Jason Michael Goddard was a 21-year-old male who was last seen on March 5, 1990, at his apartment in Clarkston, Washington. He was listed as an endangered missing person, described as a White male with blond hair and blue eyes, about 6 feet 2 inches tall and 170 pounds, with a scar on his right arm; he was also reported to have used the alias Jason Mic Jacobsen.
What began as a brief departure from home became a lasting absence: when Jason left the apartment, he reportedly told his roommate he would be back in ten minutes, but he never returned and was never heard from again.
Two days later, Jason’s car was found at a bus depot in Lewiston, Idaho, across the state line from Clarkston. The placement of the car raised more questions than answers because sources report there was no evidence that Jason bought a bus ticket, and his clothing and belongings were left behind. Those details made it difficult for investigators and people close to him to accept the idea that he had simply chosen to leave. His mother, who lived in California, also had no contact from him after his disappearance, and missing-person summaries report that he did not apply for a driver’s license in any state under his legal name or known aliases.
Investigators later focused on events that reportedly unfolded shortly before Jason disappeared. A few days before he vanished, the Magic Video store in Lewiston was burglarized and about $1,300 was taken. Reporting and missing-person case summaries state that Jason’s roommate worked at the store and told police he believed Jason had been involved in the burglary, allegedly using the roommate’s key to enter. The roommate also reportedly said he overheard Jason arguing by phone with another person believed to be involved, with the argument centering on who would take responsibility for the burglary as police attention increased.
The case gradually shifted from a missing-person investigation into a suspected homicide inquiry. A Lewiston Tribune account republished online reported that investigators believed Jason was killed by two men, possibly out of greed and to keep him quiet about the burglary. Former Nez Perce County investigator Wade Ralston, who later worked the case, believed Jason’s car had been staged at the bus station to suggest he fled, especially because there was no record of him purchasing a bus ticket. Reporting from the same source states that a witness later came forward, and investigators believed Jason had gone to meet the other burglary suspect and another man before being taken to a remote area in Nez Perce County, Idaho.
Authorities have described a suspected sequence in which Jason was lured away from his apartment, taken to a remote area south of Lewiston, shot, and buried, possibly in a pre-dug grave or beneath old firewood. Searches were conducted, including efforts using cadaver dogs, but Jason’s remains were not found. Investigators have said the absence of a body made prosecution difficult, even though they believed they understood what happened and who was involved. The Charley Project reports that police have not charged the suspects because of insufficient evidence, and that both Washington and Idaho law enforcement have investigated the case.
Those who knew Jason described more than the circumstances that surrounded his disappearance. Reporting noted that he grew up in California, had struggled at times, and had past legal trouble, but people close to him also believed he had been trying to change the direction of his life. Shortly before he vanished, he reportedly had a greenhouse job and had completed probation for a prior burglary conviction. His roommate, who had known him since childhood, remembered Jason as someone who cared about his appearance, enjoyed clothes, dancing, and attention, and was generally liked by people who knew him. That personal context made the abandoned belongings feel especially significant to those trying to understand why he never came home.
Official missing-person listings continue to identify Jason Goddard with NamUs case number MP28473, with his date missing recorded as March 5, 1990, from Clarkston, Washington. Public case summaries continue to characterize the case as unresolved, with the central facts remaining painfully consistent: Jason left his apartment expecting to be gone only briefly, his car was later located at the Lewiston bus depot, no confirmed travel record explained his disappearance, his belongings were left behind, and investigators came to believe he was the victim of homicide connected to the aftermath of the Magic Video burglary. In overview, Jason Goddard’s case is the story of a young man who disappeared across a narrow geographic corridor between Clarkston and Lewiston, leaving behind a trail of suspicious circumstances, investigative theories, and unanswered questions, but not the final evidence needed to bring full resolution to his family and those who still remember him.Last Seen: Mar 5, 1990
