The nearly six-year search for missing Texas State University student Jason Landry has come to an end after human remains discovered in Caldwell County were confirmed to be his, authorities announced Wednesday.
Landry was 21 when he disappeared on December 13, 2020, while driving from San Marcos to his family’s home in Missouri City, Texas. Shortly after midnight, his 2003 Nissan Altima was found wrecked and abandoned along Salt Flat Road near Luling. Landry was nowhere to be found.
His vehicle and several personal belongings were discovered around the crash scene, while other items, including clothing, were found scattered nearby. The unusual circumstances surrounding the abandoned vehicle prompted an extensive search involving law enforcement officers, professional search teams and volunteers.
For years, investigators searched the rural area around Luling while the case remained unresolved. The Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit eventually became involved and conducted additional ground and aerial searches, reviewed leads and reexamined evidence connected to Landry’s disappearance.
A major development came on September 8, 2026, when a local resident discovered human remains east of Salt Flat Road, between Soda Springs and Biggs Road in Caldwell County. The location was near the area where Landry’s vehicle had been found nearly six years earlier.
DNA testing conducted by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification confirmed that the remains belonged to Landry. His family was notified following the identification.
Despite the discovery, authorities said the remains have not provided additional answers about exactly how Landry died. Investigators have also reported no indication of foul play at this time.
The circumstances of the December 2020 crash and what happened to Landry afterward had remained a mystery throughout the yearslong investigation. His disappearance generated widespread attention and prompted searches across the surrounding countryside, with volunteers and authorities repeatedly returning to the area in hopes of finding him.
The identification brings an end to the uncertainty surrounding Landry’s whereabouts, but questions about the circumstances of his death remain.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the development marked a significant moment for a family that had spent nearly six years waiting for answers and expressed condolences to Landry’s relatives.
Officials have asked the public to respect the family’s privacy as they deal with the news.
For the Landry family, the search that began after a young college student’s abandoned car was discovered on a rural road in December 2020 has now reached a painful conclusion: Jason Landry has been found, nearly six years after he vanished.
