NE NE - Jason Jolkowski, 19, Omaha, 13 June 2001 - #2

[DakotaMayi]

Did anybody actually see Jason leave his house? I believe I remember reading his brother last saw him gathering the trash cans. I'm just wondering if he could have been abducted/went missing from his driveway and may have never even started his walk.

I​ thought his neighbour may have saw him leave? So sorry if I am wrong! So many cases... I get lost in them all

 

[ekardh]

I​ thought his neighbour may have saw him leave? So sorry if I am wrong! So many cases... I get lost in them all

Jason's younger brother and a neighbour said they saw him bringing in the garbage cans. I think they also saw him heading off down the street afterwards but don't quote me on that.

 

[MagnoliaMountain]

Random thoughts, please do not jump me...I'm not saying anything is the case here. I do not know of course.

Could Jason and/or Samuel Sherman have been (secretly?) gay and their disappearances have something to do with their sexuality? They could have known or been involved with the same person (maybe an older male, possible closet gay?) that harmed both of them in the end.

I can't shake the feeling that these cases are somehow connected, I just can't, I don't know why.

 

[DakotaMayi]

Jason's younger brother and a neighbour said they saw him bringing in the garbage cans. I think they also saw him heading off down the street afterwards but don't quote me on that.

Thank you!

 

[DakotaMayi]

Random thoughts, please do not jump me...I'm not saying anything is the case here. I do not know of course.

Could Jason and/or Samuel Sherman have been (secretly?) gay and their disappearances have something to do with their sexuality? They could have known or been involved with the same person (maybe an older male, possible closet gay?) that harmed both of them in the end.

I can't shake the feeling that these cases are somehow connected, I just can't, I don't know why.

Could be. I'm not too sure as I've never seen anything like that be discussed.

But I too agree, surely they are connected. I so wish we knew more about Samuel. Surely someone out there wants to know where he is (other than us.)

 

[MagnoliaMountain]

I think even if his sexuality has never been discussed publicly, that doesn't mean to me that his family would have known about it. He was 19, he might have been curious and unsure about his sexual orientation himself and not told anyone. Just a thought of course.

 

[DakotaMayi]

I think even if his sexuality has never been discussed publicly, that doesn't mean to me that his family would have known about it. He was 19, he might have been curious and unsure about his sexual orientation himself and not told anyone. Just a thought of course.

Oh you're so right. I agree. I wish Kelly was still here to go over what she knew about Samuel.

 

[ekardh]

Could Jason and/or Samuel Sherman have been (secretly?) gay and their disappearances have something to do with their sexuality? They could have known or been involved with the same person (maybe an older male, possible closet gay?) that harmed both of them in the end.

Had Jason been planning to run away with his gay lover, I'm sure he would've been more prepared. He left his car behind, never touched his bank account. He left the house for a reason - he was called into work. You could argue that he used that as cover to run away but it's unlikely.

I don't buy these theories that Jason was hit with a car, or god forbid killed by a neighbour's dog. It's called "hit and run" for a reason, panicky drivers leave the crime scene rather than haul an adult body into their car and exacerbate the crime. And I know people love their dogs, but I can't see many dog owners risking serious jailtime by disposing of a dead body just to save their pooch. Moreover, had something like that happened to Jason in a residential neighbourhood, someone would've seen or heard something. It stands to reason that Jason disappeared with someone he knew/trusted, someone who took advantage of his good nature, or he had some kind of freak accident - but I'm sure any potential hazards that day were explored.

 

[MagnoliaMountain]

I'm too tired for reading correctly...Nevermind this post.

 

[Alleykins]

So I still think this was a misunderstanding on Jason's part that got him into the wrong car. If the manager said she would send "someone" to pick Jason up, instead of saying a specific person, Jason could have gotten into the car with a stranger on a misunderstanding on his part. He's standing there, someone comes up and offers him a ride, and he's gone.

A couple weeks ago, I was supposed to pick up a woman in a restaurant parking lot for a volunteer activity. I knew the woman's name, and kind of a description of her. When I got there she wasn't there - she'd gotten into a different car, with people who were also supposed to pick someone up from that parking lot. It's a great thing they meant her no harm. Because REALLY??? I can't believe she did that - without confirming where they were going. It was on the 3rd time she called the driver Jeanna that it became clear she had gotten into the wrong car. Baffling. But I think that could have happened to Jason. He's waiting for a ride, some nefarious person pulls up and rolls down the window and looks like he's going to engage him, and Jason says are you from Fazolis to pick me up? Yes, I am. And that was that.

I agree that there could have been a misunderstanding and Jason possibly got into the wrong car with dire consequences. I posited something along those lines a while back. I've never been able to figure out if he knew which one of his coworkers was coming to pick him up, and if he knew it was a female, etc. Does anyone happen to know? I wish Kelly would pop back in, I don't think she's posted here in a while.
Anyway, things like that do happen. It happened to my hubby on our second date, so he wasn't familiar with my car. We were at the drive-in. On the way back from the concession stand, he opened up the door to what he thought was my vehicle and got an eye full.

 

[MatthewTyler]

Random thoughts, please do not jump me...I'm not saying anything is the case here. I do not know of course.

Could Jason and/or Samuel Sherman have been (secretly?) gay and their disappearances have something to do with their sexuality? They could have known or been involved with the same person (maybe an older male, possible closet gay?) that harmed both of them in the end.

I can't shake the feeling that these cases are somehow connected, I just can't, I don't know why.

I always got the impression that Sam Sherman was more of a transient/nomadic person. Reports (frustratingly limited btw) say that he was "staying" in a house in Omaha, making it sound more like he was couch crashing. Maybe he was staying with a friend/relative for a little bit and looking for work in hopes of moving there permanently. Perhaps he didn't get the job and decided to leave town. That's the only thing I can figure since it got virtually NO media attention. Maybe someone originally called him in missing but then cancelled the report? Or they know he's alive just not where he is? I know he's still considered "missing" but it doesn't really seem like anyone is looking too hard for him.
Kelly had also said that Sam and Jason didn't know each other, but being the same age, from the same block, both starting/interviewing for new jobs and disappearing within a month is really quite strange to be coincidence.

 

[Jason_Pharae]

I concede that some sort of double-crossed-by-someone-he-felt-comfortable-with theory poses the fewest—but just by a hair—conundrums. But I just can't get any hypothetical narrative or scenario to play out in my imagination, once you get Jason into this person's car (because I think this theory definitely requires the assumption that the other person's driving a car). He gets into the car, but then what happened? And what kind of motive could we imagine, while staying within the realm of what is remotely plausible? You have to admit, IMO, that while a standard sexually-motivated act of outright violence is not strictly impossible, it's well outside of the bounds of what is reasonable. I mean, can anyone come up with a single analogous case—a case of a sexually-motivated assault (murder, really) where the victim has the same demographic profile as Jason? (Because that's the sticking point)

 

[MatthewTyler]

I concede that some sort of double-crossed-by-someone-he-felt-comfortable-with theory poses the fewest—but just by a hair—conundrums. But I just can't get any hypothetical narrative or scenario to play out in my imagination, once you get Jason into this person's car (because I think this theory definitely requires the assumption that the other person's driving a car). He gets into the car, but then what happened? And what kind of motive could we imagine, while staying within the realm of what is remotely plausible? You have to admit, IMO, that while a standard sexually-motivated act of outright violence is not strictly impossible, it's well outside of the bounds of what is reasonable. I mean, can anyone come up with a single analogous case—a case of a sexually-motivated assault (murder, really) where the victim has the same demographic profile as Jason? (Because that's the sticking point)

Many of Jeffery Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy's victims were about Jason's demographic, no? Young adult men can be sexually assaulted as well, though it doesn't happen quite as frequently. However, with this case there is nothing to suggest that Jason could have been sexually assaulted before his presumed murder. For example, say that he was picked up by someone he knew/trusted from work (implying that some coworkers arranged this whole plot against him) -- once they got Jason into the car, why would they need to sexually attack him? The whole point of the scheme would assumably be to just get rid of Jason, so a simple kill and dump would do the trick. Perhaps whoever picked him up drove him to a more secluded spot and shot him or stabbed him right in the car. Without any suspects, and therefore no cars police have searched, it would be easy for the perp to wash the inside of their car of blood once they dumped the body.

 

[neesaki]

Many of Jeffery Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy's victims were about Jason's demographic, no? Young adult men can be sexually assaulted as well, though it doesn't happen quite as frequently. However, with this case there is nothing to suggest that Jason could have been sexually assaulted before his presumed murder. For example, say that he was picked up by someone he knew/trusted from work (implying that some coworkers arranged this whole plot against him) -- once they got Jason into the car, why would they need to sexually attack him? The whole point of the scheme would assumably be to just get rid of Jason, so a simple kill and dump would do the trick. Perhaps whoever picked him up drove him to a more secluded spot and shot him or stabbed him right in the car. Without any suspects, and therefore no cars police have searched, it would be easy for the perp to wash the inside of their car of blood once they dumped the body.

He could have been seen as someone easy and vulnerable and targeted just out of pure meanness, possibly by gang members or just evil bullies who wanted to hurt someone. Maybe it was someone extremely prejudiced who didn't like white people and it was a hate crime. Or, possibly someone on methamphetamine who needed ten dollars for their next fix. I doubt Jason carried much cash but probably had something in his wallet. Jmo

 

[MatthewTyler]

He could have been seen as someone easy and vulnerable and targeted just out of pure meanness, possibly by gang members or just evil bullies who wanted to hurt someone. Maybe it was someone extremely prejudiced who didn't like white people and it was a hate crime. Or, possibly someone on methamphetamine who needed ten dollars for their next fix. I doubt Jason carried much cash but probably had something in his wallet. Jmo

Could be. But how likely are these suspects to really go and hide a body SO WELL that it doesn't get discovered for over 15 years? Not saying it's impossible of course, but just going by track records of other instances, this is how I feel about the likelihood of each of these types of criminals:

Gang Members- possible, but a lot of gang violence involves quick drive by shootings, and often times they leave the body right where it is as almost a symbol of power and to strike fear to other potential gang members. The Mafia is the only gang I really know that is known for making people disappear. Also, a lot of times the most severe gang attacks are against other gang members, and I very much doubt that Jason was mistook for a rival gang member.

Bullies- With a group of teenagers, I very much doubt that there wouldn't be any talk amongst their group or among other people. I would find it hard to believe that a group of them would be able to keep that a secret, especially once it got to be a national mystery. Seems like they'd want to brag to someone on the outside.

Drug addict- Again, I feel like this type would just rob him of cash and be on their way. Even if they did kill him, they'd more than likely toss him in a bush and flee, since they really just want to get the money and run.


Not saying those aren't possible suspects, just giving my take on the plausibility. I'm still convinced that it is linked to Fazoli's somehow. Whether it be one rogue coworker or a plot between a few of them, somehow I can't shake the suspicion that they are behind it

 

[neesaki]

Yeah, you can't find it because it was deleted by a mod in my post a few days ago. We aren't allowed to links or post conversations apparently. You can search for Jason Jolkowski in the unsolvedmysteries sub on reddit and find it.

I just now saw this post, went over there to check it out and saw nothing from anyone who knew Jason. There are quite a few deleted posts though, so I'm assuming done by Reddit admin. There's a link there to Zebb Quinn's case which I don't remember hearing about. He disappeared in 2000, rather strange case, except his worthless "friend", Rober Jason Owens, was later imprisoned for the murders of another man, his wife and unborn baby. I guess it's possible that Jason had befriended the wrong kind of person like Zebb did.

 

[MatthewTyler]

Did Jason have friends? Honestly from the way Kelly had said he was either at work or at home I get the impression that he really didn't have any

 

[Alleykins]

Someone posited a case of mistaken identity a few pages back on this thread, which I think might fit, given the apparent randomness from the outside, looking in.

 

[neesaki]

Here's some information on gang activity and drugs back during that time period, in cities in Nebraska including Omaha.
Maybe Jason was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, possibly witnessed something he shouldn't have.
https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs4/4934/cocaine.htm

Also as as posted above, possibly a case of mistaken identity.
Or as Matthew has pointed out, someone at Jasons workplace.

Lots of speculation, I wonder if LE has anything at all.

 

[ekardh]

I concede that some sort of double-crossed-by-someone-he-felt-comfortable-with theory poses the fewest—but just by a hair—conundrums. But I just can't get any hypothetical narrative or scenario to play out in my imagination, once you get Jason into this person's car (because I think this theory definitely requires the assumption that the other person's driving a car). He gets into the car, but then what happened? And what kind of motive could we imagine, while staying within the realm of what is remotely plausible? You have to admit, IMO, that while a standard sexually-motivated act of outright violence is not strictly impossible, it's well outside of the bounds of what is reasonable. I mean, can anyone come up with a single analogous case—a case of a sexually-motivated assault (murder, really) where the victim has the same demographic profile as Jason? (Because that's the sticking point)

I agree that this scenario is preferable to a random abduction. As if a random killer is just cruising around at 10 in the morning and preyed on Jason. If Jason was a kid, or even a young woman, maybe, as there's plenty of cases where that's happened, but grown-men are very rarely kidnapped like this. So yes, I'd say the chances that Jason knew his abductor are pretty high.

However, it isn't difficult to imagine what happened next. Perhaps the abductor stopped at his house and asked Jason to come inside and help with something. Once Jason was indoors, the killer could take advantage of him, strike him while his back was turned, hold him up with a gun, whatever.

Many of Jeffery Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy's victims were about Jason's demographic, no?

Many of Dahmer's victims were gay and had been lured to his house with the promise of money or sexual favours. I think we can rule this out, not because we know Jason's sexuality but because we know why Jason left the house that day - he was catching a ride to work.