Hunt for radio DJ resumes, still no signs of resolution
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP news@leader-news.com

BOBBY JONES

The thunder of helicopter rotors was again audible in Wharton this week as law enforcement officials resumed their search of the Colorado River for any sign of missing radio personality Bobby Jones.

There was a spark of excitement Friday morning as the searchers spotted what at first appeared to be a vehicle, but that later turned out to be a false hope. hope.

"They thought it was a car, but it wasn't. It was a piece of rusted metal," said Lt. Daniel Marek of the Wharton County Sheriff's Department.

Game Warden Scott Blackburn and Lower Colorado River Authority Ranger Brian Peoples began the search Thursday afternoon, piloting a helicopter just above the treeline as they slowly scanned the river from Lane City toward Bay City.

A handful of area residents rushed to the observation deck at Riverfront Park to watch as the chopper slowly made its way.

Marek said conditions were ideal for an air search. The river's level was at just 9.54 feet, and foliage along the river bank is less dense due to the winter season.

"The river's as low as it has ever been. We know it's really low so we decided to do some checking," he added.

Officials have looked for Jones since his disappearance June 23. That same weekend, tire tracks were discovered leading from the parking lot near Los Cucos Mexican Restaurant down to the Colorado River.

The license plate from Jones's missing vehicle was later found in a sapling at the river's edge. High river levels, due to upstream rainfall, initially limited the search efforts. Officers had to rely upon sonar, computerized river mapping and visual scans of the river from the air.

Nothing conclusive has yet been found.

The case had grown cold the last few months. River searching had all but ceased until this week. Other aspects of the investigation - such as monitoring of phone records and bank accounts - have also failed to turn up any new leads, Marek said.

It's a mystery that investigators are anxious to solve.

"It's a frustrating case to work. We'd like to get some type of closure," Marek said.