The Texas Attorney General’s office said human remains found in Caldwell County were identified as Jason Landry through DNA tests, ending nearly six years of uncertainty in the case. Landry had been missing since December 13, 2020.
The identification came after a Caldwell County resident found human remains on Sept. 8 east of Salt Flat Road, between Soda Springs and Biggs Road. The Texas Attorney General’s office said it notified his family after the match.
Caldwell County remains
The discovery first drew attention when deputies responded on Sept. 18 to a report of skeletal remains in the 1400 block of Biggs Road. Before the identification, deputies asked the public to avoid speculation about whether the remains were Landry’s.
The case had already become a cold case before the identification. DNA testing provided the link between the remains and Landry, who was a Texas State student when he disappeared.
Jason Landry’s identification
The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office said the bones do not give insight into Landry’s cause and manner of death. It also said there was no indication of foul play.
That leaves the identification as a major step, but not the last one. Investigators will keep working the case, and the remaining question is what happened between Landry’s disappearance on Dec. 13, 2020, and the discovery of the remains nearly six years later.
Ken Paxton statement
Ken Paxton said, “My Cold Case Unit will continue fighting to solve cases and bring closure on behalf of Texas families and victims.” He also said, “The Landry family has suffered an unimaginable tragedy, and they will remain in our prayers, especially during this incredibly difficult time.”
For Landry’s family, the result is a name attached to the remains after years without it. For investigators, the identification narrows the case without answering how he died.
