Nearly two decades have passed since polka band leader and local radio personality Bobby Jones was last seen by friends and family members gathered at a popular Wharton restaurant on June 22, 2007.
Many theories have circulated in the months and years since his disappearance 19 years ago, but thus far, none have led investigators any closer to knowing what, exactly, happened to the man.
In short, Jones vanished, as they say, without a trace.
As the anniversary of his disappearance rolled around last week, several of those stories resurfaced once again, traded among fans of his music and those who, after all these years, still wonder what really happened that night.
One of the stories the newspaper ran across — circulated by readers of Texas Polka News, a La Grange-based publication dedicated to the art form — made reference to a phone call from a bandmate that Jones reportedly received that Friday night at the Wharton restaurant about an upcoming gig at the Ganado KJT Hall that same weekend.
According to that account, Jones stepped out of the restaurant to take the call and was seen driving away a short while later. That was about 10 p.m. Friday.
When he failed to show at the KULP radio station in El Campo for his usual Saturday morning show the following day, he was reported missing.
The only traces Jones may have left behind were a set of tire tracks leading down the Colorado River bank, the license plate from his 1993 Chevrolet Lumina and a headlamp.
Wharton County Sheriff’s investigators believe Jones’ car rolled into the river on June 22, 2007, a night when the current ran swift and high within the banks near the city.
Less than 24 hours after the missing person’s report went out, the tire tracks were discovered leading from the parking lot of Wharton’s Los Cucos Mexican Restaurant down into the Colorado River. Wharton police found part of a headlight assembly shortly thereafter.
Then a license plate matching Jones’ vehicle was found stuck in a sapling at the water’s edge, six days after his disappearance.
River flooding, however, hampered search efforts for weeks as the Colorado River rose to nearly 30 feet with a fast-running current.
Chunks of concrete and other debris were found, but no trace of Jones’ car was ever discovered.
Investigators found no indication of foul play at Jones’ CR 167 home.
Neither his credit cards nor his bank account had been used since that day. He hadn’t packed for a trip. According to stories circulated last week, he even left behind his trademark accordion.
Jones’ case remains open, but the discovery of the license plate was the last clue investigators found.
Ganado Police Chief Nathan Besler visited with the newspaper earlier this week about the ongoing missing person’s case. While having a passing familiarity with it, Besler also readily admitted the case took place well before his time with the department.
In addition to DJing, Jones traveled the area with his own polka band. The Polka Music Association named Jones its DJ of the Year twice and Polka Band of the Year in 1997.
He and his band also performed with Mollie B’s Polka Show on the RFDTV Network, as well as playing several gigs across the Midwest, including polka music shows in Branson, Missouri.
Shannon Crabtree, longtime editor of the Wharton County Leader- Journal in El Campo, also contributed to this report.
