Where is Darrel Johnson? Elderly Arizona man vanishes while camping in New Mexico

Where is Darrel Johnson, Sr.?

The family of Darrel Johnson, an elderly man from Phoenix who went missing in New Mexico, is expecting the worst, and they want answers on his disappearance from a state park there. FOX 10 Investigative Reporter Justin Lum reports.

PHOENIX - The search for a missing elderly man from Phoenix has gone cold.

The family of Darrel Johnson is expecting the worst, and they want answers on his disappearance from a New Mexico state park.

Man disappeared over the summer

What we know:

June 29th, 2024. It’s noon, on a Saturday.

That was when New Mexico State Police Officer Jonathan Gonzalez spoke to a woman who reported a then-67-year-old man missing from a campsite at Conchas Dam State Park.

"What would be the reason for him to take off like that?" Ofc. Gonzalez asked.

"That’s what I’m saying. We don’t know. I don’t know if he went to look for a bathroom. I don’t know if he – like, I am not sure," the woman replied.

The missing person in the report was Johnson. Johnson, who is from Phoenix, is described as quiet, low-key and a proud grandfather who liked to fix things in his yard, and known to loved ones as "Bubba."

A camper in the area told officers that Darrel asked for a flashlight, and after borrowing one, he walked south on the shoreline before turning around to go north back towards his campsite.

Two days after Johnson went missing, an investigator flew a drone over the area of his campsite, but did not locate anything.

Dig deeper:

Per the initial New Mexico State Police report, Johnson joined Alejandra Diaz, a close friend that he lived with along with her family, for a birthday celebration. The entire group had more than 30 people.

We reached out to Diaz, who said she went back to the campgrounds to meet with Darrel’s family a week after his disappearance to search for him again. She also said she cooperated with police, and wants Johnson Sr. back home like everyone else.

It’s important to note that according to police, foul play has not been suspected at this time.

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 witness did tell police he saw a man walking along highway 104 that morning. Further information determined that man wasn’t Johnson.

Johnson's phone, according to police, last pinged at the nearest tower to his campsite, more than 12 hours after he was last seen.

What They Said:

Darrel's son and daughter said their dad never told them about a weekend getaway.

"He lived off the grid, so he just worked on his own," said Darrel Johnson, Jr. "I can honestly say he was a big-hearted person. He’d always lend a hand to anybody that needed it. No questions asked."

"We were laughing, and he hugged me, and I went to Circle K to get him his chips and his soda. And that was the last," said Jayna Johnson. "I then got a phone call the day before he went missing. That was the last time I seen him."

Family reacts as loved one remains missing

Johnson’s daughter-in-law, Michaelyen Memoli, is calling for more to be done.

What She Said:

"My gut has one feeling and my heart has another, and I really do think something happened to him and I can’t tell you if it was an accident or on purpose," Memoli said.

"Do you feel that there were enough resources put into the search by New Mexico State Police?" we asked Memoli.

"No," Darrel Jr. replied. "That there hasn’t been no help from them, and they need to take it seriously, 'cause I believe that they weren’t taking it serious out there."

New Mexico State Police declined an interview, but we asked about search efforts. The officer canvased 10 to 15 campsites, and a spokesperson says NMSP did have a search and rescue team covering land and water areas.