NE NE - Jason Jolkowski, 19, Omaha, 13 Jun 2001 - #3

[Andreee]

dbm

 

[ekardh]

I believe Jason meeting at the school is still an overlooked detail in this case. It's completely plausible that Jason was lousy at directions and that's why he agreed to rendezvous at Benson High, it could well be true. However, there was only a short window of opportunity for Jason to disappear. I wrestle with the idea that a random neighbour lured him off the street. Although I think Jason was unassuming enough to fall victim to such a ruse, I can't see it happening. Someone saw a 6'foot guy walking down the street and decided to kill him? Like someone else said, male-oriented killers usually target gay lovers and male escorts, not random passers-by in broad daylight.

We know that Jason's plans got altered at the last minute. This would support the theory that he arranged the meeting at the school to drop by someone's house. The fact he couldn't call this person, and the fact the Jolkowskis were unaware of it, would suggest Jason had his reasons for keeping it a secret. This is the only thing that makes sense to me. Why this person chose that particular day to get rid of Jason? That's the million dollar question.

 

[MatthewTyler]

So I finally bit the bullet and reached out to the co-worker who was picking him up that morning. Messaged her on Facebook, but not sure if she'll actually respond or not. Hopefully though.

 

[MysteryMaven]

So I finally bit the bullet and reached out to the co-worker who was picking him up that morning. Messaged her on Facebook, but not sure if she'll actually respond or not. Hopefully though.

Thank you for doing this! I hope she responds!

 

[deadinthewater]

I believe Jason meeting at the school is still an overlooked detail in this case. It's completely plausible that Jason was lousy at directions and that's why he agreed to rendezvous at Benson High, it could well be true. However, there was only a short window of opportunity for Jason to disappear. I wrestle with the idea that a random neighbour lured him off the street.

Yeah, the more I think about this detail, it does bug me. Jason was ready to make the four mile walk to Fazolis... before his boss called him back and arranged a pick up. This is a testament to what a helpful and good person he was because he didn't want them to be short-staffed, and maybe how much he really needed the money, but why not arrange the meeting straight from his house? Did he not want to give his address away? Was he being bullied at all by his co-workers? Maybe he did have something else planned and had to make a pit stop to cancel or reschedule. Maybe he showed up at the wrong time? I feel like whatever happened, it happened quick -- before JJ could react or defend himself.

 

[Alleykins]

If I'm reading the article MT posted right, the boss called Jason into work, and the coworker called back to offer him a ride. And according to his mother, because he wasn't good at giving directions, and the coworker was familiar with the location of the high school, they agreed to meet there. Not sure whose idea it was.

 

[studebkr]

Just a silly, off the cuff idea, Jason was supposedly starting a job as a DJ a week after he disappeared. Mom said he had a speech disability/impediment. How likely is it he was hired to be a DJ with this condition? I hope it was checked by the police to see if he was really offered this job. I wonder if Jason may have wanted it to be true so badly that he made up the job offer and then purposely left rather than admitting the truth? Then unrelated foul play happened.

Jason's uncle Ken, had gotten him a job at SITEL, which is a major telemarketing company in Omaha. Ken and I both happened to work there at the time. He never started, but was hired. I don't know for which position. Ken was in IT with me.

 

[ekardh]

Just a silly, off the cuff idea, Jason was supposedly starting a job as a DJ a week after he disappeared. Mom said he had a speech disability/impediment. How likely is it he was hired to be a DJ with this condition? I hope it was checked by the police to see if he was really offered this job. I wonder if Jason may have wanted it to be true so badly that he made up the job offer and then purposely left rather than admitting the truth? Then unrelated foul play happened.

I thought he was already DJ'ing? I remember hearing a short clip of him on air.

 

[MatthewTyler]

I thought he was already DJ'ing? I remember hearing a short clip of him on air.

Jason was DJing on 89.7 "The River", which is the local station that airs a lot of college kids because it's associated with the Iowa Western radio program. He likely stopped DJing there when he had to drop out of the college though. Not sure how the whole "he was hired as a DJ for his new job" thing started, but it's not true. His old part time gig was as a DJ, but only because he was attending school and doing their radio program.

 

[studebkr]

So I finally bit the bullet and reached out to the co-worker who was picking him up that morning. Messaged her on Facebook, but not sure if she'll actually respond or not. Hopefully though.

That's how I ended up here, except it was YouTube where you found me.

 

[MatthewTyler]

That's how I ended up here, except it was YouTube where you found me.

Ah, the old days back when I cared about anonymity

 

[Andreee]

That's how I ended up here, except it was YouTube where you found me.

Oh, so you and your husband worked with Jason's uncle at SITEL, is that correct?

 

[morland_cath]

Yeah, the more I think about this detail, it does bug me. Jason was ready to make the four mile walk to Fazolis... before his boss called him back and arranged a pick up. This is a testament to what a helpful and good person he was because he didn't want them to be short-staffed, and maybe how much he really needed the money, but why not arrange the meeting straight from his house? Did he not want to give his address away? Was he being bullied at all by his co-workers? Maybe he did have something else planned and had to make a pit stop to cancel or reschedule. Maybe he showed up at the wrong time? I feel like whatever happened, it happened quick -- before JJ could react or defend himself.

To be honest, this detail doesn't bother me at all. I'm also bad at directions, but thankfully Google maps now exists

Maybe his coworker wasn't very confident either? She was young, about Jason's age, and had also gone to Benson High School. She very likely did not have GPS. Maybe Jason tried to give her directions to his house, she didn't understand what he was saying, so they agreed on meeting at Benson instead.

To me, this seems plausible.

 

[Gilderoy Lockhart]

I've brought this up before, but the directions thing isn't a big deal IMO. I often times don't bother giving people directions to where the guest parking is located in my complex, because it's tricky for someone who isn't familiar with the area (I go down and show them). Jason may have felt it was tedious to explain and didn't mind walking a few minutes to his old school. His parents reported he had a learning disability, so that may have played a role. It is a bit unusual, so I can see how his co-worker would've said something like "uh ok, I'll just meet you at the school, but you better be there!"

 

[studebkr]

Oh, so you and your husband worked with Jason's uncle at SITEL, is that correct?

I'm a he, and I was not married at the time. I had just broken up with a gal I was engaged to. That is why Mathew was looking into me. He noticed a short sale on my house that coincided with the time Jason went missing.

Yes, Ken and I both worked for SITEL. I was giving my condolences to Ken one day, (and asking questions) and he let me know about the SITEL job. I ran the company portal, so I had seen the application come through to get Jason signed up.

Ken was completely baffled by what had happened as we all are. What he did know, was that some of the sightings that had happened around Omaha and Lincoln were probably his own son who looks strikingly like Jason, but a year or two older.

Jason had temporarily lost his job at The Edge until he could start school again. I do remember the Edge and SlamOmaha website running ads about Jason for years. A lot of Omaha companies pitched it. The Furniture Mart. DTN where Kelly worked at the time. Oddly, I don't remember Fazolies helping with that, but they are not local, and I may have missed it. People make Fazolies out to be the bad guy sometimes, but the only thing there that will kill you is the bread sticks.

 

[ekardh]

I did concede that Jason's arrangement at the school could have been a perfectly innocent one. However, I also think this case needs taking back to the drawing board and looking at with fresh eyes. Since there was only a small window of time for Jason to disappear, those first few minutes become crucial. Where did Jason go? He might have been intercepted by a random neighbour and killed. It would be incredibly rare and opportunistic, but it could happen. I'd have an easier time believing it if Jason was a young boy, but he was effectively a grown man. There are often more to stories like this than meet the eye. I still think he used the meeting at the school to swing by someone's house en route to the pick-up.

 

[deadinthewater]

I did concede that Jason's arrangement at the school could have been a perfectly innocent one. However, I also think this case needs taking back to the drawing board and looking at with fresh eyes. Since there was only a small window of time for Jason to disappear, those first few minutes become crucial. Where did Jason go? He might have been intercepted by a random neighbour and killed. It would be incredibly rare and opportunistic, but it could happen. I'd have an easier time believing it if Jason was a young boy, but he was effectively a grown man. There are often more to stories like this than meet the eye. I still think he used the meeting at the school to swing by someone's house en route to the pick-up.

I agree. This case needs a pair of fresh eyes to start from the very beginning, ie. to interview all those who had been previously 'cleared' once more. I think detectives definitely missed or overlooked something.

 

[ekardh]

I agree. This case needs a pair of fresh eyes to start from the very beginning, ie. to interview all those who had been previously 'cleared' once more. I think detectives definitely missed or overlooked something.

I would like to establish if meeting at the school was Jason's idea or a mutually agreed thing. Perhaps @MatthewTyler will be able to determine this if he has any joy reaching out to the lady who went to collect JJ.

 

[MatthewTyler]

I would like to establish if meeting at the school was Jason's idea or a mutually agreed thing. Perhaps @MatthewTyler will be able to determine this if he has any joy reaching out to the lady who went to collect JJ.

Unfortunately no such luck yet. Not sure if she is ignoring, or if she just hasn't seen the message yet. Her profile picture is from 2016, so she may not use FB that often.

 

[Alleykins]

Personally, I don't think it matters whose idea it was to meet at the school.