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

[avobo00]

Have Jason’s mom, dad, or brother ever publicly stated what they think happened to Jason?

His brother never publicly spoken about Jason. He was 13-14 when Jason vanished so too young to really be in the press. <modsnip: sleuthing family> I wonder if he misses Jason after all these years, it would be hard to remember someone after 22 years when you lost them so young.

 

[Andreee]

His brother never publicly spoken about Jason. He was 13-14 when Jason vanished so too young to really be in the press. <modsnip> I wonder if he misses Jason after all these years, it would be hard to remember someone after 22 years when you lost them so young.

I think yes he would miss and remember JJ very well. <modsnip> I wish you all a happy holiday season and I hope that 2024 will be the year that there will be answers as to what happened to Jason Jolkowski who will never be forgotten here and by family!

 

[DD Byrd]

She said "don't be late." So even if just joking, why? If JJ known for being easily distracted or zoning out, might he be the type to spontaneously decide to stop somewhere en route? Or, as I believe, he was going to stop briefly anyway and knew he would have the time. Esp if he upped his pace. We know he liked "long walks," did he jog? It seems the heat of the day comes up in this thread, but there are people who run in mind-boggling heat and aren't bothered, so a quick jog to speed up (or even go in the other direction for a bit) isn't totally out of the question.

It's mentioned that he said to "meet at Benson." Presumably because he wasn't good at directions, which might be the case. It's also possible he wasn't good with directions AND wanted to go somewhere first. He may have had a plan to meet someone later that day, and being called into work upended that. As a responsible and courteous guy, he then went to that person's home or place of work to quickly say, "plans changed, I won't be able to make it at X o' clock, so see you late tonight/tmrw/whenever." Maybe someone didn't like that. Or, if it was an irregular time for him to pop by wherever he went that morning, maybe in arriving unannounced he surprised someone and/or saw something he shouldn't have. Likely somewhere he was familiar with, and may have had more than one, open, entrance.

It's possible he got into a car, but not likely. You'd get into a car if you knew the driver or passenger, and "family emergency" etc. was mentioned. Or even the more practical lure of A/C if the heat was indeed a factor. Some might even get into a police car for no actual reason if asked and a subtle abduction masquerading as a 15 second conversation in the street might not be noticed. But those scenarios still sound off.

If JJ was known to pull the garbage cans in between X-Xam every Weds, then there's a remote chance someone was waiting for him and was prepared to dramatically and non-covertly take him. Or, more likely, that person was planning to go to his house and felt nonsuspicious doing so (as in, was also known to the brother) or appeared to have a valid reason (gas company warning of a leak). Does anyone know what Jason WOULD have been doing until his work usually started between the time Fazoli's called and the regular evening shift? Or his brother's plans for that matter?

I don't think this was a stranger, but it was impulsive. My guess is this was 'accidently' clean, and any clues were either destroyed by the time the 10 days were up, or weren't noticed as clues in the first place.

 

[studebkr]

Sadly, this may never be solved in our lifetimes. The odds can be bumped up by what we are doing here though.

The way they caught Ted Kaczynski was to publish his manifesto. His brother recognized the writing style, and there was finally a suspect.

True crime podcasts are very popular right now, and I see comments on them all the time from people who never heard of this case. After 20+ years it is possible that a 3rd party knows something about JJ or the person responsible for his disappearance.

 

[scruffydog]

Sadly, this may never be solved in our lifetimes. The odds can be bumped up by what we are doing here though.

The way they caught Ted Kaczynski was to publish his manifesto. His brother recognized the writing style, and there was finally a suspect.

True crime podcasts are very popular right now, and I see comments on them all the time from people who never heard of this case. After 20+ years it is possible that a 3rd party knows something about JJ or the person responsible for his disappearance.

This has probably been asked before, so please forgive me-but are there any bodies of water on his route? It seems we have been seeing quite a few disappearances that have ended in water. I understand he wasn't driving, so I'm not thinking he accidentally drove in. But when I look at this case, to me it sounds more like a possible accident of some kind.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

I just think that whatever she did or didn't know about Jason's whereabouts and how long it would take that 30 mins is an awful long time to just sit in a car waiting.

I've never felt that anyone at Fazoli's had anything to do with JJ's vanishing. I don't know if we know whether the co-worker & JJ agreed to meet a specific time, or just "as soon as he gets there". Remember, this was last-minute. I honestly don't think waiting for someone for 30 minutes is a huge issue (especially if they're on foot), but that's me. I.e., if I were planning on waiting for someone for 15 minutes (roughly) and they didn't show up, I would wait an additional 15 minutes just in case they got held up, etc....giving them the benefit of the doubt, etc.

Now, if they didn't show up after an additional 15 minutes of waiting - yes, at at that point I would be concerned. In this case, the co-worker then used the pay phone at the nearby gas station when he didn't show up in a reasonable amount of time.

Also - note that the co-worker didn't have a cell phone. So, even though JJ may have had one with him when he left - he couldn't call her to let her know what his status was. So, for all she knew he was running late & couldn't call and tell her. This may have been why she waited longer than normal?! Just speculating here, obviously.

Either way, it's a moot point as, since LE checked the school's cameras for signs of Jason, I assume they saw her sitting there in her car.

Exactly.

 

[Andreee]

This has probably been asked before, so please forgive me-but are there any bodies of water on his route? It seems we have been seeing quite a few disappearances that have ended in water. I understand he wasn't driving, so I'm not thinking he accidentally drove in. But when I look at this case, to me it sounds more like a possible accident of some kind.

Yes this possibility has been discussed at length re possible construction work being done on the route. From what I recall there wasn't too much of that going on at the time. If a sewer pipe manhole or similar was open, JJ was so big I just cant see him completely disappearing in one. I went so far as to examine via google maps to try and see some of the manholes on his route but they dont look very big. There is one lake in a nearby park but I think it was searched. Jason's former neighbour Studebkr is on this thread. I think he has more details re. roadwork etc at the time. Most likely so does our other longtime member Matthew Tyler

 

[Alleykins]

Yes this possibility has been discussed at length re possible construction work being done on the route. From what I recall there wasn't too much of that going on at the time. If a sewer pipe manhole or similar was open, JJ was so big I just cant see him completely disappearing in one. I went so far as to examine via google maps to try and see some of the manholes on his route but they dont look very big. There is one lake in a nearby park but I think it was searched. Jason's former neighbour Studebkr is on this thread. I think he has more details re. roadwork etc at the time. Most likely so does our other longtime member Matthew Tyler

I looked at the manholes, too, via Google maps. I couldn't really tell how big they were. They appeared different sizes from different angles. There was one or two that looked open/off kilter on Pinkney, but those were in more recent map images.

 

[Ciriii57]

I've never felt that anyone at Fazoli's had anything to do with JJ's vanishing.

At this point I just think everything's still on the table for me. I can't help thinking his co-workers knew where he was going to be headed, but I admit it doesn't make much sense nor does there appear to be any motive that we know of.

I don't know if we know whether the co-worker & JJ agreed to meet a specific time, or just "as soon as he gets there". Remember, this was last-minute. I honestly don't think waiting for someone for 30 minutes is a huge issue (especially if they're on foot), but that's me.

This probably has more to do with my own impatience, I'm glad to know you'd be patient enough to wait for me if I was running that late haha
Although I don't think we know for sure if a specific time was mentioned I believe her saying "don't be late" does suggest that a time was mentioned.
I guess the important point is not how long she waited, but whether Jason was the type of person who would have been late or stopped in somewhere else or got into another car on his way. I can't be sure, but from everything we hear he sounds responsible and diligent so I don't believe so.

I wanted to ask about the fact that, when called to come into work early, he had originally planned to walk the "over 4 miles" to work. I know he enjoyed walking but that sounds a very long distance to walk; how long would that take and would he have even arrived any earlier after walking such a distance?
Again, if he was willing to do this, it suggests he was very committed and diligent.

 

[Andreee]

At this point I just think everything's still on the table for me. I can't help thinking his co-workers knew where he was going to be headed, but I admit it doesn't make much sense nor does there appear to be any motive that we know of.


This probably has more to do with my own impatience, I'm glad to know you'd be patient enough to wait for me if I was running that late haha
Although I don't think we know for sure if a specific time was mentioned I believe her saying "don't be late" does suggest that a time was mentioned.
I guess the important point is not how long she waited, but whether Jason was the type of person who would have been late or stopped in somewhere else or got into another car on his way. I can't be sure, but from everything we hear he sounds responsible and diligent so I don't believe so.

I wanted to ask about the fact that, when called to come into work early, he had originally planned to walk the "over 4 miles" to work. I know he enjoyed walking but that sounds a very long distance to walk; how long would that take and would he have even arrived any earlier after walking such a distance?
Again, if he was willing to do this, it suggests he was very committed and diligent.

Yes. For those of us who have followed this case for a long time, there is no doubt that JJ was a responsible and caring young man. If he stopped anywhere along the way to the school for whatever reason, IMO it would have been intended to be brief. But unfortunately that did not happen due to suspected foul play. From what I understand, his family and the police believe this to be the case. I agree with that.

 

[studebkr]

There is a small lagoon at the Fontenelle Park and Golf Course North of where JJ lived, but that is in the opposite direction of where he would be walking. Omaha has had a project that has extended several years where they are separating the storm and septic sewer systems in the older parts of town, and I had thought this was going on in the neighborhood then, but others have corrected me that that happened later. I don't see anyone falling down a manhole but they would be a great place to conceal crime evidence.

Someone mentioned the Kenyatta Bush case earlier. Her body was dumped North of town in a more wooded area. The Ponca Hills and Hummel Park areas have been chosen time and again, and are often searched.

I still find it interesting that J Sheets was released on the same day that JJ went missing. There was quite an uproar about that in the community. It is possible there was some vigilante activity, and JJ was a mistaken target, but that is a stretch.

Yet, everything is a stretch, and everything is a possibility. Everyone is a suspect. I have not ruled out a family member yet. I have not ruled out JJ running away. Just because they are less likely, doesn't rule them out. It's possible that a perp is lurking at this forum either feeling anonymously famous, or shame.

Though it has been tried, JJ has not been tied to any other case. That often helps when there are many. Omaha just jailed a woman who killed two and injured a 3rd person over the last couple of years. That survivor was able to help police tie together similarities between the cases.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

It's mentioned that he said to "meet at Benson." Presumably because he wasn't good at directions, which might be the case. It's also possible he wasn't good with directions AND wanted to go somewhere first. He may have had a plan to meet someone later that day, and being called into work upended that. As a responsible and courteous guy, he then went to that person's home or place of work to quickly say, "plans changed, I won't be able to make it at X o' clock, so see you late tonight/tmrw/whenever." Maybe someone didn't like that. Or, if it was an irregular time for him to pop by wherever he went that morning, maybe in arriving unannounced he surprised someone and/or saw something he shouldn't have. Likely somewhere he was familiar with, and may have had more than one, open, entrance.

Earlier on this thread (or a previous one), there was speculation that JJ's vanishing had something to do with his evening walks. Initially, I didn't think so - but now don't know what to think.

When I first started looking into this case last year, I didn't believe that JJ would make any side-trips on his way to the school - due to being in a hurry to get there. Remember, he was always planning on going to work on that particular day. So, if he did have plans with someone (that he had to break, due to going to work earlier than scheduled) - the plans would probably originally have been sometime that day - before his scheduled work shift that late afternoon/evening.

However, while I don't think he would have made an unscheduled stop somewhere to help someone move something (as I mentioned in an earlier post) - I guess it's possible that he stopped off @ someone's home to tell them something re: his plans having changed. That being said, why couldn't he have just called this person(s) and told them about this change of plans over the phone?! That would have been a lot easier than physically stopping @ their home. That also being said, if he didn't have their phone # and/or couldn't get through to them via the phone - I can see why he may have stopped by their home.

I wanted to ask about the fact that, when called to come into work early, he had originally planned to walk the "over 4 miles" to work. I know he enjoyed walking but that sounds a very long distance to walk; how long would that take and would he have even arrived any earlier after walking such a distance? Again, if he was willing to do this, it suggests he was very committed and diligent.

Good question. I remember hearing about this too. I don't know how long it would have taken him to actually walk to work from his home (not being from that area, I don't have a good sense of distances between locations). However, it appears that the walk to work would have taken him significantly?! longer than the walk to the H.S. - or else he wouldn't have bothered with setting up the pick-up by the co-worker.

 

[Ciriii57]

I don't know how long it would have taken him to actually walk to work from his home (not being from that area, I don't have a good sense of distances between locations). However, it appears that the walk would have taken him significantly?!

@studebkr Could you help us with this one? Is it even feasible to walk that distance?

Earlier on this thread (or a previous one), there was speculation that JJ's vanishing had something to do with his evening walks. Initially, I didn't think so - but now don't know what to think.

Reading that and something dawned on me...how do we, or anyone, know he was going on evening walks? Is it possible that these walks were in fact meetings with someone? I know it doesn't seem like it, but parents rarely know what's going on with their kids. I did sort of wonder at a 19 year old going for evening strolls...I could be way off...but it sounded a bit like an excuse to get out and do something he wasn't supposed to be.

 

[BethAnn777]

I wonder if Jason taking long walks was a newish hobby for him? I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and can’t think of even one boy I knew that liked to take long walks. I know it’s been said before, but I’m just now really digesting that the walks Jason took might not really have been walks at all. Long walks equal time. It takes time to go for a walk. Could he have been doing something during that time that wasn’t out walking?

Somebody somewhere has to know something! There must be an overlooked clue somewhere.

 

[studebkr]

Google maps says it would take 1 hour and 39 minutes to walk from Jason's house to Fazzoli's at 78th and Cass. The Buss would even be 45 min because of a transfer.

I remember, in an interview, Jason's mom stated that he had recently taken up walking for exercise.

 

[BethAnn777]

Google maps says it would take 1 hour and 39 minutes to walk from Jason's house to Fazzoli's at 78th and Cass. The Buss would even be 45 min because of a transfer.

I remember, in an interview, Jason's mom stated that he had recently taken up walking for exercise.

Ok…recently taken up walking. Man, this could be a total red herring or really something. If he was using that exercise time to do something else with someone else, then it makes a lot more sense to think that someone he knew did something to him on his way to meet his ride.

 

[Ciriii57]

Google maps says it would take 1 hour and 39 minutes to walk from Jason's house to Fazzoli's at 78th and Cass. The Buss would even be 45 min because of a transfer.

I remember, in an interview, Jason's mom stated that he had recently taken up walking for exercise.

Thank you for the info. That's quite a walk, especially on a warm day.

Regarding his mom stating he had recently taken up walking. She may be totally right. But she may also only have "thought" that based on what Jason told her. Parents often have no idea what their kids are up to in reality.

From ages 16-18 I used to tell my folks I was "going for a walk" in the evenings when in fact I just wanted to smoke a few cigarettes. If I'd have gone missing then they'd have said I enjoyed evening strolls too.

There is always a chance that Jason had been up to something else. Though lord knows what....

 

[BethAnn777]

Thank you for the info. That's quite a walk, especially on a warm day.

Regarding his mom stating he had recently taken up walking. She may be totally right. But she may also only have "thought" that based on what Jason told her. Parents often have no idea what their kids are up to in reality.

From ages 16-18 I used to tell my folks I was "going for a walk" in the evenings when in fact I just wanted to smoke a few cigarettes. If I'd have gone missing then they'd have said I enjoyed evening strolls too.

There is always a chance that Jason had been up to something else. Though lord knows what....

Ha! I used to sneak cigs too so I totally relate to that!
Kids/young adults living under their parent’s roof have been making excuses and telling white lies for as long as time.

 

[Andreee]

There is a small lagoon at the Fontenelle Park and Golf Course North of where JJ lived, but that is in the opposite direction of where he would be walking. Omaha has had a project that has extended several years where they are separating the storm and septic sewer systems in the older parts of town, and I had thought this was going on in the neighborhood then, but others have corrected me that that happened later. I don't see anyone falling down a manhole but they would be a great place to conceal crime evidence.

Someone mentioned the Kenyatta Bush case earlier. Her body was dumped North of town in a more wooded area. The Ponca Hills and Hummel Park areas have been chosen time and again, and are often searched.

I still find it interesting that J Sheets was released on the same day that JJ went missing. There was quite an uproar about that in the community. It is possible there was some vigilante activity, and JJ was a mistaken target, but that is a stretch.

Yet, everything is a stretch, and everything is a possibility. Everyone is a suspect. I have not ruled out a family member yet. I have not ruled out JJ running away. Just because they are less likely, doesn't rule them out. It's possible that a perp is lurking at this forum either feeling anonymously famous, or shame.

Though it has been tried, JJ has not been tied to any other case. That often helps when there are many. Omaha just jailed a woman who killed two and injured a 3rd person over the last couple of years. That survivor was able to help police tie together similarities between the cases.

As far as ruling out a family member im surprised to hear you say that. Just sayin'.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Taking it at face value, it's possible that JJ was just taking walks in the evening for no other reason than to get some exercise. That being said, I do agree that parents don't always know what their teen/young adult kids are doing. Going along with this - in many cases they certainly won't tell their parents what they're doing, either.

IMHO I don't see a family member as being involved in JJ's disappearance and/or being aware of what happened to him. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I don't even see this as a slight/remote possibility. To all of us who follow this case, it's evident that his family/parents were devastated & shocked by JJ's disappearance. His parents & mother especially made a great effort to find him. KM even went so far as to start "Project Jason" in 2003, which is an organization that helps with other missing persons cases; both of his parents went on the MW show in 2004 to highlight the case; etc. These are definitely not the actions of a family who knows what happened to their missing son.