On June 13, 2001, Jason was scheduled to work at Fazolis. [6] Under an hour later, between 11:15 and 11:30a.m., his co-worker called his house stating that he had failed to turn up at Benson High for the ride to work. Or Jason suffered a head injury that resulted in amnesia, which led him away from his life. 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. As of 2023[update], Jolkowski's whereabouts remain unknown. Jolkowski has never been heard from again. This case seems baffling with basically no physical evidence. He was a part-time student in the radio broadcasting program at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa[3] and worked at a local Fazoli's restaurant. I was looking at the park (Lake James Park) on Google Maps, and it seems like there is a lot of construction underway at the park, with various pits and large holes. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. 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. the school's security cameras were checked but none of them showed jason arriving at school or being anywhere even near it. There had been no additional sightings of him and there was no forensic evidence or even circumstantial evidence to work with in this case. Thirty years later, we still have no answers as to what happened to them. His case remains unsolved. Nobody is really sure what exact route he took to the high school, or how far he got. Background Jason Anthony Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981 in Grand Island, Nebraska to parents Kelly Murphy and Jim Jolkowski. He never arrived at the school and has not been heard from since. OMAHA, Neb. 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 eight blocks between the Jolkowski home and Benson High School were made up of quiet residential streets with little traffic. Jim and Kelly Jolkowski with a framed photo of their missing son. And by the time nine days had gone byany clues were long gone. What's your theory on Jolkowski's disappearance? Jolkowski, circa 2001; Age-progression to age 36 (circa 2017). On Sunday afternoon, friends, family and neighbors gathered to share memories, paint and hide rocks with #FindJasonJ on them. For those who are unfamiliar with the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski, I will elaborate. He was almost 20, but he was 19. 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? 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. Update: A man found murdered in . "I didn't realize it's been 20 years. I think someone drove by in a car and grabbed him. A ng man helped his younger brother with the garbage cans before heading off to meet a coworker for a ride. ya, and the almost complete lack of publicity for the Sherman case, which happened only a month later is very, very odd. Its very unfortunate there is so little hard evidence to work with and I feel so bad for his family. On September 24, 2016, Unfound released the episode for Jason Jolkowski who went missing from Omaha, NE on June 13, 2001. He agreed, the driver made their demands, and things went wrong. "On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski called his workplace, Fazoli's, stating that he made arrangements for a coworker to pick him up for his shift at Omaha Benson High School, where Jolkowski had previously attended school, due to his car being at the auto mechanic's.The school was eight blocks from his home. Boom, dead, end of story. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KETV-TV. Debris would have been left at the scene? This is easily the most baffling missing person's case I've ever come across mostly because of the tight timeframe and area constraints. 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". 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? Since then, and despite me avoiding superlatives in most forms, I have called Jason's case the most mysterious Unfound has featured. 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. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. He had a younger brother named Michael. "So he was last seen taking the trash cans into his house and a neighbor saw him do that," said Say. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 20 years, thats two decades.. [8] As of 2022, the Omaha Police Department continues to investigate the case. 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. Jason Jolkowski was born on June 24, 1981, in Grand Island, Nebraska, to parents Jim and Kelly. Not a single shred of evidence. I do wonder how often young adult men are sexually assaulted. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. At around 11:15, Jasons coworker called his house to ask where he was, as he was late in meeting her. there's a huge divide between West Omaha and north/east Omaha. 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. SO THERES NO WAY OF KNOWING THATS DONNIE TO SAY SHE WAS 16 WINTER 19 YEAR OLD COUSIN DISAPPEADRE JUNE 13TH MARKS 20 YEARS SINCE STROKOWSKI WAS UNEXPECTEDLY CALLED INTO WORK AND AGREED TO MEET HIS COWORKER AT BENSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR A RIDE AND SO HE SWA LAST SCENE TAKING THE TSHRA CANS INTO HIS HOUSE AND A NEIGHBOR SAW HIM DO THAT AND THEN HIS BROER ATHLSO LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAWIM H WALKING IN THE DIRECTION TOWARDS BENSONND A HE WAS NEVER SEEN OR HEARD FROM AGAIN. 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. Agree look to the people who knew and/or planned for his trip to work. 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. 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. at the time of his disappearance he was a part time student in a community college in iowa, and he worked at a restaurant. As this theory goes, Jason was walking when someone stopped and offered a ride. 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. The fact that the investigation was so delayed likely led to the loss of any clues that might have been found. No answers, no clues, just the reminder that it's officially been 20 years and no one knows what happened to Jason Jolkowski. He also worked at a local Italian restaurant called Fazolis. Seemingly not involved in anything suspect. 10/13/2022By edwarddentzel Jason agreed to meet this coworker at the local high school, as it was easier than giving directions over the phone. There hasnt been any activity on his bank cards or cell phone. Despite circumstantial evidence pointing to his stepmother, the case remains unsolved. A neighbor saw him carry the cans into the garage at his house in the area of 48th and Bedford Streets. 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. 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. It could also be a random attack but what are the odds that no one noticed anything? He has no known enemies. 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. You would say one word, and it was usually something silly. He was a part-time student at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and dreamed of becoming a radio DJ one day. His photo is shown age progressed to 36 years. Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. I have wondered if this too somehow factored in. He was a 6'2" 180 man. 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. 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. And he was never seen from or heard from again.". How did Jason vanish in broad daylight during such a short window of time? One of the officers involved in the investigation was quoted as saying Jason's disappearance was the most baffling case hed seen in 30 years. 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. the omaha PD suspect foul play but there is no body, no clues, and no evidence. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Jolkowski's parents successfully campaigned for "Jason's Law", a statewide database for missing people in Nebraska. Maybe he was seen as an easy target due to his shy nature as well. 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. Jason has a difficult time giving directions, & meeting at his former high school probably seemed logical to him. NO FOUL. "[4], On Wednesday, June 13, 2001, Jolkowski was called into work early. 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. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Jolkowski's parents successfully campaigned for "Jason's Law", a statewide database for missing people in Nebraska. Jolkowski's loved ones suspect foul play may have been involved in his disappearance. He was walking towards his old high school to meet a coworker for a ride. 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. Hed be talking to me on the phone and hed put me on hold so he could tuck his brother into bed. 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. The police interviewed friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, but were at a loss to explain what had happened to Jason. 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 no leads, nobody saw anything, and detectives just didn't find anything," said Donita Say. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. The fact that the investigation was so delayed likely led to the loss of any clues that might have been found. Dec 31, 2022 On June 13, 2001 in Omaha, Nebraska, is where 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski was last seen by anyone. 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. A second theory that often pops up on message boards in particular is that Jason was offered a ride from someone with ill intent. There wasn't. 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. We have no evidence that anyone wanted to harm Jason, but the motive could have been something impersonal like robbery. Might be interesting to look up if any other crimes were reported in the area that same day. And the coworker is the only one who can claim Jason never showed up at the highschool. Its impossible to have even an inkling towards what theory is right here. I'd suggest foul play and that the chance he is alive is vanishly small. 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. Though it seems unlikely due to the time and place, but really, what else could've happened? But the main theory, which his family also believes to be true, is that Jason was lured into a vehicle by someone that day and then murdered. So today, you will hear the original intervie They are very quiet and secluded residential lanes. If you or anyone you know have any information regarding Jasons disappearance, please contact the Omaha police department in reference to Case Number RB85214T. I think he was walking toward the high school as he planned to and was intercepted by someone. They say he is too responsible to have left without warning, and he was not having any problems at the time of his disappearance. AFAIK there arent any suspects or persons of interest in this case. Maybe Jason was intentionally struck by a car or picked up in a case of mistaken identity. I have to laugh at those comments. He was not seen ANYWHERE after the sighting outside his house with the trash cans. Privacy Policy. 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. Incredibly frustrating all around. And by the time nine days had gone byany clues were long gone. Sherman was born in 1982, so likely was class of 2000 or maybe 2001, but he probably went to another high school. http://www.projectjason.org/about/about-jason.html, http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/j/jolkowski_jason.html. 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. Or someone who seemed helpless and actually wasn't. 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? it's important to note this, it was reported that jason had a mild learning disability with his speech and language but according to his parents he hwd above average intelligence. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. My first instinct was that someone probably offered him a ride and he met with foul play. The other missing teen in the area makes me wonder if there is someone nearby who likes teen boys. He lived on the 3600 block of Bedford Ave, close to Jason's family. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. . "Someone does know something and we need someone to come forward and help alleviate all our pain," said Jim Jolkowski, Jolkowski's father. 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. Suicide seems highly unlikely to me simply because he was on foot and his body was never found. Not even a stream, or a drainage culvert. MISSING: Dylan Rounds, 19, Idaho Falls, ID . 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. This case feels as if its ice cold with no leads, but I have to believe that someone holds the key here. I think he either got into a car or went into a house during his walk and then for some reason didn't come back out. his room was full of his belongings and there was no sign that he planned on leaving. Missing Date: Wed, Jun 13 2001. Would you be able to share some of your research? 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. Next year will mark 20 years since Jason's disappearance and we're still left with many more questions than answers. 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). "So there's no way of knowing. Has anybody tried to contact authorities to get them to reveal more about this guy's case? Jason agreed to meet this coworker at the local high school, as it was easier than giving directions over the phone. Did he walk or was he given a ride? Jason Jolkowski was a 19 year old from Omaha, Nebraska. Or were they abducted from the home before the fire ever started? NEIGHBOR SAYS HE WAS ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO SEE HIM THAT DAY WALKING TOWASRD THE SCHOOL. Every time this case is shared on here there is always at least one local who comments and says the area isn't as safe as everyone thinks, so that's why I have always leaned towards foul play. THERES NO LEADS. Jolkowski has not been seen or heard from since then. [4][5] The school was eight blocks (about 0.5mi (0.80km)) from his home. Jason Anthony "JJ" Jolkowski disappeared on June 13, 2001. I went down a rabbit hole but could only find pictures of the pedestrian tunnel under Dodge. He had a passion for broadcasting and the Chicago Cubs. This was the last definitive sighting of Jason Jolkowski. Apparently the coworker giving Jason a ride was checked out by law enforcement and cleared. He pops in to help the person with whatever, is overcome, or maybe is assaulted and fatally hurt. "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.