Jamison family deaths
The Jamison family deaths occurred on or after October 8, 2009, when the Jamison family of Eufaula, Oklahoma, United States – Bobby Jamison, his wife Sherilynn and daughter Madyson – mysteriously disappeared.[1] The family was reportedly considering the purchase of a forty-acre plot of land near Red Oak, about 30 mi (48 km) from Eufaula, at the time that they vanished.[2] Their suspected remains were found in November 2013 and positively identified by the Oklahoma medical examiner on July 3, 2014. No cause of death was determined, and the circumstances surrounding their disappearance remain unknown.[3]
Jamison family | |
---|---|
Born | Bobby Jamison August 4, 1965 (aged 44) Sherilynn Jamison November 5, 1968 (aged 40) Madyson Jamison August 1, 2003 (aged 6) |
Disappeared | October 8, 2009 Red Oak, Oklahoma, U.S. |
Status | Found deceased |
Nationality | American |
Known for | Being missing |
Disappearance
The initial investigation into the Jamison family's disappearance indicated that they had probably not vanished of their own accord. The family's pickup truck was found abandoned in Latimer County, Oklahoma, a short distance south of Kinta, a few days after their disappearance.[4][5] The Jamisons' bodies were not found, but their malnourished dog, Maisie, was still in the truck.[6][7] Also discovered were the family's ID cards, wallets, mobile phones, a GPS system, and about US$32,000 in cash.[2] The Jamisons were not known for carrying large amounts of cash with them.[1]
Footage from the family's home surveillance system, time stamped the day they left their house, showed the couple making several silent trips between their vehicle and home as they methodically packed to leave. In the footage, the couple's movements were described as "trancelike".[7] The video also shows Sherilyn place a brown briefcase in the vehicle.[4] Former Sheriff Beauchamp remarked that he believed the briefcase could be an important clue. Indeed, both the briefcase and Sherilyn’s handgun have never been recovered.[4]
Discovery
The skeletal remains of two adults and a child were discovered by two hunters in a remote spot of Latimer County in November 2013, more than four years after the family went missing,[8] and less than 3 mi (4.8 km) away from where the family's pickup truck had been abandoned. The remains were widely presumed to be those of the missing family, though the Oklahoma medical examiner's office had to use anthropological and forensic pathological testing to identify them. Officials confirmed on July 3, 2014, that the remains belonged to the Jamisons. A cause of death was not determined due to the heavily decomposed state of the bodies.[5]
Theories
Before the remains were discovered, several theories emerged about the family's disappearance, such as that they had faked their own deaths, were in witness protection, were murdered, or had died by group suicide.[9] Shortly before the disappearance, Bobby Jamison was involved in a bitter lawsuit with his father, Bob Dean Jamison, claiming that he had threatened the family and had struck him with his vehicle in November 2008. Bobby also alleged that his father was involved in meth and criminal activity. Police do not believe that Bob Dean Jamison was involved in the family's disappearance.[9]
Another popular theory was that the Jamisons themselves were drug dealers. Investigators cited the large amount of cash found in their truck, and the apparent strange behavior exhibited by Bobby and Sherilynn shortly before they went missing.[10] The Jamisons had reportedly told their local pastor Gary Brandon on separate occasions that they had seen spirits inside their home and that Bobby had allegedly claimed to have been reading from The Satanic Bible.[10]
In the media
The Jamison disappearance was profiled on the Investigation Discovery series Disappeared in late 2010, in an episode titled "Paradise Lost".[11]
In January 2018, the disappearance was covered in Episode 50: "Luvs 'N Laffs and an Alt-Right Turn" of the And That's Why We Drink Podcast.
In February 2018, the Jamison family was discussed on an episode of the Jenna Julien Podcast, entitled "Podcast #173 - Unsolved Mysteries".
In March 2018, the Jamison family was discussed on an episode of BuzzFeed Unsolved, titled “The Disturbing Mystery of the Jamison Family”.[12]
In July 2019, the disappearance was covered in Season 4 Episode 12 of the Unexplained” Podcast, “Wilderness be Still”.[13]
In September 2019, true-crime/supernatural podcast Let's Get Haunted discussed the Jamison disappearance in Episode 17: "The Jamison Family Disappearance." The hosts of "Let's Get Haunted" had obtained court records for prior history on the family and had spoken to a person who was directly involved with a prior case.[14]
In August 2020, John Ballen ("MrBallen") covered the Jamison family story in a video titled "The DISTURBING final moments of the Jamison Family".[15]
In September 2021, true-crime podcast and YouTube channel The Casual Criminalist discussed the Jamison disappearance in a video title "The Jamison Family Disappearance."[16]
In October 2021, Stephanie Harlowe discussed the Jamison case in the episode titled, "Harloween: The Bizarre Case of The Jamison Family."[17]
In January 2022, true crime podcast Forensic Tales/Spotify covered a topic about the Jamison family on Spotify[18]
On March 20, 2022, Dr. Todd Grande covered a psychological analysis on this case in a YouTube video titled "Roof Demon Killers? | Jamison Family Deaths Case Analysis."[19]
References
- Kim Cantrell (February 23, 2013). "Missing Monday: The Missing Jamison Family of Eufaula, Oklahoma". True Crime Zine. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- Pete Kotz (October 22, 2009). "Bobby Jamison and His Family Are Missing in Oklahoma". True Crime Report.
- "The Bizarre Case of the Jamison Family Deaths | Mysterious Universe". mysteriousuniverse.org. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
- "Jamison family was threatened by relative before vanishing, records show". 27 November 2013.
- "Found remains could belong to missing Oklahoma family". Tulsa World. July 4, 2015.
- "Skeletal remains found by hunters in Okla. Could be missing Jamison family". CBS News.
- "This Family Disappeared in 2009 and the Theories of What Happened to Them Are All Disturbing". BuzzFeed.
- "Jamison Family Remains Confirmed". Tulsa World. November 19, 2013. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015.
- Andrew Knittle (November 2, 2013). "Jamison family was threatened by relative before vanishing, records show". The Oklahoman.
- Graham Noble (November 20, 2013). "Missing Oklahoma Family, Demons and Drugs". Liberty Voice.
- "Disappeared S02E10".
- The Disturbing Mystery of the Jamison Family. BuzzFeed Unsolved Network. March 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022 – via YouTube.
- "Wilderness be still".
- Episode 17: The Jamison Family Disappearance, retrieved 2020-07-25
- Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: The DISTURBING final moments of the Jamison Family. YouTube.
- The Disappearance of the Jamison Family. The Casual Criminalist. October 5, 2021. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022 – via YouTube.
- Harloween: The Bizarre Case Of The Jamison Family. Stephanie Harlowe. October 18, 2021. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022 – via YouTube.
- "Jamison Family Deaths". Spotify. 24 January 2022.
- Roof Demon Killers? | Jamison Family Deaths Case Analysis. Dr. Todd Grande. March 20, 2022. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022 – via YouTube.