NE NE - Jason Jolkowski -19 - Omaha - 13 Jun 2001 - #4

[Ciriii57]

@studebkr hi, could you let me know what the local rumour mill and gossip machine was saying at the time? Was there a local consensus on what happened?

I know it seems silly to put any weight in local gossip; but I'm amazed by the amount of times that locals know exactly what happened and no one ever listened to them! I also like to know what people thought at the time. Thanks

 

[puzzleworldplanet]

ok, i got done listening to the unfound podcast (again, going through several podcasts) and want to make some key points:

• Jason's mother says that there was a camera pointed down the road that Jason would have walked up - and that CCTV footage was checked and he wasn't showed walking up the road (I believe she's talking about Bedford Ave). So this coincides with my working theory that JJ didn't make it as far as the eye could see from Benson High School right down Bedford Ave
• Jason's mother mentions that Jason's brother did receive a phone call, yet she omits to say that he pretended to be Jason... interesting (to me at least)
• There was a sexual predator living near the park (if you went the wrong way, approx 3 houses down). Attached pic to this post. Green (would have been Jason's route which he had done so many times before). Red circle - the approximate vicinity of a known sexual predator in the area
• Jason's mother says "never ever has there been any persons of interest at all"
• Sex offenders were checked out - person at Jason's previous job who would invite young males to his house - but "they didn't find anything suspicious with him"
• people at the restaurant were ruled out (Fazoli's)
• The police talked to everyone who knew JJ twice over the years and nothing came of it
• Jason's mother was fairly quick to dismiss the "bullies" theory - saying there was only one bully and that was 2 years prior to this event, so she doesn't think that had anything to do with it
• Jason's mother says she worked til 6pm and the father worked until 4 - this information is different than what the father said on TV, he said he finished work at 3pm (another inconsistency)

I've attached a second pic (area.png). I firmly believe this is the area Jason went missing from. I don't believe he got much further than the park based on everything I know so far (mother's account(s), charleyproject, WS forums, podcasts of which I have listened to many, youtube videos etc etc).

I have a theory which is making a lot of sense in my head, unfortunately, due to site rules I'm unable to post it.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Yes, Im on the fence too. I do think if he got into a car, it would be with someone who was an acquaintance, at the very least. Was it an acquaintance who happened to be out on the road driving by him though, or a neighbour acquaintance who saw Jason walk by and hopped in their car, catching up with him further along the route.

If JJ willingly got into a car (vs. going into a house), I find either of the above theories plausible.

 

[Ciriii57]

There was a sexual predator living near the park (if you went the wrong way, approx 3 houses down).

It is very important to define what is meant by sexual predator and not just lump them all together. I am not sticking up for anyone, but is pointless to accuse someone with an interest in children or females for example, as Jason would not have been on their radar, so to speak.
What exactly was this person accused of. Being on the sex offenders' register can be from anything as different as flashing, making lewd comments right up to the heinous crimes. A peeping tom, for example, is unlikely to kidnap a young man....different MO.

So, can someone say what this man was actually guilty of?

 

[puzzleworldplanet]

It is very important to define what is meant by sexual predator and not just lump them all together. I am not sticking up for anyone, but is pointless to accuse someone with an interest in children or females for example, as Jason would not have been on their radar, so to speak.
What exactly was this person accused of. Being on the sex offenders' register can be from anything as different as flashing, making lude comments right up to the heinous crimes. A peeping tom, for example, is unlikely to kidnap a young man....different MO.

So, can someone say what this man was actually guilty of?

I anticipated someone may ask that ;-) and so I have been looking into what constitutes as a sexual offender/predator in Omaha, Nebraska. And I've cross-correlated different legal websites, and the answer seems to be this:

• Non-parental Kidnapping of a Minor, §28-313
• False Imprisonment of a Minor, §28-314 or §28-315
• Sexual Assault, §28-319 or §28-320 (1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree)
• Sexual Assault of a Child, Second or Third Degree §28-320.01
• Sexual Assault of a Child, First Degree, §28-319.01
• Sexual Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult, §28-386(1)(c)
• Incest of a Minor, §28-703
• Pandering of a Minor, §28-802
• Debauching a Minor §28-805
• Visual Depiction of Sexually Explicit Conduct of a Child, §28-1463.03 or §28-1463.05
• Sexually Explicit Conduct; visual depiction, §28-813.01
• Criminal Child Enticement, §28-311
• Child Enticement by means of a computer, §28-320.02
• Attempt, solicitation, aiding or abetting, being an accessory, or Conspiracy to Commit the above crimes.

source: Will I Have to Register As a Sex Offender in Nebraska? - Petersen Criminal Law

I am also not certain that a sexual predator would go for Jason, due to height and age. And after looking at predators in the area (some have a lifetime order), they seem to fit the categories above e.g going after minors.

Plus, the police already checked this angle and didn't get anything. I'd probably conclude that this avenue isn't the right one to investigate further.

 

[Ciriii57]

Plus, the police already checked this angle and didn't get anything. I'd probably conclude that this avenue isn't the right one to investigate further.

I would concur.
I would assume the the first thing LE did was check the alibis of known sex offenders.

Because Jason had never been found, and therefore we can assume was well-hidden, leads me to believe that he was hurt by someone known to him, rather than a random person.
Although it is not a "rule" or anything definite by any means, it is usually the case that when a person goes to lengths to hide a body, it is because they are acquainted with the victim as opposed to just dumping a random stranger.

Does anyone know if a profile of Jason's probable abductor/murderer was ever done? This is one case where I would be very interested to see that!

 

[studebkr]

@studebkr hi, could you let me know what the local rumour mill and gossip machine was saying at the time? Was there a local consensus on what happened?

I know it seems silly to put any weight in local gossip; but I'm amazed by the amount of times that locals know exactly what happened and no one ever listened to them! I also like to know what people thought at the time. Thanks

Because of the lack of evidence, and the faith of the family and community, there were high hopes that JJ had run away for some reason. The neighborhood was decorated in yellow ribbons for months. The radio station where JJ had worked ran an add for several years.

Though they seemed best of pals to me, knowing how young adult males act, I assumed JJ had a fight with his dad and ran off. The reason unknown, because that was not in his character.

As time dragged on, it seemed implausible that someone could, or would in this case, vanish for so long and not turn up some day. He probably would have had to been coached on how to turn off his phone, and not use his debit card, etc. We see that in TV shows all the time now, but it was just something you didn't think of much then.

 

[Ciriii57]

Because of the lack of evidence, and the faith of the family and community, there were high hopes that JJ had run away for some reason. The neighborhood was decorated in yellow ribbons for months. The radio station where JJ had worked ran an add for several years.

Though they seemed best of pals to me, knowing how young adult males act, I assumed JJ had a fight with his dad and ran off. The reason unknown, because that was not in his character.

As time dragged on, it seemed implausible that someone could, or would in this case, vanish for so long and not turn up some day. He probably would have had to been coached on how to turn off his phone, and not use his debit card, etc. We see that in TV shows all the time now, but it was just something you didn't think of much then.

Thank you very much!

It is interesting to note that it was thought he ran away; despite there apparently being no reason for him to have done so. But out of all options, I can totally understand why someone would cling to this one, and I would probably be the same. At least there is hope that some day the person will return.

It is very unfortunate that this is likely not the case, although I would it to be.

 

[Andreee]

ok, i got done listening to the unfound podcast (again, going through several podcasts) and want to make some key points:

• Jason's mother says that there was a camera pointed down the road that Jason would have walked up - and that CCTV footage was checked and he wasn't showed walking up the road (I believe she's talking about Bedford Ave). So this coincides with my working theory that JJ didn't make it as far as the eye could see from Benson High School right down Bedford Ave
• Jason's mother mentions that Jason's brother did receive a phone call, yet she omits to say that he pretended to be Jason... interesting (to me at least)
• There was a sexual predator living near the park (if you went the wrong way, approx 3 houses down). Attached pic to this post. Green (would have been Jason's route which he had done so many times before). Red circle - the approximate vicinity of a known sexual predator in the area
• Jason's mother says "never ever has there been any persons of interest at all"
• Sex offenders were checked out - person at Jason's previous job who would invite young males to his house - but "they didn't find anything suspicious with him"
• people at the restaurant were ruled out (Fazoli's)
• The police talked to everyone who knew JJ twice over the years and nothing came of it
• Jason's mother was fairly quick to dismiss the "bullies" theory - saying there was only one bully and that was 2 years prior to this event, so she doesn't think that had anything to do with it
• Jason's mother says she worked til 6pm and the father worked until 4 - this information is different than what the father said on TV, he said he finished work at 3pm (another inconsistency)

I've attached a second pic (area.png). I firmly believe this is the area Jason went missing from. I don't believe he got much further than the park based on everything I know so far (mother's account(s), charleyproject, WS forums, podcasts of which I have listened to many, youtube videos etc etc).

I have a theory which is making a lot of sense in my head, unfortunately, due to site rules I'm unable to post it.

You can start up a private group conversation about JJ, and mention things in private that are not allowed here. We arent supposed to really invite people to it publicly on the thread, but can do so via the mail icon at top of page. Its quite straightforward to set up.

 

[Andreee]

I anticipated someone may ask that ;-) and so I have been looking into what constitutes as a sexual offender/predator in Omaha, Nebraska. And I've cross-correlated different legal websites, and the answer seems to be this:

• Non-parental Kidnapping of a Minor, §28-313
• False Imprisonment of a Minor, §28-314 or §28-315
• Sexual Assault, §28-319 or §28-320 (1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree)
• Sexual Assault of a Child, Second or Third Degree §28-320.01
• Sexual Assault of a Child, First Degree, §28-319.01
• Sexual Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult, §28-386(1)(c)
• Incest of a Minor, §28-703
• Pandering of a Minor, §28-802
• Debauching a Minor §28-805
• Visual Depiction of Sexually Explicit Conduct of a Child, §28-1463.03 or §28-1463.05
• Sexually Explicit Conduct; visual depiction, §28-813.01
• Criminal Child Enticement, §28-311
• Child Enticement by means of a computer, §28-320.02
• Attempt, solicitation, aiding or abetting, being an accessory, or Conspiracy to Commit the above crimes.

source: Will I Have to Register As a Sex Offender in Nebraska? - Petersen Criminal Law

I am also not certain that a sexual predator would go for Jason, due to height and age. And after looking at predators in the area (some have a lifetime order), they seem to fit the categories above e.g going after minors.

Plus, the police already checked this angle and didn't get anything. I'd probably conclude that this avenue isn't the right one to investigate further.

I went through all of the sex offenders listed on the Nebraska site yesterday, those within a mile of JJs former home. There were quite a few and I read their descriptions and how far they were on the map from the school, etc. Yes, I realize in 20 plus years there would have been changes, but it gave me a sense of where (apartment complexes, etc) these offenders lived. There were about three or four within the route area JJ would have taken. The offenses were predictably directed towards young children in various disgusting ways, with one offender who stood out as having been more violent in the so-called traditional way with a gun. Of course, there would have been other nefarious types who just hadnt had a run in with LE yet. But on the whole, as noted in post above, I dont think the majority would try to entice Jason or be successful if they tried. But of course that doesnt exclude the more aggressive ones. Jason could seem vulnerable due to his mild learning challenge, naivety and young looking appearance IMO. This is all just my thoughts after looking at that registry closely.

 

[deadinthewater]

I've been listening to a podcast called 'Island Crime' which covers the disappearance of Michael Dunahee in 1991 through a series of episodes and one of the detectives talked about how they tried to obtain satellite surveillance of the area where Michael was abducted. Nothing came of it because the satellite wasn't in the right spot at the time. I wonder if this was ever considered in Jason's case? Like Jason, Michael vanished without a trace, within the span of a couple of minutes. Unlike Jason, there were plenty of people around, but no one saw who took him. It's probably a long shot (and very expensive, I hear), but what if they could get.. something?

 

[Sonny Crockett]

As time dragged on, it seemed implausible that someone could, or would in this case, vanish for so long and not turn up some day. He probably would have had to been coached on how to turn off his phone, and not use his debit card, etc. We see that in TV shows all the time now, but it was just something you didn't think of much then.

Agreed. In fact, after researching the case extensively, I consider the idea that JJ ran away as an impossibility - especially given that it's now 20+ years after he vanished. He was a 19-year old kid without any kind of life experience & he had never lived away from home. Even if you make the argument that he wasn't getting along with this family & wanted to "skip town"/leave his old life behind, I don't see that this happened - given the circumstances of his disappearance. Also & per the above, after he vanished:

-His bank account wasn't touched (admittedly, he didn't have much $).
-His cell phone was never used.

In general, I think the 'vanished and left their old life behind & started a new life somewhere else' is a trope that is used to try & explain some MP cases - possibly because the family wants to believe the person is still out there.

However, the reality is that, during this era, it's not easy or even that plausible to effectively achieve this. The one recent example where someone did do this successfully is the RH case, in which he went 'off the radar" for 9 years (from 2013-2022) & was eventually found deceased. However, RH was much older than JJ; he had extensive life experience; had left his family behind before; and was also leaving behind a very bad family situation.

 

[Andreee]

Agreed. In fact, after researching the case extensively, I consider the idea that JJ ran away as an impossibility - especially given that it's now 20+ years after he vanished. He was a 19-year old kid without any kind of life experience & he had never lived away from home. Even if you make the argument that he wasn't getting along with this family & wanted to "skip town"/leave his old life behind, I don't see that this happened - given the circumstances of his disappearance. Also & per the above, after he vanished:

-His bank account wasn't touched (admittedly, he didn't have much $).
-His cell phone was never used.

In general, I think the 'vanished and left their old life behind & started a new life somewhere else' is a trope that is used to try & explain some MP cases - possibly because the family wants to believe the person is still out there.

However, the reality is that, during this era, it's not easy or even that plausible to effectively achieve this. The one recent example where someone did do this successfully is the RH case, in which he went 'off the radar" for 9 years (from 2013-2022) & was eventually found deceased. However, RH was much older than JJ; he had extensive life experience; had left his family behind before; and was also leaving behind a very bad family situation.

Not sure who RH is though.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Not sure who RH is though.

Recovered/Located - CT - Robert Hoagland, 50, Newtown, 28 Jul 2013

PD: 50-year-old Newtown man missing http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/fairfield_cty/pd-50-year-old-newtown-man-missing#.Ufnkn5I3uGE

www.websleuths.com

This doesn't relate to the JJ case, other than to show that though it's possible to "skip town" and start a life somewhere else, it's not easy to do so. JJ was not "street smart" and I don't see that he would have had contacts/money/resources to do something like this.

Conversely, RH had been around & was much older than JJ. Also, IMHO he got extremely lucky that he just went 2 hours away (from where he was living) & remained undetected for 9 years. This is obviously not something which is typically feasible/possible under most circumstances.

 

[Andreee]

Recovered/Located - CT - Robert Hoagland, 50, Newtown, 28 Jul 2013

PD: 50-year-old Newtown man missing http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/fairfield_cty/pd-50-year-old-newtown-man-missing#.Ufnkn5I3uGE

www.websleuths.com

This doesn't relate to the JJ case, other than to show that though it's possible to "skip town" and start a life somewhere else, it's not easy to do so. JJ was not "street smart" and I don't see that he would have had contacts/money/resources to do something like this.

Conversely, RH had been around & was much older than JJ. Also, IMHO he got extremely lucky that he just went 2 hours away (from where he was living) & remained undetected for 9 years. This is obviously not something which is typically feasible/possible under most circumstances.

Right, especially nowadays with the internet!

 

[puzzleworldplanet]

i listened to several podcasts again and Jason's mother said that Jason liked to walk....a lot. Well....if he walked a lot, then neighbour (theory) means that they would have had many opportunities to lure him in. To lure him in whilst he's holding a red fazoli's shirt seems more unlikely, because that signals his workplace were expecting him, which means when he doesn't show up, people will be looking for him/making calls. the last thing any kidnapper/predator wants is to take someone who they know could spark a manhunt.

On that note, who was the person who claimed Jason was holding the red Fazoli's shirt??

A kidnapper/predator often plan an abduction, and if it is a spur of the moment thing, tactics include: bundling the victim into a car fast and getting away (doing this to a 6ft 1 guy even if he isn't fighting back would risk being seen in such a residential area), include posing (or being) someone trustworthy e.g from church and using that to bait someone into a house - but again, this "kidnapper" or "predator" would have had to have been within the next street at 10:45am, saw Jason, potentially recognise him and immediately think: "ok now is my chance" and made the grab right there and then - which to me seems a little unlikely.

Kidnapping someone in broad daylight is ballsy. Very ballsy. Risky. The profile of the person(s) responsible would be someone who does not give a damn about getting caught or the risk of punishment, someone who is a thrill-seeker, someone physically strong - or if not strong, someone known to the victim, someone who has a very alluring, believable persona who is capable of putting on a front in order to feign an issue inside their house or car as a ruse to put their victim in a vulnerable position. It would be someone highly experienced in kidnapping/maybe murder and not their first time - someone that has struck before....except, Jason is the only one in the area who went missing.

I don't know, but the more and more I analyse it, the less likely (not impossible!!) the kidnap/predator theory becomes.

 

[Alleykins]

i listened to several podcasts again and Jason's mother said that Jason liked to walk....a lot. Well....if he walked a lot, then neighbour (theory) means that they would have had many opportunities to lure him in. To lure him in whilst he's holding a red fazoli's shirt seems more unlikely, because that signals his workplace were expecting him, which means when he doesn't show up, people will be looking for him/making calls. the last thing any kidnapper/predator wants is to take someone who they know could spark a manhunt.

On that note, who was the person who claimed Jason was holding the red Fazoli's shirt??

A kidnapper/predator often plan an abduction, and if it is a spur of the moment thing, tactics include: bundling the victim into a car fast and getting away (doing this to a 6ft 1 guy even if he isn't fighting back would risk being seen in such a residential area), include posing (or being) someone trustworthy e.g from church and using that to bait someone into a house - but again, this "kidnapper" or "predator" would have had to have been within the next street at 10:45am, saw Jason, potentially recognise him and immediately think: "ok now is my chance" and made the grab right there and then - which to me seems a little unlikely.

Kidnapping someone in broad daylight is ballsy. Very ballsy. Risky. The profile of the person(s) responsible would be someone who does not give a damn about getting caught or the risk of punishment, someone who is a thrill-seeker, someone physically strong - or if not strong, someone known to the victim, someone who has a very alluring, believable persona who is capable of putting on a front in order to feign an issue inside their house or car as a ruse to put their victim in a vulnerable position. It would be someone highly experienced in kidnapping/maybe murder and not their first time - someone that has struck before....except, Jason is the only one in the area who went missing.

I don't know, but the more and more I analyse it, the less likely (not impossible!!) the kidnap/predator theory becomes.

RBBM
In the 2004 Montel Williams interview on YouTube, here's what was said:
Montel: ...he had on his uniform to go to work.
KM: That's exactly right
No mention in this interview he was carrying his shirt, but was stated and confirmed he was wearing his uniform, confirmed by his mother. So I'm not sure who, how, or when this changed into him carrying his shirt.
Whether he was wearing or carrying the shirt may not matter. If there were a kidnapper, they may not have recognized it as a work shirt, as lots of people wear clothing with logos on them, doesn't mean they're on their way to work, or even work at the place currently. So having a Fazoli's shirt may not have been a deterrent if the person had never heard of them or they could have simply thought it was a favorite shirt.

 

[puzzleworldplanet]

RBBM
In the 2004 Montel Williams interview on YouTube, here's what was said:
Montel: ...he had on his uniform to go to work.
KM: That's exactly right
No mention in this interview he was carrying his shirt, but was stated and confirmed he was wearing his uniform, confirmed by his mother.

if i'm not mistaken, it was the neighbour who said Jason was carrying the red work shirt. It might seem like a small detail, but I think it matters which is why I am honing in on it. Jason's mother wasn't there so I'm not sure how she can confirm he was wearing the work shirt

edit: the official "project jason" website also said Jason was "carrying a red work shirt". it specifically stated: "Jason is a white male, six foot one inches tall, weighing 165 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes and a light complexion. Jason was last seen wearing a white "Chicago Cubs" or "Sammy Sosa" t-shirt, black dress pants, blue "Cubs" cap, dress shoes, and also carrying red work shirt." (BBM)

so another inconsistency.

 

[Alleykins]

if i'm not mistaken, it was the neighbour who said Jason was carrying the red work shirt. It might seem like a small detail, but I think it matters which is why I am honing in on it. Jason's mother wasn't there so I'm not sure how she can confirm he was wearing the work shirt

edit: the official "project jason" website also said Jason was "carrying a red work shirt". it specifically stated: "Jason is a white male, six foot one inches tall, weighing 165 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes and a light complexion. Jason was last seen wearing a white "Chicago Cubs" or "Sammy Sosa" t-shirt, black dress pants, blue "Cubs" cap, dress shoes, and also carrying red work shirt." (BBM)

so another inconsistency.

I always wondered how they determined what he might be wearing. It doesn't seem like a detail a little brother would pay attention to and/or remember, or a neighbor's 10 day old memory could recall.

 

[puzzleworldplanet]

in fact, here's something that I have found whilst reading pretty much every single source on the web about this case. the neighbour seeing Jason walk out the street seems to be a detail that's never really been confirmed per se.

from the charley project - :
Jolkowski carried his red work t-shirt with him at the time of his disappearance. On the way out the door of his family's residence, he decided to help his younger brother take trash cans into the garage. A neighbor saw him carry the cans into the garage at his house in the area of 48th and Bedford Streets. (BBM)


from CNN - 2009 report:
The last time anyone who knew him saw him, Jason Jolkowski was bringing the empty trash cans in from the curb. That was June 13, 2001. Since then, his cell phone has fallen silent and his bank account hasn't been touched. His last paycheck was never cashed. Jason was 19 and attending community college part time. He had a job at a restaurant and wanted to be a disc jockey. On the day he disappeared, Jason and his younger brother, Michael, were on summer break from school. Their parents were at work, and the boys were home alone. (BBM)

from project jason:
His younger brother, Michael, was the last to see him dragging our trashcans up from the curb while waiting for a carpool ride to his part-time job. (BBM)

2004 Montel Williams interview on YouTube:
Montel: ...he had on his uniform to go to work.
KM: That's exactly right

Unfound podcast:
Jason's mother says that Jason was walking to the high school (not a direct quote, but there's 3 hours worth of content. either way, this differs from what was on Project Jason, which says Jason was waiting at home for a carpool ride)

The problem with this case, is that even with the "official" story from Jason's family / the website etc. The story changes. There's a few inconsistencies that are easy to spot. The neighbour is only officially cited as saying he saw Jason and his brother taking trash cans back into the garage - the bit about he saw Jason walking away.... beyond a tiny snippet on a news channel (that the neighbour doesn't actually say himself), there's no evidence (i've found) that the neighbour actually saw Jason walk out the house.

Now, couple that with the CNN report. Couple that with the Charley Project. It begs the question: did Jason actually leave the house??