[Susan]

From the Grateful Doe facebook page:

‪

#‎Identification‬!

After 20 years, DNA has confirmed the 1995 John Doe from Emporia, ‪#‎VA‬ has been identified as 19 year old Jason Callahan.

A friend of Jason's came forward with his information after seeing the facial reconstruction completed by a ‪#‎NCMEC‬ Forensic Artist on social media. Authorities were able to validate the information and confirm Jason was missing. DNA was obtained from searching family members which confirmed the unidentified male was in fact Jason.

We sincerely thank the friends and family of Jason and the public that never gave up hope and constantly searched to give him his name back

A 19-year-old killed in a Virginia car wreck in 1995 was identified earlier this week, after his likeness and other information circulated online under the name "Grateful Doe," while Internet detectives worked to find any link between him and his family.

On Thursday, the Virginia Medical Examiner Office said DNA confirmed that "Grateful Doe," his body made unrecognizable after the wreck 20 years ago, was Jason Callahan, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to the Associated Press. (The Virginia Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.)

Because of the nature of Callahan's death, a group of strangers had gathered online, through different websites and social forums, to attempt to solve the mystery of his identity.

Callahan was killed carrying ticket stubs to a Grateful Dead concert, after authorities say the driver of the van in which he was riding, Eric Michael Hager, fell asleep, according to the New York Times

Fans of the Grateful Dead, known as Deadheads, also gave their support, according to the Times.

A photo collage of composite images of Callahan was posted on Imgur last year and was seen more than 640,000 times.

A "Grateful Doe" Facebook page was started, and has now amassed more than 14,000 likes, while a subreddit on Reddit was started that attracted more than 3,300 subscribers.

Then, a revelation: Margaretta Evans, Callahan's mom, contacted the woman who runs the Grateful Doe Facebook page, according to the Times.

In a January Facebook post to the group, Evans wrote, according to the Times, "This is my son Jason Callahan ... I've been looking for him all these years with no luck."

Evans filed a police report that same month about her son's disappearance, saying she had not seen him since June 1995, according to the Times.

Evans told police she was unsure where to report him missing at the time, because he ran away multiple times and she wasn't sure where he was traveling, according to the AP.

"No one ever thought to report him missing because they thought he wanted to be missing," Callahan's half-sister, Shannon Michelson, told the AP.

"I'm glad it was solved, but I'm also incredibly sad because I wanted so badly to reconnect with him," she said.

In a post Wednesday announcing the news, the Grateful Doe Facebook group wrote that Callahan's disappearance was an "important lesson to reporting your missing loved ones or even trying to check up on them if you haven't had contact in years."

In a further twist of fate, according to the group, Callahan didn't know the man who picked him up that fatal day. But they shared a birthday, and were both from South Carolina.

"I can't explain the feelings I get when talking to Jason's family," Lesha Johanneck, who operates the Grateful Doe Facebook page, wrote in April, according to the Times.

She continued, "I spent years trying to find the family of Grateful Doe, only to find that 'success' is heartbreaking."

[kellyhound]

the power of social media and the internet in general

[shinycatcreations]

Thank you so much for posting this! I followed this case religiously all the way up to his family giving DNA, then I checked every couple of months to see if it matched. I even have all his pictures saved on to my kindle, in case I found out information that could help. I forgot to check recently because I've been spending all my time over here lol.
I'm glad it's solved, but it makes me feel sad at the same time

[Pigeon]

I'm glad he was identified. I remember when Jason Callahan's name was first raised as a possible ID. The forensic reconstruction was a very good likeness and obviously helped a lot.

[shinycatcreations]

Originally Posted by Pigeon ↗

I'm glad he was identified. I remember when Jason Callahan's name was first raised as a possible ID. The forensic reconstruction was a very good likeness and obviously helped a lot.

I remember that too. I can't believe what they can do with computers now a days. I look at unidentified / missing cases all the time, and I still see alot of clay reconstructions, and while some are decent and I appreciate they did what they could do for the time, the newer reconstructions are so life like, its like they actually sat for a picture.

[danielsan]

The first facial reconstruction image....

[vagabond]

Did the driver survive? I am glad he was finally Id'd and his family can put him to rest. He looks so young.

[shinycatcreations]

Originally Posted by vagabond ↗

Did the driver survive? I am glad he was finally Id'd and his family can put him to rest. He looks so young.

Nope, they both died.

[partyguinness]

20 years missing and never bothered to even log with police. Right.

[Ninjavandal]

Well, at least his family and friends have closure.