Jason Landry Missing: Alternate Theories
Jason Landry (21), a Texas State student, went missing on December 13, 2020, while driving home from San Marcos to Missouri City, Texas, for the holidays.
Jason’s car was found wrecked and abandoned off Salt Flats Road in Lulling, Texas, pinned against a tree on a barbed wire fence. The vehicle is turned on, with the lights on and the keys in the ignition.
Jason’s clothes and backpack were found scattered on the gravel road. However, there is no evidence of a robbery because nothing of value appears to have been taken from the crash site. Jason Landry mysteriously vanished and has not been seen or heard from since that cold evening in Lulling, Texas.
On December 14, 2022, The Office of the Texas Attorney General released a statement saying it’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit has conducted a review of “all previously known credible information,” including interviewing witnesses, consulting with digital forensics and accident reconstruction experts, and obtaining a geofence search warrant.
The OAG’s Office supports the Caldwell County law enforcement findings that Jason was involved in a single-car accident, and there is no evidence to suggest another vehicle was involved. The geofence search warrant yielded no activity near the crash site and maintained that “there is no evidence that a crime has been committed.”
However, growing criticism remains for how law enforcement handled this case and the crash scene. Officers approached the scene convinced that a college kid on drugs crashed his car and abandoned the scene to escape consequences.
Law enforcement failed to consider Jason could be in grave danger. Ignored was the possibility of severe injury or the frigid temperatures while possibly wandering around naked.
Law enforcement failed to secure and preserve the crash site, and no evidence, including DNA, was collected from the vehicle or on Jason’s clothes. Irresponsibly, law enforcement left Jason’s clothes on the gravel road. In other words, no investigation was done, and any possible evidence has been contaminated or destroyed, making it useless.
According to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, GPS tracking, Jason’s cell phone and his trip progress on Waze goes “dark” near the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Austin Street in Lulling, Texas.
Here is where the theories begin:
It’s possible Jason’s phone ran out of battery or was dropped between the driver’s seat and center console near the intersection as he attempted to switch back to Waze from SnapChat.
Jason mistakenly continues straight on Magnolia Avenue and finds the road turning into a gravel-covered Salt Flats Road. At some point, Jason recognizes that he must be on the wrong road and makes a determined effort to reach his phone to reconnect to his directions. He takes his eyes off the road when he returns to the road; he is headed off the road and overcorrects to get the car back to the right side of the gravel road. The vehicle begins to slide out of control and forcefully strikes the tree on the rear quarter panel on the driver’s side. Despite the heavy impact of the tree and branch shattering the back window, the airbags fail to deploy. The vehicle comes to rest stuck against the tree and barbed-wire fence.
Jason is shaken but not seriously hurt because he is wearing his seatbelt. Jason unhooks the seatbelt and exits the car’s passenger side because he cannot open the driver’s door. Jason gets out of the vehicle to inspect the damage. He walks around the back of the car and makes contact with the barbed-wire fence, which causes a tiny puncture wound in the area of his shorts.
Jason inspects the damage and sees he needs help to get his car unstuck.
Jason grabs his backpack, beta fish in the tumbler (he may not have realized the water in the tumbler did not survive the crash), and starts walking on the gravel road. Jason doesn’t get his phone to call for help, so no battery is left. He’s cold, and the strong wind makes it feel like the temperature outside is below freezing. Jason had been sweating and shivering. The hypothermia begins and Jason begins to sense extreme heat. Jason starts to remove his clothing (paradoxical undressing theory), or maybe he recognizes that he will be warmer without his wet clothes from reading or watching survival shows.
Jason continues walking down the gravel road naked seeking help.
Here is the point when everything that follows becomes pure speculation:
Theory 1:
Jason’s body is somewhere in the crash area but remains unfound.
Theory 1 Weakness:
There have been many searches by trained search and rescue professionals covering thousands of acres using drones, on foot, ATV, helicopter, and canines.
Theory 2:
Jason was walking to get help and saw the lights from a nearby house. Jason walks toward the house and is met by a protective homeowner who believes Jason to be a trespasser and potential thief. The homeowner shoots Jason before recognizing that Jason is naked and not a threat. The homeowner panics and hides Jason’s body.
Theory 2 Weakness:
Why didn’t the tracking dogs take searchers toward a property or home where the owner has refused to let searchers on the property?
Based upon statements, the cadaver dogs took them to the edge of a drainage pond containing water and oil runoff. The pond was drained and searched, but the searchers found nothing.
Theory 3:
Jason is walking along the dark gravel road and gets hit by a vehicle. The driver gets out of the car to find Jason unresponsive. He panics, puts Jason’s lifeless body in the truck bed and drives off to find a place to dispose of the body.
Theory 3 Weakness:
There was no blood found on the gravel road.
Jason is 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds. Moving his body into a truck bed seems tricky for one person.
Theory 4:
A passerby sees Jason walking along the side of the road and stops to find out what happened. Jason gets in the vehicle believing the driver will take him to get help, but the individual has nefarious intentions. There are many registered sex offenders in the Lulling Area, and the number is usually high based on the population.
Theory 4 Weaknesses
The geofence data did not show evidence of another vehicle in the area.
There are other theories about Jason’s disappearance, like he planned to disappear, which seem unlikely, because he was headed home to his parent’s house in Missouri City for the holidays. If Jason wanted to disappear, why would he do it in this manner and at this time?
There are theories that Jason was carjacked, involved in a road rage incident, or stumbled upon a drug deal and was abducted. These theories remain possible because there is no evidence to disprove them.
Yet, the clothes and backpack spread over the road are odd for a crime.
Feral hogs eating Jason is another theory, but it seems far-fetched.
The mystery surrounding Jason’s disappearance continues to baffle investigators. The Landry family has increased the reward for information to $20,000. Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the Texas Attorney General at (512)936–0742 or Anonymously at (726) 777–1359.