Jason Watts

I've got the YouTube thing going in the background, so I'm getting like a double you guys. So can we just go ahead? No worries. Just mute that side.

I've got the YouTube thing going in the background, so I'm getting like a double you guys. So can we just go ahead? No worries. Just mute that side.

John Lorden.

John Lorden.

Uh, I'm Jason Watts. I'm licensed private investigator. Um, I went to high school with Brandon. Um, knew him a little bit, had a couple of classes with him. Back in high school, I was a young, dumb, punk, nerdy looking kid. And I got my share of flack for it. And there was a couple of times Brandon made sure I didn't spend the night in a locker.

Uh, I'm Jason Watts. I'm licensed private investigator. Um, I went to high school with Brandon. Um, knew him a little bit, had a couple of classes with him. Back in high school, I was a young, dumb, punk, nerdy looking kid. And I got my share of flack for it. And there was a couple of times Brandon made sure I didn't spend the night in a locker.

And when he went missing, I decided to, you know, try to return some of the respect that he showed me and offered to help his family out in any way that I could. I wasn't a licensed private investigator at the time. I was just a private citizen. So I began, you know, just sharing his flyer. on social media, just trying to help keep the word out.

And when he went missing, I decided to, you know, try to return some of the respect that he showed me and offered to help his family out in any way that I could. I wasn't a licensed private investigator at the time. I was just a private citizen. So I began, you know, just sharing his flyer. on social media, just trying to help keep the word out.

And every time I would share it, people would start to ask questions. And I got to the point where I was like, well, I want to try to answer some of these questions that are being asked. And so I began really kind of just diving into it as much as I could as a private citizen. became very good friends with Ledessa and Brandit's family.

And every time I would share it, people would start to ask questions. And I got to the point where I was like, well, I want to try to answer some of these questions that are being asked. And so I began really kind of just diving into it as much as I could as a private citizen. became very good friends with Ledessa and Brandit's family.

And it just kind of took on this giant role of citizen detective, I guess is what you would call it. And just, you know, talk to people that knew him, requested records from Coke County, visited the scene, really kind of immersed myself in the case and

And it just kind of took on this giant role of citizen detective, I guess is what you would call it. And just, you know, talk to people that knew him, requested records from Coke County, visited the scene, really kind of immersed myself in the case and

After kind of looking everything over, I decided that the most likely scenario based on the evidence that was available was that he had to be somewhere out there and was just missed or he was in an area that wasn't searched. by complete happenstance of appearing on those podcasts, I became acquainted with a man named Lou Barry. He is a private investigator, a retired police chief.

After kind of looking everything over, I decided that the most likely scenario based on the evidence that was available was that he had to be somewhere out there and was just missed or he was in an area that wasn't searched. by complete happenstance of appearing on those podcasts, I became acquainted with a man named Lou Barry. He is a private investigator, a retired police chief.

And I kind of shared everything I had with him and had him double check my logic, so to speak. And he kind of mentored me along the way. And we got to the point where like, well, look, there's not, we've, we've learned really everything that we can get as far as records and, and, you know, visiting the scene and, and, It's really a matter of searching for it. That's the next step. And so.

And I kind of shared everything I had with him and had him double check my logic, so to speak. And he kind of mentored me along the way. And we got to the point where like, well, look, there's not, we've, we've learned really everything that we can get as far as records and, and, you know, visiting the scene and, and, It's really a matter of searching for it. That's the next step. And so.

At 1st, we just searched with drones because we felt it was less invasive to the landowners and then we started doing foot searches and sure enough January of 2022. we, we put a foot search on a property that hadn't been searched yet.

At 1st, we just searched with drones because we felt it was less invasive to the landowners and then we started doing foot searches and sure enough January of 2022. we, we put a foot search on a property that hadn't been searched yet.

I should probably paraphrase a little bit. Sure. It was not foot searched.

I should probably paraphrase a little bit. Sure. It was not foot searched.