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

[Sonny Crockett]

There's been a lot of great discussion on this extremely puzzling MP case. It's been good to read all of these posts. As I may have mentioned before, this is the #1 MP case that I follow. And, here are some follow-up comments/thoughts in response to several recent posts/opinions, etc.

-Alleykins, I read your last post above (#331) several times. Good write-up here. Back in the '90's, I do remember hearing that people were sometimes able to unintentionally hear the conversations of people in homes near them through their own land-lines. However, I don't remember hearing that this happened that often and/or on a regular basis; these just seemed like random occurrences.

I do see what you mean about JJ possibly being "stalked" in this manner & that someone may have overheard his phone conversation about his last-minute plans to walk to the H.S. & his car being in the shop, etc. And, since land-lines were still being used quite extensively in the early 200X's (even people with cell-phones ATT in many cases still had & used land-lines in that era) - this is plausible. Also as discussed, with 0 evidence pointing to anything that resulted in JJ's disappearance - almost anything is possible.

-When I first started looking into this case, I did find it possible (though not that likely) that JJ did accidentally fall into a hole/crevice/opening of some sort, was seriously injured/killed as a result of the fall - and the body still hasn't been found. IIRC there was talk of construction/street-work?! being done in his area/neighborhood ATT. And, it has been speculated that he encountered something like this on his 15-minute (roughly) walk to the H.S. However, the more I think about this case - the less likely I believe this is what happened here. I.e., if this had occurred - I strongly believe his body would have been found in the 20+ years since he vanished. Yes, it's possible if something like this happened to him he may not have been found if those doing the construction work didn't see him & unintentionally covered the body up, etc. - which is plausible...but, again, IMHO not that likely.

Again, however - with this case anything is possible since there are literally 0 leads.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

That may be true, but coming from a strong religious background and not having a girlfriend doesn’t mean he was probably gay. He could just as easily be introverted or have difficulties with social interaction, or simply not be interested in dating at the time. And there are plenty of teenagers who engage in activities they don’t necessarily care for in order to please their parents. I still see absolutely nothing to indicate he was gay or give that theory any other weight outside of baseless speculation.

Agree with this 100%. Note the following is IMHO only:

I have no way to prove this, but after all of the extensive research I've done on this JJ case - I suspect he was straight. Everything I've read does indicate he was interested in women. However - by all accounts, he was socially awkward & may have had trouble with dating, etc.

I really think it’s more likely his case is some kind of accident or ‘death by misadventure’ or perhaps a random of act of violence.

Agree with this as well.

 

[Andreee]

There's been a lot of great discussion on this extremely puzzling MP case. It's been good to read all of these posts. As I may have mentioned before, this is the #1 MP case that I follow. And, here are some follow-up comments/thoughts in response to several recent posts/opinions, etc.

-Alleykins, I read your last post above (#331) several times. Good write-up here. Back in the '90's, I do remember hearing that people were sometimes able to unintentionally hear the conversations of people in homes near them through their own land-lines. However, I don't remember hearing that this happened that often and/or on a regular basis; these just seemed like random occurrences.

I do see what you mean about JJ possibly being "stalked" in this manner & that someone may have overheard his phone conversation about his last-minute plans to walk to the H.S. & his car being in the shop, etc. And, since land-lines were still being used quite extensively in the early 200X's (even people with cell-phones ATT in many cases still had & used land-lines in that era) - this is plausible. Also as discussed, with 0 evidence pointing to anything that resulted in JJ's disappearance - almost anything is possible.

-When I first started looking into this case, I did find it possible (though not that likely) that JJ did accidentally fall into a hole/crevice/opening of some sort, was seriously injured/killed as a result of the fall - and the body still hasn't been found. IIRC there was talk of construction/street-work?! being done in his area/neighborhood ATT. And, it has been speculated that he encountered something like this on his 15-minute (roughly) walk to the H.S. However, the more I think about this case - the less likely I believe this is what happened here. I.e., if this had occurred - I strongly believe his body would have been found in the 20+ years since he vanished. Yes, it's possible if something like this happened to him he may not have been found if those doing the construction work didn't see him & unintentionally covered the body up, etc. - which is plausible...but, again, IMHO not that likely.

Again, however - with this case anything is possible since there are literally 0 leads.

I agree with you that it is unlikely JJ fell into some kind of construction area or a sewer hole or whatever. If this was a small child I would think it more likely that was what happened. I think it was foul play of some kind.

 

[ekardh]

That may be true, but coming from a strong religious background and not having a girlfriend doesn’t mean he was probably gay. He could just as easily be introverted or have difficulties with social interaction, or simply not be interested in dating at the time. And there are plenty of teenagers who engage in activities they don’t necessarily care for in order to please their parents. I still see absolutely nothing to indicate he was gay or give that theory any other weight outside of baseless speculation.

And even if he were gay and it had something to do with his disappearance, that would really only leave us with two options: he started to explore dating and became involved with someone who harmed him, or he was groomed into a relationship with a predatory older male.

Considering it was 2001 and Nebraska, I sincerely doubt the former option would be true without some evidence of it or someone knowing. I was bisexual and dating openly as a teenager in central Florida at that time, and had to drive almost an hour to get to any kind of gay-friendly space and you didn’t find them by chance. You had to know where you were going or know someone else gay. I don’t imagine Nebraska had a real bustling gay scene back then. Someone would have interacted with him, or there would be some evidence of him searching out for others. The odds that he would be closeted and dating, with no one noticing, and that the first and only person he dated would end up being someone who kidnapped and murdered him, again, without even a whiff of proof, seems very unlikely.

If he were closeted and being groomed by an older predatory figure and that individual harmed him, I still feel like there would have been signs: a shift in his behavior, emotional instability, etc. Those are two significant factors that would have an impact on a young man and I think someone close to him would have picked up on one or the other. Is there even any evidence of abusive older males working at the church he attended? Any sex offenders nearby who would have regularly interacted with him? Accusations of other young men being groomed or abused by an older male in the area? Without anything to base it on, it seems like one would need to make several leaps in logic in order for this scenario to seem plausible.

I really think it’s more likely his case is some kind of accident or ‘death by misadventure’ or a perhaps a random of act of violence.

First of all, I never said Jason was "probably" gay, but I feel that the circumstances surrounding Jason's personal life have not been accounted for. A mild-mannered young man, no girlfriend, from a strongly religious background, considering joining the seminary, and you don't think sexuality could've been a factor? That seems awfully dismissive to me.

Who's to argue what Jason's relationship was with this individual? They may have offered to counsel him about his sexuality. It doesn't sound like Jason had any close friends he could confide in, and it would be an awkward subject to broach with his parents. You say it's speculative, but where else is there to go after over two decades without a single clue?

Anyway, I already made the addendum that Jason might not have been gay, but someone he was involved with misread the signals. Maybe that's why they got rid of him that day?

An accident or random act of violence seems unlikely. It was a short walk through a suburb at 10am in the morning. There was no major construction work going on, nowhere realistically that Jason could've perished. It's like the old car accident theory. There were no signs of a car accident, no evidence, no noise, no witnesses. It's called a "hit and RUN", the clue is in the name. You're not bundling an injured man into your vehicle in broad daylight... and then what? Disposing of the body? It's pure fantasy. People simply panic, drive away, and hope no one saw them.

And I can't see someone randomly attacking and abducting him. Never happened to Jason on the mean streets of Omaha when he went for long evening walks, but amazingly he crosses paths with a random murderer driving around at 10am looking for a six-foot dude? An impulsive, ambitious murderer who has apparently never surfaced again.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

I was thinking less construction and more of something like an old well that was never covered up or marked. I remember a case where a small girl was crushed in between her mattress and bed frame and literally wasn’t found for days despite law enforcement and others being in and out of the room repeatedly; her body had become wedged in such a way that made her almost impossible to see. There was another missing person’s case solved recently when a man was found wedged behind a commercial refrigerator or large shelving whose body was trapped there for years. I know Jason was rather tall but he was relatively trim, and the area he was last in was a residential one, but there are always hidden dangers in any landscape.

It’s beyond sad that there is so little to go on in this case and so little movement. It’s as if he evaporated into thin air.

Just saw this post. I still believe the possibility of JJ getting mortally injured as the result of an accident/misadventure (which had no connection to another person) relatively unlikely. However, this slight possibility brings up another question/point that has been discussed, i.e.:

How extensively was the area searched?! We know there wasn't a "canvassing" of the neighborhoods re: the authorities going to numerous people's doors (though some neighbors were interviewed). And, this was presumably because the disappearance wasn't taken extremely seriously - due to JJ being an adult male. However, was the physical, exterior landscape between JJ's house extensively searched by anyone/a group right after he vanished?! By "extensively", I mean an exhaustive search that thoroughly traced the path/paths he probably would have taken on his walk to the H.S. - including of course any possible construction areas/street-work. I know that there was a video (in a previous post) that depicted what these streets looked like at this time. But, I don't think we know exactly how they looked back in June 2001.

That being said, it's obvious that even if an extensive search like this was done ATT & if he was in that area/area(s) - he still may have been missed. I.e., all of us who follow MP cases know that even when an area is searched like this, people may still be missed - in some cases for years.

 

[cenazoic]

A mild-mannered young man, no girlfriend, from a strongly religious background, considering joining the seminary, and you don't think sexuality could've been a factor? That seems awfully dismissive to me.

But this collection of facts and your ‘obvious’ interpretation of them seems awfully stereotypical and dismissive to me.

OF COURSE sexuality is an issue - for anyone considering joining the seminary or other group which requires celibacy. Celibacy, which requires abstention from one’s natural sexuality, is difficult for almost every person, and that’s sort of the point. It does not follow that anyone considering the priesthood is gay (or straight).

Who's to argue what Jason's relationship was with this individual?

Which individual is this? A hypothetical predatory priest?

You say it's speculative, but where else is there to go after over two decades without a single clue?

I mean, fair enough.

I don’t have an issue with speculation, per se, but with speculation that isn’t grounded in known facts (which, agreed, can be hard to come by in some cases).

A theory: “Many mild-mannered young men without girlfriends play Dungeons and Dragons. Perhaps the Dungeon Master, as a sort of authority figure, offered to counsel him and then did away with him for reasons unknown.”.

But the question then becomes - does that speculation advance the case in any way? Does it open up fresh avenues of possible inquiry?

So to circle back around to the hypothetical predatory priest/church member, possibly yes, actually.

@bearfossils asked whether there were any such people at the church. So I can envision tracking down a list of names of priests or seminarians who were associated with the church in 2001/late 1990s, then cross-referencing them with known abusers.

 

[Vital Forces]

My current take is that he must have entered a house or vehicle willingly. If he didn't know his abductor, then this is the most random crime to ever happen. If he ran away or committed suicide, then why did he accept the shift change and do it when people would be expecting him?

 

[Andreee]

But this collection of facts and your ‘obvious’ interpretation of them seems awfully stereotypical and dismissive to me.

OF COURSE sexuality is an issue - for anyone considering joining the seminary or other group which requires celibacy. Celibacy, which requires abstention from one’s natural sexuality, is difficult for almost every person, and that’s sort of the point. It does not follow that anyone considering the priesthood is gay (or straight).



Which individual is this? A hypothetical predatory priest?



I mean, fair enough.

I don’t have an issue with speculation, per se, but with speculation that isn’t grounded in known facts (which, agreed, can be hard to come by in some cases).

A theory: “Many mild-mannered young men without girlfriends play Dungeons and Dragons. Perhaps the Dungeon Master, as a sort of authority figure, offered to counsel him and then did away with him for reasons unknown.”.

But the question then becomes - does that speculation advance the case in any way? Does it open up fresh avenues of possible inquiry?

So to circle back around to the hypothetical predatory priest/church member, possibly yes, actually.

@bearfossils asked whether there were any such people at the church. So I can envision tracking down a list of names of priests or seminarians who were associated with the church in 2001/late 1990s, then cross-referencing them with known abusers.

There was one priest I think we had looked into but no reports of abuse. One way or another several investigators including 'cold case' ones have looked at this case even in recent years, and absolutely no clues whatsover. But we

 

[bearfossils]

But this collection of facts and your ‘obvious’ interpretation of them seems awfully stereotypical and dismissive to me.

OF COURSE sexuality is an issue - for anyone considering joining the seminary or other group which requires celibacy. Celibacy, which requires abstention from one’s natural sexuality, is difficult for almost every person, and that’s sort of the point. It does not follow that anyone considering the priesthood is gay (or straight).

This is my issue as well. I have no problem with theoretical exploration, but I think it needs to be rooted in some kind of evidence or fact. Jason coming from a strict religious background and being socially awkward isn’t enough for me to seriously engage with hypotheticals about his sexuality. We didn’t know Jason, we don’t know his family, and frankly, we have very little access to information about this case. I don’t see the point in questioning the sexuality of a stranger or building theories around it without something concrete to suggest that route in the first place.

I don’t have an issue with speculation, per se, but with speculation that isn’t grounded in known facts (which, agreed, can be hard to come by in some cases).

A theory: “Many mild-mannered young men without girlfriends play Dungeons and Dragons. Perhaps the Dungeon Master, as a sort of authority figure, offered to counsel him and then did away with him for reasons unknown.”.

But the question then becomes - does that speculation advance the case in any way? Does it open up fresh avenues of possible inquiry?

And that right there is exactly why. What benefit does that bring? Without evidence, how is it anymore likely than him having some secret drug problem or a hidden criminal involvement? If both of those seem out of the realm of possibility, then why is the idea that he had some hidden gay lifestyle or gay abuser any more probable? You can’t discern the sexuality of a stranger based on meager public facts and your subjective responses to them. That’s why I think many people are unwilling to speculate about his sexuality and what effect, if any, it had on his disappearance.

 

[Alleykins]

Hoping someone can please refresh my memory.
I recall reading somewhere, probably on here in an older thread, that one of Jason's neighbor's houses were searched. If so, do we know which neighbor? Was it the one who claims they saw him bringing up the trash cans that morning, or a different one? @studebkr , would you happen to know, by chance?

 

[CountSnap]

My current take is that he must have entered a house or vehicle willingly. If he didn't know his abductor, then this is the most random crime to ever happen. If he ran away or committed suicide, then why did he accept the shift change and do it when people would be expecting him?

Maybe the straw that broke the camel's back?
Years ago, on my last day at a job they asked me to come in 4 hours early and still stay through my normal shift.
It was, well quite the ask being my final day and all. Funny, that it made my friends madder than it did me. But it was a heck of a thing to be done with the place but they still asked to come in early and all.
It was nearing, if not JJ's last day. And then to be told by the person picking him up "You'd better be there."
Maybe JJ had enough?

Just working through your comments... Trying to put myself in his shoes.
I do lean toward him encountering someone he knew though.

 

[CountSnap]

I have no way to prove this, but after all of the extensive research I've done on this JJ case - I suspect he was straight. Everything I've read does indicate he was interested in women. However - by all accounts, he was socially awkward & may have had trouble with dating, etc.

Thank you for your comments. His interest in women, or lack of is something I've been curious on for some time.
Possible to share more on what you've found to indicate he was interested in women?
(And I'm not saying he wasn't... Just interested FOR HIS CASE because I haven't seen the usual "He went to Prom with so and so." Or, "he dated Marcia for 3 years.
Kind of been....

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Great comments/questions. It's always nice to see someone add their thoughts to this case. To respond to some recent points with my thoughts/input:

Maybe the straw that broke the camel's back?
Years ago, on my last day at a job they asked me to come in 4 hours early and still stay through my normal shift.
It was, well quite the ask being my final day and all. Funny, that it made my friends madder than it did me. But it was a heck of a thing to be done with the place but they still asked to come in early and all.
It was nearing, if not JJ's last day. And then to be told by the person picking him up "You'd better be there."
Maybe JJ had enough?

I find this unlikely, and don't see that happening in this particular case. By all accounts, JJ was conscientious & hard-working. I don't see him setting it up so that his co-worker would go out of her way to pick him up at the H.S. & then intentionally not showing up because he was fed up with work, etc.

Plus, he had a new job waiting for him & he was possibly going to continue with college classes, etc.

However, even if do believe that he ditched work that day & stormed off because he was upset - I don't see why he wouldn't have shown up back @ home eventually. I.e., I don't believe he would have left his family & life behind for good. Note that:

1) There was 0 activity on his bank account after he vanished;
2) He was on foot when he was last seen, since he didn't have access to his car (it was in the shop for repairs);
3) It's unclear if he had a cell phone, but if he did I don't believe there was any activity on that after he vanished, either.

 

[cenazoic]

Do you have a theory about what happened to Jason, @Sonny Crockett ? Would love to hear it!

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Didn't want to make my last post too long:

Thank you for your comments. His interest in women, or lack of is something I've been curious on for some time.
Possible to share more on what you've found to indicate he was interested in women?
(And I'm not saying he wasn't... Just interested FOR HIS CASE because I haven't seen the usual "He went to Prom with so and so." Or, "he dated Marcia for 3 years.
Kind of been....

All of the below is IMHO only:

As I said, I've done a lot of research on this case. However, I don't feel comfortable sharing links because other sites I've been to have opinions/testimonials that would certainly be considered purely anecdotal, etc.

That being said: I will say that some of what I've read have been by people who claimed to have known JJ. And, based on what they've said, I do believe he was interested in women. That also being said, JJ did appear to be shy/somewhat introverted - though it seemed he was trying to possibly 'break out of his shell' by taking the radio DJ job, etc.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

I mentioned this personal account in a previous post (possibly in JJ thread #3). But, given that we seem to have new people posting/interested in this case, IMHO it bears repeating here:

Many years ago when I was middle school, I was out riding my bike with some friends in my suburban neighborhood - which was possibly similar to JJ's. This was definitely during the day; not at night/evening - or early morning. For context, this was the early '80's. I briefly got separated from my friends & was riding my bike down a sidewalk near where they were. At one point, I noticed this individual in a parked car nearby - beckoning me to come over. I had no idea who this person was & was very much creeped out by the whole situation. I went over & told my friends about this, and we promptly & quickly all left the area.

Yes, the situation here was not the same as what possibly happened to JJ; for one thing, he was much older than I was in my account, etc.

However, my point is that there are a lot of freaks out there. And, it's possible that JJ was targeted by one?! of them.

Do you have a theory about what happened to Jason, @Sonny Crockett ? Would love to hear it!

I'm as baffled as everyone else re: what happened to JJ. It could have been almost anything. That being said, I strongly lean towards him either getting into a car or going into a house on his walk to the school - and the disappearance obviously being connected to that.

If I had to pick one theory, the car one seems the most plausible to me. And, though I initially thought he may have gotten into a car of someone he knew - who knows?! Who's to say that a stranger didn't drive by & offer him a ride to the school?! Would JJ have gotten into a car of someone he didn't know at all?! How trusting was he?! If he didn't think the person meant him any harm & if it was a hot/warm day - I can possibly see this happening.

 

[dotr]

Complete fanciful speculation,
What if on Jason's evening walks he meets with a woman, maybe she regularly walks a dog or jogs in the neighbourhood, or is a radio sports fan who lives near the HS where he is supposed to get a lift to work.
Let's say she has recently broken up with a jealous and abusive bf/spouse and J has a soft heart and lends a sympathetic ear.

Maybe by unfortunate chance, she spots J walking by and beseeches him to quickly come and help, he approaches and the bf attacks.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Complete fanciful speculation,
What if on Jason's evening walks he meets with a woman, maybe she regularly walks a dog or jogs in the neighbourhood, or is a radio sports fan who lives near the HS where he is supposed to get a lift to work.
Let's say she has recently broken up with a jealous and abusive bf/spouse and J has a soft heart and lends a sympathetic ear.

Maybe by unfortunate chance, she spots J walking by and beseeches him to quickly come and help, he approaches and the bf attacks.

Yes - this is plausible. There was a theory out there that JJ had the misfortune to run into a jealous bf/husband - and that his disappearance was directly tied into this possibility. And, this specific scenario you outline above also fits into the theory that whatever happened to JJ was related to his walking into a house on his way to the H.S., etc. I.e., if it happened this way - I think JJ went into a house & something happened afterwards - as opposed to something happening in a driveway or on the street, etc.

Also going along with this, given that JJ did not fit into the "tough, alpha male" category (and this is definitely not a criticism, just an observation) - women may have seen him as more of a sensitive type that they could talk to about their problems/issues, etc.

 

[Alleykins]

Women can be predators, too. And murderers. We rarely hear about them, but I think assaults on men, committed by women, are way under reported by victims. Once in a vehicle or dwelling, a woman would be just as capable of subduing a male victim with a weapon as a man.

Also, Jason may not have necessarily entered a house, but a garage, especially if he were offered, and then accepted, a ride, and the vehicle was in the garage. That could also explain why no one saw him get picked up.

I don’t believe Jason would have gotten into a car with a stranger, but I do believe he would have gotten into a car or entered a dwelling of someone he was loosely acquainted with and thought he could trust, especially a woman, given the circumstances. Those circumstances being he was in a hurry, it was hot out, and his trek included a heck of an incline. Also, if he had just woken up and spent all his time getting ready and out the door, there’s a good chance he didn’t have time to eat. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I’m hungry, I don’t make the best decisions or have good judgment.

 

[Alleykins]

I stumbled across this YouTube video about Jason's case, published on 08/01/2023, which I don't recall being posted here yet. If so, I apologize for the repeat post.

I didn't really learn anything new, but it was worth watching because the creator walks the route from Jason's house to the high school while reviewing the case. It also has some pictures I hadn't seen before. Of note, you can see the trashcans are out on the Pinkney Street side of the house. The creator claims most of their information and pictures come from old news articles in the Omaha World Herald.

What struck me as curious is the circuitous route the video creator took. I don't know if they have knowledge this was the route Jason would have taken, or if it was chosen because it appears to be less steep. They take that small strip on Pinkney Street, walk up N48th Ave, and cross Bedford Street, instead of scaling it. Then they skirt Lake James Park and take a side street to get to Maple, then the high school. Their walk takes about 20 or so minutes to get to the high school front door. I could be wrong, but I don't believe this would have been the route he would have taken, given it would add time to his jaunt. Maybe long strides would have shortened the time, but I’m not sure if they were just taking that route for its ease, or if it's meant to represent the actual route he took.