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

[Alleykins]

The coworker picking him up was definitely the same age. In the Benson high yearbook, they both graduated together in the class of '99. As for driving around the area looking for him, I'm not sure I would totally agree. If she had gotten lost or ran into a problem looking for him, then they would have been down 2 workers instead of just 1. Realistically, most people would probably think that a coworker was playing hooky and decided not to come- especially if that coworker was leaving that minimum wage job the following week. It's easy to now say that she should have looked or been concerned about him, because now we know he's gone and something happened. At the actual time though, I'm sure tragic disappearance was the last thing she was thinking. They did call throughout the day though asking if he was there, so they did show a little concern.

I'd love to see the local usage detail for that day.

 

[lisamkomo88]

I did find the yearbook and now see that both of them are in there for a class of 99'. Another source had her listed as a few years older. I know not everyone is going to act or respond in the same manner. During that time most individuals went to the school that was within their district, their area. I am certain she had to have had some familiarity with the area. Just wondering if she would have driven around the block to check all entrances of the school. Depending upon which way you walk towards Benson, there were a few different places one could be waiting for a ride. I know time constraints could have been an issue if she was worried about getting back to work, but if I read correctly she waited for a half-hour. I just feel as if a lot of information was left unknown, questions unasked and details overlooked because of the initial response by law enforcement. They assumed he "ran away," or just left, so all that time was wasted. That area of town is consistent with drug, gang violence, or theft crimes, even at that, it was probably a second thought in law enforcement's mind. I would agree that a daily rundown on how he would get from point A to point B with a car in the shop would be helpful. I mean on google maps you can easily tell how long it says it'll take someone to walk by foot to Benson High School or even Fazolis. Although for someone who is a frequent walker, does not make the terrain any easier. There are a lot of hills, trees, shrub areas, tons of parks in a small area, traffic, residential homes, and uneven roads. And not to mention it was June in Nebraska, which means it could have been extremely humid/hot by that point or mild. The weather is unpredictable. I can't imagine walking that path in dress shoes and black slacks in June, especially if there was construction taking place.

 

[jr1]

He was probably lured into a car by someone who noticed his Chicago Cubs hat and had enough knowledge of sports so Jason thought he could trust them since they had the same hobby

 

[NeverPersonal]

He was probably lured into a car by someone who noticed his Chicago Cubs hat and had enough knowledge of sports so Jason thought he could trust them since they had the same hobby

Hm. What makes you think that?

 

[deadinthewater]

Hm. What makes you think that?

I think it's the likeliest theory as well (or at least, that a car was involved). The time frame is so small. He never made it to the High School. What could have occurred in that 15 - 20 minute window from his house to Benson? If LE did do their job diligently (canvassed the neighbourhood/ talked to neighbors) and found nothing of note, I lean towards JJ being driven/taken (by someone he was familiar with/ might have trusted, but shouldn't have..).

Coming up on 21 years.. so incredibly sad.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Just heard about this JJ case. Very puzzling & sad. It's especially disturbing that he vanished in the mid-morning in a suburban neighborhood, a time/place most would consider "safe". I haven't had a chance to read much of these threads yet, but here's my take on this: any of these possible scenarios could have occurred, though some are definitely more likely than others:

1) IMHO the most likely explanation is that - since JJ was walking - someone offered him a ride & had nefarious purposes. If he did get into the car, he had a false sense of security - either because he knew the person, or didn't know them but probably didn't get any strange "vibes" from them, etc. I think most of us have it drilled into our heads as kids not to get into a car with a stranger you don't know, but it's not clear how trusting JJ was. That being said - I tend to think that if someone did offer him a ride, it was someone he knew.

2) Someone in a house in the direction he was walking (not necessarily a neighbor, or someone he knew well) distracted him & asked for help, etc. - and got him into their house under false pretenses, etc. However, I don't find this as plausible as #1. For one thing, JJ was on his way to work & I don't necessarily think he would have stopped to go into someone's house. However, this is still obviously possible.

3) JJ had the bad luck to run into a crazy person/drifter while he was cutting through an area without a road/street - and so whatever happened wasn't seen by anyone else. Unlikely.

4) He was hit/killed (accidentally or on purpose) by a car & the person/people in the vehicle moved him immediately into the car - before anyone in the neighborhood/area could see what was going on. Unlikely, especially given the time of day/area & the fact that no trace of an accident was found; i.e., if this had happened, I doubt the people in the car would have stuck around to clean this up, etc. So, I find this the least likely explanation.

I don't believe that JJ was a runaway. Not only was he starting a new job soon, but based on what I've read - he wouldn't have left his family behind without telling them where he was going/what he was doing. Also, a more practical reason was that he didn't have the money/resources to go anywhere & "start a new life".

 

[spearhead1030]

Just heard about this JJ case. Very puzzling & sad. It's especially disturbing that he vanished in the mid-morning in a suburban neighborhood, a time/place most would consider "safe". I haven't had a chance to read much of these threads yet, but here's my take on this: any of these possible scenarios could have occurred, though some are definitely more likely than others:

1) IMHO the most likely explanation is that - since JJ was walking - someone offered him a ride & had nefarious purposes. If he did get into the car, he had a false sense of security - either because he knew the person, or didn't know them but probably didn't get any strange "vibes" from them, etc. I think most of us have it drilled into our heads as kids not to get into a car with a stranger you don't know, but it's not clear how trusting JJ was. That being said - I tend to think that if someone did offer him a ride, it was someone he knew.

2) Someone in a house in the direction he was walking (not necessarily a neighbor, or someone he knew well) distracted him & asked for help, etc. - and got him into their house under false pretenses, etc. However, I don't find this as plausible as #1. For one thing, JJ was on his way to work & I don't necessarily think he would have stopped to go into someone's house. However, this is still obviously possible.

3) JJ had the bad luck to run into a crazy person/drifter while he was cutting through an area without a road/street - and so whatever happened wasn't seen by anyone else. Unlikely.

4) He was hit/killed (accidentally or on purpose) by a car & the person/people in the vehicle moved him immediately into the car - before anyone in the neighborhood/area could see what was going on. Unlikely, especially given the time of day/area & the fact that no trace of an accident was found; i.e., if this had happened, I doubt the people in the car would have stuck around to clean this up, etc. So, I find this the least likely explanation.

I don't believe that JJ was a runaway. Not only was he starting a new job soon, but based on what I've read - he wouldn't have left his family behind without telling them where he was going/what he was doing. Also, a more practical reason was that he didn't have the money/resources to go anywhere & "start a new life".

I agree with you that 1 is most likely what happened. Time to analyze everyone that Jason knew, even if the family only knew them peripherally. I wonder what could have been done differently.

Be found, JJ. 21 years too long.

 

[Valiant]

Just heard about this JJ case. Very puzzling & sad. It's especially disturbing that he vanished in the mid-morning in a suburban neighborhood, a time/place most would consider "safe". I haven't had a chance to read much of these threads yet, but here's my take on this: any of these possible scenarios could have occurred, though some are definitely more likely than others:

1) IMHO the most likely explanation is that - since JJ was walking - someone offered him a ride & had nefarious purposes. If he did get into the car, he had a false sense of security - either because he knew the person, or didn't know them but probably didn't get any strange "vibes" from them, etc. I think most of us have it drilled into our heads as kids not to get into a car with a stranger you don't know, but it's not clear how trusting JJ was. That being said - I tend to think that if someone did offer him a ride, it was someone he knew.

2) Someone in a house in the direction he was walking (not necessarily a neighbor, or someone he knew well) distracted him & asked for help, etc. - and got him into their house under false pretenses, etc. However, I don't find this as plausible as #1. For one thing, JJ was on his way to work & I don't necessarily think he would have stopped to go into someone's house. However, this is still obviously possible.

3) JJ had the bad luck to run into a crazy person/drifter while he was cutting through an area without a road/street - and so whatever happened wasn't seen by anyone else. Unlikely.

4) He was hit/killed (accidentally or on purpose) by a car & the person/people in the vehicle moved him immediately into the car - before anyone in the neighborhood/area could see what was going on. Unlikely, especially given the time of day/area & the fact that no trace of an accident was found; i.e., if this had happened, I doubt the people in the car would have stuck around to clean this up, etc. So, I find this the least likely explanation.

I don't believe that JJ was a runaway. Not only was he starting a new job soon, but based on what I've read - he wouldn't have left his family behind without telling them where he was going/what he was doing. Also, a more practical reason was that he didn't have the money/resources to go anywhere & "start a new life".

Here are the issues I see with those theories, but I sure don't see anything better.
1 and 2) What are the chances someone was able to do this impulsively and had a ready disposal site? What was the motivation? If it was a sexual predator why haven't similar incidents happened? I think if it happened it was a very familiar person.
3) Crazy person/drifter has no reason, and likely no place, to hide a body.
4) Moving a limp body is not the easy thing it appears on TV. Plus there would have been car parts scattered after the impact. Agree small chance.
I think because the body was so well hidden, if he was murdered, it was someone he was extremely familiar with. Someone who stood to lose a lot if some information was revealed.
And I don't think we can 100% rule some misadventure scenario. Not likely, I don't think but it has to be considered.

 

[kmiller2665]

I posted this to Reddit yesterday but will also post here.

Interesting as I've never seen this mentioned before, and never saw it myself, but I just was looking at Omaha World Herald newspapers doing some searches from around this time period, mainly to see if I could find anything on area construction. Haven't found anything yet, but I did come across an article titled "Clean Sweep of Omaha to Last Into July"

Article is from April 2001. It lists areas of the city scheduled for street sweeping. From the article:
June 9 - 22: Bedford Avenue, north; Hamilton, south; Missouri River, east; and 52nd, west.

June 23 - 29: Kansas Avenue, north; Bedford, south; Missouri River, east; and 52nd, west.

So, right around the time period of the disappearance, and within the 9 day time period (when police started looking), there is scheduled street sweeping in that area. Maybe any evidence from the street got destroyed that way. Interesting I've never seen anything about this potential street sweeping anywhere though. Could have been it was behind schedule at that point and didn't even make it to that area by the target date, as the article was from April after all. Could be irrelevant entirely.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

This is one of the few unsolved cases there that has really gotten under my skin. I used to walk a lot in my local area/neighborhood in my mid-late teens (didn't have a car for a long time) & so I guess this is somewhat relatable. Some other points:

-There has been discussion regarding JJ's cell phone, which could have been an important clue. Did he have this with him when he vanished?! If so, I don't think it was ever found. Note that in 2001, cell phones weren't nearly as prevalent as they are now. I didn't have one at the time, and I knew others who didn't as well. I.e., even if he had one with him he wouldn't have been glancing at it/texting at it constantly like people do today. It was mentioned that JJ's co-worker (who was picking him up from the high school parking lot) called his home phone, not his cell phone. Back during this era, I don't remember calling people on their cell phones as often as in later years. For one thing, people weren't giving their cell phone #'s out as much, etc.

-Earlier in the thread, it was implied that JJ may have had an "online life" & maybe he had plans to meet someone (that he met online) on the way to the high school parking lot. Well, it's possible - but IMHO not probable. I.e., his going to work that morning was unplanned & probably not something he really wanted to do (not having easy access to a car, since his was being repaired). So, I don't see that he would have tried to meet someone on the way to be picked up to go to work - especially given that he knew the co-worker was waiting for him. This meeting with a possible friend would need to have been set up very last minute. Again, not impossible - but IMHO this is improbable.

-It's possible JJ met with an unintentional accident when walking to work, and has never been found. Unlikely. But, I have heard of cases where people have accidentally fallen in a hole?! somewhere and gotten trapped, etc. - and their bodies haven't been found until years later. So, while I find this unlikely - it could have happened.

-Re: the possible sweet sweeper in the area around the time JJ disappeared: If this did occur, it is possible that someone in a car did hit JJ & then removed the body quickly without anyone seeing them....and this evidence (i.e. possible blood, possible car parts in the area, etc.) could have been unintentionally removed by the sweet sweeper. Again, though - this is unlikely.

 

[kmiller2665]

This is one of the few unsolved cases there that has really gotten under my skin. I used to walk a lot in my local area/neighborhood in my mid-late teens (didn't have a car for a long time) & so I guess this is somewhat relatable. Some other points:

-There has been discussion regarding JJ's cell phone, which could have been an important clue. Did he have this with him when he vanished?! If so, I don't think it was ever found. Note that in 2001, cell phones weren't nearly as prevalent as they are now. I didn't have one at the time, and I knew others who didn't as well. I.e., even if he had one with him he wouldn't have been glancing at it/texting at it constantly like people do today. It was mentioned that JJ's co-worker (who was picking him up from the high school parking lot) called his home phone, not his cell phone. Back during this era, I don't remember calling people on their cell phones as often as in later years. For one thing, people weren't giving their cell phone #'s out as much, etc.

-Earlier in the thread, it was implied that JJ may have had an "online life" & maybe he had plans to meet someone (that he met online) on the way to the high school parking lot. Well, it's possible - but IMHO not probable. I.e., his going to work that morning was unplanned & probably not something he really wanted to do (not having easy access to a car, since his was being repaired). So, I don't see that he would have tried to meet someone on the way to be picked up to go to work - especially given that he knew the co-worker was waiting for him. This meeting with a possible friend would need to have been set up very last minute. Again, not impossible - but IMHO this is improbable.

Yes I believe he had his cell phone with him. The Omaha World Herald articles from back then allude to this, by saying things like, "he hasn't used his cell phone since disappearing" in a few articles I've seen similar things stated. It's never been found.

 

[ekardh]

Earlier in the thread, it was implied that JJ may have had an "online life" & maybe he had plans to meet someone (that he met online) on the way to the high school parking lot. Well, it's possible - but IMHO not probable. I.e., his going to work that morning was unplanned & probably not something he really wanted to do (not having easy access to a car, since his was being repaired). So, I don't see that he would have tried to meet someone on the way to be picked up to go to work - especially given that he knew the co-worker was waiting for him. This meeting with a possible friend would need to have been set up very last minute. Again, not impossible - but IMHO this is improbable.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jason originally wanted to make his own way to work. When Fazoli's insisted he be picked up, he set up the rendezvous at Benson High School. I have a strong suspicion Jason did this to buy himself time to take a detour and let the person know about the change of plan.

I don't think there was anything random about this disappearance.

 

[Alleykins]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jason originally wanted to make his own way to work. When Fazoli's insisted he be picked up, he set up the rendezvous at Benson High School. I have a strong suspicion Jason did this to buy himself time to take a detour and let the person know about the change of plan.

I don't think there was anything random about this disappearance.

IMO, I don't think it's really a matter of correction but interpretation. How I interpreted it is Jason said he didn't have a way to get there and offered to walk. Then a coworker called back and offered a ride. I didn't see it as Jason wanting to make his own way or Fazoli's insisting he be picked up. That's my take on it, anyway.

I had a similar situation at my HS job. In my case, when I got called in I absolutely didn't want to go in and said I didn't have a way to get there except to walk, which would take over an hour. I was hoping my boss would accept that as a "no" and move along to another coworker. They had a habit of not taking a simple no or not interested for an answer. This was before caller ID. If you answered their call, it meant you were available to work in their book.
This time, my boss said no problem, I'm sending someone to get you, they'll be there in a few minutes and hung up before I could refuse. I didn't need to give directions, though. They knew where I lived.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

IMO, I don't think it's really a matter of correction but interpretation. How I interpreted it is Jason said he didn't have a way to get there and offered to walk. Then a coworker called back and offered a ride. I didn't see it as Jason wanting to make his own way or Fazoli's insisting he be picked up. That's my take on it, anyway.

Agree with this. I suspect that if JJ walked to Fazoli's it would have taken a while, and the manager knew this. However, if the co-worker picked him up from the high school, he would have gotten there a lot faster. The manager sounds like he really needed JJ there, and wanted to expedite his getting there by offering JJ a ride.

As far as JJ not wanting the co-worker to drive to his house, it could have been something as simple as wanting to inconvenience her as little as possible. So, presumably the high school was closer & she could just wait for him there.

I still am not convinced that JJ had plans to meet someone on the way to the HS. Yes, it's definitely possible. But, he didn't have much time to plan this - given that he didn't know he was going to work when he got up that morning.

Based on the minimal research I've done on this case, JJ seemed fairly responsible & I don't think he would have wanted the co-worker to wait for him that long - while he was side-tracked doing something else. Again, just my take on this however.

 

[deadinthewater]

Yes I believe he had his cell phone with him. The Omaha World Herald articles from back then allude to this, by saying things like, "he hasn't used his cell phone since disappearing" in a few articles I've seen similar things stated. It's never been found.

I wonder if they were able to check his cell phone records, even if the phone was with Jason when he went missing and therefore never recovered. Could that be done in 2001? I also wonder when exactly he started going on those long walks. Did his parents ever divulge where exactly he would go? A 30 - 45 minute walk is what seems normal to me, but 4 miles? Where was he walking? What area? As others have mentioned, was it a cover?

 

[Alleykins]

I wonder if they were able to check his cell phone records, even if the phone was with Jason when he went missing and therefore never recovered. Could that be done in 2001? I also wonder when exactly he started going on those long walks. Did his parents ever divulge where exactly he would go? A 30 - 45 minute walk is what seems normal to me, but 4 miles? Where was he walking? What area? As others have mentioned, was it a cover?

I'm going by memory. Back in 2001, we pretty much paid for each call, even local calls. I had so many minutes to use each month. And each month I'd get a detailed bill listing every call. So, I'm fairly certain they were able to check his phone records without the phone being present. I don't know about NE, but around here, there were hardly any cell towers so pings were useless in my neck of the woods to triangulate someone's position. Calls would bounce to the nearest available cell towers, sometimes they were fifty miles away, even if the person were a couple miles away from me calling.

 

[ekardh]

Agree with this. I suspect that if JJ walked to Fazoli's it would have taken a while, and the manager knew this. However, if the co-worker picked him up from the high school, he would have gotten there a lot faster. The manager sounds like he really needed JJ there, and wanted to expedite his getting there by offering JJ a ride.

As far as JJ not wanting the co-worker to drive to his house, it could have been something as simple as wanting to inconvenience her as little as possible. So, presumably the high school was closer & she could just wait for him there.

I still am not convinced that JJ had plans to meet someone on the way to the HS. Yes, it's definitely possible. But, he didn't have much time to plan this - given that he didn't know he was going to work when he got up that morning.

The old assumption was that JJ sucked at directions but regardless of whether he did or not, I believe there was an ulterior motive for getting picked up at Benson High School.

Presumably, JJ could've planned to meet this person the night before (or earlier). There were only a small number of people who knew about the change in schedule: JJ, his brother, and Fazoli's. If Jason didn't bring this to someone else's attention, we're dealing with an opportunist who caught him that morning.

There was only a small window of opportunity (10 mins) for JJ to disappear. It is incredibly unlucky, if not unlikely, that a random abduction took place in this narrow timeframe. Apparently JJ had been going for long walks in the evening. Although there were sketchy areas, apparently he was not at any risk there. I strongly doubt this was a random crime of opportunity, and it had more to do with Jason's private life. As an introverted guy with little to no social circle, it's unsurprising zero clues have been unearthed.

My problem has always been motive and timing. Why did this person decide to kidnap Jason that morning? Maybe when Jason cancelled, the two of them had a falling out which escalated to foul play?

 

[Andreee]

The old assumption was that JJ sucked at directions but regardless of whether he did or not, I believe there was an ulterior motive for getting picked up at Benson High School.

Presumably, JJ could've planned to meet this person the night before (or earlier). There were only a small number of people who knew about the change in schedule: JJ, his brother, and Fazoli's. If Jason didn't bring this to someone else's attention, we're dealing with an opportunist who caught him that morning.

There was only a small window of opportunity (10 mins) for JJ to disappear. It is incredibly unlucky, if not unlikely, that a random abduction took place in this narrow timeframe. Apparently JJ had been going for long walks in the evening. Although there were sketchy areas, apparently he was not at any risk there. I strongly doubt this was a random crime of opportunity, and it had more to do with Jason's private life. As an introverted guy with little to no social circle, it's unsurprising zero clues have been unearthed.

My problem has always been motive and timing. Why did this person decide to kidnap Jason that morning? Maybe when Jason cancelled, the two of them had a falling out which escalated to foul play?

As a longtime follower of this case, I find your way of explaining this brings me back around (in this neverending circle of mystery) to the viewpoint of this NOT being a random act of spur of moment foul play. But rather someone who had 'groomed' for lack of better word this naive young man into their web and obviously not in a good way. IMO.

 

[Alleykins]

I can't remember, but in the Montel interview, his mother said they arranged to meet up there, not attributing the idea to either one of them. So I'm not sure who's idea it was originally.

 

[Alleykins]

One of the reasons I refer back to the MW (2004) interview is because it is the earliest televised interview I can find with Jason's parents. If someone has a link to an earlier news interview, please post it, I'd love to watch it. Thank you.