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Remains Found Near Luling Confirmed as Missing Texas State Student

DNA testing tied the bones to Jason Landry and investigators say the skeletal remains do not clarify cause or manner of death.

Overview

  • A Caldwell County resident found human remains east of Salt Flat Road on Sept. 8, 2026, and deputies recovered the bones after responding to the report.
  • Authorities confirmed Wednesday that DNA testing by the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification identified the remains as 21‑year‑old Jason Landry.
  • Investigators say the skeleton does not reveal how Landry died and they have found no indication of foul play based on current evidence.
  • Landry went missing after his car was found crashed and abandoned on Salt Flat Road on Dec. 13–14, 2020, and the discovery ends a nearly six‑year search that involved local deputies, state police, search‑and‑rescue teams, volunteers and the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit.
  • The Landry family has been notified and asked for privacy while the Cold Case Unit continues limited follow‑up work, a development that brings factual closure even though some questions about the death remain unanswered.