Hello all,
I just found out from media reports that the human remains found in Omaha on Feb. 17th are not that of my son, Jason Jolkowski. I just wanted to thank all of you for your prayers and support during this time of waiting.
The remains were identified as Michael O' Connor, missing from Omaha for one year. This was our case, and we worked with his wife to offer awareness and support. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this difficult answer.
Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
http://www.projectjason.org
Read our Voice for the Missing Blog
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/
http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/15955062.html
Remains Identified As Missing Omaha Man
Michael O'Connor disappeared last February
Posted: 5:56 PM Feb 25, 2008
Human remains found near the Veterans Memorial Bridge February 17th have been identified as an Omaha man missing for a year.
Michael OConnor was 40 years old when last seen on video surveillance walking from a parking garage at 13th and Farnam on February 13, 2007.
He had dropped his wife off at work and then headed to his own job. He arrived, parked his car and vanished.
An autopsy done last week by the Douglas County Coroners Office was inconclusive. After further forensic examination, the remains were identified as those of OConnor.
A human skull was discovered under the bridge near Gibson Road and Missouri Avenue. Detectives responding to the scene located additional skeletal remains.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 444-5656.
"He was also just laid back, very easy going, joked around with everybody and everybody liked him," former co-worker Laurie Venditte told Channel 6 News two weeks ago for a story about O'Connor.
Venditte said it was out of character for him. "It still just flabbergasts us to think he just walked away."
Pictures were posted all over the metro and searches were organized. Those efforts came up empty and police had no leads so O'Connor's family hired a private investigator.
That investigator told Channel 6 that O'Connor left his parents in Louisiana years ago. He bounced around the country landing in Colorado where he had a girlfriend, a baby and steady job. But he didn't stay and ended up in Omaha.
O'Connor was employed by Vocational Rehabilitation in Omaha for three years and was married for seven. His wife told Channel 6 News earlier this month, "I'm just trying to do the best I can to move on. In my heart I don't believe Michael is still alive."