NE NE - Jason Jolkowski -19 - Omaha - 13 Jun 2001 - #4

[hannah246]

I don't think I knew that they didn't look at the case for 10 days. Do we know why?

They probably thought he was a runaway due to his age. The police don't normally suspect anything unusual for a young adult to disappear and probably thought he would come back to his residence at his own will or they might have thought he was experimenting with different things and so on.

 

[Andreee]

I don't think I knew that they didn't look at the case for 10 days. Do we know why?

I think back then LE would think runaway or being he was 19 left on own.

 

[Andreee]

When I say that the gas station was 2-blocks from Benson's parking lot, it's because I'm referring to the student parking on the Northside of the building between Benson HS, and the Junior High. The South side was primarily teacher parking, and yes, they might have agreed to meet there. One video I watched assumed that the South lot was used. Still, that is a wide intersection, hence the tunnel at that time, and take a look at Google Maps as to how far the entrance is from that gas station. If he was over there, she would not likely have seen him.

Hi, you know, this is an interesting point that we haven't delved into very much. I too started wondering where EXACTLY they were going to meet at the school. Of course LE would know, as the coworker was the one who was going to meet Jason. They could have very well missed each other due to a mixup in exact area of the school. This situation has happened to me in the past a number of times, where the person I was waiting for was just around the corner or whatever, hence complications. IF and that's a big IF, the post on R. re. a supposedly sighting of JJ on the northside walking along by the gas stn. it would make more sense, theoretically.

 

[Alleykins]

Hi, you know, this is an interesting point that we haven't delved into very much. I too started wondering where EXACTLY they were going to meet at the school. Of course LE would know, as the coworker was the one who was going to meet Jason. They could have very well missed each other due to a mixup in exact area of the school. This situation has happened to me in the past a number of times, where the person I was waiting for was just around the corner or whatever, hence complications. IF and that's a big IF, the post on R. re. a supposedly sighting of JJ on the northside walking along by the gas stn. it would make more sense, theoretically.

I'm fairly certain Ms. Murphy stated in a podcast that they have cctv footage from the school(s), showing the coworker coming and going and being in the HS parking lot. I also believe they have footage of her calling either Jason or Fazoli's from the gas station. But you're right, there possibly could have been a mix up as to exactly where on campus they were supposed to meet. But there is no footage of Jason entering or being on school grounds, either the middle school or the high school.

 

[Andreee]

I'm fairly certain Ms. Murphy stated in a podcast that they have cctv footage from the school(s), showing the coworker coming and going and being in the HS parking lot. I also believe they have footage of her calling either Jason or Fazoli's from the gas station. But you're right, there possibly could have been a mix up as to exactly where on campus they were supposed to meet. But there is no footage of Jason entering or being on school grounds, either the middle school or the high school.

Right! Yes I had just been wondering which entrance as the teachers parking lot was on the south side which was closer off of a shortcut, so all along I assumed they were going to meet there. But was just thinking its possible Jason wouldve gone to north entrance parkinglot instead. But of course he wasnt caught on camera at either one, although I do wonder a bit how expansive the cameras were. Just grasping at straws here.

 

[Alleykins]

Right! Yes I had just been wondering which entrance as the teachers parking lot was on the south side which was closer off of a shortcut, so all along I assumed they were going to meet there. But was just thinking its possible Jason wouldve gone to north entrance parkinglot instead. But of course he wasnt caught on camera at either one, although I do wonder a bit how expansive the cameras were. Just grasping at straws here.

I'm not sure what the video coverage area was. One thing I noticed on Google maps was how huge the middle school appeared to be, and I recall from the podcast Ms. Murphy mentioned they checked those cameras, too. So I'm thinking if he approached the HS from Bedford, he'd have been seen on video. I just wish we knew if footage was requested from residents' security cameras along various routes to the school, if at all. I don't know how popular home security cameras were back then, though. Nowadays, they're everywhere.

 

[butterflycucu]

I'm fairly certain Ms. Murphy stated in a podcast that they have cctv footage from the school(s), showing the coworker coming and going and being in the HS parking lot. I also believe they have footage of her calling either Jason or Fazoli's from the gas station. But you're right, there possibly could have been a mix up as to exactly where on campus they were supposed to meet. But there is no footage of Jason entering or being on school grounds, either the middle school or the high school.

I wonder if he fell into a sewer or got cornered on the way there and that is why he never made it to the high school to meet his coworker? Or hit by a car but that could be highly unlikely.

 

[Andreee]

I wonder if he fell into a sewer or got cornered on the way there and that is why he never made it to the high school to meet his coworker? Or hit by a car but that could be highly unlikely.

I wonder if he fell into a sewer or got cornered on the way there and that is why he never made it to the high school to meet his coworker? Or hit by a car but that could be highly unlikely.

Yes, those two theories have of course been discussed on our past threads and elsewhere, and basically ruled out, at least that's what I gather! The fell into a sewer theory to me is THE only other theory I would even think is a possibility at this point other than foul play, IMO, but due to his size 6 ft. 1@ and type of construction enroute....Jason's neighbour who is on this thread studebkr filled us in on a bit of roadwork that was going on if I recall right?

 

[butterflycucu]

Yes, those two theories have of course been discussed on our past threads and elsewhere, and basically ruled out, at least that's what I gather! The fell into a sewer theory to me is THE only other theory I would even think is a possibility at this point other than foul play, IMO, but due to his size 6 ft. 1@ and type of construction enroute....Jason's neighbour who is on this thread studebkr filled us in on a bit of roadwork that was going on if I recall right?

Yes that is true he did.They need to go back and look into his neighborhood as well.I know that they did at the time but another search of the area can't hurt at this point.I sure wish he could be found.

 

[butterflycucu]

Yes that is true he did.They need to go back and look into his neighborhood as well.I know that they did at the time but another search of the area can't hurt at this point.I sure wish he could be found.

Yes that is true he did.They need to go back and look into his neighborhood as well.I know that they did at the time but another search of the area can't hurt at this point.I sure wish he could be found.

His neighbor did supposedly see him leave the house but what happened after that is what no one knows

 

[green.]

Can someone tell me why the possibility of gang involvement in Jolkowski's disappearance is rarely mentioned anymore? Was it refuted already? I ask because I spent a lot of time reading older threads and blogs about Jason on a bunch of other sites as well as YouTube, and I noticed that many years ago when this was being discussed, there were comment after comment saying that there's a strong possibility of gang involvement, with some even claiming that his area was "gang infested". Some of the people making these comments said that they were locals or grew up in the area. They are not implying that Jolkowski himself was involved with drugs and gangs, but rather that he could have been an innocent victim of a gang or killed in a case of mistaken identity.

You read around the older topics on the internet about this case, and you find comments such as:

"A block from Benson was gangland at the time; he was probably robbed and killed by a gang."

"Around that time several drug gangs had made their way from New York and set up shop. Jason would have been in trouble if he was spotted wearing the wrong colours."

"What colours was he wearing during the walk? Back then you wouldn't need to go far from his house to be caught up with some shady characters. A lot of crack dealers and gang activity in that area."

However, in more recent discussions of this case, this is not really mentioned as a possibility.

There are two arguments against this theory which I saw from other commenters while reading around.

1. The time of day he disappeared.

Jolkowski couldn't have been killed or robbed by a gang because it was 11am in the morning, and it's not typical to have gangs roaming the streets that early looking for victims.

Firstly, Jason being killed in an activity linked to gangs does not necessitate that he was killed by individual gang members themselves. When drug gangs become active in an area, they come with a whole bunch of other baggage – drug users, loose-cannon youngsters along for the ride, local youth seeking to impress older drug dealers, etc. Secondly, those comments from locals are claiming that there's not merely a few drug dealers here and there in the area; they are claiming that gangs have come from out of state and opened up what amounts to "trap houses" in the area. These are essentially 24-hour businesses without opening and closing hours, so you can still have all sorts of characters lurking about at all hours and spilling over into more suburban areas.

2. Jasons size

Jason was basically a fully grown man, so subduing him without anyone noticing would be impossible.

People are killed all the time regardless of size or age. All it would take is a group of individuals, possibly hooded up to corner Jason and put a gun or knife in front of him and search his pockets, and one wrong move on his part and he could have been stabbed and bled out, or he could have been escorted into a car and driven from the scene towards an ATM. Once they figured he didn't have access to any cash, he could have been killed then. I am not sure i subscribe to the idea that "someone would have seen something". How long would it realistically take for someone, or a group of individuals with a weapon to gain cooperation from a victim? He would have been put in a car in a matter of seconds.

We also need to take into account that Jolkowski was said to maybe have some minor socialization issues and was perhaps "shy and introverted". That would make him easy pickings for anyone seeking to do him harm, particularly if the area was said to be on the cusp of transforming from quiet suburbia to being overrun with gangs.

I'm not convinced this is what happened to Jason by any means, but I think this avenue could be explored further, assuming everything that has been said about crime and gangs in his area is correct.

If the gang stuff is all overblown nonsense, then I'd probably go with the neighbor theory or being picked up in a car by someone who he trusted and wasn't expecting to be hurt by. I don't believe his co-worker had anything to do with it. The idea that she had a possessive jealous boyfriend who overheard their conversation and rushed to attack Jason in a fit of rage is too outlandish for me.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Welcome to Websleuths, @green. !!

You have probably read here there is a local who lived in Jason's neighborhood and comments here. Maybe he'll give his opinion.

I also don't believe his coworker nor anyone she knew had anything to do with it.

 

[studebkr]

I was the Jolkowski’s neighbor and there was definitely gang activity in the area at that time and even more so today.

I’m not going to rule that out completely, but it is unlikely.

Most gang crime in North Omaha is black on black in the form of a drive by. They are messy and not clean hits at all. The only whites I know of that have been effected were in drug deals gone bad and there was still no effort to hide evidence.

Anything is possible. I’ve wondered myself, but it just doesn’t seem like it happened that way. Though nobody has a theory any better.

There was private and “crime stoppers” reward money (maybe still) for information leading to finding Jason. Those rewards often work if there was a witness willing to “break the code”.

I don’t think it was ruled out so much as they didn’t have anything to lead them down that road.

 

[BethAnn777]

Has anyone with a newspapers. C o m subscription checked to see what kind of crimes were being reported on in the area around the time Jason went missing?

 

[eny]

For anyone (like me) who thinks this was premeditated, do you have any theories why the perpetrator had to make Jason disappear that day?

Let's say Jason had been secretly meeting someone, platonically or otherwise, I'm struggling to understand why that morning.

Even if this person was upset or angry that Jason had stood them up, that's still some overreaction.

I know very little about this case, just a few pages of forum and maybe that is a good thing. I’ll give my sense of this. He enjoyed his walks and made a friend, could be surface level knowing enough but not too much about each others lives, their interactions aren’t enough to mention to anyone in their personal lives, at least not to Jason. He passes by on his way to the school and they chat, maybe the other party happened to be sitting outside and their paths crossing was unexpected. Jason didn’t have his ride(change number 1) and in convo he mentions his new job that he is excited for(change 2). The other party could’ve been inappropriately attached to Jason, these sudden changes are jarring and they feel they are losing control of their life. They get Jason inside their house under false pretenses, like a congratulatory cookie or some money or something harmless. In the privacy of the home, Jason is physically overwhelmed and injured. Then the person disposes of him. Maybe he is more familiar with the other person, a secret girlfriend? Someone who thought he was their boyfriend?
I feel stranger things have happened. I feel he had to have willingly entered a home, unplanned, on his route. This being much different than the norm, any planned meeting should’ve left a trace and would complicate things.

Unless he left with a familiar person of his own free will intending not to return, this is foul play. The nature of schedule changes makes me feel that the perp is mentally unwell.

Everything about this is sudden and unexpected and maybe that’s a key. Maybe this would only have happened if these exact events happened that day. I do think this is in some way having to do with his new job.
Who would he no longer see? Who would he see now? How would his financial situation change and who would that effect? Whose life would change, if even a small bit with his new job? When things change, a lot of things tend to change in a short period of time and that is uncomfortable.

He knew the perp in some capacity and I feel certain of that.

 

[eny]

The more I consider this case I agree with some posts from 22’. Why isn’t there more discussion with the church and seminary? Yes he was scheduled for work that day and had a new job lined up, however he was religious and I understand there was some tension in the house relating to that. I’m not sure the denomination as I haven’t seen it so this may be a completely irrelevant thought but there is an Archdiocese location 8 blocks west of BensonHS. Also I’m unsure if it was occupied by the Archdiocese at the time?

Were his aspirations for seminary school anymore than speculation? Did he know someone that had something to do with the archdiocese location? Would he go there for any reason ever?
What does someone do on hours long walks besides contemplate religion and the meaning of life and our mortal purpose?
Were his religious ties ever explored as a possibility for his disappearance?
I’m not suggesting he ran away to seminary school and led a life in the catholic church, I have little doubt he is dead, but holy people aren’t always so holy. And the catholic church hasn’t always been so nice to naive and vulnerable young men/boys.

 

[Valiant]

Can someone tell me why the possibility of gang involvement in Jolkowski's disappearance is rarely mentioned anymore? Was it refuted already? I ask because I spent a lot of time reading older threads and blogs about Jason on a bunch of other sites as well as YouTube, and I noticed that many years ago when this was being discussed, there were comment after comment saying that there's a strong possibility of gang involvement, with some even claiming that his area was "gang infested". Some of the people making these comments said that they were locals or grew up in the area. They are not implying that Jolkowski himself was involved with drugs and gangs, but rather that he could have been an innocent victim of a gang or killed in a case of mistaken identity.

You read around the older topics on the internet about this case, and you find comments such as:

"A block from Benson was gangland at the time; he was probably robbed and killed by a gang."

"Around that time several drug gangs had made their way from New York and set up shop. Jason would have been in trouble if he was spotted wearing the wrong colours."

"What colours was he wearing during the walk? Back then you wouldn't need to go far from his house to be caught up with some shady characters. A lot of crack dealers and gang activity in that area."

However, in more recent discussions of this case, this is not really mentioned as a possibility.

There are two arguments against this theory which I saw from other commenters while reading around.

1. The time of day he disappeared.

Jolkowski couldn't have been killed or robbed by a gang because it was 11am in the morning, and it's not typical to have gangs roaming the streets that early looking for victims.

Firstly, Jason being killed in an activity linked to gangs does not necessitate that he was killed by individual gang members themselves. When drug gangs become active in an area, they come with a whole bunch of other baggage – drug users, loose-cannon youngsters along for the ride, local youth seeking to impress older drug dealers, etc. Secondly, those comments from locals are claiming that there's not merely a few drug dealers here and there in the area; they are claiming that gangs have come from out of state and opened up what amounts to "trap houses" in the area. These are essentially 24-hour businesses without opening and closing hours, so you can still have all sorts of characters lurking about at all hours and spilling over into more suburban areas.

2. Jasons size

Jason was basically a fully grown man, so subduing him without anyone noticing would be impossible.

People are killed all the time regardless of size or age. All it would take is a group of individuals, possibly hooded up to corner Jason and put a gun or knife in front of him and search his pockets, and one wrong move on his part and he could have been stabbed and bled out, or he could have been escorted into a car and driven from the scene towards an ATM. Once they figured he didn't have access to any cash, he could have been killed then. I am not sure i subscribe to the idea that "someone would have seen something". How long would it realistically take for someone, or a group of individuals with a weapon to gain cooperation from a victim? He would have been put in a car in a matter of seconds.

We also need to take into account that Jolkowski was said to maybe have some minor socialization issues and was perhaps "shy and introverted". That would make him easy pickings for anyone seeking to do him harm, particularly if the area was said to be on the cusp of transforming from quiet suburbia to being overrun with gangs.

I'm not convinced this is what happened to Jason by any means, but I think this avenue could be explored further, assuming everything that has been said about crime and gangs in his area is correct.

If the gang stuff is all overblown nonsense, then I'd probably go with the neighbor theory or being picked up in a car by someone who he trusted and wasn't expecting to be hurt by. I don't believe his co-worker had anything to do with it. The idea that she had a possessive jealous boyfriend who overheard their conversation and rushed to attack Jason in a fit of rage is too outlandish for me.

Gang killings don’t usually involve removal of the body. The killings are to make a statement and if there’s no body there’s no “statement”.
That’s just my opinion.

 

[dotr]

https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/L2500/S001-2001.pdf

Crime in Nebraska - 2001
STATEWIDE CRIME SUMMARY2001! A total of 72,287 index offenses were reported or known to law enforcement in2001.!
5,081 violent crimes were reported in 2001:''

 

[green.]

Gang killings don’t usually involve removal of the body. The killings are to make a statement and if there’s no body there’s no “statement”.
That’s just my opinion.

Why would the body need to be removed though? If he was coerced into a car by people associated with gang members who had the intent to rob or extort him, he could have been shot or stabbed elsewhere, and his body was left somewhere out of the area, like a ravine, and it’s just never been found.

The reason I don't think anything like this probably happened to Jason, though, is that it most likely would have been conducted by several individuals, and after all this time, someone somewhere would have spoken up. Gang members and associates as well as addicts get caught and picked up for other offences all the time, and I feel like if someone had some information about a guy who went missing all that time ago, something would have come out. Someone would have cooperated with cops by now if only to make a deal and get a more lenient sentence for something else.

What I find fascinating about Jason’s case is that for all the theories put forward over the years, there has been absolutely not even a single hint coming out that leads towards looking any further into any of them. There has been nothing that leads us to conclude that one of these theories is what most likely happened to him. There have been no real links to any type of suspicious neighbors or pedophiles in the area, nothing to pursue a hit-and-run theory, gangs, or serial killers, love interests, problems at college, church, etc. It’s all just guesswork. There has been not even a whisper of any type of break in the case. The more I think about it, It really does seem like he had some kind of freak accident that nobody would ever know about.

Does anyone know anything more about the radio host position he had? could he have developed some kind of problems with someone through that?

 

[dotr]

Looking into crimes in the Omaha area and found this unsolved homicide from 1979.
Before Jason's time of course, but the interesting thing is, the victim worked at his school and the killer has not been identified.
Started thread, fwiw..

D

NE Thread 'NE-Laura Jane Linehan, 60, widow, cafeteria worker @ Omaha North HS, strangled w. electrical cord, & put in bathtub, @ home, Omaha, 13 December 1979.'

Apr 20, 2025

2022 rbbm.​

Family hopes for answers in 42-year old cold case

Murder victim's family hopes better reward leads to better information

www.ketv.com

''Linehan was a widow, who worked in the cafeteria at Omaha North High School.
The night of the murder, Goodrich’s sister was in the home, drifting in and out of sleep.
She told investigators she heard voices and then suddenly, silence.

“And she heard dragging, around the carpet and stuff which actually was him dragging her from the living room to our bathroom to put her in the tub of water,” said Goodrich.

Omaha police Detective Sherry King said investigators...

• dotr

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