At this point, no one in Port Charles should ever consider someone dead, unless they follow the corpse to the morgue and watch the embalming fluid process and check the casket before the body is buried to make sure it looks like Jason -- but take the finger prints just to be sure.
A year ago they were all sure Sonny was dead. And this is the SECOND time Jason has been assumed dead only to turn out alive.
There is NO reason to believe Jason is dead until the recover his body from the river.
Karen L.