Missing deejay not forgotten with new air search in plans
VANISHED: El Campo polka personality Bobby Jones vanished last June, but the hunt for him was stymied by high water levels on the Colorado River.
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP news@leader-news.com

With the Colorado River expected to fall near 10 feet today, law enforcement officials may once again take to the skies in search of clues into the mysterious disappearance of polka music icon Bobby Jones.

Lt. Daniel Marek of the Wharton County Sheriff's Department said a Department of Public Safety helicopter is scheduled to inspect the river sometime today. The search could be delayed, however, due to unrelated investigations in Fort Bend County that also require the services of a helicopter, he said. Marek said there have been no new developments in the Jones case to warrant another river search. He said offi- cials just plan to continue to look from time to time when river levels are low. The river is forecast to be around 10 feet today. It was at 10.3 feet on Tuesday.

"Whenever we can, we try to do that. It's just due diligence," Marek said.

A helicopter last searched the river Jan. 4. False hope was raised after searchers spotted what appeared to be a vehicle. It later turned out to be a piece of rusted metal.

Helicopters and boats have inspected the river several times since Jones - an El Campo radio deejay and polka band leader - disappeared on June 23, 2007. Investigators believed Jones may have somehow ended up in the Colorado River after tire tracks were found leading from the parking lot near Los Cucos Mexi- can Restaurant in Wharton down into the water. The license plate from his missing car was later found stuck in a sapling near the water's edge.

Initially, only limited searching was possible due to extremely high river levels. As levels dropped, sonar, computerized river mapping and visual scans were all used to try and find something conclusive.

Investigators have also continued to monitor bank accounts and phone records for any sign Jones may still be alive.

Nothing definitive has yet been discovered, Marek said Tuesday. But he stressed that efforts will continue - indefinitely.

"We'll continue to see what we can do. It's worth a shot," he said.