TEXSAR to continue search for Jason Landry in Caldwell County
CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas - The search for Texas State student Jason Landry who went missing in December last year will resume this weekend in Caldwell County.
The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office has requested that Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR) return to the area Landry was last seen for a one-day search on Saturday, Oct. 16.
The search will use a multitude of tools to examine some areas of interest in Landry's disappearance more carefully. Teams will include search and rescue canines trained in human remains detection, TEXSAR Mounted Equine Search assets, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs/drones, experts in mantracking and in ground search and rescue.
Since Landry's disappearance, CCSO, TEXSAR, and several other agencies combed the area surrounding Salt Flat Road. All
searches have been based on Lost Person Behavior Science and data derived by agencies from interviews and evidence, says the sheriff's office. TEXSAR has worked over 2000 hours on the case, covered roughly 57.2 square miles, deployed fixed and rotor wing assets over 382 square miles, and captured/analyzed over 36,000 UAV images.
Portions of Salt Flat Road will be closed for the duration of the search. As the search continues for Jason Landry, the public is asked to contact Captain Ferry with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office directly at 512-398-6777 ext. 4504 or email Jeff.Ferry@co.caldwell.tx.us with any information regarding Jason’s disappearance.
WHO IS JASON LANDRY?
Investigators believe the 21-year-old planned to drive home from his apartment in San Marcos to Missouri City, a suburb of Houston. A timeline from the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office tracks Landry's movements from when he left his apartment in San Marcos to when his phone ceased pinging in Luling.
The timeline provided by CCSO is as follows:
- December 13, 2020, 10:55 p.m.: Landry leaves his apartment in San Marcos, headed to Missouri City
- December 13, 2020, 11:05 p.m.: Landry is driving on Hwy 80 and passes under I-35 in San Marcos
- December 13, 2020, 11:07 p.m.: Landry enters Caldwell County on Hwy 80, heading south
- December 13, 2020, 11:11 p.m.: Landry enters Martindale, still heading south on Hwy 80
- December 13, 2020, 11:15 p.m.: Landry passes over SH 130 on Hwy 80
- December 13, 2020, 11:17-11:21 p.m.: Landry passes through Fentress, Prairie Lea, and Stairtown
- December 13, 2020, 11:24 p.m.: Landry enters Luling on Hwy 80.
CCSO says that as Landry went through the intersection at Hackberry Street where Hwy 80 becomes Austin Street, he stopped using the Waze app and began using Snapchat.
Landry then continued on Austin St. to the intersection with U.S. 183, also known as Magnolia Avenue, and CCSO says investigators believe he continued straight through that intersection, continuing onto E. Austin, but at this intersection, his digital footprint stops. Landry then continued on E. Austin onto Spruce Street, which turns into Salt Flat Road.
A volunteer firefighter found Jason Landry’s car crashed and abandoned on the 2300 block around 12:30 a.m. on December 14, says CCSO. The vehicle's lights were still on. A highway patrol trooper had Jason’s car towed. He took his backpack, which contained a few joints, and left.
Hours later, Jason Landry's father Kent Landry found his way to Salt Flat Road. He expected to see flashing police lights and his son. Instead, the road was dark and empty. "I saw deer, three different sets of deer ran by. Coyotes ran by and I didn’t see another car, another person."
The clothing Jason Landry had been wearing, his shoes, even his underwear, were scattered throughout the street. "I found [my son’s] fish. I found where the accident was and I’m the only one who took pictures or video of that." he said.
Kent Landry was able to locate his son’s vehicle at an impound lot. His cellphone was still in the car. No one was searching for him. Kent Landry added, "[the accident scene is] the middle of nowhere. In that hour window, it may very well be possible that there’s not another person in that box except Jason and whoever did whatever they did. Whoever else is involved in this case."
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