NE NE - Jason Jolkowski, 19, Omaha, 13 Jun 2001 - #3

[MatthewTyler]

Does anyone have any links or screenshots to any old newspaper articles, reporting Jason's disappearance? The earlier the better.

This is an article from the Omaha World Herald from July 2001. It was when he was gone for a month. Probably the best article there is about the case.

 

[deadinthewater]

But even still, it just seems so odd that in a split second, some neighbor would see him walking for the first time in awhile and then suddenly decide to lure him and kill him.

Well we know he liked to go on long walks; the exact routes, we're not privy to, but likely around the neighborhood? I'm sure that some of these neighbors would see him /recognize him on occassion, if this was a big hobby of JJ's. So I don't think this was the first time, in a long time, that he had walked in awhile. Plus, his car was in the shop. What if he had taken this same (or similar) route a few days prior? Maybe to go to the convenient store or a fast food restaurant, or just simply for a walk?

If he was dropping by to someone's residence on the way to Benson on the day if his disappearance, wouldn't he maybe have left his house earlier? And who could this have been? Did any of his friends live nearby?

So many questions.

 

[Alleykins]

@MatthewTyler - Thank you.

 

[studebkr]

@MatthewTyler - In the article describing the phone call he got calling him in to work, it claims the person picking him up said, "You better be there." This make me think he had missed his ride before, or that she was uncomfortable with the neighborhood. (some West Omaha have the impression that Benson is gang territory.)

 

[Andreee]

..

This is an article from the Omaha World Herald from July 2001. It was when he was gone for a month. Probably the best article there is about the case.

.

@MatthewTyler - In the article describing the phone call he got calling him in to work, it claims the person picking him up said, "You better be there." This make me think he had missed his ride before, or that she was uncomfortable with the neighborhood. (some West Omaha have the impression that Benson is gang territory.)

As a former neighbour, what do you think happened re. Jason's disappearance? Just curious as to your opinion.

 

[MatthewTyler]

@MatthewTyler - In the article describing the phone call he got calling him in to work, it claims the person picking him up said, "You better be there." This make me think he had missed his ride before, or that she was uncomfortable with the neighborhood. (some West Omaha have the impression that Benson is gang territory.)

It's possible. It could also be an unfortunately timed joke. Though I do wonder if there was a slacker side to Jason that people wouldn't mention in the wake of his tragedy. His mother says he's extremely responsbile, but we don't really know how he was at work because nobody from Fazoli's has ever made a public statement about him, other than to explain how they called him in that day. I wonder if they ever actually found someone else to work that day, or if they just kept calling Jason's home out of concern instead of just simply really needing him.

 

[studebkr]

..
As a former neighbour, what do you think happened re. Jason's disappearance? Just curious as to your opinion.

There is a reason that this is one of the top cold cases in the country. There is no evidence of anything. It is baffling.

I have had many theories, you can blow a hole in them all.

1. Foul play. The neighborhood is a little rough. Worse now than then. Jason seemed pretty streetwise. I remember seeing him go out and talk to some wanna-be gang bangers who were throwing rocks at houses. Just let them know it wasn't cool, they shook hands and walked off. Long before he went missing. Problem? Gang violence is messy. We would know. A sexual or revenge crime is more likely.

2. I do not know Jason's sexual orientation. He seemed heterosexual to me (my gaydar is lousy though), but if he were gay, his father would have never accepted it. I could see a runaway situation. Problem? I don't think he would have bothered to leave behind his paycheck, bank account, and cell phone, unless he had help.

3. Abducted and killed. Problem? He was tall, strong, and it was the middle of the day. There has been an ongoing sewer project in Omaha for years. I had a theory that he got stuffed in one of those pipes, but the construction was still to the North East at that time. It did eventually come through the neighborhood. We have a missing boy in Omaha right now. You just don't know.

My current theory is kind of far fetched. I think he came out of the closet, got in a fight with his father and left town. I think he ended up in the Seattle area, and when his mother discovered this, she divorced his father and moved up there. Out of disgrace, they have all kept it a secret. If this were true, then why the ceremony at Roberts Park earlier this month. You would think they would just let it die.

 

[Alleykins]

Since investigators took 10 days to act upon Jason's case, does that mean his brother was also questioned 10 days later? Does anyone know for certain the exact date he was questioned?

 

[dotr]

Cannot shake the thought that Jason started walking that day and not unlike the title character in the film Forrest Gump, just kept on walking as opposed to purposely running away..
Trying to find a link i posted here some time ago, concerning Jason's older female relative, who had also disappeared many years ago.
fwiw, imo, speculation.

 

[MatthewTyler]

There is a reason that this is one of the top cold cases in the country. There is no evidence of anything. It is baffling.

I have had many theories, you can blow a hole in them all.

1. Foul play. The neighborhood is a little rough. Worse now than then. Jason seemed pretty streetwise. I remember seeing him go out and talk to some wanna-be gang bangers who were throwing rocks at houses. Just let them know it wasn't cool, they shook hands and walked off. Long before he went missing. Problem? Gang violence is messy. We would know. A sexual or revenge crime is more likely.

2. I do not know Jason's sexual orientation. He seemed heterosexual to me (my gaydar is lousy though), but if he were gay, his father would have never accepted it. I could see a runaway situation. Problem? I don't think he would have bothered to leave behind his paycheck, bank account, and cell phone, unless he had help.

3. Abducted and killed. Problem? He was tall, strong, and it was the middle of the day. There has been an ongoing sewer project in Omaha for years. I had a theory that he got stuffed in one of those pipes, but the construction was still to the North East at that time. It did eventually come through the neighborhood. We have a missing boy in Omaha right now. You just don't know.

My current theory is kind of far fetched. I think he came out of the closet, got in a fight with his father and left town. I think he ended up in the Seattle area, and when his mother discovered this, she divorced his father and moved up there. Out of disgrace, they have all kept it a secret. If this were true, then why the ceremony at Roberts Park earlier this month. You would think they would just let it die.

That's interesting about Jason confronting those people throwing rocks. I remember you mentioning something like that once before. Kind of shows that he's not afraid to involve himself into situations with potentially bad consequences. Not that I think that's necessarily what happened, but it seems like he might not have been as reserved as previously thought.
As for your current theory, I'm not quite sure they would have even started Project Jason if that had been the case. If Jason left due to a fight, they would never have even had to contact the police at all, seeing as he was an adult. If they never had said anything to anyone back in 2001, that would have been the end of it. The fundraising, awareness, and media attention definitely seems more like a family who is desperate to know what happened. Although I could see if they did suspect homosexuality, that not being in the papers, but I doubt they actually fought over it and had knowledge of him leaving. But it's a different theory than the usual ones, so that's always cool.

 

[MatthewTyler]

Cannot shake the thought that Jason started walking that day and not unlike the title character in the film Forrest Gump, just kept on walking as opposed to purposely running away..
Trying to find a link i posted here some time ago, concerning Jason's older female relative, who had also disappeared many years ago.
fwiw, imo, speculation.

Wait, what about a female relative having disappeared?
So do you think he kept walking and eventually got murdered on his way? Or that he was just going to keep walking to work instead of Benson? Do you think he kept walking and then died from an accident somewhere? Just curious.

 

[dotr]

Wait, what about a female relative having disappeared?
So do you think he kept walking and eventually got murdered on his way? Or that he was just going to keep walking to work instead of Benson? Do you think he kept walking and then died from an accident somewhere? Just curious.

Just kept going until an accident, murder or a whole new life ''claimed'' him, imo. speculation.
Will have another look for link about family member..

 

[BethAnn777]

Just kept going until an accident, murder or a whole new life ''claimed'' him, imo. speculation.
Will have another look for link about family member..

I’d be interested in seeing this link as well! Considering that most people are disappeared by someone they know, this really makes me consider foul play by a family member or family friend.

 

[BethAnn777]

Just a silly, off the cuff idea, Jason was supposedly starting a job as a DJ a week after he disappeared. Mom said he had a speech disability/impediment. How likely is it he was hired to be a DJ with this condition? I hope it was checked by the police to see if he was really offered this job. I wonder if Jason may have wanted it to be true so badly that he made up the job offer and then purposely left rather than admitting the truth? Then unrelated foul play happened.

 

[dotr]

I’d be interested in seeing this link as well! Considering that most people are disappeared by someone they know, this really makes me consider foul play by a family member or family friend.

Quick answer, have to get back to link bit later, but iirc. it was more a case of voluntarily walking off, unrelated to JJ. speculation.

 

[morland_cath]

Just a silly, off the cuff idea, Jason was supposedly starting a job as a DJ a week after he disappeared. Mom said he had a speech disability/impediment. How likely is it he was hired to be a DJ with this condition? I hope it was checked by the police to see if he was really offered this job. I wonder if Jason may have wanted it to be true so badly that he made up the job offer and then purposely left rather than admitting the truth? Then unrelated foul play happened.

I believe the DJ job has been bandied about a lot, but wasn't true as far as I can tell. He was starting a job with his uncle. A sales gig, I think? (Although, I have heard the clip of Jason when he was DJing with 89.7 the River and I couldn't tell he had a speech impediment there!)

 

[?unknown?]

Starting work at 5:30 everyday means he must have been finishing very late. How was he getting home at that time of the night without his car?

 

[MatthewTyler]

Starting work at 5:30 everyday means he must have been finishing very late. How was he getting home at that time of the night without his car?

His parents likely picked him up. According to their site, the Omaha Fazoli's is only open til 10. Not sure if it was different back then though.

 

[BethAnn777]

Since Jason normally worked afternoons/evenings, I wonder how he normally spent his mornings/early afternoons?

 

[Andreee]

There is a reason that this is one of the top cold cases in the country. There is no evidence of anything. It is baffling.

I have had many theories, you can blow a hole in them all.

1. Foul play. The neighborhood is a little rough. Worse now than then. Jason seemed pretty streetwise. I remember seeing him go out and talk to some wanna-be gang bangers who were throwing rocks at houses. Just let them know it wasn't cool, they shook hands and walked off. Long before he went missing. Problem? Gang violence is messy. We would know. A sexual or revenge crime is more likely.

2. I do not know Jason's sexual orientation. He seemed heterosexual to me (my gaydar is lousy though), but if he were gay, his father would have never accepted it. I could see a runaway situation. Problem? I don't think he would have bothered to leave behind his paycheck, bank account, and cell phone, unless he had help.

3. Abducted and killed. Problem? He was tall, strong, and it was the middle of the day. There has been an ongoing sewer project in Omaha for years. I had a theory that he got stuffed in one of those pipes, but the construction was still to the North East at that time. It did eventually come through the neighborhood. We have a missing boy in Omaha right now. You just don't know.

My current theory is kind of far fetched. I think he came out of the closet, got in a fight with his father and left town. I think he ended up in the Seattle area, and when his mother discovered this, she divorced his father and moved up there. Out of disgrace, they have all kept it a secret. If this were true, then why the ceremony at Roberts Park earlier this month. You would think they would just let it die.

Thank-you for your response. Regarding number 3 possibility, is there any way at all Jason could've been in an accident in the construction areas at the time. I'm guessing you would know, having lived in the vicinity, if that was even remotely possible. I expect the answer to be 'no', considering how tall Jason was, it wasn't like he was a small child at the time.

Regarding your current theory, I could see that being a possibility except it sounds from comments earlier in this thread by his distressed mom and elsewhere, that it isn't the case and that it would've somehow come to light over the years that he was indeed alive and well. As they say, someone would've seen something (him).

So that leaves foul play.

This young male you mention who is missing, what does that case involve?