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

[Sonny Crockett]

Unfortunately, I agree completely that JJ has probably passed on - and that it probably happened the day that he vanished.

When I first started following this case, I never got the impression he wanted to "run away" and "start a new life" due to possibly not getting along with his family and/or being dissatisfied with his work/job, etc. By all accounts, he was looking forward to starting a new job soon & may also have had plans to go back to school, etc. Also, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance do not lend themselves to someone running away & 'starting over' - i.e., vanishing while walking to work (especially @ an unplanned earlier time than usual); needing to meet a co-worker that was going to pick him up within a tight time-frame; etc.

Also, as has been mentioned before - there was 0 activity on his financial accounts after he disappeared.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

To follow-up on a point that's been discussed to some extent on here - I tend to think JJ's possible "online life" probably didn't play a factor in his disappearance. However, on the flip-side I am willing to entertain the possibility that it may have been a factor. That being said - without concrete, digital proof of this - there's no way to be able to tell either way if this played a part - or not.

I think you or someone said previously that LE looked at his computer, or at least his parents would have IMO. And that nothing was found? But with the messaging back then, maybe it was eraseable more easily, I don't know!

As someone who was online back in 2001, the internet (or the World Wide Web, as it was sometimes referred to in those early days) was very primitive - especially in comparison to these days, that is. I'm fairly certain that like most of us, JJ's family would probably only have had access to dial-up internet ATT. And, as we old-timers will remember - this meant that whenever you went online you had to go through your regular phone-line (land-line)...which resulted in your not being able to use your land-line while you were on the internet. As a result, people were generally online less than now - especially if they lived with others that needed to use the phone at different times, etc. Going along with this, I remember not wanting to be online too much when I was expecting potentially important calls, so I wouldn't tie up my land-line. Also, if you were online for more than 3-4 hours your Internet service would typically then kick you off, and you had to get back online again.

It's been so long that I don't remember if instant messages were saved after you got offline, or if your old messages disappeared. I guess it would depend on the type of program that was used. I do remember Yahoo Instant Messaging (long defunct), but I'm sure there were others.

Note e-mails would definitely have stayed in an e-mail IN box & SENT box for a long time, or at least as long as the account was active. However, if JJ had an e-mail address his family would have needed to know his username & password, etc. in order to access the account (after he vanished). And, if an e-mail account was dormant for a given amount of time, then IIRC the account would ultimately/eventually get cancelled.

 

[Alleykins]

To follow-up on a point that's been discussed to some extent on here - I tend to think JJ's possible "online life" probably didn't play a factor in his disappearance. However, on the flip-side I am willing to entertain the possibility that it may have been a factor. That being said - without concrete, digital proof of this - there's no way to be able to tell either way if this played a part - or not.



As someone who was online back in 2001, the internet (or the World Wide Web, as it was sometimes referred to in those early days) was very primitive - especially in comparison to these days, that is. I'm fairly certain that like most of us, JJ's family would probably only have had access to dial-up internet ATT. And, as we old-timers will remember - this meant that whenever you went online you had to go through your regular phone-line (land-line)...which resulted in your not being able to use your land-line while you were on the internet. As a result, people were generally online less than now - especially if they lived with others that needed to use the phone at different times, etc. Going along with this, I remember not wanting to be online too much when I was expecting potentially important calls, so I wouldn't tie up my land-line. Also, if you were online for more than 3-4 hours your Internet service would typically then kick you off, and you had to get back online again.

It's been so long that I don't remember if instant messages were saved after you got offline, or if your old messages disappeared. I guess it would depend on the type of program that was used. I do remember Yahoo Instant Messaging (long defunct), but I'm sure there were others.

Note e-mails would definitely have stayed in an e-mail IN box & SENT box for a long time, or at least as long as the account was active. However, if JJ had an e-mail address his family would have needed to know his username & password, etc. in order to access the account (after he vanished). And, if an e-mail account was dormant for a given amount of time, then IIRC the account would ultimately/eventually get cancelled.

When the internet exploded onto the scene, I worked in residential customer service for our local phone company. Additional lines were a hot seller in the beginning, due to dial up internet, but by 2001, we had rolled out high speed internet service, DSL. I remember this because I wanted DSL at my house, which I bought in 2000, but I lived too far out in the country to get it, or cable TV, for that matter. I had to use dial up and satellite TV for a bit. By 2004, cable was finally available, and we got their high speed internet. It took almost 20 years, but I can finally get DSL at my house now - at dial up speeds.

 

[MatthewTyler]

To follow-up on a point that's been discussed to some extent on here - I tend to think JJ's possible "online life" probably didn't play a factor in his disappearance. However, on the flip-side I am willing to entertain the possibility that it may have been a factor. That being said - without concrete, digital proof of this - there's no way to be able to tell either way if this played a part - or not.



As someone who was online back in 2001, the internet (or the World Wide Web, as it was sometimes referred to in those early days) was very primitive - especially in comparison to these days, that is. I'm fairly certain that like most of us, JJ's family would probably only have had access to dial-up internet ATT. And, as we old-timers will remember - this meant that whenever you went online you had to go through your regular phone-line (land-line)...which resulted in your not being able to use your land-line while you were on the internet. As a result, people were generally online less than now - especially if they lived with others that needed to use the phone at different times, etc. Going along with this, I remember not wanting to be online too much when I was expecting potentially important calls, so I wouldn't tie up my land-line. Also, if you were online for more than 3-4 hours your Internet service would typically then kick you off, and you had to get back online again.

It's been so long that I don't remember if instant messages were saved after you got offline, or if your old messages disappeared. I guess it would depend on the type of program that was used. I do remember Yahoo Instant Messaging (long defunct), but I'm sure there were others.

Note e-mails would definitely have stayed in an e-mail IN box & SENT box for a long time, or at least as long as the account was active. However, if JJ had an e-mail address his family would have needed to know his username & password, etc. in order to access the account (after he vanished). And, if an e-mail account was dormant for a given amount of time, then IIRC the account would ultimately/eventually get cancelled.

One thing to note is that Jason was presumably home all day while his parents were at work, so he could probably use the internet dial-up without interrupting them. We know Jason usually started work at 5:30 PM, and that he dropped out of IWCC sometime in the winter. This means that there was at least a 3-4 month period where Jason was home alone during the daytime hours while his parents were at work and his brother was at school.If not online, then I do wonder how Jason spent his days.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

One thing to note is that Jason was presumably home all day while his parents were at work, so he could probably use the internet dial-up without interrupting them. We know Jason usually started work at 5:30 PM, and that he dropped out of IWCC sometime in the winter. This means that there was at least a 3-4 month period where Jason was home alone during the daytime hours while his parents were at work and his brother was at school.If not online, then I do wonder how Jason spent his days.

You are correct. We don't know what he was doing at home during that time. I also forgot that DSL became available in some areas around that time. I know it wasn't around where I lived ATT, but that doesn't mean that JJ's area didn't have access to this.

 

[Alleykins]

I think DSL came on board in my area in the late 90s. Most of the major cities I served had it by 2000, I remember training for it. But availability was limited, based on a few things, like distance and central office equipment.
I can't speak for Nebraska, but where Omaha is a major city there, I'm thinking they got high speed internet early on in the game. Whether or not the Jolkowskis had it in 2001 is anybody's guess, but I'm thinking it's a possibility.

 

[Andreee]

One thing to note is that Jason was presumably home all day while his parents were at work, so he could probably use the internet dial-up without interrupting them. We know Jason usually started work at 5:30 PM, and that he dropped out of IWCC sometime in the winter. This means that there was at least a 3-4 month period where Jason was home alone during the daytime hours while his parents were at work and his brother was at school.If not online, then I do wonder how Jason spent his days.

We do know however that Jason liked to play video games online and go for long walks

 

[BethAnn777]

I don’t know about Jason, obviously, but I am roughly his age and home during the day without parents and the wild west that was the internet, I got into all sorts of trouble. Who knows who he might have met? Maybe he was catfished? Maybe he told someone his address and was being stalked? Or he told someone his real name and that person found Jason’s address. I stupidly told several different people online my real name and the city I lived in.

 

[Andreee]

I don’t know about Jason, obviously, but I am roughly his age and home during the day without parents and the wild west that was the internet, I got into all sorts of trouble. Who knows who he might have met? Maybe he was catfished? Maybe he told someone his address and was being stalked? Or he told someone his real name and that person found Jason’s address. I stupidly told several different people online my real name and the city I lived in.

Yes, I can see that happening with Jason. We've come to 'know' him a bit on this thread and that he was a polite and kind young man, and the helpful type who may've been lured. Sadly enough.

 

[Valiant]

By 2000, I had been using cable internet for a few years, so high speed non-dial up
Options were certainly around by then.

Given what was known back then, probably few people really knew how to trace what someone did online. It’s possible he had a secret online life. It’s also possible he had a secret life in person. No evidence of either ever surfaced.

 

[studebkr]

I had COX Cable internet by that time. It was 10mb and I had to have the cable company install a new "drop" because the old cable was not up to snuff. I do not know if the Jolkowskis had upgraded to cable by then or not. I assume, since the mother worked for an IT company, they moved pretty fast on it.

 

[Alleykins]

I had COX Cable internet by that time. It was 10mb and I had to have the cable company install a new "drop" because the old cable was not up to snuff. I do not know if the Jolkowskis had upgraded to cable by then or not. I assume, since the mother worked for an IT company, they moved pretty fast on it.

Thanks for weighing in.

 

[studebkr]

The partial remains of a man 25-50 was found west of town this week. It had been there 2-25 years.

 

[dotr]

The partial remains of a man 25-50 was found west of town this week. It had been there 2-25 years.

March 16 2023

Expert analysis sought to help ID skeletal human remains found outside Omaha

The process is just beginning to identify the person whose remains were discovered this week in rural western Douglas County.

omaha.com

''The mostly skeletal remains were taken to a morgue Wednesday and will be examined by experts, said Lt. Travis Whitten of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. He said the examination could tell investigators if the remains are those of an adult or a child, male or female, and whether DNA could be obtained to help identify the person.''

March 14 2023

Douglas County Sheriff's Office reports human remains found during Tuesday response near Elkhorn

At 3:44 p.m., deputies arrived to the area of 216th Street and Rainwood Road near Elkhorn, where possible human remains were reported.

www.ketv.com

''At 3:44 p.m., deputies arrived to the area of 216th Street and Rainwood Road near Elkhorn, where possible human remains were reported.

DCSO confirmed that unidentified human remains were found in the area, possibly for an extended period of time.''

 

[Andreee]

March 16 2023

Expert analysis sought to help ID skeletal human remains found outside Omaha

The process is just beginning to identify the person whose remains were discovered this week in rural western Douglas County.

omaha.com

''The mostly skeletal remains were taken to a morgue Wednesday and will be examined by experts, said Lt. Travis Whitten of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. He said the examination could tell investigators if the remains are those of an adult or a child, male or female, and whether DNA could be obtained to help identify the person.''

March 14 2023

Douglas County Sheriff's Office reports human remains found during Tuesday response near Elkhorn

At 3:44 p.m., deputies arrived to the area of 216th Street and Rainwood Road near Elkhorn, where possible human remains were reported.

www.ketv.com

''At 3:44 p.m., deputies arrived to the area of 216th Street and Rainwood Road near Elkhorn, where possible human remains were reported.

DCSO confirmed that unidentified human remains were found in the area, possibly for an extended period of time.''

dotr, thanks for posting this! I see that Elkhorn is about half an hour drive from Omaha. It looks like flat farmland with clusters of trees in vicinity. One article above notes that "This is the second body found on Rainwood Road in less than a year — deputies found a decomposed body near 75th Street and Rainwood Road last August." I hadn't heard about the previous one either, I wonder if it was id'ed.

 

[dotr]

dotr, thanks for posting this! I see that Elkhorn is about half an hour drive from Omaha. It looks like flat farmland with clusters of trees in vicinity. One article above notes that "This is the second body found on Rainwood Road in less than a year — deputies found a decomposed body near 75th Street and Rainwood Road last August." I hadn't heard about the previous one either, I wonder if it was id'ed.

Body found near Cunningham Lake in Omaha identified as missing Kearney man

A person found dead Monday near Cunningham Lake in suburban Omaha has been identified as a missing Kearney man.

journalstar.com

Lots of varied info at link.
March 22 2023
''In another separate incident — not yet determined to be a homicide — the Sheriff's Office is investigating the March 14 discovery of skeletal human remains near 216th Street and Rainwood Road in rural Douglas County near the Elkhorn area.''

 

[Andreee]

Body found near Cunningham Lake in Omaha identified as missing Kearney man

A person found dead Monday near Cunningham Lake in suburban Omaha has been identified as a missing Kearney man.

journalstar.com

Lots of varied info at link.
March 22 2023
''In another separate incident — not yet determined to be a homicide — the Sheriff's Office is investigating the March 14 discovery of skeletal human remains near 216th Street and Rainwood Road in rural Douglas County near the Elkhorn area.''

So from what I understand, the skeletal remains are yet to be id'ed, and there were two other missing men who were id'ed recently.

 

[MatthewTyler]

Douglas County Sheriff's Office: Human remains on Rainwood Road not connected

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is offering some insight into two cases of human remains found in a week's time along Rainwood Road.

www.ketv.com

Here's another article they posted from the KETV Facebook page. So far it says that only a skull was found (cadaver dogs didn't pick up any other bones or disturbed earth), of someone who is not black, between 25-50 and has been there for 2-20 years. That's a wide window but here's hoping. They sent a tooth from the skull for DNA testing.

 

[Alleykins]

It's got to be difficult for families of a missing person to hear news of a body found in a nearby area.
RIP whoever this turns out to be and my sympathies to the family.

 

[Vital Forces]

Douglas County Sheriff's Office: Human remains on Rainwood Road not connected

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is offering some insight into two cases of human remains found in a week's time along Rainwood Road.

www.ketv.com

Here's another article they posted from the KETV Facebook page. So far it says that only a skull was found (cadaver dogs didn't pick up any other bones or disturbed earth), of someone who is not black, between 25-50 and has been there for 2-20 years. That's a wide window but here's hoping. They sent a tooth from the skull for DNA testing.

This is the weirdest kind of hope ever, but let's be hopeful it's... well let's just be hopeful we get answers soon.