The tree Jason crashed into on Salt Flat Road. Memorabilia and crosses now adorn the tree where Jason crashed, and two ‘Missing’ signs rest on both sides of the tree. On Salt Flat Road, the squealing and moaning of the surrounding oil rigs fill the air with their eerie cries.
I positioned my car in a similar position to where Jason’s would have been during the crash, and without the car headlights, the area was pitch black.
Viewing the road from the crash site, the headlights dimly lit the path ahead.
Looking behind the car, all that would have lit the road would have been the back headlights, which slowly fade away into the darkness.
The path forward and about 100 feet ahead in the darkness would have been Jason’s clothes and items left behind.
Upon arrival at the crash site, law enforcement discovered the car collided head on into a tree in a shallow ditch, the headlights were on, the keys were in the ignition, and the front passenger door was locked. Then, 900 feet from the crash, they found Jason's backpack and personal items scattered across the road, including his wallet. Another 100 feet away from the crashed vehicle, the clothes Jason wore that evening, laid strewn out across the road.
After law enforcement discovered the crash, they had the car towed without investigating the vehicle or preserving it for evidence. Around 2:00 A.M., two hours after the discovery of Jason’s car, law enforcement notified the Landry family of the accident. Jason’s father, Kent Landry, made the 3-hour drive to claim Jason’s vehicle.
After Kent Landry arrived at the impound lot, he looked through the car and found Jason’s phone, which law enforcement did not collect for evidence. After Kent claimed the vehicle, he headed to the crash site. When Kent arrived, he discovered law enforcement left Jason’s clothes and personal items strewn about the road and they did not collect or persevere them for evidence, allowing these items to be tampered with for almost 5 ½ hours since the discovery of the crash. Kent Landry collected all of Jason’s things and turned them over for evidence, and law enforcement later processed the car.
Law enforcement officially declared Jason Landry missing ten and a half hours after the discovery of the crash. Texas Search and Rescue and Texas EquuSearch lead a search group, which unfortunately turned up nothing. Despite all attempts to find Jason, from searches to Geofence search warrants, answers to what happened that night have never been discovered.
The case is still clouded by mystery, even two years later.
The Waze navigation route Jason took.
During Jason’s disappearance, many have come up with theories about what happened, but none lead to any answers to what happened that night. Which brings the undeniable question: what happened to Jason Landry?
Some speculate the crash was Jason’s own doing, concluding he was involved in a single vehicle collision. They conclude he overcorrected on the gravel road and spun out of control. They state there was no indication anyone forced Jason off the road and there was no evidence another party was involved. However, that brings the question, why is the damage to the back of the Jason’s vehicle so extensive? And how did all his personal items get on the road and so strewn about? And most importantly, where is Jason?
Others believe a third party was involved and forced Jason off the road. Some also believe something happened at the intersection where his digital footprint stopped and caused Jason later to crash. This theory would answer the extreme damage to the back of Jason’s vehicle, but no one has offered further information or has come forward as a witness to prove this theory.
The final most prominent theory is when Jason wandered off, hogs later consumed him. While Luling is known for its feral hog population, oil fields litter the crash site with signs warning of toxic gas, making it very unlikely that any hogs habituate the area. And if the theory of the hogs is true, the hogs would have left remains. They always leave remains. Pigs cannot chew larger bones of the human body, nor do they consume hair and teeth, which they leave behind. No one has ever discovered any remains of Jason.
Despite these theories, the disappearance of Jason Landry raised speculation about poor police work, resulting in the lack of answers about what happened to Landry. If the police acted quicker to find Jason, would we have answers today? Currently, we still know little about what happened or where his whereabouts may be.
As of recently, to help find Jason, the family has doubled the reward to $20,000. The anniversary of Jason’s two-year disappearance is fast approaching, but two years later, with many false glimpses of hope and no new evidence or clues to what might have happened, the Landry family is left not knowing what happened to their son.
The Landry family deserves answers and more action from the community. Unfortunately, Texas State University has not even released a public statement regarding Jason’s disappearance and has done nothing to help find its own student. The communities in San Marcos and Luling need to come together to find answers.
No one ever dreams their child will disappear without a trace. Two years later, mystery still shrouds Jason’s disappearance. His parents, friends, and family are still left with the not knowing. And it is the not knowing that will never bring them any peace or closure. The not knowing of what happened to Jason leaves everyone in agony and haunted by unanswered questions.
Jason’s case has fallen through the cracks, not only with law enforcement, but within the community as well. Jason is a son, sibling, friend, and he is important to many people. Let’s help the Landry’s find closure and peace and bring Jason home.
Anyone with information about Jason’s disappearance can call the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office at 512-398-6777, Texas Attorney General at 512-936-0742 or the tip line at 726-777-1359.
Donate to Jason's GoFundMe to assist with efforts to locate Jason. Visit findjasonlandry on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates on Jason’s case.