WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JAMISON FAMILY?

RED OAK – As we were driving this morning, we decided to listen to a podcast about the disappearance of the Jamison family. This is one of those cases that has always fascinated us because of just how bizarre the entire story is. The deeper you dig into this case, the stranger it seems to get.

And if you're familiar with this case, you've probably heard all the theories going around by now. People have speculated about everything from foul play to cult involvement, mental health issues, drug usage, and even the paranormal. But despite all the theories, one thing still remains the same: nobody knows for sure what happened.

So, we're going to talk about this case because we want to hear from y'all. As always, let's start with a little background for those who may not be familiar with it.

According to Medium.com, Bobby Jamison was 44 years old and married to Sherilynn Jamison, who was 40 years old. The couple had a six-year-old daughter named Madyson and lived in Eufaula with their dog, Maisy. Sherilynn also had a 12-year-old son from a previous relationship who lived with them for some time before he moved in with his biological father.

Bobby and Sherilynn first met back in 2002. In 2004, they got married after they welcomed Madyson in 2003. During their relationship, it was reported that Bobby was involved in a serious car accident and had been living with severe back pain ever since. The pain was so bad that he couldn't stand or walk for very long. Because of this constant pain, Bobby could no longer work and began receiving disability benefits.

Sherilynn was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder, which made it very hard for her to keep a job, so she was receiving disability benefits as well. It has been said that after her sister passed away in a traumatic freak accident after being stung by a bee on her tongue and asphyxiating, her bipolar disorder became worse. Both Bobby and Sherilynn were said to be on medications. Bobby was taking pain medication for his chronic back pain, while Sherilynn was taking medication for her bipolar disorder. However, it has been reported that she was inconsistent with taking her medication.

It was also reported that a man named Kenneth Bellows lived with the family and helped them with things around their home since they were unable to keep up with the maintenance and upkeep. According to several podcasts and media reports about the case, Bellows was described as a white supremacist and was said to have a strained relationship with Sherilynn, with some reports alleging that tensions between the two stemmed from her Native American heritage. It has also been reported that after Sherilynn's son moved out, tensions between Sherilynn and Kenneth escalated. According to those accounts, Sherilynn allegedly pulled out a pistol and fired at Kenneth's feet while ordering him to leave the property.

So this is where things start to get a little strange. According to several reports, Bobby and Sherilynn ended up taking Madyson out of school with the intention of homeschooling her. Now, whether they actually followed through with homeschooling her, we don't know, but around that same time, some unusual details started to emerge.

The couple purchased a conex, which is a fancy word for a shipping container, and placed it in their yard with the intent to eventually move into it. According to several reports online, Sherilynn was said to have an interest in witchcraft, and a close friend of hers allegedly described her as a "part-time witch." After someone reportedly killed three of her cats, she spray-painted messages on the container. According to those reports, one of the messages read, "Witches don't like their black cats killed."

It was also claimed that Bobby had a satanic bible and was trying to learn about demons because he and Sherilynn reportedly believed their home was haunted. They claimed they were being tormented by what they described as an evil spirit family. The pastor of the church they reportedly attended later provided information to investigators, claiming that the couple had approached him about obtaining special bullets to get rid of the spirits. According to what was said, they believed two spirits named Michael and Emily were tormenting them and even communicating with Madyson. And crazy enough, some reports have even claimed that there were actually two children named Michael and Emily who had once lived in the home.

So, now that you have a little back story, let's fast forward to October 8th, 2009. The Jamison family had left their home in Eufaula and told friends they were going to check out a piece of land near the San Bois Mountains in the area of Red Oak. They were very serious about purchasing this 16-acre tract, and afterwards during the investigation it was alleged that the couple became increasingly paranoid and wanted to live off the grid. So, hence, why they choose that location. What’s strange is that they reportedly weren't planning on buying it to build a home first and then move at a later date. Instead, they wanted to move there immediately. And it was said that their plan was to move the conex from their property to the 16-acre tract and live in it just as it was. Kind of weird… anyways.

Surveillance footage from their home was eventually released to the public, but it's kind of hard to find now, showing the couple packing their truck that day. The footage is a bit odd, at least according to what has been reported. It's been claimed that it's almost like they're moving in slow motion, not talking to each other, and sometimes even just standing there zoning out. The video also shows that they took Maisy, their dog, with them.

It wasn't until October 17th, 2009, that a search was officially launched for the Jamison family after hikers spotted their abandoned truck and called police due to the unusual location where the vehicle had been left. When police arrived on scene, they didn't know the truck had been there for days and initially suspected it had only been abandoned for a few hours. However, when officers spoke with the hikers, they reportedly stated that the truck had been there for quite some time because they had seen it a few days earlier during another hike, initially thinking nothing of it.

When police looked inside the truck, they found Maisy barely hanging on to life. Since the truck was locked, officers had no other option but to break a window to save her. And once they got inside, they quickly realized that something wasn't right.

And if you're anything like us, knowing that poor dog was in there for several days, dehydrated and starving, hurts your heart. But the good thing to come out of all of this is that Maisy survived, and Bobby's mom adopted her.

So, now that we know Maisy was okay in the end, let's continue with the story. When officers inspected the truck after rescuing sweet Maisy, they found both of the couple's cell phones, a couple of maps, a GPS, Sherilynn's purse, both of their wallets, and $32,000 in cold hard cash. They also reportedly found an 11-page letter that Sherilynn had written to Bobby, claiming how much she hated him and that she wanted a divorce. But what's strange is that on the final page of the letter, she reportedly wrote about how much she loved him as well. So was their marriage falling apart, or were they trying to work things out? Your guess is as good as ours. And with their phones, wallets, cash, and even their dog left behind, it was becoming increasingly clear that something wasn't adding up.

But anyways, that's when investigators realized something was very wrong and launched a full-scale search for the couple and their daughter. A team of 16 search dogs, helicopters, drones, law enforcement officers, and volunteers on foot searched endlessly for nine months.

But sadly, they had no luck. According to reports, the only significant lead came when one of the search dogs alerted near a water tower. Investigators even drained the water tower, but nothing was found. Eventually, with no sign of Bobby, Sherilynn, or Madyson, the search had to be called off.

It wasn't until November 16th, 2013, that hunters came across skeletal remains and immediately called police. Investigators collected all of the remaining bones they could find, along with pieces of clothing, and took them to the coroner for examination. It was said that the remains were found approximately three miles away from where the family's truck had been abandoned back in 2009.

The coroner was able to confirm that the remains belonged to Bobby, Sherilynn, and Madyson, but due to the condition of the bones and how badly they had decomposed, they were unable to determine a cause or manner of death. At first, it was believed that Bobby may have had a gunshot wound to the head, but investigators later determined that the damage was more than likely the result of animal activity.

Several podcasts we've listened to have also alleged that the family's remains were found lying side by side, face down, near one another. However, because so little information has been publicly released about the scene, some details remain difficult to independently verify.

So, this is where all the theories we mentioned earlier come into play. Some people have speculated that the family may have gotten lost and eventually died from exposure to the elements. Others have alleged that it was a murder-suicide, although it's worth noting that no weapon was reportedly found near the bodies. Other theories claim the family may have crossed paths with a cult or satanic group and somehow ended up on a hit list. Some have suggested it was the result of a drug deal gone wrong. There have even been allegations that Bobby's father may have been involved, with some claiming he had ties to the Mexican cartel. The problem is that none of these theories have ever been proven, and to this day, nobody knows for certain what happened to the Jamison family.

We've gone down the rabbit hole, listened to the podcasts, read the reports, and looked at the information available, and we're still left scratching our heads.

Until those answers come, the disappearance of the Jamison family will remain one of Oklahoma's most perplexing unsolved cases.

So now we want to hear from y'all. What do you think happened? Which theory do you lean toward?

Do you think this was foul play, a tragic accident, or something else entirely?

What part of this case has always bothered you the most?

Drop your thoughts below and let's discuss.

Note: Information discussed in this article was obtained from publicly available reports, media coverage, and other accessible sources. Due to the limited availability of public records in this case, some information is based on previously published reporting. Every effort has been made to present the information accurately as reported by those sources.