Possible runaway from a group home?

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Could NY be shouting out at you because of the 914 phone prefix on the letter from the 2 Caroline's?

Does anyone know, were the FILA tennis shoes that Jason was wearing popular all over the US, or were they more popular in certain states and then got popular in other locations later on?

I learned something just now - didn't know you could setup a google spreadsheet like that for all to see with a one-click of the button.

That is a powerful tool to use to keep this all organized and to see the results as they come in.

Don't know why but something in my gut is telling/shouting at me that Jason was from New York ... no explanation/no facts/no nothing to base this on ... nada nothing.

I admire your tenacity in this sleuthing effort and have bookmarked the spreadsheet for easy reference.

eleph

 

[theforgotten]

Does anyone know, were the FILA tennis shoes that Jason was wearing popular all over the US, or were they more popular in certain states and then got popular in other locations later on?

I was about 18 or 19 years old, about the same age as our Jason, when this occured and grew up outside of Philadelphia. Those type of Fila tennis shoes weren't that popular with the kids I went to school with. We were more into Nike's, Reebok's, and KSwiss, but that's just what I remember.

 

[elepher50]

Could NY be shouting out at you because of the 914 phone prefix on the letter from the 2 Caroline's?

Does anyone know, were the FILA tennis shoes that Jason was wearing popular all over the US, or were they more popular in certain states and then got popular in other locations later on?

No, the 914 phone prefix doesn't trigger anything. The GD show in Albany on the 22nd, the driver of the van being in New York around that time. The driver of the van may have picked up Jason simply because he had on the GD shirt as he was a GD fan as well. Jason and the driver of the van may have both been at the GD concert in Albany. I think Jason may have started his travels in New York or just slightly before that. Things that stick out to me are:
1. Jason had no id whatsoever - he was on the run from somewhere/something
2. Had good dentals so he had proper nutrition throughout his life or just lucky
3. Had money for GD tickets at RFK stadium but only 4 quarters on him when he passed
4. Fila sneakers weren't the cheapest but they certainly weren't the most expensive either
5. Had a GD shirt which had to have been bought
6. A real puzzler as to where he was headed when he got in the accident
7. He may have been traveling for a short time with the 2 Caroline's and staying in hostels when they decided to go a different route and split hence the note
8. Not convinced that the note from the Caroline's was from the RFK GD concert but rather from an earlier meeting. The note was important to him as he kept it.

I don't think Jason had been on the road very long before he died in the van accident. His travels may have started early in June and it was towards the end of June when his money ran out. I think he may have been headed towards where he believed the 2 Caroline's would be. The 2 Caroline's may have been on the run as well which almost makes me think the 3 of them may have been in the same group home or at least from close to the same area to start with.

Rambling, rambling, and more rambling - sorry RKnowley .. just thinking and trying to make some sense out of where Jason's journey started and where he may have been headed.

eleph

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Great post! Please, please "ramble on"! It may spark something that may lead to solving Jason's case. I love going over things once, twice, three times or more! Seriously, I love everyone's posts, it helps to weed things out.

No, the 914 phone prefix doesn't trigger anything. The GD show in Albany on the 22nd, the driver of the van being in New York around that time. The driver of the van may have picked up Jason simply because he had on the GD shirt as he was a GD fan as well. Jason and the driver of the van may have both been at the GD concert in Albany. I think Jason may have started his travels in New York or just slightly before that. Things that stick out to me are:
1. Jason had no id whatsoever - he was on the run from somewhere/something
2. Had good dentals so he had proper nutrition throughout his life or just lucky
3. Had money for GD tickets at RFK stadium but only 4 quarters on him when he passed
4. Fila sneakers weren't the cheapest but they certainly weren't the most expensive either
5. Had a GD shirt which had to have been bought
6. A real puzzler as to where he was headed when he got in the accident
7. He may have been traveling for a short time with the 2 Caroline's and staying in hostels when they decided to go a different route and split hence the note
8. Not convinced that the note from the Caroline's was from the RFK GD concert but rather from an earlier meeting. The note was important to him as he kept it.

I don't think Jason had been on the road very long before he died in the van accident. His travels may have started early in June and it was towards the end of June when his money ran out. I think he may have been headed towards where he believed the 2 Caroline's would be. The 2 Caroline's may have been on the run as well which almost makes me think the 3 of them may have been in the same group home or at least from close to the same area to start with.

Rambling, rambling, and more rambling - sorry RKnowley .. just thinking and trying to make some sense out of where Jason's journey started and where he may have been headed.

eleph

 

[HesterMofet]

Group homes are required by their licensing statutes to report runaways missing. There are different time constraints depending on the age/ability/mental status of the client, but even in 1995, kids were reported missing. I managed a group home in Michigan at that time, so I know this for certain.

If Jason Doe was in a group home and ran from there, there would be a missing person report. Foster home as well because someone would have to have been checking to ensure he was there to keep paying them. (Yes, I know it doesn't always work like poor Rilya Wilson).

 

[SouthernSeaSnail]

Group homes are required by their licensing statutes to report runaways missing. There are different time constraints depending on the age/ability/mental status of the client, but even in 1995, kids were reported missing. I managed a group home in Michigan at that time, so I know this for certain.

If Jason Doe was in a group home and ran from there, there would be a missing person report. Foster home as well because someone would have to have been checking to ensure he was there to keep paying them. (Yes, I know it doesn't always work like poor Rilya Wilson).

Thanks for that. I would have thought that that was the case - no-one wins by not reporting a runaway in this situation.

 

[Dixie811]

Group homes are required by their licensing statutes to report runaways missing. There are different time constraints depending on the age/ability/mental status of the client, but even in 1995, kids were reported missing. I managed a group home in Michigan at that time, so I know this for certain.

If Jason Doe was in a group home and ran from there, there would be a missing person report. Foster home as well because someone would have to have been checking to ensure he was there to keep paying them. (Yes, I know it doesn't always work like poor Rilya Wilson).

This is true, but perhaps Jason Doe had recently "aged out"-- someone may still recognize him, an employee who has worked at such a home for a long period of time may remember Jason if in fact he ever spent time in a group home. It's a long shot, but not impossible.

The explanation that Jason Doe did not live with family and perhaps lived in a group home instead would explain why it appears there are no family members looking for him. If he had recently aged out of a youth home (or something similar) then the home or institution would not have been looking for him either.

People who going missing during a time of transition are often the most vulnerable because there is not a routine or any sort of accountability that would cause the individual to reported missing rapidly.

 

[saoirse]

Hi everyone, I am from Virginia and remember this happening. It never really left my memory because we were (presumably) the same age. If it has been suggested before I apologize but has anyone considered "Job Corps" because it was a rather common program back then and from recollection it housed 16-24 year olds. He could have legally walked away from an elective program. Just a thought because he's often in mine. It was not uncommon in our region to have opted out of traditional schooling or had a sketchy home situation that led to Job Corp. It could be worth looking into considering so many never completed the program. It may have gone unnoticed for another kid to walk away especially if he aged out of parental need for release. Again, I apologize if it has been mentioned prior but I didn't see it. Thanks to everyone who never gave up hope on this case. It is haunting and depressing but aren't they all?

 

[Lizbetbathory]

I was researching missing/UiD here in Missouri, and came across the missing persons list. I noticed many many were marked as juvenile but were adults and adults marked as juveniles. Odd so maybe we are missing something with Jason here. So I am thinking... pay a little more attention, not only for the case here in MO but others as well. That led me to looking closer at some of the cases... Many of the cases here in St louis area where the person is marked as "black" and has gone missing is from Clayton Mo. Clayton is our second downtown. Its our seat of governtment including major DFS and juvy courts. So from what Ive seen about the missing here in St Louis, if you are in states care as a child, meaning in trouble with the law a chronic runaway or truant etc or just not having family around, they are marked as missing from clayton mo.

If Jason Doe was a kid in states custody ( and around that time I was too, and alot of street kids had his style of clothing hair and jewelry) maybe the missing files have been discounted lost to time or fallen thru the cracks because he was a street kid or in the system. Or he aged out of the system and no one has even bothered or even really knows he has died.

I am not sure how this will help, but who knows.....