34 replies to this topic

[Dan]

Originally posted on 03/15/04
by Kelly

 

 

Age progressed to age 29.

ERIN POSPISIL
DOB:  Apr 14, 1986
Missing:  Jun 3, 2001
Height:  5'3" (160 cm)
Eyes:  Brown
Race:  White
Age at disappearance: 15
Sex:  Female
Weight:  125 lbs (57 kg)
Hair:  Brown 
Missing From:
CEDAR RAPIDS
IA
United States 

Erin was last seen at home on June 3, 2001 and she has not been seen or heard from since that day. She has a small scar above her left eye. When she was last seen, Erin had red highlights in her hair.


If you have information regarding the disappearance of this individual, please contact:the Cedar Rapids Police Department at 319-286-5491 or the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at 800-346-5507.

Print a poster: http://www.projectja...inPospisil.pdf�

Print a poster: http://www.missingkids.com/missingki...archLang=en_US

Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
www.projectjason.org
Read our blog about missing persons:
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/

If you have seen any of our missing persons, please call the law enforcement agency listed on the post. All missing persons are loved by someone, and their families deserve to find the answers they seek in regards to the disappearance.

[Dan]

Originally posted on 06/21/04
by Kelly


http:///www.kcrg.com/article.aspx?ar...539&cat_id=123

Benefit Concert for Missing Woman in Cedar Rapids
Sunday, June 06, 2004, 11:04:48 PM


From The KCRG-TV9 Cedar Rapids Newsroom

Three years after she rode off in a strange car, Erin Pospisil was remembered Sunday night at a benefit concert in Cedar Rapids.

The event took place at the Leisure Time Billiards and Sports bar.

The concert included performances from area blues artists and proceeds will benefit Pospisil's Help Find a Child Organization, which was started to educate parents and the public about missing persons.

It also benefited "GINA" or Greater Information Now Available for Missing Persons.

Pospisil's mother Carolyn helped organize the concert and says even after three years she still has faith her daughter will come home. “I hold out the hope that we'll find Erin and that she comes home tomorrow or whatever. I still don't see us ever not being involved with this cause."

The concert was also meant to make parents aware of stranger danger and encourage them to talk to their kids about talking with or leaving with strangers.

[Dan]

Originally posted on 04/30/05
by Kelly



A Project Jason Press Release:

4 Families, 4 Mysteries

4 families who have experienced the tragedy of having a missing loved one will come together on Sunday, May 1st to share their stories with dozens of bike riders at the 2nd annual Miles for the Missing Family Bike Ride sponsored by Omaha nonprofit organization, Project Jason.

Riders will meet the family members starting at 9:45am on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Council Bluffs, IA. Miles for the Missing is a casual ride, and riders can go distances from 1 mile up to 44. Sag and free water will be provided. Rider cost is $15 each, and children under age 10 ride free.

Families represented at the ride include: Jim and Kelly Jolkowski of Omaha, parents of missing Jason Jolkowski, who disappeared from his Omaha home on June 13, 2001; Carolyn Pospisil, mother of Erin Pospisil, who was last seen in Cedar Rapids, IA on June 6, 2001; Rebecca Gonzalez of Omaha, whose son Brendan was murdered by his father, but his body never recovered; and Kathy Wilson of Omaha. Her husband Greg, disappeared in January of 2005. His body was located in March, but the mystery of his disappearance still remains.

Project Jason members will be present to give away free Personal ID Kits and other safety information for families. They will also explain the services offered and awareness programs available for the missing. Proceeds from the ride enable Project Jason to continue to offer their free services to families of the missing nationwide and provide educational materials to all families.

Jim and Kelly Jolkowski continue to take part not just in local, but in state and national activities to increase public awareness of the missing, and to take steps to strengthen the aid given to these families. In early April, Kelly attended a national conference of missing persons organizations in Wilmington, NC, and was the Keynote Speaker at the New York State Missing Person’s Day. The Jolkowski family is also behind LB111, Jason’s Law, which will establish a Missing Person’s Clearinghouse for all ages in Nebraska. LB111 has passed through 2 of 3 rounds of debate in the state legislature.

Jim, Kelly, and Michael Jolkowski just returned from the Department of Justice’s “National Strategy Meeting: Identifying the Missing”, which took place in Philadelphia and brought together hundreds of government officials, forensic scientists, medical examiners, coroners, FBI, law enforcement, and families of missing and murdered loved ones from across the country. A few families of the missing and the murdered were chosen to represent the thousands upon thousands nationwide in this effort for all those involved to meet and put together a strategy to resolve the estimated 100,000 active missing person’s cases and to identify the 40,000 to 50,000 unidentified bodies nationwide. John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted was the Keynote Speaker. The Jolkowskis were able to meet with him briefly and share their experience.

For more information, please see www.projectjason.org, and click on the Miles for the Missing link, or call Kelly Jolkowski at 402-932-0095 or email: Milesforthemissing@projectjason.org

[Dan]

Originally posted on 11/15/05
by Kelly



Press Release from 411gina.org:

For Immediate Release: Oct 10, 2005

5 Year Disappearance of Lincolnite Brings Music, International Webcast and NASCAR!

In honor of: Gina Bos Missing since Oct. 2000

5th Annual “GINA Concert”

OCTOBER 16, 2005

2-4PM
Meadowlark Coffee House
1624 South Street
Lincoln, NE

Jannel Rap with Yvonne Perea

Local talent: Shawn Benjamin, Brian McDonald, Von Rap, Patty Sullivan, Leann and Tammy (Rap) Smith, Mick Damian, Mike Johnson & Steve Ekery

Profiling Midwest MISSING:

**Family members will be in attendance

**Gina Bos and **Melissa Schmidt-Lincoln, **Jason Jolkowski-Omaha, **Jackie Rains-Krachman-Columbus, **Erin Pospisil-Cedar Rapids, Molly Datillo-Indianapolis, Ashley Martinez-St Joseph, Justin Harris-Casper, Wyoming, Robert Thomas Pillsen-Rahier-Colorado Springs and April Wiss-Wichita

SPECIAL WEBCAST

Saturday Oct 22 from 10-12PM CST or 8-10 PST

Web Cast to highlight Gina and Midwest Missing. Tune in early to watch this interactive event! www.Kulakswoodshed.com

In Concert: Jannel Rap and the C Street Band, The Squirts and other Midwest Artists

NASCAR NOV 10, 2005

in honor of GINA Bos' Nov 4, 1959 Birthday! A larger than life image of Gina Bos on the hood of the Napa Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Elite Division Southwest Series #94. in front of a crowd of nearly 60,000 people.

ABOUT“G.I.N.A. (Greater Information Now Available) for Missing Persons: Over 100 GINA Concerts have been held from LA to NYC and most recently have evolved to a monthly LIVE WEBCAST. These concerts feature artists and the missing from their area of the country each month.

100’s of missing children and adults have been profiled on our Web sites, CD’s, America Lost and FOUND, Warrior’s for the Missing the GINA Concerts. Some of the missing have been brought home to their families.

For More Info: www.411Gina.org

[Dan]

Originally posted on 05/27/06

Following is an aged progressed picture of Erin Kay Pospisil to 17 years old from the NCMEC.



She is 20 years old at the time of this post.

[Dan]

Originally posted on 06/03/06
by Kelly



Please remember Erin and her family in your prayers today. 6/3/06 marks 5 years since she disappeared. The family has travelled back to Cedar Rapids, IA, to mark this sad day.

Thank you.

Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
http://www.projectjason.org
Read our Voice for the Missing Blog
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/

[Dan]

Originally posted on 06/05/06
by Kelly



http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=4984674&nav=2Ifu

June 3, 2006 - Cedar Rapids
Search Continues for Erin Pospisil



Carolyn Pospisil has tried everything. Flyers, knocking on doors, even a billboard... but there are still no signs of her stepdaughter Erin. Carolyn Pospisil, Erin's stepmother says, "I believe wherever she went that night was probably voluntary but what happened after that wasn't."

Erin's father, Jim Pospisil said, "She was going to a friends house, a car pulled up and she told her other friends she was going to ride with them back to our house and she got in that car and never came home."

Today the Pospisil's released balloons in the neighborhood where Erin disappeared. Later family and friends went door to door passing out flyers hoping they will trigger someone's memory. Almost five thousand of these flyers were passed out today each one asking the same question where is Erin Pospisil?

"We've been through every scenario in our heads and you can come up with new ones everyday as to what could happen or what did happen but until we do know what happened those wont stop," said Carolyn Pospisil.

Iowa's Amber Alert system went into effect in 2003, two years after Erin disappeared. Erin's father Jim says, "At least we have had more people looking for her at the time because immediately at the time they disappear the first 24 hours in crucial."

Now, five years later, the Pospisil family has put up a billboard on First Avenue in hopes someone will come forward with helpful information...so that they can know what happened to Erin.

[Dan]

Originally posted on 10/14/06
by Kelly



411GINA.org…Uncovering Missing Pieces To Find The Missing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

GINA for MIssing Persons Launches
THE SQUEAKY WHEEL World-Wide Tour

Oct 17-Nov, 2006

London-Berlin-Chicago-Sydney-Columbus-NYC-Orlando-KC-Phoenix-Philadelphia -Boston-LA-DC-San Francisco-Detroit-Little Rock-Indiana-Belfast-Sweden-Vegas-Idaho-Iowa-Canada-Boston-Baltimore-Minnesota- Wisconsin-Missouri-Vegas-New Hampshire-North & South Carolina-South Dakota-Nebraska-Nashville-Seattle-Texas-West Virginia-Scotland and your city…

Hundreds of Artists Banding Together in Events spanning the U.S. and 8 Countries to Reach over 150 missing people and Bring ONE Home….


Los Angeles, CA (Oct 8, 2006)---“GINA for Missing Persons”, the internationally acclaimed concert series to raise awareness for those who go missing every year, announces The Squeaky Wheel Tour, Oct 17-Nov 4, 2006. This worldwide tour will feature several hundred artists performing in 150 events throughout the 50 states and eight countries. The focus of the events is to gain attention for over 150 missing people in the effort to bring at least ONE home.

The international “Squeaky Wheel Tour” honors Gina Bos, who disappeared from Lincoln, NE 6 years ago Oct 17, 2000 with her birthday being the last official day of the tour, Nov 4. The 19-day tour is the creation of her sister, Jannel Rap who developed the “GINA Concert Series” in 2001, bringing together recording artists from all over the U.S. to obtain attention for ALL people who are missing. Every missing child, every missing adult is an important missing person. When loved ones disappear a large part of family members lives have been carved out, snatched away, and their only focus is to have their missing loves one returned. It is a devastating experiencing no family should have to go through.

Each missing person’ story is unique, important and as valuable as the next, said Rap. “If someone took your child or your sister or brother, what would you do? Would you pull down the moon? Would you look under every rock? Would you scream as loud as you could?”

Would you become the Squeaky Wheel? added Rap.

The Squeaky Wheel Tour will have its kick-off event in Lincoln, NE on Oct 16th, 2006 and officially conclude with an event in Little Rock, Arkansas on Nov. 4. In addition, pre-and post- “Squeaky” events are currently taking place which began September 6 with a Webcast concert In Hollywood, CA. A daily updated list of the musical artists, locations, dates and most importantly the missing to be profiled are posted at Welcome to 411Gina.org - Uncovering Missing Pieces To Find The Missing.

Missing persons featured at the kick-off event include: Gina Bos, Erin Pospisil, Jason Jolkowski, Tammy and Kylee Walnofer, Melvin Uphoff, Jackie Rains,Kracman, Melissa Schmidt, Bernadette Caruso, and Debra Wilhite.

To watch the live webcast of the tour’s kick-off on Monday, October 16th, from 8pm-1am CST, please click on 411Gina.org - Webcast

About GINA for Missing Persons

ABOUT GINA: Singer/songwriter, Jannel Rap’s sister disappeared on Oct 17, 2000. Gina’s story had no scandal, no suspects and lacked the hook and intrigue to get the attention of the national public. Gina had simply vanished after performing at a pub in Lincoln, NE. Six months of slamming doors inspired Jannel into action…and the concept of using entertainment get attention for the missing was born.

In 2001, Jannel organized a concert series in honor of her sister, called GINA Concerts. This series brings together recording artists from all over the country in an effort to raise awareness of all the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children who go missing every year. In addition, through GINA (Welcome to 411Gina.org - Uncovering Missing Pieces To Find The Missing) Jannel has produced a TV series called “America Lost and FOUND”, and now hosts a monthly international webcast featuring missing persons from around the globe the 3rd Sat. of every month called “The GINA Sessions.”

###

FOR MORE INFO:

Jannel
Rap
GINA for Missing Persons
877-411-GINA
714-779-2754
Jannel@411GINA.org

[Dan]

Originally posted on 12/24/06
by Kelly



Erin's stepmother wrote a special letter to her, which you can read on our holiday blog series, Home for the Holidays.

Thank you.
Kelly

[Dan]

Originally posted on 01/18/07
by Kelly



Gazette Online: Rescued boys give woman hope

1/18/07

Rescued boys give woman hope
By Dorothy de Souza Guedes


Carolyn Pospisil cried through most of the night after she learned two kidnapped Missouri boys were found safe Friday in suburban St. Louis.

The tears were ones of joy and hope. And frustration.

That William “Ben” Ownby, 13, missing four days, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15, gone for four years, were found alive gave her hope that someday she’ll find her stepdaughter, Erin Pospisil, who disappeared at age 15 from Cedar Rapids on June 3, 2001.

“It definitely gave us hope that long-term stuff can happen and you can get a positive outcome after this long,” Pospisil said.

Pospisil, who now lives in Council Bluffs, often reaches out to parents of missing children and has spoken to Hornbeck’s mother a couple of times.

The Pospisil family organized the non- profit Help Find a Child to keep Erin’s story circulating, to hold safety clinics and to educate others about missing kids.

“I don’t want anyone to be in the same position that we were in, where we didn’t know who to talk to. We didn’t have anyone to go to,” Pospisil said.

Key in finding both Missouri boys was the immediate attention paid Ben’s disappearance. There wasn’t as much attention - or immediate attention - when Shawn disappeared in 2002 at age 11. With Ben, there was, Pospisil said.

“The biggest thing was that people were paying attention. It was a teenage boy that helped find these kids,” Pospisil said.

It’s been 5 1/2 years since friends saw Erin get into a 1990s Chevrolet Cavalier in the 100 block of 12th Street SE. She vanished. Three days later, after the family had exhausted every resource, they went to Cedar Rapids police.

When Erin disappeared six weeks after her 15th birthday, she had been going through “normal 15- year- old, growing pains kinds of things,” Pospisil said. Police decided she was a runaway, Pospisil said, making it more difficult to get law enforcement involved.

Most kids will let someone know when they’ve run away. Law enforcement should trust the parents when they say a child didn’t run away, Pospisil said.

“I know my daughter didn’t run away,” Pospisil said. “We always knew where she was even when she was mad. . . . You just know your kids.”

Part of her would like to believe that she’s wrong: “That seems better than the alternative.”

Cedar Rapids Police Lt. Chuck Mincks said most of the reports taken about missing people are for runaways, juveniles up to the age of 18 who leave home of their own free will.

How police handle missing person reports is decided case by case. If there is reason to believe a person has been abducted - maybe their car is found parked with a door open then the search becomes more urgent.

“If we don’t know why a kid is missing, probably the quicker we can act the better,” Mincks said.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Troy Kelsay agreed, saying police backtrack to the last place the child was seen and start the search from there.

Noreen Gosch of West Des Moines, whose 12-year-old son, Johnny Gosch, became the face for missing children everywhere after he disappeared while delivering newspapers in 1982, said she, too, was thankful the two boys were found in Missouri. Since Johnny was kidnapped, laws have improved as has the awareness of pedophiles, she said, noting many of the changes came because of her son’s high profile disappearance.

She described the Amber Alert system as ‘‘a huge step forward’’ because information can be sent out nationally, including the description of a vehicle, when a child is abducted.

Gosch joins Pospisil in urging people to regularly review Web sites that post photos of missing children.

“You never know when you’ll be the one to spot a victim who is too afraid to cry out for help,” Gosch said.

Know where your child is


Arrange for your child's school to notify you if your child is late, leaves early or doesn't show up at all.

Take front-on, mugshot-style photos of your children, every six months for children under 5, and at least once a year for older children.

Let your school or day-care know if your child is at risk of being taken, such as by a family member who doesn't have permission.

Children should travel to and from school in pairs or groups.

Especially in rural areas, children should not wait at a bus stop alone.
Source: Cedar Rapids Police Department

What you can do to help


Regularly check pictures of missing kids posted on bulletin boards.

Go to Internet sites that post pictures of missing people to check for familiar faces. Sites include Missing Person Information Clearinghouse and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Report information, such as sightings, to 1(800) 843-5678 or 1-(800) THE-LOST.
Source: Carolyn Pospisil, stepmother of Erin Pospisil, missing since June 3, 2001 (For more information, check helpfindachild.com or call Pospisil at (319) 270-1540.)

If you have someone missing

First, call local law enforcement and work with them.

Get information out immediately using friends, family, coworkers to help.
Make sure Web sites posting missing person information have a good photo of the missing person to post.

When the missing person is found, report the return to law enforcement and Web sites that noted the person was missing.

[Dan]

Originally posted on appx 05/04/07
by Kelly



A Project Jason Press Release:

"4 Families, 4 Mysteries

4 families who have experienced the tragedy of having a missing loved one will come together on Sunday, May 6th to share their stories with dozens of bike riders at the 4th annual Miles for the Missing Family Bike Ride, sponsored by Omaha nonprofit organization, Project Jason.

Riders will meet the family members starting at 9:30am on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Council Bluffs, IA. Miles for the Missing is a casual ride, and riders can go distances from 1 mile up to 44. Sag and free water will be provided. Rider cost is $17 each, and children under age 10 ride free.

Families represented at the ride include: Jim and Kelly Jolkowski of Omaha, parents of missing Jason Jolkowski, who disappeared from his Omaha home on June 13, 2001; Carolyn Pospisil, stepmother of Erin Pospisil, who was last seen in Cedar Rapids, IA on June 6, 2001; and the family of Michael O’Connor, who disappeared from downtown Omaha in February. Also in attendance will be Jim Rains, brother of missing Jackie Rains-Kracman. She was last seen in Columbus, NE in 1965. She was 18 years old at the time.

Project Jason members will be present to give away free Personal ID Kits and other safety information for families. They will also explain the services offered and awareness programs available for the missing. Proceeds from the ride enable Project Jason to continue to offer their free services to families of the missing nationwide and provide educational materials to all families.

For more information, please see Project Jason - Assistance for families of the missing, and click on the Miles for the Missing link, or call Kelly Jolkowski at 402-932-0095.

Email: Milesforthemissing(at sign)projectjason.org"

[Kelly]

A Project Jason Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

For further information contact:
Kelly Jolkowski
402-932-
kelly.jolkowski@projectjason.org


OMAHA MISSING PERSONS' DAY ON THE CUE CENTER NATIONAL TOUR

Omaha Area Families of the Missing Gather to Remember Their Loved Ones

Omaha, NE, - June 13th, 2007-  June 13th, 2007, marks the six year anniversary of the disappearance of then 19 year-old Jason Jolkowski from his home in Omaha, NE. To bring awareness for area missing persons cases and garner community support for the families of the missing, Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey is declaring June 13th as Omaha Missing Persons' Day. Project Jason, founded by the family of Jason Jolkowski, is sponsoring an event to commemorate this day. It will be held at Omaha's Memorial Park at 56th and Underwood Ave from 6:30-8:30pm. The public is invited to attend.

This event will also serve to honor four other families of missing persons from the area. They, along with the parents of Jason Jolkowski, will share their stories.

In addition, the Cue Center, a nonprofit organization from North Carolina led by founder Monica Caison, which provides assistance for families of the missing, has included Omaha and this event as a stop on their national tour to bring awareness for numerous missing person's cases. The 4th annual "On the Road to Remember Tour" begins on June 11th and concludes on June 21st, covering 2,400 miles, 22 stops in 11 states, and 75 missing person cases.

This moving ceremony will begin with a march led by the Air Force Color Guard with bagpipe accompaniment. The Mayor's office will then present the Omaha Missing Persons' Day proclamation to Kelly Jolkowski, President and Founder of Project Jason, and to Monica Caison, Founder of the Cue Center.

The event will also include music and prayer, and will culminate with a symbolic white dove release by each represented family.

Featured Missing Persons' Cases:

Jason Jolkowski disappeared from the driveway of his home in Omaha, NE on Wednesday, June 13th, 2001. He was then 19 years of age. He was preparing to go to work at his part-time job, and was last seen doing his weekly chores outside.

Erin Pospisil was just 15 years old on June 3rd, 2001, when she left her home in Cedar Rapids, IA to go visit a friend. Her friend was not home, and when a car pulled up, Erin went over and spoke with the occupants. She entered that vehicle and was never seen again.

Singer-songwriter Gina Bos disappeared on October 17, 2000 after performing at a pub in Lincoln, NE. The next morning, her vehicle was found across the street from the pub with the trunk ajar and her guitar inside.

Nearly 42 years ago, 18 year-old Jackie Rains-Kracman left her home in Columbus, NE, telling her family she was going to a wedding with a friend in Glenwood, IA. The friend returned home, but Jackie didn't.

University of Missouri sophomore Jesse Ross vanished on November 21, 2006, after attending a model United Nations conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago, IL. After a dance, Jesse was seen heading towards his hotel room, which was a ten minute walk from the Sheraton. Jesse never made it back.

About Project Jason:

Project Jason, located in Omaha, NE was founded in 2003 by the parents of missing young adult Jason Jolkowski. "Our mission as a non profit organization is to create and increase public awareness of missing people through a variety of outreach and educational activities. Project Jason seeks to bring hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support."  Project Jason serves families of the missing nationwide and has been instrumental in the recent passage of missing persons' legislation in several states through their Campaign for the Missing program. To learn more about Project Jason, please see http://www.projectjason.org, or contact Kelly Jolkowski at 402-932-0095 or kelly.jolkowski@projectjason.org

About Cue Center: 

Founded in 1994, the Cue Center, (Community United Effort) based in Wilmington, N.C., provides support, services and search efforts to families of the missing. For full On the Road to Remember tour dates and locations, as well as a complete listing of cases featured on the tour, e-mail cuecenter@aol.com or call Monica Caison at (910) 343-1131 or the 24 Hour Line at (910) 232-1687.For more information, please see http://ncmissingpersons.org/

###

Important Note: If it is raining, or rain is threatening, the event will be held at Holy Name Church at 2901 N Fontenelle Blvd. (As of this writing, the chance of rain is very high, so it is imperative that the rain location be communicated.)

If the event takes place at Memorial Park, attendees need to bring their own chairs

[Kelly]

http://www.ketv.com/...516/detail.html
(Video Included which shows families of missing Erin Pospisil and Jesse Ross speaking.)

Missing Man's Mother Wants National DNA Database Used

Kelly Jolkowski Asks States To Change Laws
6/13/07

On the anniversary of an Omaha teenager's disappearance, his mother launched a campaign to help find closure for the families of missing people.

Jason Jolkowski disappeared in June 2001. On Wednesday, his mother, Kelly, said she is pushing for new legislation. Through her advocacy group Project Jason, Jolkowski said she's helping lead a nationwide grassroots effort to better use the national DNA database to help identify the estimated 40,000 to 50,000 unidentified bodies around the country.

"Encourage families of the missing to have their DNA taken and entered into CODIS," Jolkowski said. "Then, when you have an unidentified body, these samples will match against family member samples."

Jolkowski wants states to pass legislation preventing remains from being cremated or buried without first identifying them.

"The law will stipulate that won't happen. They won't be able to do that. They must take a sample and get it into CODIS and match against family members samples," Jolkowski said.

While it could bring closure for many families of the missing, Jolkowski said it's not the outcome they will be wishing for.

Jolkowski said that currently there are eight states that have either put this legislation into place or are close to passing it. It is up for consideration in a number of others.

Jolkowski said she's been working with her state senator in hopes to have a proposal drafted for next year's legislative session in the Nebraska Unicameral.

[Denise]

http://www.gazetteon...73114/1006/news

Balloon release to mark anniversary of girl's disappearance

The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS — Family and friends of Erin Pospisil will gather Sunday to mark the anniversary of the day she went missing.

The public is invited to attend a balloon release at 1 p.m. at the Van Vechten Park pavilion off 12th Avenue SE past the 19th Street intersection.

Pospisil, then 15, was last seen June 3, 2001, in front of a friend's home in the 1500 block of Second Avenue SE. Friends saw her get into a car that was unfamiliar to them, but told police Pospisil seemed to know its occupants.

Since the disappearance, Erin's stepmother Carolyn Pospisil has worked to keep the case and others involving missing children and teenagers visible.

"Not only is Erin still missing seven years later, we are no closer to knowing what really happened to her than we were on that Sunday night seven years ago," said Carolyn Pospisil. "Somebody out there knows what happened to Erin that night.

"It is our hope that by continuing to hold events in her honor that someone will remember something and come forward with that all-important lead that will help us to bring Erin home."

More information on the event and the organization is available at www.HelpFindAChild.com

[Kelly]

Erin has been missing for 7 years today. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

[Kelly]

http://www.gazetteon...95133/1006/news

Updated April 28. 2008 11:43AM

Missing teen case from 2001 still open

By Elizabeth Kutter
News correspondent


Q: Is there any new information on Erin Pospisil, the Cedar Rapids teenager who went missing almost seven years ago?

A: Billboards and fliers have made Pospisil a familiar face in Cedar Rapids, but the efforts of her family and law enforcement have not led to her return.

Erin was 15 on June 3, 2001, when she was last seen getting into a black Chevrolet Cavalier in the 100 block of 12th Street SE.

Her friends said they did not recognize the vehicle but Erin seemed to know the people inside and went with them willingly.

Neither family members, friends at Metro High School nor police have had any contact with Erin since that evening.

No leads resulted from police efforts, posters and billboards or news stories.

Her stepmother, Carolyn Minney of Cedar Rapids, said at the time they hoped Erin was a runaway. It is better than the alternative, Minney said. She suspected Erin might have been heading for Chicago since she had friends at Metro who had come from Chicago.

Efforts to find her there also were unsuccessful. Most first-time runaways stay within 300 miles of home, but as time passes, they may head toward larger cities where they can blend into the streets, according to the National Runaway Switchboard.

At the time she left, Erin was 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 125 pounds. She had brown eyes and dark brown hair with red highlights.

The case remains open, said Sgt. Cristy Hamblin of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. In June she will have been missing for seven years.

Family and friends continue to hold events in Erin's honor hoping to keep her in the minds of those who knew her and let those who have any information on her whereabouts know that she is still missing.

Anyone who may have seen Erin or has information about her, should call Cedar Rapids police at (319) 286-5378.

The National Runaway Switchboard takes toll-free calls from runaways and relays messages from missing young people to their families. That number is 1-(800) 786-2929, 1-(800) RUNAWAY.

Print a poster: http://www.projectja...rinPospisil.pdf

[Kelly]

A Project Jason Press Release:

Public Invited to Celebrate Family Safety With Fun Family
Bicycling or Walking at Zorinsky Lake Park

Fifth annual Miles for the Missing gives free ID kits, raises awareness for local missing persons with fun, healthy walk/ride in nature setting

Omaha, Nebraska – (August 2008) -- Families and friends from Omaha and beyond are invited to Miles for the Missing V, a fun, casual walk and bike ride that gives attendees family safety information, and provides free ID Kits. The event is September 21 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Zorinsky Lake Park. This is a chance to do something fun and healthy outdoors in a nature setting, with family and friends and at the same time, benefitting Project Jason, a local nonprofit. 

This is not a pledge-per-mile event. Instead, it is a casual ride/walk on a seven-mile path. You can go any distance you wish, whether it is one mile or several times around. The trail is paved and SAG and free water will be provided.

Fun New Mascot and Photo Opportunity



Attendees will be welcomed by the new mascot, “I.D. Kitty,” a large, warm and fuzzy, 6-foot-tall live action figure designed to bring enjoyment to children and families.  Children will be delighted by him, and parents will appreciate how Project Jason is taking the “fear factor” out of obtaining and creating I.D. Kits. I.D. Kits should be part of every household, and for every family member.  Families are welcome to take photos of their children united with ID Kitty in advocating family safety!

Goals for the Event

The event has three goals: to help families understand various safety issues, to disseminate free ID Kits to all, and to honor families of local missing persons.

This year’s honored guests are families of the missing Jesse Ross, Erin Pospisil, Melvin Uphoff, Kiaran Norman, Benjamin Cannon, and Jason Jolkowski.

Event Details and Registration

The ride/walk starts at 9:30 a.m, on Sunday, September 21st. Check-in is at Shelter #5, located on the south side of Zorinsky Lake Park, at the 156th & F Street entrance. Trail coverage with first aid and water will be offered until 2:00 p.m. You can come any time convenient to you, with a recommended start time of no later than 1 p.m. The trail is seven miles and you can ride/walk as little or as much as you wish.

The cost per person is $17.00 per person. Riders/walkers who pre-register by September 15, 2008 will receive a free Miles for the Missing V T-shirt at check-in.

Riders/walkers of all ages must have a completed and signed registration form before entering the trail. Children under age 10 riding/walking with a parent or guardian may walk/ride free, but will still need a waiver form signed by a parent or guardian.

T-shirts for children under age ten (optional) may be purchased for $7.50 each at the time of registration, prior to September 15.

All information, including registration forms, is available at http://www.projectjason.org/miles.html


About the I.D. Kit

Since its inception in 2003, Project Jason has given out more than 13,500 I.D. Kits to assist families with safety preparation.

These free I.D. Kits are provided by Project Jason at public events, and as free downloads in English and in Spanish from the organization’s website. The kit contains a list of the first steps to take in the event a loved one is missing, plus valuable information that law enforcement will need. The kit should be printed on heavier stock paper, kept in a safe place, and updated at least every 6-12 months.

The kit can be downloaded at http://www.projectja...ion.shtml#idkit

If people wanting to attend have any questions, they can write to (402) 932-0095 or email milesforthemissing@projectjason.org


About Project Jason

Project Jason, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the families of missing persons, and creating and increasing public awareness of missing people through a variety of outreach and educational activities. Project Jason brings hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support. The organization is based in Omaha, Nebraska.

The organization has disseminated more than 13,500 personal ID kits in English and Spanish, has helped distribute more than 50,000 posters, and 4,750 photo buttons, of missing persons, and has assisted more than 400 families of the missing. Project Jason has also been directly involved in the recoveries of numerous missing persons.

Project Jason offers extensive online resources as the first and only assistance organization to offer free, professional counseling to families, and the first nonprofit of its type to open an office in the popular virtual world, Second Life.

Project Jason relies solely on corporate and private donors and currently requests the public’s help to sponsor a number of ongoing programs. (Nonprofit: IRS 501 © (3) Non Profit Charitable Organization - EIN# 20-0256753.)

For more information about Project Jason’s objectives, activities and services, go to http://www.projectjason.org

[Kelly]

Link to video interview:

http://www.kwwl.com/...fo&rnd=73239874

[Kelly]

Erin has been placed on Project Jason's 18 Wheel Angels campaign. A special poster has been made for her and can be downloaded and printed for placement. More information about the program, and the link for the poster can be found here:

http://projectjason.org/18wheel.shtml

In addition to the campaign, Erin was also featured in a national trucking publications, TruckJobSeekers. This free magazine is distributed in truck stops nationwide and has a circulation of about 150,000.

Independent Contractor and TruckJobSeekers are two of Target Media Partner's many publications. In partnership with Project Jason, they each feature two missing persons each per month. You can pick up your free copies at a local truck stop, but if it's far from you, you may want to call and ask if they carry that magazine. These are NOT with the regular for purchase magazines.

We hope this helps in the search for Erin. Please consider printing and placing a poster in businesses in your community.



Thank you.

Kelly, Project Jason



Special Note: Erin was on the very first 18 Angel campaign 5 years ago. We wanted to re-feature her case because of the 5 year mark for the program, but also because there have been recent sightings of her in truck stops. We hope the awareness will bring answers to Erin's family.

[Kelly]

From the Family:

For Immediate Release:

Balloon Release to Remember Still Missing Cedar Rapids Teen

The family and friends of missing Cedar Rapids teen, Erin Pospisil, will gather to remember Erin with a balloon release to be held Sunday May 31st at 1:00 PM.

Tuesday June 3, 2009 marks eight years since then 15 year old, Erin Pospisil was last seen in front of the home of a friend in the 1500 block of Second Avenue SE. Family and friends will honor the day with a balloon release this weekend. The balloon release will be held Sunday May 31st at 1:00 PM at the Van Vechten Park Pavilion in Cedar Rapids. (off 12th Avenue SE past 19th Street)

"Even though eight years have passed, the pain and frustration of not having her with us is just as sharp now as it was then.” states Carolyn Pospisil, step-mother of Erin Pospisil. "We are no closer now to finding her then we were the day she disappeared. Somebody knows what happened to her. We hope that by continuing to hold events in her honor that someone will remember something and come forward with that all important lead that will help us to bring Erin home."

The event is a project of Help Find a Child, a non-profit organization founded by the Pospisil family. More information on the event and the organization are available at HelpFindAChild.com.

[Jenn]

http://www.gazetteon.../706019966/1006

Updated May 31. 2009 10:32PM

Cedar Rapids family remembers missing girl

By Steve Gravelle
The Gazette
steve.gravelle@gazettecommunications.com

https://www.findthem...otos/thumb/4472
(Steve Gravelle/The Gazette)
Carolyn and Jim Pospisil gather helium-filled balloons to be released Sunday afternoon at Van Vechten Park in southeast Cedar Rapids in recognition of the eighth anniversary of Erin Pospisil's disappearance. Carolyn is Erin's stepmother.

As they have every year for the past eight around the first week of June, Carolyn and Jim Pospisil gathered Sunday afternoon with friends and family.

They met at the Van Vechten Park pavilion with chips, summer salads and meat for a cookout, but first they paused to remember the one who wasn't there.

"I was 35 when she disappeared," Jim Pospisil, 43, said of his daughter Erin Pospisil. "This gets easier after the long time."

Erin, then 15, was last seen June 3, 2001, getting into a black Chevrolet Cavalier in the 100 block of 12th Street SE. Friends said they didn't recognize the car, but said Erin seemed to know the people inside and went with them willingly.

Erin remains missing despite the efforts of her father and stepmother Carolyn Pospisil. They've distributed fliers and posted billboards with Erin's photo and description, to no effect beyond a few tips that prove unfounded.

The family founded Help Find a Child, a non-profit that helps keep unsolved missing-persons cases before the public.

The Pospisils have moved to Omaha, where Jim manages an auto repair shop and Carolyn, 39, manages the municipal housing authority.

Carolyn Pospisil fields tips, passing leads on to police, and often consults the state's missing person's Web site, www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/

"When I looked in April, there were 57 kids" listed, she said.

Tips continue to come in. After a company that mails supermarket coupons to consumers included a leaflet in its envelopes with Erin's photo and information about the case, the family received more than 50 tips. One woman thought she saw Erin in a truck stop along Interstate 80 in the Eastern U.S.

"The police went and checked the video, and it wasn't her," said Jim Pospisil. Still, the family takes comfort that people are still looking.

"There's always hope, because there's people found after 20 years," said Jim Pospisil. "Even longer than that. So there's always hope."

"A hopeful outcome would be that she shows up tomorrow," said Carolyn Pospisil. "At this point, I'd take any outcome, so we'd know something."

Shortly after 1 p.m., the Pospisils gathered up the several dozen balloons Jim had filled with helium and attached a ribbon with a small card bearing Erin's description, photo, and a toll-free phone number. Each holding a cluster of balloons, the group moved to a clearing near the playground.

"We love you, Erin," Carolyn said, and everyone released their balloons. The group stood along time watching the balloons rise above the trees into the clear sky, pushed north by the prevailing breeze. The youngest children, like Erin's cousin Rachel Minney, 20 months, watched the longest, waving as the balloons drifted away.

"Bye-bye," said Rachel.

[Kelly]

Sixth Annual ‘Miles for the Missing’ Promotes Family Safety, Honors Families of Local Missing Persons
Bike or walk at Zorinsky Lake Park, enjoy the natural setting and take home free ID kits for every family member

Omaha, Nebraska – (September 12, 2009) – Miles for the Missing VI is warming up for the yearly, casual walk/ride that benefits families of missing persons and helps the public gain a deeper understanding of safety measures they can take. This is not a pledge-based event. The goal is to enjoy any portion of the seven-mile, paved path around Zorinsky Lake with family and friends, and to recognize the plight of missing persons – a nationwide tragedy that strikes at random without regard to social or economic status.

Scheduled for Sept. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Miles for the Missing is sponsored by Project Jason, an Omaha-based non-profit organization founded by Kelly Jolkowski. Miles for the Missing is an annual awareness event designed to afford outdoor fun in a healthy environment. Project Jason will distribute free I.D. Kits that allow people to assemble key information and photos of all family members – a vital time-saver for law enforcement – and outlines first steps to take when someone goes missing.

Attendees who pre-register online at the Project Jason Web site (www.projectjason.org) by Sept. 3 will receive a free t-shirt at check-in. The organization’s mascot, I.D.Kitty, a six-foot tall warm and welcoming live action figure, will be available for photo opportunities. Free water, and assistance with any unforeseen bike repairs, will be provided.

How Project Jason Helps

Project Jason was founded when the Jolkowski’s son, Jason, disappeared from their home in 2001. There are 105,000 missing adults and children in the United States, 200 from the Omaha area alone. Since then, the nonprofit has assisted thousands of families in a variety of ways, from emotional support to funding posters and buttons with the missing person’s image. With educational, outreach and training programs, the group keeps the issue of missing persons in front of the public eye.

Since its inception in 2003, Project Jason has become national in scope and is now a member of the highly-respected AMECO, a group of nonprofits dedicated to assistance with missing and exploited children.

Details and Registration

Cost of the event is $20 per person with no charge for children age ten and under. Everyone must have a completed and signed registration form before entering the park trail, and children under ten will need a waiver form signed by a parent or guardian.

The activity begins at Shelter #2 at Zorinsky Lake Park, located at 156th and F St. in Omaha, Neb. Members of the Project Jason board of directors and volunteers will be on hand to co-ordinate and answer any questions.

Representative families of missing persons include:

Don and Donna Ross, parents of missing Jesse Ross, Jim and Carolyn Pospisil, parents of missing teen Erin Pospisil, and Jim and Kelly Jolkowski, parents of missing Jason Jolkowski. Michele Sells, daughter of Melvin Uphoff, who was found safe earlier this year after 42 years, will also be in attendance. Of the five missing persons honored at last year’s walk/ride, two have since been found alive.

The entry fee helps assure that families of the missing are never charged for Project Jason services and that the organization can expand its programs and maintain the necessary resources to aid in the location of missing persons.

More information and registration forms can be found at http://www.projectja...org/miles.html.  The Web site also permits downloads of I.D. Kits in both English and Spanish.

For more information about the represented missing/located persons, please see the following links:

Jesse Ross: http://projectjason....php?topic=729.0
Erin Pospisil: http://projectjason....php?topic=927.0
Jason Jolkowski: http://projectjason....php?topic=131.0
Melvin Uphoff: http://projectjason....php?topic=341.0

[Kelly]

http://journalstar.c...1cc4c002e0.html

9 years since the guitar went silent

11/7/09
Cindy Lange-Kubick

It's open mike night at Meadowlark Coffee.

There's a signup sheet by the cash register, where the baristas are busy with double espressos and hot tea.

Women knit next to an old upright piano. A game of double solitaire plays out by the windows. Laptops glow, electronic galaxies at tables of one.

Two women walk in. Sisters, slim with narrow faces and long hair.

One sister - Jannel Rap - carries a shopping bag stuffed with sheet music.

The other - Tammy Smith - carries a guitar.

Jannel spreads fliers on an empty table, like stacks of circulars for garage sales or housecleaning services.

Missing Person: Randa Jawhari.

MISSING: Jason Jolkowski.

Vanished: Erin Pospisil.

MISSING PERSON: Regina Marie Bos.

Regina Bos, their middle sister. Their missing sister.

Gina disappeared on a night like this one nine years ago.

She'd been to a baby shower, went home to her three kids and then sang at open mike night at Duggan's Pub, just south of downtown.

Shortly before the bar closed, she put her guitar in the trunk of her car, not quite latching the lid.

Then she disappeared.

Today - Nov. 4 - is her birthday.

* * *

"We smell bad, girls," Jannel says, settling in at a table. "All that cigarette smoke. All those bars."

She's next to the makeshift stage with Tammy and "Grandma Pat" - Pat Williams, Gina's mother-in-law, the woman who finished raising Gina's kids.

All three are young adults now, out on their own.

They coped their own way, Pat says. They didn't want to talk with her about their mom. But sometimes they'd congregate in a bedroom with the door closed.

"Their huddles," she calls them.

Earlier today, Tammy's phone beeped. A text from Gina's middle child, her only girl.

Happy birthday to Mama ... Love to you all.

Gina's family is slowly gathering here tonight. It's informal. Later, there will be cupcakes and singing.

Tammy picked Jannel up from the airport a few hours ago.

The musician and music teacher flew in from Vegas and a gig on The Strip - another concert for missing people.

* * *

The Rap family was always musical. The seven brothers and sisters grew up on gospel and hymns. Gina's guitar was like her fourth child. She even named it: Harley.

So it made sense to Jannel to use music to get the word out about her little sister when she disappeared.

She called them "Gina Concerts" that first helpless year. A way to keep her name and face in the public eye.

Later, she started 411Gina.org, a place to tell Gina's story and stories of other missing people who didn't have the ear of the media.

Then came her Squeaky Wheel tour, 19 days of concerts starting on the day Gina disappeared, Oct. 17, and ending on Nov. 4, her birthday.

The attention helped find dozens of missing people.

But not her sister.

* * *

From the beginning, police had considered the petite Lincoln woman a missing person under "extremely suspicious circumstances."

And even though they investigated hundreds of leads - from heroin overdose to Mexican mafia kidnapping - nothing ever came of any of them.

But one thing is certain: Gina's family never thought they'd be sitting here, now, with nothing.

"Nine seems harder," Tammy says. "It's so close to 10, and that's a decade. We've missed all of her 40s."

And she's missed theirs.

For the longest time, her family assumed Gina was dead. They knew she'd never leave her kids.

But then they hear about strange cases, women turning up in some sicko's backyard, years after disappearing.

So they keep showing up on nights like this.

"What if she were out there somewhere and we stopped looking," Jannel says.

"It's about honoring my sister."

They pull up memories while waiting for the stage to open.

The last time Jannel saw Gina, walking away.

"She was in one of her one word answer moods."

The way Tammy's little boy grew distant and cold after his Aunt Gina disappeared.

I'm trying not to love you so much, he told his mom, so I won't miss you as much if you're gone.

Grandma Pat remembers Gina on the sidewalk, her son's white baby blanket draped around her shoulders.

Her way of knowing God was close to her.

* * *

Two moms share a table near the stage where Jannel will perform.

They've come to support her. They know Gina's story.

Kelly Jolkowski's 19-year-old son vanished in Omaha a few months after Gina. Carolyn Pospisil's 15-year-old daughter turned up missing in Cedar Rapids that same year.

An unfortunate kinship.

"No one else knows what it's like," Kelly says.

"I know I can call Jannel and say, 'This is where I'm at,' and I don't have to explain," Carolyn stated.

Their children's fliers are on the table by the door.

Pick one up, Jannel tells people as they leave. Put it up somewhere.

"Someone might be found because you did."

* * *

Jannel sits down at the old piano near the stage.

Tammy will take her back to the airport tomorrow morning. Back to California, and her work, her kids, her life.

Things will become routine, as routine as they can get when a part of you is lost and you don't know where to find it.

Jannel runs her fingers over the keys. Pulls the microphone close.

"It's a special night because 50 years ago my sister Gina was born."

The table of knitters keep knitting. Cards are dealt. Laptops glow. But the big room settles, gets quiet.

Before she starts to sing, Jannel tells a story she's been telling for nine years.

How her sister played at an open mike night and then walked out with her guitar.

"And that's all we know."

[Jenn]

NamUs profile for Erin: https://www.findthem....org/cases/2959