Identified! SC - Jason Patrick Callahan, Myrtle Beach, missing since 1995

[MysticJynx]

Wow, just wow. I had only checked on the grateful doe facebook page a few days ago, saw nothing new. Tonight I had a surge of something and decided to look again. OMG I am a mix of emotions. But under the circumstances glad he and his family get to be reunited. May they all find a little peace with power of knowledge. Rest In Peace Jason Callahan.

 

[jslk]

This is incredible. I commend each and every person involved in this. What a sad time for Jason's family.

Every young person's death is a tragedy, of a life that never got to be lived. When I think how much life I've lived since the age of 19, my heart could break for Jason [emoji22]

I still think that second artistic impression with the long wavy hair is an awful approximation though!

RIP Jason and may your mother find some comfort in time x

 

[ninij9]

I'm so glad to hear that he has been identified, yet very sad at the same time that a family has to learn of the loss. This case is what helped me to discover Websleuths and such an amazing network of people devoted to giving people their names back or finding what has become of a missing loved one. I don't comment much, but felt compelled to share this song in honor/memory of Jason, since it was the last live GD song he would have heard in his short life: [video=youtube;5ZwKNrbpfKY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZwKNrbpfKY[/video]

Beautiful. I also quoted this very same song here when I found out a few days ago. Listening to your link though sent chills through me. Thank you.

1995 was such a bittersweet year. My daughter was born, and my favorite musician in my life has passed, Mr Jerry Garcia. Now I have become attached to the sweet smile of Jason here, who has also lost his life in 1995.
Brokedown Palace is my favorite Grateful Dead song. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear it, but more so I get choked up when I see pictures of smiling Jason, who somehow found his way into my nest of memories, snuggled in like an egg. He is so representative of all of my good natured, happy go lucky, carefree, peaceful Dead Heads that I have loved so much.


Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Beamie]

 

[Roselvr]

View attachment 85700

Story behind the photo

The Doe Search added 4 new photos. December 12 at 10:52am ·

A lovely friend of Jason's from Myrtle Beach saw our posts here and on Reddit, and made contact with us.

She has sent us some new photos of Jason that she still had.

We have forwarded all of these on to Jason's family and friends, and now, it is time to share with you.

These photos are incredible.

All credit goes to the lovely, lovely friend of Jason's who came forward and offered to share these with us, and gave us permission to share them with you.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

 

[shadowdancer]

Lovely to see those pictures of Jason enjoying life and being with friends.

Remember when us websleuthers feared that this Doe had lived a lonely life and had no friends and family in the world? Its a real comfort to know that he enjoyed his short life and knew the love of his friends and family.

 

[Beamie]

But yet, no one questioned where he was for 20 years

 

[coeurfragile]

But yet, no one questioned where he was for 20 years

Respectfully, how do you know no one questioned or wondered where he was?

It has been stated that his mother tried to file a missing persons report but back in 1995, you had to do it in the place someone went missing from, and they did not know where this was. Or if he was actually missing.

It's unfair to characterize his family as seeming to not care about him or where he was. They just hoped and prayed he was safe, off living his life. He was an adult and not a missing minor.

 

[Nikon]

Jason was 19 when he drifted for the last time in an analog world. As oftentimes for the time, adults were considered on their own and didn't bother. His mother tried. Most animals don't have everlasting relationships with their mothers. Today, there would be little difficulty in locating people. And that's kind of scary.

 

[CD82]

Respectfully, how do you know no one questioned or wondered where he was?

It has been stated that his mother tried to file a missing persons report but back in 1995, you had to do it in the place someone went missing from, and they did not know where this was. Or if he was actually missing.

It's unfair to characterize his family as seeming to not care about him or where he was. They just hoped and prayed he was safe, off living his life. He was an adult and not a missing minor.

THANK YOU.

I have a couple of friends who do not talk to their family. And they're not considered a missing person. I'm sure their families are hoping for a phone call, wondering where they are, hoping they're okay. But, as adults, it's their right to live their life.

 

[ninij9]

But yet, no one questioned where he was for 20 years

So many people I knew that chose to follow the Grateful Dead. There were no cell phones. Most kids bummed rides, meals and did odd jobs or made jewelry. It's not right to worry your family, but many chose to literally "drop out" right off the face of the earth. If I hadn't brushed up against this culture and coexisted with it way back when, I wouldn't understand the mentality. Truth is he told his mom he was going to follow the band. I'm sure she wished he had called her from every town, but like so many countless youths that did it, he did not. I bet she decided to accept him for who he was. Sad and hardly understandable nowadays but then not everyone that cut ties and moved on were a "runaway". We used to call it " finding yourself". I feel so sad for his family.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Nikon]

It's not right but many chose to literally "drop out" right off the face of the earth.

Why isn't this right?

 

[ninij9]

Why isn't this right?

I meant to worry your family. I just edited that in. Every adult can do as they please.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Jerri Blank]

such a sad, happy feeling to log on to WS today and finally see that yellow banner i'd been wating for.

in my wilder days ,summers traveling around to follow my favorite bands, i knew so many kids like Jason. he was just a bit too old for me to have crossed paths with (i didnt get on that scene until 99), but i always felt a connection to him, and am so glad he is finally home again.

codolences to his family and kudos to everyone on this thread who kept Jason alive. without this thread, greymetal may never have had enough info collected to post to reddit and so on and so on.

well done to all!

 

[JanetElaine]

So many people I knew that chose to follow the Grateful Dead. There were no cell phones. Most kids bummed rides, meals and did odd jobs or made jewelry. It's not right to worry your family, but many chose to literally "drop out" right off the face of the earth. If I hadn't brushed up against this culture and coexisted with it way back when, I wouldn't understand the mentality. Truth is he told his mom he was going to follow the band. I'm sure she wished he had called her from every town, but like so many countless youths that did it, he did not. I bet she decided to accept him for who he was. Sad and hardly understandable nowadays but then not everyone that cut ties and moved on were a "runaway". We used to call it " finding yourself". I feel so sad for his family.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Exactly. And his mom did remember him on her FB, posts on his birthday etc. and that's just the ones that were public. If she remembered him on his birthday, I'm sure she wondered where he was. She seemed to miss him. I get really irritated when people get critical of Jason's mom. If she didn't care, she would have blown this whole thing off too. I worry about her and I hope she's doing okay.

 

[Morag]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...f577d68?cps=gravity_5032_-3768737728805665022

Nice quote from Tricia here...

 

[Jerri Blank]

It seriously disgusts me how horrible people in the comments sections of some of the MSM are being toward Jason's family. None of us know how many nights were spent filled with worry or how many skipped heartbeats his parents missed each time the phone rang and they hoped it was Jason on the other end. I don't either, it's none of my business. I know that we all cared for Jason, and did the best we could to give him back his name. that's what matters.

Still, so many of those horrible people seem to forget that 1995 was a different time. I'm sure it was much easier to drop off the grid without raising much alarm. there were no cell phones glued to our hands, there were not statuses to be updated or instagrams to be posted. In the summer of 2000, I spent a month on the road catching shows. I called my mom everyday, but one of the girls I met the second night didn't call her family once. She was not a throw away kid that no one loved, she was just a "free spirit"...

 

[Diamond98]

So glad this was solved, I've been following this story since I joined this site in September. I, too, think a lot of the comments, especially on Facebook, about the family were a little harsh... I'm sure someone did care, but he left on his own and maybe they just assumed he didn't want to be found. Since he was an adult and initially left home of his own accord, law enforcement probably wouldn't have gotten involved, and not everyone has the resources to hire investigators. Many families are in the exact same spot, and I think it's wonderful that sites like this one exist, to help people who may not get it through the traditional channels. Good work, WS!

 

[RainCheck]

RIP Jason so glad you can finally go home.

His mother must feel horrible. All this time she probably figured he didn't want to see her, but in reality he was dead. She must feel so guilty for never filing a missing persons report. I had a strained relationship with my parents when I left home at 17 and we didn't reconcile until I was 20. I'm just a few years younger than Jason. I wonder if my parents would have looked for me if I never contacted them after I left the house following a major blow out fight with them and never came home?

 

[Gourami Watcher]

I'm so glad Jason finally will get the dignity he deserves. I know most saw this coming but it hit me the other day that even though Grateful Doe gets his identity, it means Jason is gone. It saddens me because he seemed like an incredible guy and imagining someone dying at such a young age is heartwrenching.