In a moving story of love, loss, and relentless pursuit for truth, a mother’s quest to find her missing son, Jonathan “Gio” Giorgianni, unfolds into an intricate web of unsettling encounters and unsettling exchanges.
Jonathan’s disappearance has left his family grappling with uncertainty and anguish since New Year’s Eve 2021.
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Jonathan, who was 19 then, had only been home from a brief recovery for a short time before expressing his desire to attend a New Year’s party with a girl he had met. To his mother’s surprise, Jonathan never returned home, deciding to stay with his new girlfriend. Despite his mother’s initial happiness that he was making friends after a tough period dealing with bipolar disorder, things took a turn when Jonathan stopped taking his medications.
His new girlfriend called his mother on January 6, informing her that Jonathan had been arrested. The last phone call his family had from him was on January 13th, when he told his sister he needed to leave his girlfriend’s home due to a tense situation.
Jonathan’s last known whereabouts trace back to January 14, 2022, when he was spotted on the 8700 block of Broadway Street in Houston, near Hobby Airport. His mother, Crystal, recalls their daily conversations abruptly ceasing on that fateful day when she didn’t hear from him. That marked the beginning of Crystal’s harrowing journey to find her son.
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At the time of his disappearance, Jonathan had a temporary cellular phone to replace an old one he had lost. The phone was supposed to be used for only 30 days as he awaited the replacement. His family said it was uncharacteristic of him to be out of touch with them or miss family events, even when he was off his bipolar medication.
After his disappearance, they learned he had been abusing illegal drugs.
Crystal said Jonathan was doing well when he initially came home, but as soon as he stopped taking his medications, everything changed.
“I feel like when you’re not on the appropriate meds it can all go downhill, I see it time and time again. With my experience in health care, they all go to self-medicate. Most of the people that you see on the streets all have mental health issues, whether they started using substances first and then develop that or vice versa. It goes both ways,” Crystal explained, being familiar due to her experience as a nurse.
“I was very concerned when I knew Jonathan stopped taking his medicine because I started seeing him go into his old ways. But it’s very hard once they get older. When he was a young boy, I knew what to do. But as an adult, it’s very difficult. So the best I could do is just keep encouraging him to take it.”
Crystal enlisted the community’s support as time passed without any contact from her son. He is now featured on a DPS digital billboard after she put up a billboard near Hobby Airport for some time. Crystal also advocates for her son at events like Missing in SE Texas Day where she passed around flyers with his information.
Crystal fears his new girlfriend may have taken advantage of Jonathan’s trust. Crystal said she’s had multiple people reach out to her after Jonathan disappeared, recounting stories of deceit and exploitation that connected back to the girlfriend.
“They act like they’re interested in you and they’ll pretend they want to be your girlfriend and really they’re just interested in your money, your wallet, your shoes, whatever you have on your person and leave you. I’ve had multiple people reach out to me and say the same thing,” she explained. “This is what they do. They work and they lure the boy in and then they take your stuff and then they bring in their guys and their guys will get rid of the body. That just sounded so bizarre to me when she called me, I thought, ‘That’s crazy’.”
Now two and half years since Jonathan disappeared, Crystal said she 100% believes that that’s what happened to him due to his vulnerability, drug use, and mental health issues.
“I think he just fell into his girlfriend’s trap. The thing that I find odd about this is that when I look at all the facts and the details of what happened, it seems so unbelievable that this could have happened to my son because this is stuff you hear on TV in different neighborhoods,” Crystal said. “This isn’t the life that I’ve lived or my husband or my family or that Jonathan lived. So it’s it just blows my mind that he got caught up in all this. But again, if you’re using drugs, that’s what you attract.”
However, his whereabouts remain unknown, leaving his family clinging to hope and seeking closure. Jonathan is described as 5′8″ tall, weighing 160 pounds, as his loved ones continue their tireless efforts to bring him home.
“I’d like even if they just come forward anonymously and they have information, they don’t have to give their name, they can call Crimestoppers and just share what they know. I’m always saying it could be your brother, sister, mother, father, or daughter it could be your family member. You would want to know what happened to your loved ones,” Crystal said. “It’s not fun living your life and just not knowing. At least help provide closure to our families. Put yourself in our shoes. How would you feel if that happened to you? They could come forward anonymously by calling Crimestoppers at 713-222-8477.″
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Crystal spoke of Jonathan’s love for his family and how he wouldn’t choose to be away from them for so long.
“He is a big mama’s boy. He loves his sisters to death, especially his younger sister. He was ten when she was born. They just have a very, very special bond,” she shared. “We would go fishing and he would teach my youngest how to fish. They could spend 8 hours out there in the lake and he would bait everything for her and teach her.”
With each passing day, the search for Jonathan continues, fueled by a mother’s unwavering love and determination to find her missing son.