Found Deceased FL - Jason Winoker 52, from Tampa, Springhill Suites, Tallahassee, 17 Aug 2021

[Cagle]

I am very familiar with the area he's missing from. I lived in Tallahassee most of my life and still work there. My husband and I visit the Whataburger near the hotel a couple times a month. There's a two story strip mall on the other side of the whataburger that has a bar, Corner Pocket, that's open until 2 am (even on Sunday nights). I always look high and low in the large overgrown ditch/woods behind the whataburger because we go in the back way every time - it's like an alley and there's an opening to the ditch/woods part behind the car wash before the whataburger. There's a discarded mattress among other trash there. I'm sure it's been searched, and probably more than once. I often wonder if he may be in or atop one of the other buildings in the koger center - I'm not sure if all are in use, but there are several buildings that are/were used as state of florida employee department offices. I think I recall that they were somewhat searched initially. Also, I wonder if he met someone at the bar (not necessarily a female) and left with them and then something happened and he's nowhere near that area, whether still with us or not. A road not too far behind the hotel (Old St. Augustine) is very wooded along the roadway and I wonder if he could have been walking that road (no sidewalks) and gotten hit & thrown into the woods. There are so many possibilities for that area.

On the discussion of the defibrillator - my father has one and he just recently found out it's working 100% of the time for him right now so he's having to wear a life vest until his surgery to replace it in mid-November. He had no idea though until they did his ekg/device check (which are supposed to be done every 6 months but sometimes get pushed to 9 months or more).

 

[slowpoke]

Jason’s wife posted an updated post on 10/24/21, which she said is 12 weeks since he disappeared. Still missing.

As some of you have thought, Jason did take medication to help him sleep that night, and his wife admits it’s possible he was experiencing parasomnia—that although he seemed awake but groggy, he could have actually been sleep walking and talking (happens to some with that sleep med).

Missing Jason FB Page
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[Cagle]

On my drive in to Tallahassee today, the radio station traffic update mentioned "Police activity at Executive Center Dr off Apalachee Parkway". This is right by the hotel. Fingers crossed some answers may come today.

 

[RenW]

Thank you for posting my husband's story. I never would have believed that four months would go by and Jason would still be missing, that we would have no answers and no leads. My heart aches all day, every day, and I am desperate for answers. I want to maintain hope so badly, and I find myself getting lost in a rabbit hole of internet searches looking for information about finding the missing. I never thought I could feel so broken. The police have sent Jason's information to NAMUS, but I was told it will take an unknown amount of time to process due to budget cuts and the change in providers for the site. The hotel's video surveillance was inaccessible due to a lost password, and when they finally found the password six weeks later, they discovered that their system was on a two-week loop and the footage from that night was missing. The police looked for businesses in the area that might have cameras, however many of them have apparently cut their hours or closed altogether. I am wondering if people who live in nearby neighborhoods might have Ring cameras (or other doorbell/security cams) that would show something, but then how do I reach out to so many people with a request to review their cameras from four months ago? Even though Jason grabbed his keys and wallet that night, we did not have his car with us in Tallahassee and so he was essentially on foot. I came across this Websleuths post about his case several months ago. Since we do not live in Tallahassee, comments specific to the area where he went missing were especially helpful. Thank you so much to all those who took the time to post thoughtful and insightful tips. I am returning to this community now with a plea for recommendations. We have put up flyers in Tallahassee, and they don't seem to be generating many leads. My online posts have only been slightly more effective. If anyone has any ideas at all I would be so appreciative for the feedback. I just don't know what else to do. Thank you.

 

[dalsglen]

Thank you for posting my husband's story. I never would have believed that four months would go by and Jason would still be missing, that we would have no answers and no leads. My heart aches all day, every day, and I am desperate for answers. I want to maintain hope so badly, and I find myself getting lost in a rabbit hole of internet searches looking for information about finding the missing. I never thought I could feel so broken. The police have sent Jason's information to NAMUS, but I was told it will take an unknown amount of time to process due to budget cuts and the change in providers for the site. The hotel's video surveillance was inaccessible due to a lost password, and when they finally found the password six weeks later, they discovered that their system was on a two-week loop and the footage from that night was missing. The police looked for businesses in the area that might have cameras, however many of them have apparently cut their hours or closed altogether. I am wondering if people who live in nearby neighborhoods might have Ring cameras (or other doorbell/security cams) that would show something, but then how do I reach out to so many people with a request to review their cameras from four months ago? Even though Jason grabbed his keys and wallet that night, we did not have his car with us in Tallahassee and so he was essentially on foot. I came across this Websleuths post about his case several months ago. Since we do not live in Tallahassee, comments specific to the area where he went missing were especially helpful. Thank you so much to all those who took the time to post thoughtful and insightful tips. I am returning to this community now with a plea for recommendations. We have put up flyers in Tallahassee, and they don't seem to be generating many leads. My online posts have only been slightly more effective. If anyone has any ideas at all I would be so appreciative for the feedback. I just don't know what else to do. Thank you.

I am so sorry that Jason is still missing. I'm in the UK so no use really but I know posters who are locals will help.

 

[Cagle]

@RenW Did the bar nearby allow you to put up a flyer there? There are some townhouses along the road that runs beside the hotel, and a few houses further down, but not sure this far in that people would have footage from several months ago. I've been on this forum for years and I'll never understand how so many people go missing with no answers for so long (I take breaks occasionally when I get overwhelmed). Every time I go near that area I wonder about Jason and try to think of places that might hold some answers. I can only assume the police have searched empty buildings and rooftops in the area. I recently saw a video where there is a large homeless camp in the wooded area behind the Sonny's by Sam's Club. That's just a few miles up the road from the hotel. I go to Sam's about once a month and never knew this until a week or so ago. I believe that some local officers are in touch with many of the homeless people and they would have heard if they'd seen him, but don't know for sure. Have you been in touch with the Kearney Center and City Walk Urban Mission to see if they might put up a flyer or have seen him? Theyboth work with the homeless in Tallahassee. My line of thought is maybe he struck up a conversation with a homeless person while out walking that night and ended up deciding to live a simple life. Just trying to think of different scenarios.

 

[Cagle]

Also, you may want to contact a moderator to become a verified insider since you are family and can provide info that isn't verified through media links. Instructions on that are located here:
Verification Process for Professional or Insider Posters

 

[GatorFL]

@RenW Thanks for posting here. So sorry for your anguish. It feels like the best thing to do at this point is a huge canvass of the local area-particularly the wilderness-to search for him. Do you know to what extent the area was searched like this for him?

 

[branmuffin]

@RenW It must be so frustrating having no answers after so long. Ren, did you ever ask the police if they checked with cab drivers who may have driven someone to the other Springhill Suites up on Timberlane Drive later that night? I just wondered if Jason flagged a cab and asked to go to Springhill Suites and the cab driver may not have known there were two. Problem with that is if the cab driver was high flagging, picking up fares without turning on the meter, they may not say anything.

Does your daughter still attend college in Tallahassee? Could she organize some of her fellow students to do a search in the area of the second hotel? Or at least get LE to do a cursory search? There are quite a few water features around there which can be very worrisome in Florida.

 

[Kimkimba]

Thank you for posting my husband's story. I never would have believed that four months would go by and Jason would still be missing, that we would have no answers and no leads. My heart aches all day, every day, and I am desperate for answers. I want to maintain hope so badly, and I find myself getting lost in a rabbit hole of internet searches looking for information about finding the missing. I never thought I could feel so broken. The police have sent Jason's information to NAMUS, but I was told it will take an unknown amount of time to process due to budget cuts and the change in providers for the site. The hotel's video surveillance was inaccessible due to a lost password, and when they finally found the password six weeks later, they discovered that their system was on a two-week loop and the footage from that night was missing. The police looked for businesses in the area that might have cameras, however many of them have apparently cut their hours or closed altogether. I am wondering if people who live in nearby neighborhoods might have Ring cameras (or other doorbell/security cams) that would show something, but then how do I reach out to so many people with a request to review their cameras from four months ago? Even though Jason grabbed his keys and wallet that night, we did not have his car with us in Tallahassee and so he was essentially on foot. I came across this Websleuths post about his case several months ago. Since we do not live in Tallahassee, comments specific to the area where he went missing were especially helpful. Thank you so much to all those who took the time to post thoughtful and insightful tips. I am returning to this community now with a plea for recommendations. We have put up flyers in Tallahassee, and they don't seem to be generating many leads. My online posts have only been slightly more effective. If anyone has any ideas at all I would be so appreciative for the feedback. I just don't know what else to do. Thank you.

I’m so sorry for all your pain. I’ve been praying for Jason and your family.

 

[RenW]

@RenW Did the bar nearby allow you to put up a flyer there? There are some townhouses along the road that runs beside the hotel, and a few houses further down, but not sure this far in that people would have footage from several months ago. I've been on this forum for years and I'll never understand how so many people go missing with no answers for so long (I take breaks occasionally when I get overwhelmed). Every time I go near that area I wonder about Jason and try to think of places that might hold some answers. I can only assume the police have searched empty buildings and rooftops in the area. I recently saw a video where there is a large homeless camp in the wooded area behind the Sonny's by Sam's Club. That's just a few miles up the road from the hotel. I go to Sam's about once a month and never knew this until a week or so ago. I believe that some local officers are in touch with many of the homeless people and they would have heard if they'd seen him, but don't know for sure. Have you been in touch with the Kearney Center and City Walk Urban Mission to see if they might put up a flyer or have seen him? Theyboth work with the homeless in Tallahassee. My line of thought is maybe he struck up a conversation with a homeless person while out walking that night and ended up deciding to live a simple life. Just trying to think of different scenarios.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. When I return to the area, it is so overwhelming to think about all of the scenarios. My thoughts constantly shift between the abandoned and empty buildings nearby, to the swampy areas and lakes, to the homeless camps, to suffering an assault or hit-and-run, to worrying that he tried to get back into the hotel and couldn't without his room key, etc, etc, etc... then I am just mentally exhausted. I did not visit the bar nearby when we were there last, thank you for reminding me and I will see if I can post a flyer there when we go back. The Kearney Center and City Walk have some truly wonderful staff that I have spoken with in person and by phone, and they have Jason's information. I am at a loss and I appreciate your feedback. I had no idea until all of this happened just how many adults go missing every year. It is so shocking and heartbreaking. Thank you again for your input, I really appreciate it so much.

 

[RenW]

@RenW Thanks for posting here. So sorry for your anguish. It feels like the best thing to do at this point is a huge canvass of the local area-particularly the wilderness-to search for him. Do you know to what extent the area was searched like this for him?

Thank you for your post. I was told that dogs and drones were used in approximately a one-mile radius of the hotel by the police along with CUE Center for Missing. Jason's case was referred to Texas Equusearch, and they could possibly assist with a larger scale search of national/state forest areas. The police thought it might be better to wait because we don't have any leads that would indicate exactly where a search like that should begin. There are just so many forested areas up there. I am so overwhelmed with all of this. I appreciate your feedback and I need to revisit the search and rescue options with the detective. Thank you.

 

[lex8396]

Any update or organized searches?? Hoping he is safe.

 

[UltraViolet4545]

Not sure if the wife still reads here, but I would think the best bet would be a large scale boots-on-the-ground foot search. Maybe see if Texas equisearch or other missing person/community organizations can help plan a large search and help drum up helpers. I know police looked early on, but there are tons of cases where they were within feet of someone and didn’t see them. Also, be sure to look up in the trees because I’ve seen cases where people have passed away up in a tree and not been noticed for months.

If he was taking the sleep medicine, he could have done something out of character or made a suicide attempt and not even really been cognizant of what he was doing.

I feel for this family and hope they can find answers. My most sincere sympathies.

 

[AmandaSkis]

I agree with UltraViolet4545. Try to organize a boots on the ground search. Just something to feel like you are crossing area off the list.

 

[Cagle]

Thank you for your post. I was told that dogs and drones were used in approximately a one-mile radius of the hotel by the police along with CUE Center for Missing. Jason's case was referred to Texas Equusearch, and they could possibly assist with a larger scale search of national/state forest areas. The police thought it might be better to wait because we don't have any leads that would indicate exactly where a search like that should begin. There are just so many forested areas up there. I am so overwhelmed with all of this. I appreciate your feedback and I need to revisit the search and rescue options with the detective. Thank you.

The national/state forests are miles away from there, so I'm confused as to why they would want to search those areas unless they have some sort of lead. Additionally, it's deer hunting season and that's a huge thing in the national forested areas along with lots of hunting leases near Tallahassee. September was opening season and other than a muzzleloader week in February, everything went out in these zones last weekend, so I would think a hunter would have noticed something.

The road that runs in front of the hotel is one of the busier roads in Tallahassee. There are lots of wooded areas near the Southwood neighborhood that are undeveloped and owned by St. Joe Company. These are just a few miles away. St. Joe also leases some of their land on the outskirts to hunters. There are several somewhat large undeveloped heavily wooded areas near the hotel, if you look at the Satellite views, that I think could be better search areas - even though they may fall within that 1 mile radius. I'm not sure that drones would have been able to get in those areas well. Also, there were showers overnight the night he went missing and during the next day, which from my understanding could inhibit the dogs scent tracking based on what we heard locally in Ali Gilmore's case. I agree that a boots on the ground search in some of these areas could be a good start, but I'm sure you'd have to contact property owners to request permission or request they search them if they're unwilling to provide permission. The only way I can think of to contact them would be through letters sent to the addresses listed on the property appraiser's website for each parcel. Then you would have to get the word out and organize a search group.

As a side note, I want to say that the Satellite image that I reviewed near the beginning of this thread must have been outdated because the Masonic Lodge roof looks new & intact now on the current image.

 

[slowpoke]

I thought to check for news update on Jason Winoker, and apparently there is none, sadly. His wife posted on the Missing Jason FB page a couple of days ago. She is heartbroken and missing him daily. Their 22nd wedding anniversary is this week, she said, and she included this touching quote:

“Doing this life without you has changed me. I'm just not the same person anymore. How could I be? One thing that will never change though is the love I hold in my heart for you. Nothing, including any amount of time that goes by, could change that ~ Joni Roberts”

Missing Jason FB page, 3/15 post:
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[bykerladi]

I think, sadly, he's no longer with us. Mental Illness is an awful thing. I just pray that someone finds his body so his family can have some closure.

 

[Laughing]

The Missing poster states Mr. Winoker has an implanted pacemaker. Cardiac disease is an awful thing.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[branmuffin]

I think, sadly, he's no longer with us. Mental Illness is an awful thing. I just pray that someone finds his body so his family can have some closure.

I don't think he has a mental illness. I think the issues he was having were related to other medical issues and a faulty pacemaker. The faulty pacemaker hasn't been verified AFAIK, it's just a theory I have, but many of the things he complained (loss of restful sleep, waking up agitated, depression, etc) plus medication he was taking suggest his circumstances may have been exacerbated by a combination of these events.