Missing Jason

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Family holds vigil 5 years after Jason Landry’s disappearance

What started off as a late night drive home from college turned into a family’s biggest heartbreak when Texas State student Jason Landry never made it home. In the five years since his disappearance the family is still looking for answers. Through organized volunteer search teams and private inves- tigators, the search for Jason continues.

Family and friends gathered on Salt Flat Road on Friday in Luling where Jason’s car was found to hold a vigil marking five years since his disappearance. It was a night of shared memories and prayer as Jason’s loved ones spoke of his life and all that they miss about him.

Jason left San Marcos late on Dec. 13 2020 to head home to Missouri City near Houston. The route took him through Luling, where his car was discovered crashed off a side country road. His phone was left in the vehicle and a trail of his clothes was found a short distance from the crash site. Police were notified of the abandoned car in the early morning hours when they notified Jason’s parents. Dec. 14 marked the first day of Jason’s disappearance and a continued investigation by not only the Caldwell County Sheriff ’s office, but by his family and friends.

Over the past five years friends, family, and even strangers have volunteered countless hours to search the land surrounding the crash site. As the sun set on Friday Dec. 12, 2025, dozens of people drove down the same road where Jason was last seen to convene with the Landry family.

The vigil started with a prayer from Jason’s former youth pastor Andrew Keyes.

“Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time that we can come together with so many people who love Jason, so many people who cared for him, so many people who have searched for him and given their blood, sweat and tears for this,” Keyes prayed. “We thank you that you are a God who constantly brings good things out of really horrible situations.”

Jason’s aunts spoke at the vigil, recounting family memories and stories of Jason’s bright and playful energy throughout his childhood and adolescent years. At the vigil organizers played a song written and performed by Jason’s childhood best friend, Hope Merrill. The song played alongside a slide show of childhood photos of the two, with lyrics focused on Jason’s memory.

Jason’s mother Lisa Landry spoke, thanking volunteers, friends and family for their efforts over the past five years.

“I can’t believe it’s been five years. I never thought we’d be here, never thought we’d have so much support and I never thought that support would be so strong even after five years,” Lisa said.

She read a list of all the ways people have shown support to her and her family, thanking those who have supported the search efforts as well as those who have supported the family in their time of need.

Jason’s father Kent Landry closed out the vigil with a speech and prayer.

“Many of the people here never knew Jason, but yet there’s something about the story that has touched them, something about Jason and his personality,” Kent said. “It’s been 1824 days today that Jason went missing, and through all of those days and all of that time together we have waited to find out what happened and in many ways we’re still just as far away as we were from that first night. But God is still at work, God is still doing something.”

The search for Jason Landry continues. Tips and information can be directed to texasattorneygeneral. gov/coldcasetips. For updates and more information on the search for Jason, visit the community Facebook page at facebook. com/FindJason-Landry.