More than 10 months have passed since Umatilla tribal elder Wesley Dixon Jones disappeared under circumstances that have never been fully explained. His family still doesn't know where he is, no major breakthrough has been publicly announced, and the strange details surrounding his last known movements remain unresolved.
But the case has not gone cold.
When That Oregon Life first wrote about Jones' disappearance on January 25, 2026, the investigation had reached what appeared to be a troubling standstill. Umatilla Tribal Police had exhausted the leads available to them, additional searches had been suspended, and the department's lead investigator described the case as open but "functionally inactive."
Since then, something changed.
New information began coming in.
Do you love Oregon?
Sign up for monthly emails full of local travel inspiration and fun trip ideas. In each newsletter we'll share upcoming events, new things to do, hot dining spots and great travel ideas.
By March, investigators had received several fresh tips, some significant enough to send authorities back into the field to search additional locations. None of those searches produced the answer Jones' family has been waiting for, but the new information was enough for police to say they were not prepared to call the case cold.
Today, the 72-year-old remains missing.
What happened to Wesley Jones?
Wesley Dixon Jones, known to family and friends as "Buller," is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
According to the FBI, Jones was last captured on camera at approximately 3:15 p.m. on October 5, 2025, along East Short Mile Road on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton. He was sitting in the passenger seat of his gray 2003 Ford Escape, Oregon license plate SM15454.
That plate number is important. Our original January article incorrectly listed the plate as SM15254. The correct number, confirmed by both the FBI and Umatilla Tribal Police, is SM15454.
The vehicle was seen traveling east on Short Mile Road that afternoon. When it later returned west on the same road, Jones was no longer visible inside. Umatilla Tribal Police have not publicly identified the driver, citing the ongoing investigation.
His family reported him missing later that night at approximately 10:44 p.m. Jones had not previously been reported missing, and those closest to him said disappearing without contact was out of character.
The FBI now says Jones' Ford Escape was later located back at his residence with a flat tire.
That detail, combined with the mysterious trip along Short Mile Road and his disappearance from the vehicle, remains one of the most puzzling parts of the case.
A man who knew this country well
From the beginning, Jones' familiarity with the Umatilla country made the idea that he simply became lost difficult for his family and investigators to accept.
Jones was described by his daughter, Mollyanne Jones, as an experienced outdoorsman who had spent much of his life hunting and fishing around the Umatilla River and surrounding ridges. He was raised in traditional Washut ways and knew the land extremely well.
Early in the investigation, UTPD Detective William Morris also expressed doubt that this was simply the case of an outdoorsman becoming disoriented. He noted that Jones regularly fished along the river and knew the area.
The FBI continues to say it is possible Jones went fishing somewhere along the Umatilla River. At the same time, federal investigators say foul play is also being considered.
No public announcement has identified a suspect or established that a crime occurred.
Searches stretched across the reservation
The search that followed Jones' disappearance involved considerably more than a few patrol officers looking along the roadside.
Beginning October 6, Umatilla Tribal Police worked with Umatilla County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue on searches that included ground crews and aerial operations. Investigators searched sections of the Umatilla River as well as areas between Cayuse and Bingham roads and from Short Mile Road toward Cayuse Road and River Road.
Family members conducted searches of their own. During the early weeks of the case, Mollyanne Jones told Underscore Native News that relatives and community members were searching on foot, horseback and by kayak. Tracking dogs also reportedly led searchers toward the water, further increasing the focus on the river corridor.
Then the volunteer-led MMIW Search & Hope Alliance joined the effort.
From October 31 through November 2, the organization used sonar to examine deeper portions of the Umatilla River. Searchers also covered ground near Sampson Lane, Short Mile Road, the railroad right-of-way and areas upriver around Cayuse.
On November 18, UTPD worked with the tribes' Geographic Information Systems staff to conduct drone searches over three locations that had not previously been examined. Police did not reveal the exact locations because of the ongoing investigation, other than saying they were farther from the Umatilla River.
One sonar reading from the volunteer search would eventually draw the FBI directly into another search effort.
FBI divers searched Johnley Pond
On December 3, 2025, a five-member FBI dive team searched Johnley Pond near Cayuse.
The team used boats and specialized equipment, including an underwater drone, after sonar used during the earlier volunteer search detected an anomaly in the pond. UTPD stressed that an anomaly did not necessarily mean human remains. It was simply something investigators believed warranted a closer look.
The FBI team spent roughly half a day examining the pond.
Nothing resembling human remains was detected.
Our January story stated that the FBI dive search happened on December 10. That was incorrect. The search occurred December 3. December 10 was the date CTUIR published its public update about the operation.
We are also correcting another point from that earlier article. The FBI did not publicly announce that it had "taken over" the investigation. Federal agents assisted in the case and the FBI continues to publicize Jones as a missing person, but Umatilla Tribal Police Detective William Morris remained publicly identified as the lead investigator.
By January, investigators had run out of leads
By the beginning of 2026, months of searching had failed to reveal where Jones went after he was last seen on Short Mile Road.
On January 6, Umatilla Tribal Police announced that investigators had exhausted their existing leads and did not plan additional searches without new information. Morris explained that the investigation remained open because the truth about Jones' disappearance had not been established, but there were no immediate investigative steps left to pursue.
There was even the possibility that the case could eventually receive a cold-case designation if nothing new surfaced.
That was where things stood when That Oregon Life first reported on the disappearance later that month.
At the time, it was difficult not to wonder whether Jones' case was entering the long and painful limbo that surrounds so many unresolved missing-person investigations.
Then the tips started arriving.
Four new tips changed the picture
On March 20, CTUIR released another update.
Morris said UTPD had received four tips during the previous month concerning Jones' disappearance. Some were substantial enough to result in additional searches at both nearby and more distant locations.
Those searches did not produce a significant discovery, but the fact that people were still coming forward mattered.
Morris said investigators would continue looking into information they received and that, as long as tips continued coming in, UTPD would not label the case cold.
That represents a notable change from January, when police had nothing further to investigate and were openly discussing the possibility that the case could eventually become a cold case.
The March update also said the MMIW Search & Hope Alliance was planning another volunteer search. Jones' daughter said a date and location had not yet been announced and volunteers would be required to sign nondisclosure agreements because the investigation remained open.
Where the case stands now
As of August 13, 2026, Wesley Dixon Jones remains officially listed as missing.
The FBI continues to feature Jones in its Kidnappings and Missing Persons database and through its Portland Field Office. Oregon State Police also currently lists him as a missing person under the Umatilla Tribal Police Department.
Jones turned 72 years old on March 28, according to the birth date listed by the FBI.
The most recent substantive CTUIR public update we were able to locate was the March 20 announcement regarding the four new tips. There has been no public announcement from the FBI or CTUIR that Jones has been found.
More than 10 months after he vanished, the fundamental question remains the same.
What happened after Wesley Jones traveled east along Short Mile Road on October 5?
Someone may still know the answer.
Wesley Jones' description
The FBI describes Jones as a Native American man with black hair and brown eyes, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and 140 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black-and-red Tigerscott jacket, black shirt, black sweatpants and boots.
Oregon State Police currently lists slightly different measurements of 5 feet 7 inches and 130 pounds, so anyone attempting to identify Jones should keep in mind that official databases differ slightly on those details.
The most important identifiers surrounding the disappearance remain:
Wesley Dixon Jones, age 72
Missing since: October 5, 2025
Last confirmed sighting: About 3:15 p.m. on East Short Mile Road on the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Vehicle: Gray 2003 Ford Escape
Oregon plate: SM15454
Anyone with information about Jones' disappearance can contact the Umatilla Tribal Police Department at 541-278-0550. The FBI is also accepting information through its Portland Field Office and online tip system.
Ten months is a long time for a family to live without answers. It is also a long time for memories to fade and details that once seemed insignificant to disappear with them.
The March tips showed that information can still surface months after someone vanishes. For Wesley Jones' family, that leaves the possibility that one more phone call, one remembered detail or one person deciding to speak up could finally point investigators toward the answer they have been searching for since last fall.
