Jason Jolkowski: Missing persons bill pending in state legislature

The article is more about the bill and missing/unidentified persons cases in general than about Jason, but it is very informative.

Article from http://www.wahoonewspaper.com/site/tab7.cfm?newsid=19823375&BRD=2712&PAG=461&dept_id=557009&rfi=6:

Missing person cases in Nebraska go unsolved
By: Jon Burleson
07/02/2008
Updated 07/12/2008 05:06:03 AM EDT
In Douglas County, law enforcement
lists 1,850 people missing. About half the cases involve children.
On June13,
2001, Jason Jolkowski, then 19, became a statistic. Since that day, his mother,
Kelly, has been striving to make him more than that to lawmakers.
"Nobody knows how big an issue this is," Jolkowski said. "Those who are
missing are more than a height, weight, hair and eye color. They are
people."
After laboring on behalf of missing persons for the last seven years,
Jolkowski has mobilized a new effort to get law enforcement the tools they need
to help families of the missing. Campaign for the Missing is a grassroots effort
to pass legislation in each state that will serve to improve the law enforcement
community's ability to locate and ensure a safe return of missing persons.
"This is so needed," she said. "Things fall through the cracks. Families
aren't told to get vital pieces of information that could help them solve the
case."
The campaign's central focus will address the national problems of missing
persons and the identification of human remains and provide the framework for
improving law enforcement's response. It will also improve the collection of
critical information about missing persons, prioritize high-risk missing persons
cases and ensure prompt dissemination of critical information to other law
enforcement agencies and the public that can improve the likelihood of a safe
return.
"Most law enforcement officers are not trained in missing persons cases,"
Jolkowski said. "Some police academies don't even teach about missing persons
investigations."
The Department of Justice, working with federal, state and local law
enforcement; coroners and medical examiners; victim advocates; forensic
scientists; key policymakers; and family members who have lived through this
tragic experience, developed the legislation to be presented in the Nebraska
Unicameral.
The bill made it mandatory for law enforcement to follow certain procedures
at the beginning of a missing persons case. Certain steps need to be taken in a
specific order and resources must be allocated to assist, Jolkowski said.
"Nobody told me to get his toothbrush or his comb," she said, "and by the
time I knew, it was too late."
On almost a daily basis, unidentified bodies are found across the country.
Over the last year, law enforcement agencies have reported from 40-50,000 bodies
with no means to identify them, Jolkowski said. These bodies are usually buried
or even cremated with no DNA saved for the possibility of a future
identification.
"The families of those missing live in a horrible limbo of not knowing,"
Jolkowski said. "These families need an answer and this legislation could help
provide an answer."
Having run into a roadblock in the last Unicameral session, Jolkowski has
been waiting patiently for the next session. Patience is something she has
developed over the last seven years.
But, she has not been idle. Jolkowski has been working with Nebraska
legislators, such as Steve Lathrop and Brad Ashford to move the bill forward
this time around.
"Last time, I was told that the $50,000 needed to run the program each year
wasn't available," she said. "I feel that if Nebraskans knew how many people go
missing each year, they would be willing to help find them."
If you are interested in helping make a difference in the lives of
thousands of missing persons and their families, send an email to campaignforthemissing@projectjason.org.

If you know anything about what happened to Jason, please call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5818 or (402) 444-5690.

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/

Jason's guestbook: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876

You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=992083&orgPrefix=NCMA&searchLang=en_US.

Project Jason is conducting a special fundraising campaign in honor of Jason's 27th birthday, and they are already more than 2/3 of the way to their goal! For more information, see http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=3021.0.

You can also "adopt" Jason through Project Jason's "Adopt a Missing Person" program. Learn more about this at http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Photo and age progression of Jason from his poster.

CUE Center's 2008 On the Road to Remember Tour update

Among the many missing persons (and a few homicide victims) who are being included in the tour are a few that have been posted on this blog: Audrey May Herron (from Catskill, New York), Audrey Lyn Nerenberg (from Brooklyn, New York), William "Billy" Smolinski, Jr. (Waterbury, Connecticut), Cynthia Day (East Saint Louis, Illinois), and Jason Jolkowski (Omaha, Nebraska). In total there are 110 missing people and six murder victims featured.

So far there are stops planned in the states of North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee.

For a complete list of both stops and featured people, as well as some background information on the event, see http://www.angelsthatcare.org/OTRT__List_and_Info.doc.

Note: Locations for missing people are according to those given in the document, so they may different from what is stated elsewhere on this blog.

Jason Jolkowski: News article on birthday and fundraiser

Article from http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8550418:

Remembering Jason: Helping Find Others
Posted: June 24, 2008 09:58 PM EDT
Updated: June 24, 2008 09:58 PM EDT

Julie
Hong
Omaha (KPTM) - He vanished without a trace seven years ago.
Jason
Jolkowski would be 27 years old this June 24th.
So on his birthday, his
family reflects on his life and want to share a very special gift.
"It would
be so wonderful to be able to buy you a gift and sing Happy Birthday to you,
even in our funny, off-key way," reads Kelly Jolkowski.
It's a birthday
letter with words of love, hope and reflection Kelly wrote to her son.
"We
reflect on him as a person. We miss his laughter and his kind generous
spirit."
Tuesday, June 24th is the 7th birthday the Jolkowski's celebrate
without him.
Jason Jolkowski disappeared without a trace from his Benson home
seven years ago.
He would be 27 years old.
"It's still extremely difficult
to not know anything to not know is he dead, is he alive, is he okay, did
somebody hurt him. Why?" says Kelly.
And while the Jolkowski's don't have
those answers, they do have Project Jason, a non-profit organization dedicated
to help other families like theirs.
"We need the public's help to find Jason,
to remember the missing, other families like ours and to help us accomplish our
goals."
Kelly says since she can't give her son a gift this year, she hopes
the public will give in his honor by donating at least $27 dollars to Project
Jason.
It's a gift that Kelly says she hopes will help find Jason, and help
other families.
But, more than anything it's a gift she says Jason would
want.
"That's part of the birthday campaign we know that with his generous
spirit, he would want us to do this," says Kelly.
The Carole Sund Foundation
continues to offer a five-htousand dollar reward for any information that leads
to Jason.
Money raised from Jason's Girthday Gift campaign will ehlp with the
operating costs of Project Jason pay for awareness programs, fund an upcoming
retreat and help pay for ads of missing people on area bus benches.
You can
donate by logging on to www.projectjason.org
You can donate through PayPal or
mail a check.
Jason's mom also says there are updated posters with Jason's
age progressed photo. The family would appreciate any help if people can print
out the poster and put them up in their neighborhoods or where they work.

If you know anything about what happened to Jason, please call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5818 or (402) 444-5690.

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/
Jason's guestbook: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876
You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=992083&orgPrefix=NCMA&searchLang=en_US.


Jason is also one of the missing people you can "adopt" through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, see http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Photo and age progression from Jason's poster.

Jason Jolkowski now missing 7 years, Omaha, Nebraska

Some new developments in Jason's case include a reward and a new age progression. Project Jason, a missing person's organization founded by his mother, also is starting a new fundraising campaign to mark his birthday, which is also coming up in a few days.

First, the reward. Press release posted at http://www.crimeandjustice.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=164&st=300:

The Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation 301 Downey Ave., Modesto, CA, Ph.
209- 567-1059
Scott Webb – Executive Director
June 10, 2008
Contact: Scott Webb 209-567-1059
$5,000 REWARD
The Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation is offering a $5,000 reward for
information leading to the safe return of Jason Jolkowski. If a homicide has
occurred the reward will automatically revert to the arrest and conviction of
the person/persons responsible for the crime.
It has been our experience that reward funds have been the catalyst to
increased interest and investigative leads in cases. We hope that a reward will
assist in this case as well. The Foundation's reward money has already assisted
in the location of nine missing persons, the apprehension of 37 murder suspects,
and 3 kidnappers of young children, and one suspect charged with attempted
murder of a peace officer. We currently have 37 suspects in custody in ten
states.
To date the Foundation has paid a total of $262,600 in rewards to citizens
who did the right thing by coming forward and sharing the information they had
regarding these cases. We all have a responsibility to do our part to help make
our community a safe place.
Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso were the three women sightseers
who were missing and later found murdered near Yosemite National Park in
February of 1999. While they were missing, Carole Sund’s parents, Francis and
Carole Carrington, at the request of the FBI, posted rewards both for their safe
return and for information leading to the whereabouts of their rental car. The
Carringtons believe that the posting of these rewards and the media attention
they received contributed to the car being located and gave them the first break
in their case. They were thankful that they had the financial means to offer
these rewards and it’s because of this that they have started The Carole
Sund/Carrington Foundation. This foundation was established to assist in cases
such as the case of Jason Jolkowski, which is a similar circumstance as the
Carrington’s in that Jason is a missing person.
We strongly urge anyone with information to contact the investigators.
Please if you know anything about this case, call Detective Jim Shields of the
Omaha Police Department at 402-444-5818.

Now the announcement from the Project Jason forum, http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=3021.0:

June 13, 2008 marks seven years since the mysterious and tragic
disappearance of Jason Jolkowski, the namesake of our organization. His 27th
birthday is June 24th.
In honor of Jason, his birthday and his generous spirit, we are launching a
fundraising campaign. The birthday present image at the bottom of our main site
at http://www.projectjason.org/
will be used to show our progress toward the goal of raising $2,700 by October
6th, the 5th anniversary of Project Jason.
You will find a quick reference to Project Jason’s accomplishments and
information about how we utilize donations by continuing to scroll down in this
thread.
Please feel free to forward this information.
What follows is a letter written by Jason's mother, Kelly, to mark this sad
occasion:
Dear Jason,
We love you and miss you. It’s been seven years since we last saw your face
and heard your gentle laugh. Wherever you are, you’re now a grown man. You were
just a young adult when you were last with us, working to find your place in
this life.
The month of June is such a trying time of year. You disappeared without a
trace on June 13th, 2001. Sometimes it seems as if it was just yesterday. The
great fear and pounding of our hearts when we discovered something was very
wrong is a feeling we’ll never forget. We waited and hoped that you’d walk in
the door a moment later and that the whole awful event would be over, but that
didn’t happen. Seven years later, it feels as if it never may end, and that we
may have to wait for our life after this world to see you again. Even so, we
will always have hope to find you sooner, and that you will be with us again.
Love always hopes, and we have hearts full of both.
Father’s Day and my birthday were also events of that fateful month, and
without you, those dates seemed meaningless.
June 24th is your 27th birthday. It would be so wonderful to be able to buy
you a gift and sing Happy Birthday to you, even in our funny, off-key way. There
is so much that we’ve all missed. If you are still with us, you could be married
and have children. You may have graduated from college and be pursuing a career.
So many life events which normally happen with someone of your age may have
passed by. We hope and pray that you haven’t been cheated of the life you were
meant to live.
We feel that somehow, you are aware of how life has changed for us in your
absence. Your little brother has grown up now and works with your dad. He misses
you so.
Because of you, we were called to reach out and help others who have fallen
victim to this tragic circumstance. We passed a law in your name here in
Nebraska, and then we created a nonprofit organization named after you, Project
Jason. We’ve helped find other missing people, including a son who was missing
for 14 years, and a sister missing for seven. We wish we could find you, but
rest assured son, we won’t stop trying.
We were blessed to have you with us for nineteen years. You taught us so
much, especially about generosity and kindness. You never told us these things,
but we found out from those who knew you. You took it upon yourself to help a
handicapped boy at school to get from class to class. You sang a rap in front of
the whole school to help your friend get elected to the student council, even
though you are shy and quiet. We saw for ourselves how you would literally run
to open the door for elderly people, or help someone across the street.
Because of these things and more, we know you would want us to do the work
we do to help other families of missing persons. In honor of your 27th birthday,
and we know you would approve, we are asking for donations to your name sake
organization. It’s been a struggle these past seven years without you, and also
in founding the organization and accomplishing what we know we could. With the
support of others who care, we will achieve more for these suffering families
and help to reunite them with their missing loved ones.
We’re going to ask, dear Jason, that each person reading this consider
donating $27 in your name to Project Jason. Realizing there are many who truly
can’t afford to do this, perhaps some who can, will donate an additional $27. We
have a goal to reach $2,700 by October 6th, which will be the 5th anniversary of
the founding of Project Jason.
For those who wish to help, they can mail their donation to Project Jason,
PO Box 3035, Omaha, NE 68103, OR go to our website, http://www.projectjason.org/, and
click on the PayPal button at the bottom of the page. We’ll also show the
progress towards the October goal on the “birthday present” image shown on the
bottom of the main page of our website.
It will be wonderful to be able to affect even more families in your name,
Jason. The greatest gift of all would be to have you back in our lives, but if
that is not to be, we will continue on with our work with the help and support
of the kind people of the world, people just like you.
Love Always,
Mom, Dad, and Michael

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/

Jason's guestbook: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876

You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=992083&orgPrefix=NCMA&searchLang=en_US.

Photo and age progression from Jason's NCMEC poster.

Ashley Martinez now missing 3 years, Saint Joseph, Missouri

A little less than a month ago, Ashley Renee Martinez was included in the CUE Center's Road to Remember Tour. An article mentioning the rally can be read at http://stjoechannel.com/content/fulltext/?cid=12356. Photos from that and other news on Ashley are featured on her thread on the Project Jason forum, http://projectjason.org/dpforum/thread.php?id=890.

From the North American Missing Persons Network:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: July 6, 2004 from St. Joseph, Missouri
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: January 24, 1989
Age: 15
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 110 lbs.
Hair Color: Sandy Blonde
Eye Color: Blue
Race: White
Gender: Female
Distinguishing Characteristics: Scars on left wrist,peircing holes for her ears, tongue, and belly button.
Medical Conditions: Bi-Polar Disorder
Clothing: Black top, blue jean shorts, white Reebok tennis shoes, and black bikini with red cherries on it underneath her clothing.
NCIC Number: M-874158505
Case Number: 04-26313; NCMC993587
Details of Disappearance
Ashley was last seen at a local public pool on July 6, 2004 in St. Joseph, Missouri. She was persuaded into leaving the state with a 32 year old sexual predator, Christopher Hart. He picked her up near the pool in his dad's gray 1995 Pontiac Bonneville with Missouri license plate, 377MPY.In September 2004, Hart was arrested in Olympia, Washington, and is awaiting extradition back to Missouri. Hart exhibited bizarre and unorthodox behavior while in jail. He has been sent to Western State Hospital for a mental evaluation, prior to his arraignment in court. Since his arrest, he has been uncooperative about Ashley's whereabouts or the location of the car.
Ashley's mother describes her as a beautiful girl who loves to read
and has a great sense of humor.
In 2005, the Carol Sund Foundation offered a $5000 reward for any information regarding the whereabouts of Ashley Martinez.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
St. Joseph Police Department
(816) 271-4747

You can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Ashley's website: http://www.ashleymartinez.com/
Guestbook for messages to Ashley's family: http://www.findashleymartinez.com/ashleygb
You can print a poster of Ashley here.

You can "adopt" Ashley through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, visit http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Jason Jolkowski: An example of the issues faced by families of the missing

About three years ago, police contacted Jason's family regarding an unidentified deceased male that had been found in California. A woman had seen an artist's rendering of the man and thought he resembled Jason. It is now known that this man was not Jason, but Jason's mother, Kelly, has now posted about the incident on the Project Jason Voice for the Missing blog. The posts are based on her own diary entries from the time, and names of places and people outside the family have been changed. The story, however, is still powerful.

An introduction to the series can be found at http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/62107-untold-story-awaiting-dna.html, which also links to audio files of a dramatization of the diary. The first actual post in the series is at http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/62107-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-i.html, and the rest of the story has yet to be posted.
Update: Link to part two: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/62207-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-ii.html
Part Three: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/62707-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part.html
Part Four: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/62807-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-iv.html
Part Five: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/62907-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-v.html
Part Six: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/06/63007-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-vi.html
Part Seven: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/07/72007-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part.html
Part Eight: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/07/7507-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part.html
Part Nine: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/07/7607-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-ix.html
Part Ten: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/07/71207-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-x.html
Part Eleven: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/07/71407-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part-xi.html
Part Twelve (which also stresses the importance of personal ID kits): http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2007/07/71707-untold-story-awaiting-dna-part.html

If you know anything about the disappearance of Jason Anthony Jolkowski from Omaha, Nebraska, please call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5657 or Omaha Crimestoppers at (402) 444-STOP.
Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/
Jason's guestbook: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876
You can print a poster of Jason at http://projectjason.org/18wheel/Jason6YearPoster.pdf. Or, if you do not have a PDF reading program (such as Adobe Acrobat or Foxit Reader), the older poster is available at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.
Jason is one of the missing people you can "adopt" through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, visit http://projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Project Jason website: http://www.projectjason.org/.


Photo of Jason from Voice for the Missing blog.

Ashley Martinez: Included in On the Road to Remember 2007, other news

The On the Road to Remember Tour is held by the CUE (Community United Effort) Center, a non-profit missing persons organization based in North Carolina. It stops in various locations in several states and holds rallies to gain attention for local missing people who have become "cold cases".

This year their schedule included a stop at the Krug swimming pool in St. Joseph, Missouri, on June 14. Ashley Martinez, then 15 years old, was last seen there on July 6, 2004. She is believed to have run away with a 32-year-old convicted felon named Christopher Hart. He was arrested in Olympia, Washington, on September 4, 2004, but Ashley was not with him. He had been promising to take her to California, or she may be in Nebraska or Kansas City, Missouri. The car they were supposedly traveling in, a stolen grey 1995 Pontiac Bonneville with Missouri license plate 377MPY, has also not been found.
Ashley has bipolar disorder and may engage in dangerous behavior when she does not have her medication. She also has asthma. She did not bring along her medicine or any of her personal belongings. Therefore, she is rightly classified as "endangered".
Update: Article mentioning rally from http://stjoechannel.com/content/fulltext/?cid=12356:

National Spotlight Shines on Missing People in the Area

Reported by: Patty Santos
Thursday, Jun 14, 2007 @10:30pm
A
national spotlight shines on missing people in the Midland Empire. The 4th
Annual Missing Persons Tour made a stop in two area towns. Word of Branson
Perry's disappearance will reach 11 states by the end of June, giving his family
another glimpse of hope that the 26-year-old will soon be found.
"It's an awesome feeling, it makes you feel like there is hope, that there
are people that really do care," Becky Klino, mother, said.
Monica Caison is leading the "On the Road to Remember" tour spreading the
word and pictures of 75 missing adults across 5,100 miles.
"A lot of these cases that we are featuring, are cases that have gone cold,
because they weren't promoted properly at the beginning, of they just didn't
have enough information to go on," Caison said.
For the remaining 2,400 miles the van will attract the attention of many
people in small and big communities. They also want to grab some media
attention.
"It's important that we get the press involved, and get Perry's name out,"
Ben Espey, Nodaway County Sheriff, said. "We're still looking for clues and
leads that we can follow up on."
Branson's mother said it's vital to keep these cases front and center. So
far the group has helped bring in several new leads in other cases. Every
opportunity to get Branson's name to one more person could mean one more
clue.
"You feel like you're very alone and with organizations like this, you feel
like you are embraced with a lot of love, a lot of support and it gives you
strength," Klino said.
"We don't have a reason or rhyme or why, we're here for them and its just
one more piece that it gives them to get through another day," Caison
said.
The tour is sponsored by the community uniter effort organization. The tour
features mostly missing adults, whom they said are often left by the wayside.
The group also stopped by Krug Pool to feature Ashley Martinez. Her family
has been searching for her since she disappeared from this same area three years
ago. The runaway would now be 18 years old.
Her mother said having the community united effort feature her daughter's
story in 11 states could lead to her where abouts. Martinez's family and friends
gathered at the park wearing pins with her picture on it.
They said they're not giving up hope on finding her. For more information
on the tour log on to www.ncmissingpersons.org .

Ashley's mother was recently interviewed for Project Jason's missing people podcast. You can listen to it by clicking on the following links: http://www.lumospub.com/images/Ashley_Martinez_Item_3a_missingpeoplepodcast.com.mp3 , http://www.lumospub.com/images/Ashley_Martinez_Item_3b_missingpeoplepodcast.com.mp3 and http://www.lumospub.com/images/Ashley_Martinez_Item_3c_missingpeoplepodcast.com.mp3.

Ashley was also scheduled be featured on the Missing radio program yesterday (June 15).

If you have any information about the disappearance of Ashley Renee Martinez, please call the Saint Joseph Police Department at (816) 271-4777 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

You can print a poster of Ashley here.
Ashley's website: http://www.findashleymartinez.com/
Ashley's guestbook: http://www.findashleymartinez.com/ashleygb
Additional information at http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/martinez_ashley.html.

You can "adopt" Ashley through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, visit http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

For more information about the "Road to Remember Tour", including a schedule of stops, visit http://angelsthatcare.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-road-to-remember.html.

Photo and age progression of Ashley from the Charley Project.

Jason Jolkowski: Rally article

A few days ago, I had mentioned that Jason Jolkowski was going to be included in the CUE Center's Road to Remember Tour 2007. Here is an article on the rally that was held.

It sounds as if it was successful; now if only Jason and Jesse could be found!

Article from http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10042595. Photo of Jason from his website.

Published Thursday June 14, 2007
Missing people's stories told at ceremony
BY LEIA BAEZ
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Kelly and Jim Jolkowski aren't giving
up.
Wednesday marked six years since they last saw their son, Jason Jolkowski,
then 19, when he left their Benson area home to walk to work.
More than 50 people attended a ceremony Wednesday night at Holy Name
Catholic Church to commemorate the day, which Mayor Mike Fahey declared Omaha
Missing Persons Day.
Project Jason, founded by the Jolkowski family, sponsored the event where
community members prayed and listened to stories from families of missing
persons.
"Things are going very good for Project Jason," Kelly Jolkowski said. "We
have had national recognition in many ways.
"Awareness is key."
Jolkowski said her toughest challenge has been living day to day not
knowing what happened to her son.
Through Project Jason however, she is able to show support to other
families of missing people and receive support in return.
The Cue Center, a nonprofit organization based in North Carolina that
provides assistance for families of the missing, included the Omaha event as a
stop on its fourth annual "On the Road to Remember Tour."
Monica Caison, founder of the organization, said it's important for
families of missing persons never to give up, but also to maintain a healthy
lifestyle for themselves.
The tour, which runs through June 21, will cover 2,400 miles, making 22
stops in 11 states and raising awareness for 75 missing person cases.
Don and Donna Ross of Belton, Mo., traveled to the Omaha event to show
support and raise awareness for their missing son, 20-year-old Jesse Ross.
Jesse Ross, who was a sophomore at the University of Missouri-Kansas City,
vanished Nov. 21, 2006, after attending a conference in Chicago. After a dance,
Jesse was seen heading to his hotel room, a 10-minute walk. He never made
it.
"Seven months later we are still hoping for word," Don Ross said. "Thanks
to (Project Jason), Jesse's story has been heard nationwide."

If you know anything about the disappearance of Jason Anthony Jolkowski, please call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5657 or Omaha Crimestoppers at (402) 444-STOP.

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/

Jason's guestbook: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876

You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.

Jason is one of the missing people you can "adopt" through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, visit http://projectjason.org/adopt.html.

To learn more about Jesse Ross, please visit http://boards.courttv.com/showthread.php?threadid=280760 and http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/brief.cfm?id=42565.

Project Jason website: http://www.projectjason.org/

For more information about the "Road to Remember Tour", including a schedule of stops, visit http://angelsthatcare.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-road-to-remember.html.

Jason Jolkowski now missing 6 years, Omaha, Nebraska

From http://www.ketv.com/news/13474249/detail.html:

Mother Marks 6th Anniversary Of Missing Son
POSTED: 7:30 pm CDT June 9, 2007
UPDATED: 9:08 am CDT June 10, 2007
OMAHA, Neb. -- Kelly Jolkowski's son Jason disappeared six years ago. His parents last saw him outside his house on June 13, 2001.
"It's hard to believe sometimes, the time seems very fast,sometimes it seems very slow, you just can't believe you'd be in this position," said Jolkowski.
Next week, she'll mark the anniverary of her son's disappearence by remembering him with the families of other missing people.
On Wednesday June 13, 2007, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey will declare the day
Omaha Missing Persons Day.
There will be ceremony at Memorial Park in Omaha. The Air Force Color Guard and bagpipers will be there.
The founder of the Cue Center, a nonprofit organization from North Carolina led by Monica Caison, which provides assistance for families of the missing, will be there as well.
Caison has included Omaha and the event as a stop on her national tour to
bring awareness to numerous missing persons cases. The tour will cover 2,400
miles, 22 stops in 11 states and 75 missing person cases.
The ceremony at Memorial Park will go from 6:30p.m.-8:30p.m. If it rains, the ceremony will move inside to Holy Name Church at 2901 Fontenelle Boulevard.
Jolkowski founded Project Jason in her son's name. She now helps other families of missing persons across the country.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Jason Anthony Jolkowski, please call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5657 or Omaha Crimestoppers at (402) 444-STOP.
Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/
Jason's guestbook: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876
You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.

Jason is one of the missing people you can "adopt" through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, visit http://projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Project Jason website: http://www.projectjason.org/

For more information about the "Road to Remember Tour", including a schedule of stops, visit http://angelsthatcare.blogspot.com/2007/06/on-road-to-remember.html.

Jason Jolkowski: Radio Waves for Jason

Jason's mother is starting a new awareness campaign for him.

She has posted a message about it on several message boards, including Courttv.com (http://boards.courttv.com/showthread.php?s=d4c245cb24f7228c7627a6a39de235de&postid=9205526):

Hello,
As you all know, my son, Jason, has now been missing without a trace for 5
years and 8 months. There are no leads to follow up on, and we, at this time,
depend on the general public to provide new leads to help us find our son. For
those of you who have a missing loved one, you already know the struggle to find
ways to get the word out, especially as time passes. You know that you must be
creative in order to get the media to react and to be able to reach your target
audience.
The purpose of my letter is to inform you of a new campaign which has the
goal of creating awareness for Jason, targeting every radio station in the
country. I am looking to amass a team of volunteers to email each radio station
Jason’s story (already prepared for you) and link to more information, photos,
and a poster. If you are familiar with his story, you know that Jason was once a
D.J. for a local community college. It was something he enjoyed and he became
very popular in the local area. He had some financial setbacks, and had to leave
school and the D.J. internship. We, his immediate family, feel that if he is
still alive, it’s very possible that he is working for a radio station, thus,
our campaign, Radio Waves for Jason. (We will make “waves” in the radio industry
looking for him.)
If you are either a family member with a missing loved one, or one of our
peers in the missing person cause, this email is merely to inform you of our
campaign. You often ask about Jason, so we’re letting you know what we’re doing.
We wouldn’t ask you to become involved as we understand you are very busy with
your work or seeking your own missing loved one. This campaign might even give
you an idea for one of your own, which is another good reason to share it with
you.
If you are a friend, family member, or a friend of Project Jason, and feel
you would have the time and commitment to help, we would be happy to have you
assist. As mentioned earlier, you would be given a prepared statement with links
to email radio stations in a set area. I estimate that it will take 3-5 minutes
to email each radio station. Even if you can only email a few locations, each
effort will help us reach our goal.
If you are interested in volunteering to help, please send an email to us
at radiowavesforjason(at sign)projectjason.org You will then be sent an email
with more details about the campaign and the prepared letter for the radio
stations.
*This campaign is suited for persons who are already comfortable
navigating the internet and using copy and paste functions.
Thank you for all you do for our family, Jason, and Project Jason, whether
it’s a simple prayer or more, all efforts are greatly appreciated.
With hope for all of our missing loved ones,
Kelly Jolkowski,
Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
http://www.projectjason.org/
Read our Voice for the Missing Blog
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/

If you know anything about the disappearance of Jason Anthony Jolkowski, please call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5657.

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/

Guestbook for messages to the Jolkowski family: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876

You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.

Jason is also included in Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. To learn more about how you can "adopt" Jason or someone else, visit http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Photo of Jason from his website.

Ashley Martinez: New age progression

Below is a copy of Ashley's poster from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:

Endangered Runaway
ASHLEY MARTINEZ
DOB: Jan 24,
1989
Missing: Jul 6, 2004
Age Now: 18
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Sandy
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg)
Missing From:
SAINT JOSEPH
MO
United States
Age Progressed
Ashley's photo is shown
age-progressed to 18 years. She was last seen on July 6, 2004. Ashley may still
be in the local area, or she may have traveled to Nebraska or Washington. She
may be traveling in a gray 1995 Pontiac Bonneville with Missouri license plates
377MPY. Ashley's tongue, navel and ears are pierced. She has a scar on her left
arm.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Saint Joseph Police Department
(Missouri) 1-816-271-4777

Ashley's website: http://www.findashleymartinez.com/

Guestbook for messages to Ashley's family: http://www.findashleymartinez.com/ashleygb/

You can "adopt" Ashley through Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information, see http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Jason Jolkowski: Case spotlighted during news conference

From The Daily Nonpareil:

Missing IWCC student's case highlighted
PHIL ROONEY, Staff Writer
07/27/2006

The case of missing Iowa Western Community College student Jason Jolkowski was highlighted during a Wednesday news conference in Lincoln, Neb.
Jolkowski disappeared on June 13, 2001. He was last seen walking to Benson High School in Omaha to meet a coworker for a ride to work. Then 19, Jolkowski was a student at IWCC and a disc jockey at 89.7 The River, the college's radio station.
His mother, Kelly Jolkowski, appeared with Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and members of the Nebraska State Patrol to promote that state's Missing Person's Clearinghouse, which was created on May 25, 2005, when the Nebraska Legislature passed Jason's Law.
Heineman praised Kelly
Jolkowski and Omaha State Sen. Patrick Bourne for their efforts in passing the bill and said more pictures are needed on the Web site that generally lists around 350 missing people, many of them runaways.
"We need your help to raise the awareness of the Web site and the good it can do," Heineman said.
Jolkowski said her son's case remains active, and the family recently distributed posters at a park near their Omaha home to mark the fifth anniversary of the disappearance. She also stressed the role the public can play and the pain felt by the families who are missing a loved one.
"There's an empty place at the dinner table, one that longs to be filled again," she said. "We need your help."
To access the Nebraska Missing Person's Clearinghouse, go to the Nebraska State Patrol's Web site at nsp.state.ne.us and click the missing person's link or contact the hotline by calling 1 (877) 441-LOST.
The Omaha Police Department has announced that a $5,000 reward will be paid for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any suspects involved in the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at (402) 444-STOP (7867) or the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5600.
Jason Jolkowski is described as a white male, 6-feet tall and weighing 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Heineman encouraged the public to the Web site and become aware of the numbers of missing people.
"We need more names, more leads, more photographs, more eyes in the field," Heineman said. "There are eyes and ears in the field. The patrol can't do this alone."

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/
Guestbook for messages to the Jolkowski family: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876
You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.
Jason is also included in Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. To learn more about how you can "adopt" Jason or someone else, visit http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Photo of Jason from his website.

The National Center for Missing Adults, which helps the families of Jason and other missing adults like him, has lately been threatened by financial difficulties. The situation has improved somewhat, but they still could use help! For the latest news on this, see http://while-here.blogspot.com/2006/07/little-good-news.html and http://fromwhisperstor.6.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=14381&highlight=ncma.

Ashley Martinez now missing 2 years, Saint Joseph, Missouri

Ashley's story, like many others, comes to you from The Charley Project (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/martinez_ashley.html). Before you write her off as "just another runaway", please read:

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: July 6, 2004 from Saint Joseph, Missouri
Classification: Endangered Runaway
Date Of Birth: January 24, 1989
Age: 15 years old
Height and Weight: 5'3 - 5'5, 110 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Sandy blonde hair, blue eyes.
Martinez has a scar on her left wrist. Her tongue, ears and navel are all pierced.
Clothing Description: Blue jean shorts, a black top, a black bikini printed with red cherries under her other clothing, and white Reebok sneakers with red accents.
Medical Conditions: Martinez suffers from bipolar disorder
and is supposed to take medication. She left her medicine behind when she vanished. Martinez may have violent mood swings and exhibit impulsive, risky behavior when she is not taking her medication as directed; she could be a danger to herself and others.

Details of Disappearance
Martinez was last seen at 12:00 p.m. on July 6, 2004, when she was dropped off at the Krug Pool in the vicinity of St. Joseph Avenue and Krug Park in Saint Joseph,
Missouri with her younger brother. When her mother came to get them later, only
the brother was waiting; Martinez had disappeared.
Subsequent investigation showed that Martinez had planned to run away to California with Christopher M. Hart, a 32-year-old living close to her home. He was on parole for second-degree assault and has also been convicted of drug possession, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. He and Martinez were going to go to California.
Eleven days after Martinez's disappearance, Hart was arrested in Olympia, Washington for purse-snatching. He gave the Washington officials a false name and as a result they did not know he was wanted in Missouri, so he was released. On
September 7, two months after Martinez's disappearance, Hart was arrested again
after Washington police discovered his true identity and the charges against him
in Missouri. He had been staying with a cousin in the Olympia area.
Washington investigators found no sign of Martinez, or the stolen gray 1995
Pontiac Bonneville with Missouri license plates numbered 377MPY, which she and
Hart had allegedly been traveling in. Hart's cousin said he had not seen
Martinez or ever heard Hart mention her. Hart, who remains in custody, has
refused to divulge any information whatsoever on Martinez's whereabouts. He
began acting bizarrely while in jail and was sent to the state mental hospital
for a psychiatric evaluation.
Martinez may still be in the local area or she may be in the Kansas City, Missouri area. There is no evidence that she ever arrived in Washington. When she disappeared, she left behind all her personal belongings, including her medication. She has a history of running away from home, but has never left the state and had never been gone this long. Her case remains unsolved and is still classified as a runaway.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Saint Joseph Police Department
816-271-4777

You can also call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Ashley's website: http://www.findashleymartinez.com/
Guestbook for messages to Ashley's family: http://findashleymartinez.com/comments50
You can print a poster of Ashley here.
Ashley is also one of several people included in Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. For more information on how you can "adopt" Ashley or someone else, visit http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

There are more photos of Ashley at her website or on The Charley Project, so please check them out if you think she looks even slightly familiar.

Jason Jolkowski now missing 5 years, Omaha, Nebraska

Article from http://www.ketv.com/newsarchive/9366411/detail.html:

Missing But Not Forgotten
POSTED: 9:58 pm CDT June 13, 2006
UPDATED: 8:46 am CDT June 14, 2006
OMAHA, Neb. -- Someone knows what happened to
Jason Jolkowski. His mother, Kelly Jolkowski has uttered those words for five
years.
Tuesday marked the five-year anniversary of the disappearance of
Jason Jolkowski. The Benson 19-year-old was last seen in the driveway of his
home. He had arranged to walk to Benson High School, seven blocks from home,
where a co-worker planned to pick him up.
Jason never made it to the school.
His bank account was never touched. His cell phone went unused. He took nothing with him.
Five years
later, his family clings to hope that someone knows something about Jason's
disappearance that will help them solve this mystery.
On Tuesday night, his
parents and younger brother joined dozens of family members and friends at St.
James Lake Park, at 48th and Bedford streets. They handed out posters with the
headline reading, "Someone knows what happened to Jason," and they asked those
at the gathering to hang the posters on every block in the neighborhood. Then,
they lit candles to remember the young man who disappeared without a trace.
Jason's parents haven't patiently waited for their son's return. They were
instrumental in passing legislation called Jason's Law in 2005, which created a
missing person's clearinghouse in Nebraska. They've also made it their mission
to help families of the missing, nationwide through a nonprofit group called
Project Jason. Now they only wish those programs would work for them.

Jason's story on The Charley Project (source of the above pictures):

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: June 13, 2001 from Omaha, Nebraska
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: June 24, 1981
Age: 19 years old
Height and Weight: 6'1, 160 - 165 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair, brown eyes. Jolkowski's nickname
is JJ.
Clothing Description: A white Chicago Cubs or Sammy Sosa t-shirt, a
blue or black Chicago Cubs baseball cap, black dress pants, and black dress
shoes.
Medical Conditions: Jolkowski has learning disabilities related to
speech and language. The disabilities may make him appear to be mildly mentally
retarded, but he is actually of above average intelligence.

Details of Disappearance
On June 13, 2001, Jolkowski was called into work early. He
worked at a Fazoli's restaurant on 80th and Cass Streets in his hometown of
Omaha, Nebraska. His car was in the shop for repairs and he initially said he
would walk there, but then called back and made arrangements for a co-worker to
pick him up at Jolkowski's old school, Benson High School, eight blocks from his
home.
Jolkowski carried his red work t-shirt with him at the time of his
disappearance. On the way out the door of his family's residence, he decided to
help his younger brother take trash cans into the garage. A neighbor saw him
carry the cans into the garage at his house in the area of 48th and Bedford
Steets. This was at 10:45 a.m. Between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., Jolkowski's
co-worker called the house to find out why he hadn't met her at the high school.
This is when his disappearance was discovered.
Jolkowski has never been
heard from again. He left $650 behind in his bank account, which has not been
touched since his disappearance. He has not cashed any of his paychecks, used
his cellular phone or automatic teller machine (ATM) card, or picked up his car
from the auto repair shop since his disappearance. Jolkowski was supposed to
start a new job a week after he vanished, and was excited about it; he never
showed up to begin work there. He had no more than $60 on his person on the day
he disappeared, and no personal items were missing from his room. He did his
household chores as usual up until the time he disappeared.
Jolkowski's
loved ones suspect foul play may have been involved in his disappearance. They
say he is too responsible to have left without warning, and he was not having
any problems at the time of his disappearance. He is described as a shy person
who was not involved with drugs or alcohol and was close to his family at the
time of his disappearance. He has no known enemies.
Jolkowski was born in
Grand Island, Nebraska. His mother founded Project Jason, a non-profit
organization dedicated to assisting the families of missing people and
publicizing missing person cases, after her son vanished. Jolkowski's case
remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Omaha Police Department
402-444-5657

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/
Guestbook to leave messages for the Jolkowski family: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876&cpv=1
You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.

Links to Project Jason's website, forums, and blog can be found under the "Links" section to the right of this post.

Sadly, the National Center for Missing Adults, which provides posters and other assistance for the families of Jason and the other missing adults like him , is being threatened due to financial difficulties. To learn more about the situation and find out how you can help, please visit http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/07/71006-matter-of-urgency.html.

Audrey May Herron's story in psychic series

For quite a while now, Project Jason's Voice for the Missing blog has been featuring stories on psychic involvement in missing persons cases. Some of them featured guest writers talking about their own experiences, and the most recent one was Audrey May Herron's best friend, Marie Parker. She talked about the experience she had on the Montel Williams show during an episode with notorious psychic Sylvia Browne. Read her post at http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/33106-pmp-sylvia-and-friends-part-ii.html. It includes a link to to video of the episode from their website.
For more info on Audrey, see my previous post on her at http://betweenlifeanddeath.blogspot.com/2006/03/audrey-may-herron-florida-story-false.html. The photo accompanying this post comes from the Charley Project, which features a complete profile of Audrey at http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/herron_audrey.html.

All posts in the series are prefaced by the initials "PMP" for your reference. All of them are written by Kelly Jolkowski, mother of missing Nebraska man Jason Jolkowski and founder of Project Jason, unless otherwise noted. A complete list of the ones so far:
1. intro (also includes a list of all the posts in the series): http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/30606-pmp-introduction-to-psychics-and.html
2. http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/3706-pmp-laying-groundwork-vulnerable.html
3. a guide to terminology used by psychics: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/30806-pmp-laying-groundwork-primer.html
4. Psychics trying to "help" find Jason Jolkowski: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/31106-pmp-first-of-many-part-i.html
5. continuation: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/31306-pmp-first-of-many-part-ii.html
6. another psychic trying to "help" in Jason's case http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/31506-pmp-guarantee.html
7. guest written by Catherine a member of the James Randi Foundation, which investigates psychics http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/31606-pmp-personal-journey-from.html
8. guest written by Janice Smolinski, mother of missing Connecticut man William "Billy" Smolinski, Jr. http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/31706-pmp-business-of-preying.html
9. yet another psychic trying to help find Jason Jolkowski: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/32006-pmp-shovel-lady.html
10. and still another...: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/32106-pmp-not-psychic-part-i.html
11. continuation: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/32206-pmp-not-psychic-part-ii.html
12. guest written by Luke T., another member of the James Randi Education Foundation http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/32306-pmp-but-news-said-psychics-are.html
13. guest written by Dana Ames, co-founder of United Response Search and Rescue Team; first one on Sylvia Browne: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2006/03/33006-pmp-sylvia-and-friends-part-i.html

Please note the disclaimer featured in the posts:

We understand that many people believe that psychics are effective in
solving crimes and finding missing people. Please keep in mind that the goal of
this series is to help families understand techniques used by persons making
these claims and make better decisions about the use of psychics. Project Jason
and its volunteers cannot act as a clearinghouse for persons claiming success in
using paranormal means to locate missing persons. We will be unable to respond
to emails or other correspondence sent to us from persons making these claims or
persons offering information about or referrals to psychics. We instead invite
those persons to present their evidence to the members of the James Randi
Education Foundation. They have a forum available for you to discuss your
claims. http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=7