Summary (tl;dr)

Human remains discovered in Caldwell County, Texas, have been conclusively identified as Jason Landry, a Texas State University student who vanished in December 2020 after his car was found crashed and abandoned.

Essential Background

On December 13, 2020, 21-year-old Jason Landry disappeared while driving from San Marcos, Texas, to his family home in Missouri City, Texas. His vehicle, a Nissan Altima, was found crashed and abandoned shortly after midnight on Salt Flat Road, a rural gravel road near Luling in Caldwell County. Personal belongings, including clothing and his backpack, were discovered scattered along the roadway near the crash site, but Landry himself was not located despite extensive initial searches by law enforcement and volunteers.

The Full Story

On September 8, 2026, a local resident discovered human skeletal remains east of Salt Flat Road, between Soda Springs and Biggs Road, in Caldwell County. On September 23, 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that DNA analysis, conducted by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, conclusively identified these remains as Jason Landry. Investigators reported that the skeletal remains did not provide additional details regarding the cause or manner of death, and no indication of foul play was found. The Attorney General's Cold Case Unit had continued ground and aerial searches, reexamined evidence, and followed up on leads over the nearly six years since Landry's disappearance.

Why It Matters

The identification of Jason Landry's remains provides a crucial moment of closure for his family, who have endured nearly six years of uncertainty since his disappearance. The case had garnered significant regional media attention and led to persistent search efforts by various agencies and numerous citizen volunteers.

Geographic Location

• Salt Flat Road, Caldwell County, Texas, United States (location where Jason Landry's car was found crashed and abandoned)
• 1400 block of Biggs Road, Caldwell County, Texas, United States (location where human remains were discovered)
• Luling, Caldwell County, Texas, United States (nearby town to the crash and discovery sites)
• University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, United States (location where DNA testing was conducted)