Darrel Raye Johnson

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

New Mexico State Police (NM)

Missing From:

Conchas Lake, NM

Summary:

Darrel Raye Johnson Sr., affectionately known as "Bubba," vanished without a trace from Conchas Lake State Park in New Mexico in the early hours of June 29, 2024. He was a father of two and a proud grandfather, often described as dependable and always willing to lend a hand. Despite their relentless efforts, not a single trace of Darrel has been uncovered.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On June 27, 2024, Darrel Jr. stopped by to see his 67-year-old father at his property in Phoenix, Arizona. They went to the dump together and then Darrel Jr. bought his father lunch. The next day, Friday, June 28, Darrel Sr. left for a weekend trip to New Mexico. He was joining a large group of more than 30 people to celebrate someone's birthday at Conchas Lake State Park. According to Michaelyn, the information they received from the people Darrel was traveling with was that they last saw him around 11 p.m. on Friday, June 28. "They said that they went to his tent at 11 p.m., zip the tent up and said their goodnights and that was the last time they saw him." In the early morning hours of Saturday, June 29, there was another sighting of Darrel Sr. "There was a neighbor camper next to their campsite that saw him," Darrel Jr. said. His father, apparently, had asked to borrow a flashlight. "That would have been on Saturday morning at 12:30 a.m.," Michaelyn added. Darrel was last reported to be wearing a red shirt, blue jeans, and brownish-gray shoes. He left his bag behind, but his wallet and phone are gone with him.

Additional Details:

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on 6/29/2024 Roxanna Garcia called the Conchas Lake State Park (Park) Visitor Center and spoke with Superintendent Ricarlos Glenn and reported Darrel R. Johnson Sr. as a missing person. Superintendent Glenn notified Park staff to be on the look out for Mr. Johnson and directed them to begin searching the campgrounds for him. Superintendent Glenn also contacted NMSP to report Mr. Johnson as a missing person and request their assistance. Upon learning of Mr. Johnson's disappearance, Park staff searched the Park until 5:00 p.m. The areas searched included the Central Campground, Cove Campground, Bell Point Campground, and North Area Campground. Park staff conducting the search included a total of six people comprised of full time, part-time, and volunteer staff. Clay Huffman, an investigator with the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Quay County, arrived on Monday, July 1, 2024, at about 10 a.m. to conduct a search. "Investigator Huffman flew a drone over the area where Darrel's campsite was located. After several hours of searching with the drone, he was unable to find anything," Richards wrote. Despite search dogs, drones, and volunteers scanning land and water his belongings were found unaltered in his tent, his wallet, and phone though, missing—its last cellular signal ping registered, but showing no further activity potentially due to being powered off or battery depletion. During the beginning stages of the investigation, New Mexico State Police did not put out a silver alert, due to Johnson being of "sound mind" per the report. He was entered into the missing persons system. NMSP also decided not to fly out a helicopter for the search because they say Darrel Sr. walked off from the campsite. A year after Darrel Johnson, Sr., disappeared while on vacation to Conchas Lake State Park, his family says New Mexico State Police gave up. Notably, he did not inform his immediate family about this trip, an unusual departure from his routine behavior. His daughter-in-law, Michaelyn Memoli, expressed concern, stating, "If my father-in-law was going anywhere, he always let someone know, especially my husband."

Case Last Updated:

Oct 26, 2026