Three years ago, our family received the shocking news that a body had been found in CA. Officials there thought that this young man was our missing son, Jason. What followed this revelation was one of the most painful periods in our life, other than when Jason disappeared.
We were told by authorities we would have to wait, possibly for months, for the information that would reveal whether or not this person was our son. I then began a diary about our experience, unsure of why I felt compelled to do this and what purpose it might serve in the future. In this diary, I documented my efforts to lessen the waiting. I decided that I would do whatever it took to find the answers and relieve my family’s pain.
For the first time ever, this diary is being made public. Most names and places in the diary have been changed. Our intent is not to disparage the involved agencies. We understand how overworked most agencies are when it comes to missing and unidentified persons. Budgets also often don't allow for training, especially in cases of missing persons.
As we always say, we’re going to have to help the public understand our cause in order for them to be willing to pay more taxes or whatever it takes to properly staff and train law enforcement to handle missing persons’ cases.
We are forever grateful for the assistance we’ve had with Jason’s case.
After we did receive the answer about this unidentified person, it took us a long time to recover from the hurt and then discover what we were to do with our story. What we learned from this experience will be revealed at the end of this series on the Voice for the Missing blog.
We hope that in sharing this story, others who are going through something similar will be helped in some small way. And, as mentioned before, at the end of the series, we’ll discuss the other reasons and goals behind it.
With hope for our missing loved ones
,
Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all living organisms. The main role of DNA is the long-term storage of information and it is often compared to a set of blueprints, since DNA contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules. The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in regulating the use of this genetic information.
Chemically, DNA is a long polymer of simple units called nucleotides, with a backbone made of sugars and phosphate atoms joined by ester bonds. Attached to each sugar is one of four types of molecules called bases. It is the sequence of these four bases along the backbone that encodes information. This information is read using the genetic code, which specifies the sequence of the amino acids within proteins. The code is read by copying stretches of DNA into the related nucleic acid RNA, in a process called transcription. Most of these RNA molecules are used to synthesize proteins, but others are used directly in structures such as ribosomes and spliceosomes.
Within cells, DNA is organized into structures called chromosomes and the set of chromosomes within a cell make up a genome. These chromosomes are duplicated before cells divide, in a process called DNA replication. Eukaryotic organisms such as animals, plants, and fungi store their DNA inside the cell nucleus, while in prokaryotes such as bacteria it is found in the cell's cytoplasm. Within the chromosomes, chromatin proteins such as histones compact and organize DNA, which helps control its interactions with other proteins and thereby control which genes are transcribed
Our missing son, Jason is now on the America's Most Wanted website. (not to be confused with being on the show, unfortunately) A long time ago, he was listed, but when AMW redid their website, for some reason, they removed his case and did not restore it. We had our law enforcement submit his case twice, and now with a push from one of our volunteers, we finally have him back on there!
On June 13, 2001, Jason Jolkowski went missing from his home in Omaha, NE. Jason's boss called that morning to find out if he could come into work early. But according to his mother, Jason's car was in the shop so he arranged to meet a c-worker boss at Benson High School, only eight blocks away. Jason showered and changed and headed out the door. His little brother, Michael, recalls last seeing Jason around 10:15 a.m. taking garbage cans to the garage. But when Jason's employer called back to the house 30-45 minutes later because he had not shown up at the high school, the family knew something was wrong. Jason had simply vanished.
"Someone, somewhere, knows where our son is and could help us find him. Six years is too long to live without knowing."
Into Thin Air
Jason had a close relationship with his family, so no one believed he just made up his mind to disappear. Authorities monitored his bank account, cell phone and the body shop where Jason left his car. Nothing. The family estimates that Jason had no more than about $60 when he disappeared, and Jason never picked up his remaining checks from work. With no clues, police relied on information from neighbors that remember seeing Jason leaving his home near the Benson area in Omaha. But no one reported seeing anything suspicious. According to police, in addition to working and attending community college, Jason was a radio announcer, considered a trusting kid and naive when it came to the streets. Omaha authorities suspect foul play.
A "Shy Guy"
Jason was a shy young man who spent his time with family. He typically did not spend a lot of time socially interacting with friends. His family says he was not a drinker or drug user and that he spent most of his time either at home or at work. Before he disappeared, Jason was preparing to start a new job, about which the family says he was excited.
Jason was last seen wearing a blue Cubs hat and a white Cubs or "Sammy Sosa" t-shirt, black pants and black dress shoes.
Since Jason's disappearance, his family has become advocates on behalf of missing persons, founding a non-profit organization, Project Jason, and passing Jason's Law in Nebraska.
Diane Chamberlain's Book "Secrets She Left Behind." This book is a tale about a missing woman which has Project Jason incorporated into the story as the family begins their search efforts,
Win an Autographed Book! (proceeds benefit nonprofit organization Project Jason)
Recipient: Kelly Jolkowski, Omaha, Neb., for assisting families of the missing, following her own experience of her 19-year old son who has been missing since 2001. She and her husband, Jim Jolkowski founded Project Jason, a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide families of the missing with knowledge, raise public awareness about missing loved ones, and try to affect state laws with regard to the manner in which missing persons cases are handled by law enforcement. In a short time, Project Jason has assisted thousands of families, by raising public awareness through the media, disseminating posters, and providing hundreds of referrals.
U. S. Justice Department’s OVC Names Project Jason President Kelly Jolkowski 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree
Mother of missing son honored for helping other families cope
when their loved ones go missing
OMAHA, NE and WASHINGTON D.C. – April 16, 2010 – The U.S. Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) today named Kelly Jolkowski as the 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree. The announcement came at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. The awards are part of the OVC’s National Crime Victims Rights Week, April 18-24. Jolkowski was one of eight people honored by the U.S. Justice Department for their work assisting victims of crime.
Jolkowski is President and Founder of Omaha, Neb.-based Project Jason, a nonprofit that assists families of missing adults and children. She became a volunteer for the cause of missing persons after her son, Jason, disappeared in 2001. Because Jason’s age placed him as an adult, she found it difficult to identify a source for advice or comfort. She determined no family should experience this loss without assistance, and founded Project Jason, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
