Identified! SC - Jason Patrick Callahan, Myrtle Beach, missing since 1995

[tlcya]

Tricia Griffith, owner of Websleuths.com, expressed her condolences to the family. She also said she is glad members of her website were able to help in the identification.

"It comes as no surprise that two true crime discussion forums were behind the identifying of Grateful Doe," Griffith told HuffPost. "Here's hoping law enforcement starts looking at our sites as a legitimate resource to help with everything they do."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...f577d68?cps=gravity_1787_-3768737728805665022

 

[realtarua]

:welcome5: realtarua

Thank you :seeya::seeya:

 

[lgr]

Thank you, Richard, for being on this case from the beginning, as you said in an earlier post. You carry the standard for many unsolved cases (the Lyon sisters come to mind), and I commend your patience and tenacity.

 

[Roselvr]

Tricia Griffith, owner of Websleuths.com, expressed her condolences to the family. She also said she is glad members of her website were able to help in the identification.

"It comes as no surprise that two true crime discussion forums were behind the identifying of Grateful Doe," Griffith told HuffPost. "Here's hoping law enforcement starts looking at our sites as a legitimate resource to help with everything they do."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...f577d68?cps=gravity_1787_-3768737728805665022

Awesome article! Tricia did a great job!
I'm not surprised David wrote it, he had just written a new article last year that told us the note was not in GDF's pocket; but on the road.. LE were not sure it even belonged to him! I have to wonder if Caroline gave him the ride to the show and is the one who has his back pack. How sad that he had lost it and appeared to be on his way home.
My heart goes out to his mother. I can't imagine how hard this year has been on her since finding out about GDF.

Love this part of the article and feel that Jason was trying to send a message to her.
Prayers to Jason's family and friends

"The most ironic part of the whole thing is ever since I was a little girl, I've been obsessed with missing persons cases," she added. "I used to watch all the shows and my soon-to-be ex-husband used to pick on me saying, 'What, do you think you're going to know one of the faces on the poster someday?' I said, 'You never know.' And that's the most ironic part of all this. I think part of me always knew and I don't know how."

 

[bessie]

IMO, and with all due respect, yes, Greymetal does deserve credit for their input on Jason's case, but, so many others played major parts, also. A lot discussion was already laid out on the WebSleuth tables. So much time was put into it. I say CONGRATS to everyone who participated in every way.

Amen to that, and I totally agree and understand your sentiment. I wanted to post this link yesterday, but hesitated because I thought it might be misconstrued. Jumping off of your post now, I feel comfortable sharing a look back at this post from 2005.

I am searching for information on a young man that has been unidentified for 10 years on June 26, 2005. He was found just west of Emporia, Virginia on June 26, 1995.

<snipped>

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?34229-VA-Grateful-Dead-doe&p=923038#post923038

 

[DexterMorgan]

Quick question. How did a composite sketch lead to the hint that dna should be ran on this particular family to see if it was a match?

Did someone see the sketch and say hold on. That's my relative or what?

Just asking.

 

[coeurfragile]

Quick question. How did a composite sketch lead to the hint that dna should be ran on this particular family to see if it was a match?

Did someone see the sketch and say hold on. That's my relative or what?

Just asking.

See post 398 above

 

[Batman's Mommy]

Praise the Lord!!! What a wonderful Christmas present for this family to have Jason back!!

Good work to all of you who helped bring this about!! It is an honor to be around so many people with such a passion and determination to help these families, and give a doe back his/her name!!

:loveyou:

 

[dog.gone.cute]

:seeya:

:great: WOW ! Just saw Websleuths in this article on the MSN HomePage:

Article entitled:

How Internet sleuths on Facebook and Reddit solved the 20-year-old mystery of a missing teenager

Users on Websleuths, a forum popular with cold-case and true-crime fanatics, had been cross-referencing Grateful Doe&#8217;s case against hundreds of entries in the missing persons&#8217; database since July 2005. The search only heated up last December, however, when Reddit took on the case.

Link: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ho...g-teenager/ar-AAggp1Q?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U358DHP

 

[realtarua]

New York Times! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/12/us/grateful-doe-is-identified-20-years-after-road-trip-death.html

 

[dog.gone.cute]

New York Times! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/12/us/grateful-doe-is-identified-20-years-after-road-trip-death.html

:seeya: Hello and :welcome:

Here's a quote from the article link above that credits Websleuths:

"The roommate didn't know Jason's last name, but the case was also helped along by people on Facebook, Redditt, and
Websleuths, a site dedicated to unsolved mysteries. ..."


:happydance:

 

[Roselvr]

IMO, and with all due respect, yes, Greymetal does deserve credit for their input on Jason's case, but, so many others played major parts, also. A lot discussion was already laid out on the WebSleuth tables. So much time was put into it. I say CONGRATS to everyone who participated in every way.

You must have missed this. She's been so busy, she's also in a different part of the world (Oz). I asked her if she could come over if she had a few minutes. Websleuths did get credit. Back when she came here, she had just gotten the hit on the Imgur post. There are 3 or 4 threads where WS members were helping to find Jason; posting on Craigslists and other SC sites to find his family.

Hi everyone!

It's been a really long time since I have posted here, which I do feel bad about.

I got promoted at work, our subreddit took off, and our Facebook page has grown and grown, and as a result, I have had very little spare time to come on here (and I feel so terrible about that)!.

I just wanted to come by to thank you all for all of your love and support.

WebSleuths, PhantasyTour, Reddit and Imgur have been INSTRUMENTAL in this whole thing, and NONE of this could have been done with all four communities, and I have made sure to mention that with anybody that has approached me about this case. You are all so incredible, and reading your support of our community at Reddit, and most importantly, the loved ones of Jason Callahan is amazing.

I have just put up a thank-you post on the subreddit if anyone is interested in reading it, and I will certainly be around here more and more now as there are so many other doe cases that deserve attention.

YOU ARE ALL INCREDIBLE.

Thank you for opening your doors and hearts to me (and my crazy ranting posts) back in January.

While this was the news we were expecting, it was the news we did not want to hear.. Because while one person got his name back, we knew that at the same time, he lost his life. Jason and his loved ones have been in my thoughts every single day since all of this has taken off, and moreso now. They are so much in my thoughts, that I have been reluctant to discuss them as much as I think other people have been.

Love to absolutely every single one of you!

 

[I'mjazzed]

Fare thee well, Jason Callahan.

Going home, going home,
By the waterside I will rest my bones,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs,
To rock my soul.
Fare thee well!
-Grateful Dead.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

That made me cry.. What a Lovely Tribute!
RIP~ Jason

 

[rats]

FINALLY! the news we've all been waiting for. i know i was really excited when i heard it was finally confirmed. RIP jason, though.

 

[Hoosgirl]

Amazing, just amazing. I've been lurking on this case for years, having been in the Emporia area on that stretch of road many a time. I am so pleased that Jason has been identified, although my heart hurts for his family and friends.

Kudos to those who kept the tireless search alive over the years, here on websleuths, facebook, reddit, etc. And a thanks too to David Lohr for his great coverage. Well done to all!

 

[Moreack]

This is amazing. :heartbeat: Thank you to everyone who helped to figure this out.

 

[Elainera]

Wow after all this time! How wonderful how all came together.

RIP Jason! Finally home.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

"It comes as no surprise that two true crime discussion forums were behind the identifying of Grateful Doe," Griffith told HuffPost. "Here's hoping law enforcement starts looking at our sites as a legitimate resource to help with everything they do."

Thank you, Tricia, for zeroing in on the big picture here. We meticulously archive cases, go through thousands of UID and missing person reports looking for matches, and keep cold cases in the public eye long after most people have forgotten about them. We are not looking for recognition or glory, we are looking to be a resource for families and law enforcement, and to be a chorus of voices for those who no longer have a voice. If law enforcement would recognize the value in what we do, and partner with us in our efforts, I believe the results would be staggering.

 

[dog.gone.cute]

"It comes as no surprise that two true crime discussion forums were behind the identifying of Grateful Doe," Griffith told HuffPost. "Here's hoping law enforcement starts looking at our sites as a legitimate resource to help with everything they do."

Thank you, Tricia, for zeroing in on the big picture here. We meticulously archive cases, go through thousands of UID and missing person reports looking for matches, and keep cold cases in the public eye long after most people have forgotten about them. We are not looking for recognition or glory, we are looking to be a resource for families and law enforcement, and to be a chorus of voices for those who no longer have a voice. If law enforcement would recognize the value in what we do, and partner with us in our efforts, I believe the results would be staggering.

:goodpost: These are some great points, Mountain_Kat !

:great: Great points, Tricia !

While I don't spend a lot of time in the cold case forums here at WS (but I have peaked in at a few of the cases), the folks here at WS work very hard on these cases.

Fantastic news that WS members helped solve Jason's case !

And proud to be a member of WS !

:seeya:

 

[RRW]

I'm so glad to hear that he has been identified, yet very sad at the same time that a family has to learn of the loss. This case is what helped me to discover Websleuths and such an amazing network of people devoted to giving people their names back or finding what has become of a missing loved one. I don't comment much, but felt compelled to share this song in honor/memory of Jason, since it was the last live GD song he would have heard in his short life: [video=youtube;5ZwKNrbpfKY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZwKNrbpfKY[/video]