Just came across this potentially amazing piece of news. A user on Imgur was asking for information about Jason Doe, a.k.a. the Unidentified Grateful Doe fan, and received a response from someone that once lived with a Grateful Dead fan named Jason who just seemed to disappear in 1995. Photos of this "Jason" have been posted and it's amazing how much of a resemblance there is.

Nothing's official yet, but the facts align together so perfectly here that I actually got chills looking at this:
http://imgur.com/gallery/vfXjr/new

Interesting stuff, thanks for the link ......fingers crossed on this one .

Just came across this potentially amazing piece of news. A user on Imgur was asking for information about Jason Doe, a.k.a. the Unidentified Grateful Doe fan, and received a response from someone that once lived with a Grateful Dead fan named Jason who just seemed to disappear in 1995. Photos of this "Jason" have been posted and it's amazing how much of a resemblance there is.

Nothing's official yet, but the facts align together so perfectly here that I actually got chills looking at this:
http://imgur.com/gallery/vfXjr/new

Shut the front door.

I never thought this one would be resolved! I hope I'm wrong!

Awesome! I hope something pans out!

One in the same. I'd bet money on it. Poor guy. Really have to wonder how he died.

Jerry Garcia died later that same year.

One in the same. I'd bet money on it. Poor guy. Really have to wonder how he died.

Jerry Garcia died later that same year.

Wasn't he killed in a car accident? Driver fell asleep behind the wheel? I could be mistaken.

Yeah, I think he went into a tree.

Yes, car accident. I must have had a temporary brain fart.

seems like he was a really nice guy.

Authorities said neither Grateful Doe, who was the passenger, nor the driver had alcohol or drugs in their systems and it was probably a case of the driver falling asleep. :(

I'm so conflicted - I want a resolution to this case so badly, but I don't want the happy, smiley young Jason in the photos to be dead. :(

As one of the posters in the thread below the article suggested - Can they get in touch with the McDonald's store he worked at and at least get a surname?

The similarities in the photos and composites are too close to ignore.

As one of the posters in the thread below the article suggested - Can they get in touch with the McDonald's store he worked at and at least get a surname?

The similarities in the photos and composites are too close to ignore.


Honestly, who knows how long employment records are kept on file. It was 20 years ago.

I legitimately think this is the guy. If not, it's an incredible coincidence.

It would be absolutely wonderful if Grateful Doe was finally identified. Much like the Sharon Marshall story (identified last year as Suzanne Sevakig) this case has stayed with me over the years. Grateful Doe's family and friends deserve to know what happened to their loved one so they can finally bring him home.

This one always seemed so solvable and yet has gone on so long.

With all respect intended (and I had a few friends who followed the Dead and/or Phish) I think now that the smoke has cleared and these kids likely have families, someone's neurons will start to fire. Someone will get nostalgic, go through their box of "when I was a stoner" stuff and solve this.

I'm so conflicted - I want a resolution to this case so badly, but I don't want the happy, smiley young Jason in the photos to be dead. :(
I feel the same way.

I'm going to hazard a guess that Jason was never reported missing. He either had no family or was estranged from them. This would explain why no matches have ever come up when trying to find a missing person who fit the description. Hopefully, we can find out soon whether or not the case is solved. I'll be shocked if this is not a match.

Honestly, who knows how long employment records are kept on file. It was 20 years ago.

Yeah I know it's possible records dating back two decades have long been destroyed, but it's worth checking out anyway!

I've been on websleuths almost as long as I've been on here. I seem to remember someone saying a long time ago that LE knew who Jason was, the issue was his family didn't want to claim him. If both of these leads (photos and the story of LE) turn out to be true, at least he officially he's his name back. It would still be kind of sad under those circumstances.

I've been on websleuths almost as long as I've been on here. I seem to remember someone saying a long time ago that LE knew who Jason was, the issue was his family didn't want to claim him.

:confused: Why? That is terribly sad.

:confused: Why? That is terribly sad.

My sentiments exactly! I was just going to ask whether the body was kept so it could be tested against potential living relatives and possibly returned to them.

My sentiments exactly! I was just going to ask whether the body was kept so it could be tested against potential living relatives and possibly returned to them.

If I remember correctly, he isn't buried. I will admit, it's been about 3 years since I was 100% up to date on this case though. That was the general forum talk though. If it is true, this is very sad.
A Jane Doe I've been researching for years is buried in an unmarked grave. I've thought about donating one for awhile.

The story was that someone called and identified him to the cops but wouldn't claim the body, I think because they couldn't afford to bury him. I believe that the investigating PD has denied this, as the family would not have to pay to bury him if they were unable to afford it. There are systems in place for that.

Here's the section from Websleuths about it.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?27787-VA-Grateful-Dead-Fan-Unidentified-male-26-June-1995-1/page9&highlight=marylandmissing

Not to mention, I doubt that the Grateful Dead would let a fan languish in a morgue because his family couldn't bury him. This is the band that bought Lithuania's Olympic basketball team uniforms so that they could compete for a medal in matching uniforms.

That most recent composite in the middle and the pictures of "Jason" really are spot on. I think it's him. As sad as it might be that the guy in the pictures is dead, it would be nice to have closure so this young man has a name and a background instead of still being unidentified.

Holy Cow Le Reddit Army...

I am actively trying to calm down and focus on staying objective but so far I see little to rule out the 'missing' or unaccounted for Jason as Grateful Doe other than we know nothing (yet) of his actual identity/whereabouts etc.

The Jason in the photo appears taller to me than the listed height of Grateful Doe of 5' 8". The Jason looks to me to be around 5' 8" to around 6' even. He could be 5' 8" judging by the arm length and he appears to be crouching in the photo on the left. Anyone share this observation?

Wow... Just wow...

Holy Cow Le Reddit Army...

I am actively trying to calm down and focus on staying objective but so far I see little to rule out the 'missing' or unaccounted for Jason as Grateful Doe other than we know nothing (yet) of his actual identity/whereabouts etc.

The Jason in the photo appears taller to me than the listed height of Grateful Doe of 5' 8". The Jason looks to me to be around 5' 8" to around 6' even. He could be 5' 8" judging by the arm length and he appears to be crouching in the photo on the left. Anyone share this observation?

Wow... Just wow...


Coroner or ME measurements are never 100% spot on. I've seen matches comes with 3-5 inch differences. All depends on the condition of the body. Especially with a traumatic car accident such as Jason, think Looney Toon accordion. Forgive the example.

Coroner or ME measurements are never 100% spot on. I've seen matches comes with 3-5 inch differences. All depends on the condition of the body. Especially with a traumatic car accident such as Jason, think Looney Toon accordion. Forgive the example.

For sure. I was trying to rule him out but seriously... He matches the profile.

My gut's telling me it's him.. I will be surprised if it is not.

Ok, so if you guys don't want to gush about this case I will.

Looks like there's been some drama and bullsh*t with regards to claims made on WS. But it appears there is a woman claiming to be the mother of 'Jason' (the young man in the photo, not the unidentified) and is in touch with the ME in South Carolina. The Facebook post has since been removed which means... whatevs...

I am wishing for a quick resolution to this case and if 'Jason' is not Grateful Doe I will be very surprised. This case tops the list of unidentified cases that really shouldn't be and is easily in my personal top 20 UM cases that I believe can be solved and wish were solved.

Ok, so if you guys don't want to gush about this case I will.

Looks like there's been some drama and bullsh*t with regards to claims made on WS. But it appears there is a woman claiming to be the mother of 'Jason' (the young man in the photo, not the unidentified) and is in touch with the ME in South Carolina. The Facebook post has since been removed which means... whatevs...

I am wishing for a quick resolution to this case and if 'Jason' is not Grateful Doe I will be very surprised. This case tops the list of unidentified cases that really shouldn't be and is easily in my personal top 20 UM cases that I believe can be solved and wish were solved.

There's a locked forum on there right now due to some drama, which is a shame. I'm in the same boat, if it isn't him, I will be very astounded.

I was reading the Daily Mail the other day, and was shocked to see this headline:

Badly decomposed body that washed up on California beach 20 years ago is identified as missing Grateful Dead fan

I thought it was going to have information about the recent development in this Grateful Doe case but it turns out there was another GD fan who was found dead the same year as "our" GD fan.

Both of these guys were connected to Grateful Dead concerts and died within two months of each other, but on opposite sides of the country. Due to circumstances, they're not likely to be related at all, but what a weird coincidence.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2903801/Body-20-years-ago-identified-missing-teenager.html

http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20150107/teen-found-floating-off-asilomar-20-years-ago-identified-went-missing-in-santa-cruz

I was reading the Daily Mail the other day, and was shocked to see this headline:

Badly decomposed body that washed up on California beach 20 years ago is identified as missing Grateful Dead fan

I thought it was going to have information about the recent development in this Grateful Doe case but it turns out there was another GD fan who was found dead the same year as "our" GD fan.

Both of these guys were connected to Grateful Dead concerts and died within two months of each other, but on opposite sides of the country. Due to circumstances, they're not likely to be related at all, but what a weird coincidence.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2903801/Body-20-years-ago-identified-missing-teenager.html

http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20150107/teen-found-floating-off-asilomar-20-years-ago-identified-went-missing-in-santa-cruz

Candidly I was surprised at much of that community. All the infighting over credit is off putting as well but I cannot say I am terribly surprised.

My wife and had dinner with another couple tonight and I was repremanded for constantly checking 4 different message boards dying for an update.

PID may take a while yet.

Candidly I was surprised at much of that community. All the infighting over credit is off putting as well but I cannot say I am terribly surprised.

My wife and had dinner with another couple tonight and I was repremanded for constantly checking 4 different message boards dying for an update.

PID may take a while yet.


I guess there's a new picture of Jason that has surfaced, not the previous three. Of course there's no link and more people piping in than ever.

Wow this appears to be a really amazing lead. The resemblance in the photos is really striking!

It seems like this could potentially be cleared-up if we knew the last name of the "potential Jason" in the pictures? Although if it turns out the guy in the photo's name was Jason Smith or something it could be quite difficult.

I will PM you.

The GratefulDoe subreddit is a decent source for updates but I think that PID may take a while.

I've always thought this one and the 1976 SC couple should be solved.

I hope this pans out but after checking in on WS feel a little less optimistic.

UPDATE: A woman believes that the young man in the photographs might be her son, Jason Callahan, a Grateful Dead fan whom she hasn't seen since 1995. She has finally filed a missing persons report with the police and I assume the wheels have been set in motion to determine if Jason Callahan is Grateful Doe:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/grateful-doe-case-768391

I've been following this case on Websleuths and it looks like it's on the verge of being solved. Here's an article about the missing person Jason Callahan being investigated as possibly being the Grateful Doe:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/grateful-doe-case-768391

Here is the recent missing person's report of Callahan:

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/27394/0/

Including a picture:

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/photos/full/49994

Either the Grateful Doe's identity has been found or it's a pretty sizable coincidence. Unfortunately, Jason Callahan's mother only just reported him missing despite not hearing from him for 20 years, and that could be a major reason why this case remain unsolved for so long.

OMG. It's him.

If it's not, the resemblance is absolutely uncanny. I'm not looking at the hair color, as that can always be altered. It's the facial structure.

I don't want to pass judgment, I really don't, but I wonder why she wouldn't report her son missing for 20 years. I can see if her son was transient and kind of drifted from place to place, but years without contact seems extreme. And I think it's not out of the realm of possibility that many of the UIDs we talk about are just like this missing Jason, known to be missing and not reported missing, thus making it impossible to find the true match. Of course, I have heard stories about parents trying to report adult children missing and getting blown off by the police.

My wife and had dinner with another couple tonight and I was repremanded for constantly checking 4 different message boards dying for an update.


This visual cracked me up. I pictured your avatar sitting at dinner and a very angry wife. :p

Grateful Doe has a facebook page dedicated to identifying him, he's on a bunch of unidentified persons websites, people have put up appeals to identify him on craigslist and other sites.

This woman who may be his mother, who is just now reporting her son missing after 20 years without contact, is online. She has a facebook page. How did she not ever come across Grateful Doe's case, or wonder in the back of her mind, where Jason could be and search for him on the internet? All she would have to do is search for "jason grateful dead" and a bunch of old articles come up that give all kinds of info, including his likeness and tattoo.

Was this mom in denial that her son was actually missing? Were they estranged so she thought he'd cut off contact? Why file a MP report only a few days AFTER the online community finally got so close to identifying him when she had the previous 20 years to report him missing?

OMG. It's him.

If it's not, the resemblance is absolutely uncanny. I'm not looking at the hair color, as that can always be altered. It's the facial structure.


Just **** a brick.

Was this mom in denial that her son was actually missing? Were they estranged so she thought he'd cut off contact? Why file a MP report only a few days AFTER the online community finally got so close to identifying him when she had the previous 20 years to report him missing?

I've thought about this a lot. I try to believe in the best of people. I would like to believe she was in deep denial. It's a lot easier to think your child is off and happy somewhere on their own terms as opposed to the alternative.

I've thought about this a lot. I try to believe in the best of people. I would like to believe she was in deep denial. It's a lot easier to think your child is off and happy somewhere on their own terms as opposed to the alternative.

Also, he told her he was leaving to lead a transient lifestyle. He was an adult. Maybe she didn't know she could report him missing. Maybe she even tried at some point and was told that he was an adult and left home and that's not going missing, that's moving out.

they were talking about this on the radio this morning, certainly is big news.

Looks just like the composite to me. According to Wikipedia, the police are doing DNA testing to see if Jason Callahan is the Grateful Doe.

I just read that article on the Dailymail! It looks like it will be him. I really cant get over how it took the mother 20 years to file a missing persons report. I understand he lead a transient lifestyle back in 1995 following the Grateful Dead but if she last heard from him in Early June of 1995 he obviously kept in someone constant contact with her. You would think after a year or two, she would've thought something was wrong? I read she wasn't sure which jurisdiction to file it in because he was traveled all over following the band but I don't find that a justified excuse after ALL this time. Remember Samantha Bonnell's mother on Disappeared? She made the effort to figure out where to file the report and hunt down leads. I think without her perseverance she might not have learned her daughters fate. Anyways, Its just weird it took this long for her to file especially after the Grateful Doe case was a national story back in the 90s. Just weird

I just read that article on the Dailymail! It looks like it will be him. I really cant get over how it took the mother 20 years to file a missing persons report. I understand he lead a transient lifestyle back in 1995 following the Grateful Dead but if she last heard from him in Early June of 1995 he obviously kept in someone constant contact with her. You would think after a year or two, she would've thought something was wrong? I read she wasn't sure which jurisdiction to file it in because he was traveled all over following the band but I don't find that a justified excuse after ALL this time. Remember Samantha Bonnell's mother on Disappeared? She made the effort to figure out where to file the report and hunt down leads. I think without her perseverance she might not have learned her daughters fate. Anyways, Its just weird it took this long for her to file especially after the Grateful Doe case was a national story back in the 90s. Just weird

But again, he was 18 years old. A legal adult in the US. He could do whatever he wanted. If not speaking to his mother again was what he wanted to do, so be it.

But again, he was 18 years old. A legal adult in the US. He could do whatever he wanted. If not speaking to his mother again was what he wanted to do, so be it.

Samantha Bonnell was 18 years old too. I just don't know any parent that wouldn't file a missing persons report though. Just because a child is of age, doesn't mean a parent doesn't worry and just wants to know their adult child is alive and well. Thousands of missing adults are reported missing. If my mom dropped off the face of the earth and nobody had heard from her, id file a missing persons report. Yes, shes an adult but does that mean I just say "Okay, shes an adult, I wont do anything." No, Id be thinking something is probably seriously wrong

I've thought about this a lot. I try to believe in the best of people. I would like to believe she was in deep denial. It's a lot easier to think your child is off and happy somewhere on their own terms as opposed to the alternative.

Also, he told her he was leaving to lead a transient lifestyle. He was an adult. Maybe she didn't know she could report him missing. Maybe she even tried at some point and was told that he was an adult and left home and that's not going missing, that's moving out.

My thoughts are the same. Some police departments might have refused to accept a report on an adult who left of his own volition, others would have put it on file but done little with it. There weren't many resources or information for people with missing relatives in that era, especially missing adults. Relatives are afraid they might get their loved one in trouble if they report them missing, especially if there was a background of drug use or other issues. People drift apart from their families all the time.

Okay, I've flipped back and think it most likely this is our guy. Maybe Awsi could put some odds out and make book on it?

I always wondered if the recreated image was a little bit off - if this is "Jason", I would say so. I'm not sure that that could have been avoided.

I prepare wills and manage estates for clients, and long estrangements like this are not unusual. Some people have only a hint of a whisper of where one or more children are.

I prepare wills and manage estates for clients, and long estrangements like this are not unusual. Some people have only a hint of a whisper of where one or more children are.

Another legal mind? Legal high five!

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/himym/images/d/d2/Condolencehighfive.png/revision/latest?cb=20120506030348

Nice!

They couldn't have been that estranged if it was indeed him. The mother said she last spoke with him in early June of 1995. If it is him, he was killed just a couple weeks later. Yes, 18 might be a legal adult but he's still a teenager. I just don't know what normal mother doesn't want to find out what happened to their child for 20 years.

Agreed, but who are we to speculate on specifics? This will hopefully be the most amazing resolution I can recall.

18-year-old runaway never reported missing, murder unsolved for 55 years! http://www.silviapettem.com/Jane%20Doe.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Howard&GSfn=Dorothy&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=7&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=8715050&df=all&

They couldn't have been that estranged if it was indeed him. The mother said she last spoke with him in early June of 1995. If it is him, he was killed just a couple weeks later. Yes, 18 might be a legal adult but he's still a teenager. I just don't know what normal mother doesn't want to find out what happened to their child for 20 years.

I'm sure she did want to know what happened to him. Maybe she just didn't know what to do or where to turn.

What an amazing breakthrough. I remember the case from when it was originally aired and always found it somewhat sad. Looking at the evidence it does seem beyond a doubt that Grateful doe and JC are one in the same. I'm not sure why his mom never reported him missing, but we don't know what kind of relationship they had. What we do know is that JC was from SC, that he told his Mom he was going to follow the Dead that Summer and he did. We know that Grateful Doe was in a car with someone from SC who was going back to SC. Could it be that if Grateful Doe was JC he was going home having done something on his bucket list? If so then how sad it really was... may he and his family find peace!

Okay, I've flipped back and think it most likely this is our guy. Maybe Awsi could put some odds out and make book on it?

I always wondered if the recreated image was a little bit off - if this is "Jason", I would say so. I'm not sure that that could have been avoided.

I prepare wills and manage estates for clients, and long estrangements like this are not unusual. Some people have only a hint of a whisper of where one or more children are.

Interesting market. Normally I know the biases of the bettors. That wouldn't be true here.

I would say the actual odds are greater than the odds I would use in a betting market. I think it's probably at least 1/9 favorite (-900 or 9 chances in 10) that it is the correct guy. The name corresponding to the note on his person is huge. Minus that aspect, the supporting details don't hold as much weight.

For actual betting purposes I would cut the number. There are always sharp guys out there willing to take the rest of the world against one hope. So in that light I'd probably cut it in half, to 2/9 favoritism, or -450.

I'm not taking bets on this, BTW. Not for Whoppers or anything else.

If it turns out not to be him, I'd keep checking that road in Alabama.

I just read that article on the Dailymail! It looks like it will be him. I really cant get over how it took the mother 20 years to file a missing persons report. I understand he lead a transient lifestyle back in 1995 following the Grateful Dead but if she last heard from him in Early June of 1995 he obviously kept in someone constant contact with her. You would think after a year or two, she would've thought something was wrong? I read she wasn't sure which jurisdiction to file it in because he was traveled all over following the band but I don't find that a justified excuse after ALL this time. Remember Samantha Bonnell's mother on Disappeared? She made the effort to figure out where to file the report and hunt down leads. I think without her perseverance she might not have learned her daughters fate. Anyways, Its just weird it took this long for her to file especially after the Grateful Doe case was a national story back in the 90s. Just weird

I read on a website somewhere that she did try to file, but the police wouldn't take the report. It was a jurisdiction issue. I don't know how accurate that is, but I could see that being a huge issue, especially if the person is an adult.

I think it's very different now, with the internet at our fingertips (even in 2005 when Samantha died). It wasn't as easy to track people down 20 years ago. Maybe Jason's Mom thought that because he was a man that he was safer on the road. She probably thought that if he wanted to reach out, he would.

I found out about this only yesterday, after sampling this forum. After reading Websleuth threads and online articles, a few aspects stand out, assuming this is the correct guy, and going forward if it is not:

* The Grateful Dead angle should have been pushed far more forcefully. That was the obvious connection. The photos lingered for more than a decade on true crime sites. Those sites are extremely specialized, far beyond what we want to believe. I think the example I've used is: Pig farmers believe the world revolves around pig farming. While we think the Grateful Doe topic is big news and easily accessible, it's really not, not unless you're shoved where you don't normally go.

The Deadhead websites needed to be swamped with this info, along with mentions from the surviving band members. I remember when that group would tour Las Vegas, essentially changing the town for several days. I didn't always appreciate it, because it disturbed my travel schedule, even if it was amusing when they would wander into sportsbooks or small casinos that I frequented, like Little Caesar's. Passionate group who would have welcomed a chance to help a fellow Deadhead.

I mention this because it looks like the Illinois connection was made when one of the former roommates saw the sketches and recognized the details, including the Grateful Dead angle

2) The 1995 date also should have been pushed. This isn't a body discovered years later with unknown date of demise. Grateful Dead fan who you haven't heard from since 1995. That is the type of simple connect the dot angle that works. Just enough specifics without being complicated.

3) Apparently the long time sketches weren't overly accurate. They depicted more of a pointy and awkward facial structure than Jason actually had. Somewhat understandable, given the reported degree of trauma. There should have been a smiley version, highlighting his full set of perfect teeth. That feature was prominent in the autopsy notes. It looks like the long hair sketch with the half shut eyes was most accurate.

* Years ago it saddened me to read that neither victim was wearing a seat belt. That choice is astonishing to me. Who are you impressing by going without? I use the seat belt even when changing spots in a parking lot. The Vanogan vehicle from this case made front seating more vulnerable, even if seat belts had been used. Irrelevant. How many more statistics and basic common sense is required?

There's a connection for me regarding this case, due to my roommate at the time. I roomed with a cab driver named Stan from February 1993 to August 1995. That covers this case. Stan asked me to move out because he found a girlfriend he was very serious about. A couple of years later they got married. Then quickly had a son. Very joyous time. They were thrilled.

Stan never got to see that boy grow up. Less than 2 years later a group of UNLV students speeding on Tropicana Avenue ignored a red light and hit Stan's cab from the side. Stan never wore a seat belt, actually bragging about it. He was thrown from the vehicle and suffered massive head injuries after contacting the Tropicana cement. After a couple weeks he had made enough progress that it appeared he would survive, albeit severely compromised mentally. Didn't happen. Stan suffered a blood clot and died almost immediately. Apparently he sensed it. His last words while clutching his wife's hand were, "Uh oh. Bye bye."

Wear that seat belt. Stan's brother told me that the first arriving officer said the actual damage to Stan's cab wasn't enough to do much harm to him if he hadn't been thrown from the vehicle.

Two words. Princess Diana. Two years too late for Jason, but if people didn't learn then they never will.

Well, the thing Diana's accident makes me think about is this:

Nobody ever wears a seatbelt in the back of a limo

In this particular case, a seatbelt wouldn't have mattered. Vanagons have rear engines. The passenger compartment was decimated. They were dead either way.

However, yeah, wear a seatbelt. For every traffic fatality that it wouldn't have mattered, there are hundreds that it would have saved a life.

I always thought this case seemed easier to solve than perhaps it really was.

You would think a simple DNA test from the mother will either confirm or deny if this is the kid.

I also remember thinking - back then - why they didn't try to do more with the phone numbers (I/e playing around with various area codes). Of course they were just phone numbers, doesn't mean the people could have told them anything further about this kid, but then again - maybe they might have.

So ... does anyone know where things stand on this?

I did some googling and found an article from January 16 of tis year where it appears the mother is "waiting for everything to be put together" -- but does anyone know what that all entails and how soon it might happen?

Thanks.

It took 4 months for the recent identification of Tammy Jo Alexander from the time that she was submitted as a potential match to a Jane Doe

This is making news in Australia as well, but they're saying the case has now been solved? Has there been ANY update lately?

Here's the link to the article.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/web-sleuths-solve-cold-case-how-internet-detectives-are-digging-into-crimes/story-fnjwnzap-1227260582312

Well, the thing Diana's accident makes me think about is this:

Nobody ever wears a seatbelt in the back of a limo

Also paramedics never take a 35 minute detour to a hospital. Especially when the nearest trauma center/hospital was literally a 5 to 10 minute drive. All the paramedics had to do was make a u turn where the median gapped in the tunnel. Instead paramedics literally drove in a circle for 30 minutes while Diana bled to death.

What is the opinion of Jason's family if known? Is it true they suspected Grateful Doe was him but didn't care?

There was this kid, a teenage runaway from a poor black family in the early 1900s. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=84970940 His body was found near train tracks in Calvert, Texas, embalmed and placed in a casket. When his family arrived and learned what the embalming, casket, and burial would cost them they said for that much they could just keep him. So he stayed as a good luck charm, known as "Mojo" for local gamblers, for over 80 years until buried, by which time no one knew what his real name was!

:rip:

What is the opinion of Jason's family if known? Is it true they suspected Grateful Doe was him but didn't care?

No - his mother never knew what had happened to him.

A roommate of Jason's saw the Grateful Doe information online for the first time recently (within the past year), and even though (I think) he didn't remember the guy's last name, his mother was eventually tracked down and contacted. She had never heard about Grateful Doe but did think it could be him.

this one has always surprised me as to why it has not been solved. how could his family any family not notice a 15 y/o was missing. i understand some kids do not have the greatest family life, but to not even call at all?
Also if that maybe the case, and he was in foster care or group home what have you, i would start there to see if there were any reports of missing runaways

it has always surprised me too, the guy who was driving fell asleep. Where was he from, where was he driving too. That number too it didnt not have an area code but how many area codes are there in that area? They could not have tracked it down?

To me it just doesnt seem like they put a lot of manpower on this case, because to the police it was just some dumb stoner kid who died in a car accident. Its sad. I hope it finally does get solved.

this one has always surprised me as to why it has not been solved. how could his family any family not notice a 15 y/o was missing.

If it was Jason Callahan (and it probably was), he was 18 at the time.

it has always surprised me too, the guy who was driving fell asleep. Where was he from, where was he driving too.

They identified the driver, but because they were both just guys following the Dead they probably didn't know each other previously, so there was no connection to be found.

I'm hearing reports family members are saying Grateful Dead fan has been positively identified as Jason Callahan. I kinda figured as much.

Its true! Mainstream media had even picked up the story last night! Grateful Doe is Jason Callahan!

Good to hear the case can be closed now.

Yeah. As sad as his death (and to a certain extent, his life) was, it's nice to have another mystery solved.

Here's an article with some pics of him I've never seen.
http://wtvr.com/2015/12/09/jason-callahan-idd-as-grateful-doe/

I had been following this case and was amazed when Callahan's friend came forward with his name and picture after all those years. I couldn't believe the resemblance. I just knew it was him. I was so disappointed when the DNA originally was inconclusive. So glad they have been able to positively ID him. These unidentified cases are so sad, I just love when they are solved even though it's never going to be a happy ending.