THIS IDEA TO DO POPSICLE RACE ASHI WCH COLOR WOULD MET MELT THE FASTEST AND I KNOW RED ONE THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN CREATED AN AGE PROGRESSION PHOTO THAT SHOWS WHAT JOE KOWSKI WOULD LOOK LIKE NOW AT THE AGE OF 39 SOMEONE ESDO SOMETHING WE NEED SOMEONE. There's no indication that the coworker had anything to do with it. That poor family. That, or he was forced into a car. Debris would have been left at the scene? Debris would have been left at the scene? Nothing else had been taken from his bedroom. At the time of his disappearance . 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. Jim and Kelly Jolkowski with a framed photo of their missing son. His car was undergoing work at a local mechanic, and because the shift was unplanned, Jason had to make arrangements for a ride. Included on the site are some names ripped from the headlines, including Brendan Gonzalez, Amber Harris and Jason Jolkowski. "There's no leads, nobody saw anything, and detectives just didn't find anything," said Donita Say. He has no known enemies. Probably not connected, but another 19 year old white male went missing while living on the same street, about a mile away, about a month later. 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. 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. 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. He was la. The hashtag is meant to spread awareness of Jolkowski's story and encourage the public to keep an eye out for him. his car was still at the auto repair shop and his last paycheck was not picked up. Jason deserves peace and his family deserves answers. 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. Chester Link said he's that neighbor who saw Jolkowski walking toward the high school. On Sunday afternoon, friends, family and neighbors gathered to share memories, paint and hide rocks with #FindJasonJ on them. As this theory goes, Jason was walking when someone stopped and offered a ride. It probably means nothing, there was a pedestrian tunnel in that area that was closed a decade ago or so. A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. 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? and our The Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski Revisited - The Unfound Podcast Channel The Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski Revisited Jason Jolkowski | Sam Sherman Missing 1-Month Later Nearby | Map Analysis Share Watch on The Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski Revisited Share Watch on Share this: Twitter Facebook Loading. 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. The driver then hid Jason somewhere yet unfound. jason struggled with giving directions so he planned on meeting his co-worker at benson high school (which they both previously attended and graduated from). Surely if a car hit a person, someone nearby would have heard? "There's no leads, nobody saw anything, and detectives just didn't find anything," said Donita Say. 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 . 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. Boom, dead, end of story. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. In the early morning hours of December 25, 1945, the Sodder family's home burned down. Hed be talking to me on the phone and hed put me on hold so he could tuck his brother into bed. 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. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Lets explore. There are no indications that he had any of the typical issues that would get a person murdered. 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. There had been no additional sightings of him and there was no forensic evidence or even circumstantial evidence to work with in this case. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. I hope his family gets closure one day. true, with so little evidence there is little to do but speculate. This case does get a lot of publicity because Jason Jolkowski was not the typical victim. Jolkowski was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. 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. In a case like this, one with no witnesses or evidence of any kind, one can only speculate as to what might have happened. You would just see who would start laughing. Incredibly frustrating all around. He was an unusually polite person, said Kelly Jolkowski. (WOWT) - Twenty years ago on June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski went missing without a trace. But, it does help keep his memory alive and people interestedsomeone out there knows something about this case. his room was full of his belongings and there was no sign that he planned on leaving. Jason has a difficult time giving directions, & meeting at his former high school probably seemed logical to him. It's just residential streets all the way to the high school. Many articles mention Jason had a hard time giving directions, so the high school was a logical spot to meet. Jolkowski is a man from Omaha, Nebraska, who went missing on June 13th, 2001, while walking to his former high school to meet up with a co-worker for a ride to work. Security cam footage from Benson High School confirmed that Jason never arrived that day. This is easily the most baffling missing person's case I've ever come across mostly because of the tight timeframe and area constraints. He worked at a Fazoli's restaurant on 80th and Cass Streets in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. There hasnt been any activity on his bank cards or cell phone. 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. I DIDNT REALIZE ITS BEEN 20 YEARS. and our 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. My first instinct was that someone probably offered him a ride and he met with foul play. On June 13, 2001, Jason was scheduled to work at Fazolis. Updated: Jun. At 10:45, Jason was seen bringing garbage cans in from the curb. 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. 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. Jolkowski has not been seen or heard from since then. 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. Im actually a day late on this, so I apologize. If you or anyone you know have any information regarding Jasons disappearance, please contact the Omaha police department in reference to Case Number RB85214T. 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. Though it seems unlikely due to the time and place, but really, what else could've happened? The other missing teen in the area makes me wonder if there is someone nearby who likes teen boys. The neighbor . He turned twenty June 24, 2001. 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. 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. Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, was instrumental in making sure the need for the clearinghouse was clear to Nebraska lawmakers. He had a younger brother named Michael. People from west O tend to think of north O as scary and dangerous. I don't think he was an easy target regardless of how shy he was. [4] It was reported that he planned to eventually become a radio DJ for KIWR. there's a huge divide between West Omaha and north/east Omaha. Would you be able to share some of your research? Maybe he was seen as an easy target due to his shy nature as well. 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. Age progression photo courtesy of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. There is no history of problems with him outside of some school bullying. So what happened to him? Shortly after his disappearance, the school's security cameras were checked, but none of them showed Jolkowski arriving at the school". "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 think someone drove by in a car and grabbed him. [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]. Project Jason: https://projectjason.org Jason's Link at Project . 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. Okay now this I find interesting. Somewhere along that short, half-mile walk, that young man vanished. 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. Updated 6 times since October 12, 2004. He was not seen ANYWHERE after the sighting outside his house with the trash cans. The only other outside possiblity is an accident. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. 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. He left his bank account of over $600 USD untouched since that day, his cell phone never showed subsequent activity, never picked up his paycheck or enquired about his auto which was in the shop having repair work done. It's important to point out that the only other person at Jason's home that day was his 13 year-old brother.