Justice for Jason: Help Reopen His Case

Dear Community,

We are Jason’s mother and step-father, and we are reaching out through this GoFundMe campaign because we believe that justice has not been served in Jason’s case. We are deeply concerned about the manner in which his case was handled by the Winchester and Frederick County police departments, and we fear that critical aspects were not thoroughly investigated.

Jason, a vibrant and athletic 19-year-old who regularly attended the gym and participated in boxing, was found hanging upside down in a tree with a V-shaped formation. The cause of his death has been listed as “undetermined,” but we strongly believe that foul play may have been involved. Given his physical health and strength, we do not accept the notion that he simply got “stuck” and succumbed to hypothermia. Additionally, Jason sustained a fracture to the back of his skull, further heightening our suspicions.

Tragically, Jason’s brother, Korey Platt, took his own life seven months prior due to bullying at his army base in Lacey, Washington—a loss that deeply affected Jason.

On December 13th, Jason took an excessive amount of Adderall, left home, and crashed his vehicle. He subsequently hijacked another car, driving it south towards Winchester, where it eventually crashed on Star Tannery Road. Despite an extensive search, his body was not found until April 29th, approximately 1,251 feet from the crash site.

The first official search led by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office took place on January 3rd, a full three weeks after Jason went missing. However, the search covered only a 25% radius from the crash site, and notably, the search area was conducted to the left of where his vehicle was found. We believe that a more comprehensive search would have resulted in our son being found sooner. On the night of his disappearance, search dogs lost Jason’s scent in the middle of a field; his body was later discovered mere yards away from that very field. Throughout this time, the police repeatedly assured us that they believed Jason had left the area, as they suspected he had gotten a ride. Additionally, the back of his car was severely dented, raising concerns that he may have been struck from behind—yet to this day, we have no answers about who might have hit his car.

We are desperate to understand what transpired from the time of Jason’s car crash until the moment he was found in the tree. Although Jason’s case is currently closed, we are determined to have it reopened and properly investigated. We are seeking to hire a private investigator and an attorney to ensure a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding his death.

The police report mentions that a woman delivering mail observed Jason and the allegedly stolen vehicle being chased by a property owner, who called 911, stating that “he was armed and wasn’t scared.” This, among other details, raises significant red flags for us.

We love our son dearly, and he deserves justice. Please consider supporting our effort to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable.

Thank you for your support.