The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) issued a press release on Friday seeking assistance to locate 71-year-old Wesley Dixon Jones, a CTUIR tribal citizen missing for close to two weeks. The Umatilla Tribal Police Department (UTPD) continues the search Jones and want the assistance to locate Dixon.
Following his disappearance, UTPD Detective William Morris reported that the department has carried out multiple search efforts in collaboration with the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue. These efforts have included two canine-assisted searches, three aerial drone operations along portions of the Umatilla River, and two ground searches.
“So we’re still continuing to follow up on every lead we get,” Morris said. “We’ve had a few false sightings of him in different areas that we’ve looked into. We do have some more investigative steps to take, but this continues to be a missing person (case).”
Jones was reported missing by his family around 10:44 p.m. on October 5, after he had not been seen since earlier that afternoon. He is described as a Native American male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing around 140 pounds, with long black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a black and red Tigerscott jacket, black shirt, black sweatpants, and boots.
Morris noted that the last confirmed sighting of Jones was captured on camera around 3:15 p.m. on October 5. He was seen inside a vehicle on east Short Mile Road. While the possibility of foul play has not been ruled out, there is currently no evidence to support that theory.
“We don’t have any information that any crime was involved,” Morris said. “That obviously could change, but just right now the information we have does not indicate a crime. We’re treating it as if it could be because it could be, but we haven’t substantiated any criminal act.”
Search efforts have focused primarily on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, specifically the area between the Highway 331 bridge over the Umatilla River and the train tracks at Sheoships Lane, which aligns with the most credible information about Jones’s last known location.
In addition to law enforcement efforts, Jones’s family has conducted their own searches, including one on horseback. While these were independent of UTPD coordination, Morris said the family has kept him updated on their activities.
Anyone who may have information about Jones’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the UTPD at 541-278-0550 or reach out directly to Detective Morris at 541-969-7139.
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