CALDWELL COUNTY, TX (KXAN) – It has been a year since the disappearance of Jason Landry, a 21-year-old Texas State University student on his way home for vacation when his car was found crashed on a rural road near Luling .

Over the next year or so, family members, relatives and investigators continued to seek answers about the factors that may have led to Landry’s disappearance – and cell phone data is the source of the problem. ‘a professional disagreement between the investigators working on the case.

A petition circulating online recommends the use of a geographic closure warrant in the case of missing persons from Landry. Geolocation, or geographic fence, is a data tool that can be used by law enforcement to help identify potential witnesses near a crime by leveraging cellular data found in a defined area around a crime scene. crime scene.

Geofencing, however, requires a warrant to authorize its use, said Jeff Ferry, a criminal investigations captain at the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. The warrant application requires evidence related to the probable cause of a crime.

At issue: As part of the ongoing investigation by Caldwell County officials, Ferry said the department had not received substantial evidence to suggest foul play had occurred. But other investigators who looked into the case said they received advice and interviewed subjects who may dispute it.

Abel Peña is the Managing Director of the nonprofit Project Absentis, a group that helps law enforcement in cases of missing persons. He volunteers for the family.

Peña said he respectfully disagreed with law enforcement’s assessment of the lack of others with Landry at the time of his disappearance. He said using geofencing and accessing potential cell phone towers and their data nearby may provide additional answers to what happened a year ago.

But he noted the privacy concerns associated with the practice. Under the Fourth Amendment, citizens are protected against illegal searches and seizures of their private property, information or other documents.

However, he cited “possible circumstantial evidence” that could boil down to possible leads on the case.

“The information we have, the evidence we have gathered, the interviews we have conducted – when you tie it all together and put that on a search warrant, you have possible circumstantial evidence, which can lead to at least these early ones.” not to see the case not as a missing persons case, but as maybe something that could have happened to Jason, ”he said.

Peña said law enforcement carried out six searches in the area where Landry’s car was found, and no human remains or other evidence were found that could paint a clearer picture of the causes. potential that led to its demise.

A year after Landry’s initial disappearance, Peña said he and his investigators would continue to question sources and pass that information on to Caldwell County, the Texas Rangers and other law enforcement agencies, while continuing to advocate for this geofencing mandate.

Professional disagreements occur in these cases, Peña said, noting his own experience as an FBI agent and differing opinions on case leads. But for now, he said their goal was to continue working with all interested parties to bring the need for a mandate closer together.

Ferry said that to date the ministry has not received any evidence to suggest the presence of another person with Landry at the time of his disappearance, or the possibility that a crime was committed against him.

With privacy concerns over data access and the potential affiliations of people close to the crime, he said the only signature needed to grant a geofencing warrant was not from a petition, but from a judge. approving its authorization.

For Ferry, he said it was one of the most frustrating cases he and his team have worked on.

“We have invested a lot of resources in it. We devoted our time and our working hours to it. And we have met people across the country, really, who have stepped up to get the answers and get the truth, ”he said. “I am convinced that in time we will have this answer. It won’t be a timeline that none of us like, but I have absolutely no doubts that we will get answers. “

Anyone with information on the Landry missing persons case can contact the Ferry office at 512-398-6777, ext. 4504, or by email at [email protected] Those with information on her disappearance can also contact Project Absentis’ anonymous advice line at 726 777-1359 or email [email protected]