AUSTIN, TX — Human remains found last month near the Caldwell County crash site of missing Texas State University student Jason Landry have been positively identified as his, bringing a long-running search to a grim but significant turning point.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office said its Cold Case Unit used DNA analysis to confirm the identification. Landry had been missing since December 2020, after his car was found wrecked on Salt Flat Road near Luling. Officials said the family has been notified and asked for privacy as they deal with the news.
DNA testing confirms the remains were Landry’s
The identification came after remains were discovered Sept. 8 east of Salt Flat Road, between Soda Springs and Biggs Road, in the same area where Landry vanished nearly six years earlier.
DNA testing was handled by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, which confirmed the remains belonged to Landry. Officials said the skeletal remains do not provide new information about the cause or manner of death, and investigators have found no indication of foul play.
That leaves the central questions surrounding his disappearance unanswered, even as the recovery ends the uncertainty over whether the remains belonged to him.
Family and officials describe an emotional milestone
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the identification marks a critical moment in a case that has weighed heavily on the people involved for nearly six years. In a statement, he called the Landry family’s loss unimaginable and said they remain in the office’s prayers.
Cyndi Lay, a Landry family advocate, also released a statement saying it is both a time of sorrow and relief. She described the development as a moment to give thanks and said the family can now bring Jason home within their lifetime.
Lay added that volunteers who searched for Landry should be respected as the family moves through the coming days, weeks, months and years.
How Jason Landry disappeared after leaving San Marcos
Landry was 21 years old and a Texas State University student when he traveled from San Marcos to his hometown of Missouri City in December 2020. He never arrived home.
His vehicle was later found crashed into a tree along Salt Flat Road, a gravel road that runs through oil fields in Luling. His clothes and cellphone were found at the scene, but there was no sign of him.
For years, family members, friends and volunteers searched for answers. Their efforts included billboards, reward money and annual vigils near the crash location. The family had said repeatedly that something essential was missing from their lives while the search continued.
Search teams, drones and a mile-wide gap
Gene Robinson, a drone pilot with Texas EquuSearch, said he worked with law enforcement and search coordinators for three days during the search efforts. He said drones mapped a two-mile search diameter using both color and thermal imagery over several days.
Robinson said the drones covered the area thoroughly and that the remains were eventually found about a mile outside the zone they had established. He said he still does not have the coordinates of the discovery, which he believes will show exactly how far it was from the drone search area.
He also said there is a good chance the drones could have found the remains sooner if the search area had been able to expand farther.
What investigators have said about the cause of death
Even with the identification confirmed, investigators say the skeletal remains do not answer every question about what happened to Landry. Officials have said there is no sign of foul play, but they have not identified a cause or manner of death.
The investigation into his disappearance was taken over by the Texas Attorney General’s Office in 2022. Caldwell County deputies previously shared evidence in the case with FOX 7 Austin, and agencies said they will release more information if appropriate.
For Landry’s family, the confirmation ends years of uncertainty but not the pain of loss. Officials said they are asking the public to respect the family’s privacy as they process the update.
When the weather turns dangerous, SVH Snow is watching.
