Every Town - Theories Surrounding Jason Landry's Fate

Episode Date: August 9, 2024

On December 13th of 2020, a young college student embarked on a routine journey, one he had done many times before…..only on this day it would end in becoming one of Texas's most baffling modern mysteries. 👀 Watch This Episode On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scarymysteries 🎧 Our Other Podcast Scary Mysteries: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZooEZMoZ421WdsOVJhVkT 💀 Exclusive Videos, Podcasts & Perks: https://www.patreon.com/scarymysteries  👁 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrew.fitzg 👁 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewfitzgerald 👁 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarymysteriesofficial 🗣 Business Inquiries, questions and comments hit us up at [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love true crime, grab your favorite mug and pour yourself a dose of creepy true crime every single morning with a morning cup of murder. This short daily show is the perfect podcast to incorporate into your morning routine because in less than 15 minutes, you'll hear about a true crime that took place on a day's date in history. Each day's dark history lesson will kickstart your morning with intriguing tales of murder, abduction, serial killers, cults, and everything in between.

With over 20 million downloads, Morning Cup of Murder has something for every true crime lover. One listener describes the show as a small package with a powerful punch of crime. Another writes that the show is an absolute delight in the morning. Support yourself a piping hot cup of murder every single morning with Morning Cup of Murder. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everytown has a dark side. On December 13th of 2020, young college student embarked on a routine journey, money had done many times before, only on this day it would end in becoming one of Texas's

most baffling modern mysteries. Jason Landry left his apartment that night in Sam Marcos, Texas, headed for his parents' home in Missouri City to spend the Christmas holidays. While it should have been just a couple hours' drive, not only did Jason, Jason never made it to his folks' house, but he was never seen again. His car was found, crashed into a fence on a dark and deserted road. His belongings discovered scattered along the grass, but Jason had vanished. And where he went, what would happen to him? Men's unsolved to this day.

Hey guys, it's Andrew, and thanks so much for tuning in to this week's episode of Everytown. For today, we'll search through all the evidence and clues left behind on that cold December night to try and get a better idea of what exactly went down in the strange disappearance of Jason Landry. It was around 10.55 p.m. when 21-year-old Jason said goodbye to his roommate popped into his 2015 silver Nissan Ultima to hit the road. The plan was simple. Drive to Missouri City, just south of Houston, Texas, about a two and a half hour drive to spend the holidays with his family. Jason had recently started the school year at Texas State University. So when the time came to be with family, like many young people do at Christmas, he made plans to go visit his parents.

It should have been a nice break from his studies, a few relaxing days and joined their company. Moreover, Jason had made this trip many times before, so there was no reason to have any concerns. The usual route would have taken Jason down Highway 80 through Lulling, and after that onto Interstate 10 towards Houston. However, for reasons still unknown, Jason deviated from this familiar path. At some point during his journey, he made a decision that led him on to a dark and lonely rural road, far from his intended round. At 1124 p.m., Jason entered Lulling via Highway 180.

As he passed the intersection with Hackberry Street, where Highway 80 becomes Austin Street, he stopped using the Ways mapping app and began using Snapchat on his phone for a brief moment. I believe he continued straight through this intersection, but as far as his digital footprint, while it ends here. What happened in the next 67 minutes to this day remains a mystery. What we do know, though, that sometime after midnight, Jason's car crashed into a fence on solid. Salt Flat Road, remote gravel road on the outskirts of Lulling. This location was about 29 miles from the starting point in San Marcos, and five miles north of his intended route, which would have had him moving east.

On the morning of December 14th, a passing driver discovered Jason's Ultima crashed against that fence on Salt Flat Road. The car was damaged with a broken windshield and dented body. The lights were still on, keys inside, the front passenger's side door was closed. However, there was no trace of Jason anywhere. His father Kent wasted no time. As soon as he learned of his son's accident, he immediately headed out to that remote rural area. With a pounding heart, he frantically searched for any sign, any clue that would lead him to Jason. Instead, though, what he found left him stunned and outraged.

In the car, having not been treated like a crime scene, had been hastily towed away. About 900 feet from where the car had crashed, they then found Jason's backpack. Inside were his wallet, some marijuana, laptop, and gaming gear. And further along, they discovered his wristwatch. Then an even stranger twist, they found Jason's clothes. Shorts, sandals, socks, t-shirt, even his underwear.

This scarred together on the roadside. Look like whoever towed the car, but also just grabbed his stuff, and for some reason, chucked it out of the car. Then more personal items were found, only these were north of the crash site. Jason's baseball cap, plastic bag with personal stuff,

and a cup with his dead beta fish inside. As it turns out, the tow truck driver didn't throw anything outside of the car. It didn't appear like anyone had come across the crash side and looted the car themselves. Not only was this in the middle of nowhere, so there weren't a lot of people passing by, but anything of value, like his money, was left behind. Despite not seeing any blood in the car itself, upon a closer inspection of the shorts, they found scattered outside, they saw a small blood stain.

So the authorities then began to believe that those clothes were actually what Landry was wearing before the accident. Now, for some unknown reason, he stripped naked after tossing his other stuff out of the car. Investigators said there's no sign they were taken off forcefully. They also mentioned that around that time he disappeared. Temperatures could have been between 36 and 43 degrees Fahrenheit, so it was a pretty cold night. Now the real mystery began churning. Why had Jason strayed from his route? Why had he taken his clothes off on a cold December night?

And most importantly, where was he? His father was absolutely furious. not at the accident itself, but at the authorities, saying to them, you don't secure the car and the crash scene for further investigation? You don't even do the basics? That is your job. However, they didn't believe a crime had been committed at all. They assumed it was a drunk driver who had abandoned their car so they could avoid getting in trouble. So, why cordoned off the area?

On December 18th, the case of the now-missing young man Jason Landry was handed over to the Hallwell County Sheriff's Office, who still had no leads. Exhausting days had passed, and they searched thousands of acres around the crash site without success. Yet, Texas search and rescue refused to give up. Over 150 volunteers dedicated hundreds of hours to cover 3,100 acres, using scent dogs, drones, sonar, horses, and helicopters. However, they found nothing inclusive. Still, the volunteers of Texas search and rescued persisted. By October of 2021, they even turned to AI, creating computer programs with thousands of area photos to map where Jason might be, assuming he got lost out there in the woods. They looked for places he might have fallen, heavy brush spots that may have hidden it.

But months passed and the searches came to a halt as they couldn't find anything more. Jason's father, Kent, a former lawyer-turned pastor, had already prepared himself for the worst, saying, We've been mentally getting ready for a tragedy for a while now. That didn't mean they would give up seeking answers, and we won't stop praying or hoping until we find out the truth and bring our son back home, Kent declared firmly. As news of Jason's disappearance spread, various theories started circulating about what might have happened to him. Some seem believable, while others sounded like something out of a mystery movie, but since there were no clear answers, every theory was worth considering. One of the first ones suggested that Jason might have suffered a head injury during the crash. They might not have been seriously bleeding from a wound.

A head injury can actually be much more dangerous. This theory was based on the fact that people with serious brain injuries sometimes do strange things. They could forget who they are, where they were going. If Jason had a severe concussion, it could explain why he wandered away from the car and even undressed. However, this theory has its own problems as it didn't explain why Jason had strayed so far from his original route in the first place. The police tend to lean towards another potential answer, and it was actually what they had thought all along. They've suggested that Landry might have been driving drunk that night. Maybe after the accident he got out of the car to avoid the police.

and started walking, eventually succumbing to the elements. With the extreme cold in December, that's why hypothermia is being considered as a possibility. That would actually explain why he removed all his clothes. In severe cases, when the body is desperately fighting to survive freezing temps, people can become confused and feel a burning sensation of heat makes them strip off their clothes in order to cool off. It's called paradoxical undressing. However, once at this stage the person is close to death, and so Landry would not have made it far, likely been found near the clothes, but instead he was gone.

Captain Jeff Ferry from the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office explained it like this. The problem is we believe Landry ended up naked, so now we're searching for bones. In my opinion, some wild animal got to him. With so many critters and the time that's passed, it's hard to find him, but, It could explain why we haven't found the body. Still another theory that gained momentum is that another vehicle might have been involved in the accident. It's possible Jason was hit by another driver who then left the scene. This could explain why Jason's car went off the road.

However, investigators didn't find any physical evidence of another vehicle at the accident site, so they still believe he lost control on his own on that gravel road and then crashed into a tree and a wire fence. The theory of a concussion plus hypothermia still seems the most likely, according to them. But we can't rule out that Jason might have been a victim of something more sinister. There's no apparent reason why he would have chosen to take Salt Flat Road in the first place instead of the direct route to Houston. Jason's friends and family insist he knew the way home well, wasn't prone to spontaneous detours, especially in the middle of the night.

Perhaps someone had been following him from Sam Marcos, or he encountered someone on the road who was raging at him. This theory would explain why Jason deviated from his route, but it left unanswered why his clothes were scattered along the road. Moreover, the clothing appeared to have been deliberately left, not torn or scattered, as if there had been a struggle. The condition of the vehicle is another thing we can't overlook. Despite being damaged, it didn't appear to have been in a major crash. The car still worked. The airbag hadn't even deployed, suggesting the impact wasn't severe. It was reported that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot where Landry's father went to see the next morning. It was his father who found the young man's cell phone between the driver's seat and the center console.

Jason, all along, could have taken it and called 911, but he didn't. Ultimately, what makes Landry's case so strange is the accumulation of all the unexplainable detail. Each piece of the puzzle seems to contradict the one before it. So without a body, it becomes impossible to say with 100% certainty what actually happened. Despite the efforts from multiple agencies, including the FBI, no significant clues about Jason's whereabouts have ever been found. No hair strands, footprints, or extra clothing, nothing at all. The investigators also looked into Jason's digital footprint.

His phone records, social media, activity and text. They hoped to find anything that could assist in explaining why he veered off course or who he might have been in touch with that night. They interviewed Jason's friends, classmates, and acquaintances to understand his state of mind before he disappeared. Everyone described him as a normal, happy young man with no apparent issues or unusual behavior. That bag of weed was examined after speculations about whether drug use could have played a role in the events of the night. over Jason's friends and family insisted he wasn't a regular drug user and there was nothing added to the weed that could have caused a bad high

and the amount found was insignificant. In January of 2022, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office made a significant move in trying to solve the case by publicly releasing a large amount of evidence related to Jason Landry's story. This decision, though controversial, shed new light on the events surrounding his disappearance in the early stages of the investigation. Among the most impactful pieces of evidence were audio recordings from the initial accident scene. In one of these, a Texas Department of Public Safety Officer mentions finding blood on Jason's underwear,

a detail that hadn't been widely discussed before. Another recorded conversation between a police officer and a firefighter at the scene suggests that initially the incident was seen as a typical accident involving a college student. You know, a minor mishap common among irisholmonging. responsible college kids. Some argue that because of this perception, investigators didn't initially emphasize the seriousness of the matter in the critical early stages.

And stereotypes also played a significant role in how this all played out. The released evidence also included videos, messages, and Snapchat shared by Jason on the night of his disappearance. These materials not only depicted personal conversations, but also jokes and discussion centered around marijuana use. and former Captain Ferry of the CCSO interpreted this evidence as indicative of a possible internal crisis that Jason might have been experiencing. Based on all this evidence, Captain Ferry expressed his belief, but the most likely

scenarios that Jason passed away out there that night and his remains have simply not yet been located. They emphasized that while it was a tragedy, no crime had taken place, and that unfortunately Jason was both the only responsible party and the victim. Of course, this didn't sit well with the Landry family. As the months passed, animosity grew between them and the investigators. The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office faced criticism for their handling of the case, with some accusing them of not thoroughly investigating all possibilities.

In response to these criticisms and the lack of progress, Jason's family requested that the case be transferred to the Texas Attorney General's office cold case unit. In this unit, known for its expertise in complex and long-standing cases, then took over the investigation in 2022. And the case being transferred brought new hope, the more advanced investigation techniques and a fresh approach could finally solve the mystery. Abel Pena, former FBI agent now leading a nonprofit focused on solving cold cases, has raised questions challenging the initial story of Jason's disappearance.

One major concern Peña has is how Jason's clothes and belongings were arranged at the scene. He suggests it might have been deliberately placed there, not left naturally by Jason. This raises the unsettling idea that someone else might have tampered with the scene after the incident or even caused the crash in the first place. Pena also questions whether Jason was actually driving his car at the time of the accident. This doubt is partly based on the unusual route the vehicle took, significantly deviating from the path Jason would normally have followed. The idea that someone else might have been behind the wheel that Jason could have been forced off the road is considered. Of course, there are no signs

indicating that anyone else was traveling with them, but if the same person had set up the scene outside the car, and this possibility wouldn't be out of the question, a crucial element in Pena's theory is the analysis of Jason's cell phone activity. The switch from the Ways navigation app to Snapchat at the specific intersection in Lulling, followed by a complete end of phone activity is seen by Pena as a potential turning point in the events of that night. According to him, this intersection could be a key piece of the puzzle because of its location in an area known for criminal activity. It is possible someone jumped into his car, and at this brief window where all of Landry's digital trails goes cold,

speaks louder than anything else found at the scene. Pena also doubts the initial theory from authorities that Jason was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and going through an internal crisis. He argues that while many college students use marijuana, it's unlikely Jason was so impaired that he would strip off his clothes on a cold night, as initially suggested. Overall, Pena leans towards Jason's disappearance being the result of a criminal act rather than an accident or personal issue. Throughout these years, the search for Landry has had a lot of ups and downs. In July of 2022, a ray of hope in the case came for a brief moment when an unconscious man bearing a striking resemblance to Jason was found on the streets of Bronx, New York.

The news spread like wildfire on social media. The NYPD had released a photo of the man seeking help to identify him. He had no identification. It was discovered near University Ave and Reservoir Avenue, with no apparent injuries. For many, including the Landry family, the resemblance, was undeniable. The news triggered a flurry of activity. Texas investigators swiftly reached out to New York authorities, sharing all available information about Jason, including his fingerprints. The Landry family found themselves in agonizing limbo, hoping for news that could change their lives forever. However, as has often happened in this case, Hope soon turned to disappointment. New York authorities confirmed that the man was not Jason, but a resident of Yonkers.

This incident is in the first case of mistaken identity in the search for Jason. In December of 2021, a badly decomposed body was found in the Guadalupe River, sparking speculation that it could be Jason. However, the body was identified as Benjamin Tank Lioro. a 16-year-old teenager who had also been reported missing. As Landry's case now nears its fourth anniversary, and remains a puzzling mystery with no easy explanations. The problem is that ultimately there's a lot of possibilities, but none of them make that much sense.

It's possible Jason was so under the influence of whatever that he veered off course and then crashed. But to me, that seems unlikely. Going to drive home for Christmas, Why would anyone get that messed up before doing so? But, is it possible? Yeah. The getting hypothermia and then stripping off his clothes.

Yes, that could have happened, but again, it's unlikely. The clothes were found close enough to his car. And so what this theory would suggest is that after the crash, which again wasn't all that severe, Landry got out and didn't run away from the vehicle, just stood outside it. It would have taken hours for the hypertherm. the thermia to set in to the point where he felt he was burning up, and then he strips and goes where exactly? How far could he have made it? Even if a wild animal took him, trails of blood or bones would likely be found somewhere in the vicinity. Wild animal isn't going to drag a full-grown

adult male miles into the woods just to eat them. They'd rip him apart relatively close by. So FBI Agent Pena might be on to something. At that intersection, Someone jumped into his car, grabbed his phone, told him to drive somewhere. Maybe this person's friends followed, and they ended up tossing his clothes around, maybe just to terrify him. They could have forced him to strip a gunpoint, taking him away in another car and did something else. When you open up that door, there's a lot more of possibilities that, to me, seem more grounded in reality. Despite years of disappointment and dead ends, the Landry family refuses to give up. Jason deserves to be found, says his father Kent, we deserve to know what

happened to our son. And they know that somewhere out there the answer lies, but whether it will ever be found is another question. Perhaps it's hidden in an overlooked detail in the memory of an unidentified witness or in a clue somewhere in the woods of Texas. Until the answers are found, the case of Jason Landry will remain an unsolved mystery, a haunting reminder of how we even in our age of constant connectivity and surveillance. A person can still vanish without a trace. So that's it for this week's episode of Everytown. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Thanks for tuning in today. Remember to come back next week for another episode filled with scary, strange, and mysterious stories. As you never know. Maybe your town will be next.