Overview of MISSING: Darrel “Bubba” Johnson Sr.
This Crime Junkie episode (Audiochuck; host: Ashley Flowers) examines the unexplained disappearance of Darrel/Daryl “Bubba” Johnson Sr., a 67‑year‑old man who vanished from a busy campsite at Conchas (Conchas) Lake State Park, New Mexico, in late June 2024. The episode lays out the last confirmed sightings, conflicting witness accounts, puzzling cell‑phone data, family concerns, official responses, and key unresolved questions after more than a year and a half with no body, belongings, or clear explanation.
Key details & timeline
- Date/location: Night of Friday–Saturday, June 28–29, 2024 at Conchas Lake State Park, New Mexico.
- Missing person: Darrel/Daryl “Bubba” Johnson Sr., ~67 years old, resident of Phoenix, Arizona. Traveled to the campsite to celebrate a family birthday.
- Last confirmed interactions:
- ~11:00 p.m.–midnight (Friday): A friend (Allie) checked on Bubba in his tent and said he was “all good.”
- ~12:30 a.m.: Nearby campers say Bubba borrowed a flashlight, walked south along the lakeshore, then turned back north toward his camp.
- By 7:00 a.m. (Saturday morning): Bubba was not in his tent; his bag remained in a car. Camp members first assumed he’d walked off; a missing‑person report followed.
- Cell phone data: Bubba’s phone last pinged near the campsite at about 2:23 p.m. Saturday (later the same day). The phone has never been recovered; the ping location is disputed and has been interpreted by some investigators as mapping into the water.
- Witness reports after the disappearance:
- An early tip (6:37 a.m.) of a man on Highway 104 wearing similar clothing was later ruled to be a different, younger local.
- Much later, a couple on Highway 104 reported seeing an older Black man (they later believed looked like Bubba) near 8–9 p.m. on the roadway, appearing frightened and reacting to a car whose occupants seemed to want him to come closer. They could not definitively identify the car’s occupants or vehicle color.
- Searches: Foot, ATV, drone, and boat searches found no body, clothing, phone, wallet, or flashlight. No record of divers searching the lake is noted in the episode.
People involved / relationships
- Allie (Alejandra Diaz): woman who hosted/was part of the camping group; says Bubba was “like family” and emphatically denies a romantic relationship. She says her boyfriend was Ernie.
- Ernie: Allie’s boyfriend (longtime, according to Allie); reportedly drinking that night; family and others say tensions existed between him and Bubba.
- Roxanne (Allie’s daughter) and Vanessa (another daughter): members of the camping group; Roxanne made the initial missing report.
- Daryl (Darrel) Johnson Jr.: Bubba’s son; was not initially notified by the campsite group and drove overnight from Phoenix to New Mexico; has strong doubts about the campsite account and about Allie’s statements.
- Tony: Bubba’s close friend; says Bubba had previously introduced Allie as his girlfriend; reports prior uncomfortable interactions between Bubba and Ernie.
- Independent investigator (PI) Luis Carlos and reporter Crystal Gutierrez: followed phone coordinates and suggested the last ping maps to water.
- New Mexico State Police: Official position communicated by email — no evidence of criminal activity; based on witness statements they believe Bubba walked away from the campsite. They note the absence of remains or belongings is not proof of foul play due to environmental factors.
Evidence & leads
- Borrowed flashlight at ~12:30 a.m., direction of travel observed (south then back north).
- Phone ping at ~2:23 p.m. near the campsite (phone never recovered). PI/journalist mapping suggests that ping could correspond to in‑water coordinates.
- Highway 104 sightings:
- Early morning sighting (~6:37 a.m.) initially thought to match Bubba but later identified as a different, younger man.
- Evening sighting (~8–9 p.m.) by a local couple who believed the man resembled Bubba and that he looked scared, interacting with a passing car — raises possibility of contact with strangers after leaving the campsite.
- Body‑cam footage: family viewed footage showing two sleeping bags in Bubba’s tent (Allie says family members gave him extra sleeping bags; accounts differ).
- No recovered physical evidence (clothes, wallet, phone, flashlight) despite searches.
Main theories discussed
- Accidental drowning: phone ping data possibly mapping to the water, Bubba was reportedly not a strong swimmer, and lake conditions/terrain could contribute. No divers reportedly searched; others say bodies often resurface at this lake, making complete disappearance unusual.
- Walked away / got lost: large campsite, minimal perimeter, and an early police inclination that he “wandered off.” State Police treat this as the working theory due to lack of obvious foul play.
- Foul play by strangers: the evening Highway 104 sighting of a fearful man near a car whose occupants might have tried to coax him in suggests possible abduction by non‑camp members.
- Foul play involving someone at the campsite: family skepticism focuses on inconsistencies in accounts, many campers reportedly leaving quickly the next day, and the family not being notified directly. No direct evidence implicates campsite members in the public record.
Family concerns & notable discrepancies
- Notification: The family learned of the disappearance from New Mexico State Police rather than from Allie or others at the campsite; the son is upset he was not contacted directly.
- Relationship descriptions: Allie says Bubba was “like family” and denies romantic involvement; family and friends report Bubba sometimes introduced Allie as his girlfriend and that there were tensions involving Ernie.
- Phone status: Some locals reported the camping group said they had found Bubba’s phone in his tent (a claim the group later denied). Officially, the phone pinged after the reported missing call and has not been recovered — a major unresolved point.
- Departure of campsite members: Many people from the camping party were reportedly gone by midday Sunday; family says law enforcement did not thoroughly interview all attendees (e.g., Ernie) according to Allie and family.
- Body‑cam footage ambiguity: Two sleeping bags shown in footage vs. Allie’s explanation that Bubba had been given sleeping bags by family members — leaves room for differing interpretations.
Official response & current status
- New Mexico State Police: Responded via written answers — state there is no evidence of criminal activity and that witness statements indicate Bubba likely walked away. They emphasize absence of belongings/remains is not evidence of foul play because environmental factors can obscure evidence.
- As of the episode’s publication (over 1.5 years later): No body, no phone/wallet/flashlight recovered, no conclusive explanation. Case remains open and unresolved.
What to do / how to help
- If you have information not publicly shared, contact New Mexico State Police Dispatch at 505‑841‑9256 and ask to be connected to the investigator handling this case.
- Crime Junkie lists source material for the episode on their website and encourages tips through official channels.
Notable quotes & takeaways
- Police: “The lack of recovered remains or belongings is explained as not uncommon in cases of missing persons… Therefore, the absence of items alone is not treated as proof of foul play.”
- Allie: Offers to take a polygraph to prove she had no involvement, denies a romantic relationship with Bubba.
- Family (Daryl Jr.): Skeptical of campsite accounts; disturbed that core witnesses were not present when he arrived at the scene; distrusting of the “walked away” conclusion.
- Investigator/journalist finding: Coordinate mapping of the last phone ping suggests the phone may be in the water (phone‑tower ping accuracy varies).
Unanswered questions
- Where is Bubba’s phone (and why did it ping at 2:23 p.m. after he was reported missing)?
- Did anyone at the campsite or nearby see him again after midnight?
- Were all attendees thoroughly interviewed by police (including Ernie and other campers)?
- Was a lake dive search ever conducted, and if not, why?
- Who was the man seen near Highway 104 at 8–9 p.m., and did he interact with any vehicle/occupants?
This episode highlights a disappearance with credible witnesses, conflicting accounts, an unexplained phone ping, and lingering family concerns. The lack of recovered evidence and unresolved inconsistencies leave multiple plausible scenarios open — from tragic accident to foul play — and underscore the call for anyone with information to contact New Mexico State Police.