SAN ANTONIO, TX — Human remains found in Caldwell County near Luling have been confirmed as those of Jason Landry, the Texas State University student who disappeared nearly six years ago while driving home for the holidays.
Landry was 21 when he was last seen on Dec. 13, 2020, traveling from San Marcos to his family’s home in Missouri City. Authorities later found his crashed and abandoned car on Salt Flat Road shortly after midnight, with some of his belongings still inside and others scattered nearby.
The identification brings a long search effort into sharper focus, but investigators say the skeletal remains have not answered every question about what happened to him.
How the remains were found east of Salt Flat Road
A local resident discovered the remains on Sept. 8 east of Salt Flat Road, between Soda Springs and Biggs Road. That location is in the same general area where Landry’s vehicle was found years earlier.
The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification later completed DNA testing and confirmed the remains belonged to Landry. Officials have said there is no evidence of foul play.
Even with the identification, law enforcement has not said how Landry died or explained the manner of death. The remains have provided a final identification, but not a full reconstruction of the events that led to his disappearance.
A search that stretched across years and agencies
The search for Landry involved the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Search and Rescue, the Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit and volunteers from the community.
Those groups spent years combing the area around the crash site and nearby land. The effort reflected how long the case stayed open and how difficult it was to find any trace of the missing student.
Officials have said the combined work of law enforcement and volunteers ultimately led to the discovery that brought the case to this point. For Landry’s family, the identification ends years of not knowing where he was.
Neighbors describe a road that stayed busy during the search
People who live near the area said the disappearance remained hard to understand because Salt Flat Road sees regular traffic. Pat Tucker, a neighbor, said it seemed strange that no one had seen Landry after the crash if he had walked away from the vehicle.
“It’s kind of crazy. And there are a lot of people going down this road and if he’s walking down the road, someone would have seen him. But since he crashed, no one’s seen him,” Tucker said.
That uncertainty became part of what made the case linger for so long. The crash site, the scattered belongings and the lack of confirmed sightings left investigators and residents with more questions than answers.
Ken Paxton says the case has weighed heavily on Texas officials
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the identification marks an important moment in a case that has stayed with investigators and the Landry family for years.
“This development marks a critical moment in a case that has weighed heavily on our hearts for nearly six years. The Landry family has suffered an unimaginable tragedy and they will remain in our prayers, especially during this incredibly difficult time,” Paxton said.
Paxton added that the Cold Case Unit will keep working on unresolved cases for Texas families and victims. His comments reflected the broader role the state’s cold case investigators played in the search.
The identification may not resolve every detail, but it does give the family a confirmed answer about what happened to Landry’s remains.
Reward remains available as officials ask for privacy
Law enforcement is asking the public to respect the family’s privacy as they deal with the identification. Officials also say the $20,000 reward for information related to Landry’s disappearance is still available.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Texas Attorney General’s Office at 512-936-0742. Investigators have not said whether new tips are needed because of the identification, but the reward remains part of the case.
News 4 has followed the disappearance since 2020 and said it will continue to monitor any updates. For now, the discovery closes one chapter in a long-running missing-person case that drew attention across Texas.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
