Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"This is the story of Darryl Bubba Johnson Sr. It's Saturday June 29th, 2024. Just afternoon when New Mexico State Police Officer Jonathan Gonzalez arrives at Conjas Lake State Park. It's windy out in the desert where he's meeting a crew of campers who just reported a friend of theirs missing." — Ashley Flowers
"The problem with this though is that's not anyone's story. No one is saying that there was some kind of beef and he went on a walk. Everyone is saying that there was no fight. No one at the camp site says they saw him leave. They say he went into his tent and the next thing they know, he's just gone." — Ashley Flowers
"The lack of recovered remains or belongings is explained as not uncommon in cases of missing persons especially when environmental factors time or location may affect the ability to locate physical evidence. Therefore the absence of items alone is not treated as proof of foul play." — New Mexico State Police (via email)
The episode explores the unexplained disappearance of Darryl "Bubba" Johnson Sr. from a large camping gathering at Conchas Lake State Park in June 2024. Bubba was last seen entering his tent around midnight, but by morning, he was gone. Initial assumptions by police, based on statements from those present, suggested he may have simply walked away, a theory reinforced by a potential sighting on a nearby highway that was later disproven. Bubba's family, particularly his son Daryl Johnson Jr., expressed skepticism about the initial accounts and the perceived lack of thoroughness in the investigation.
Further complicating the narrative are conflicting statements regarding Bubba's relationships. While his son and best friend state Bubba considered Alejandra Diaz his girlfriend, Diaz insists they were only friends and that she was in a long-term relationship with Ernie. A significant clue emerged from Bubba's phone pinging near the campsite on Saturday afternoon, well after he was reported missing, but the phone itself was never recovered. A PI and journalist later claimed the phone ping data mapped to the lake, though the presence of divers has not been confirmed.
The investigation is further muddied by a witness who saw a distressed Black man on the side of Highway 104, reacting to a car, which she later believed resembled Bubba. This suggests the possibility of Bubba encountering foul play with strangers, separate from his group. Despite the New Mexico State Police stating there's no evidence of criminal activity and believing Bubba walked away, Bubba's family and others remain unconvinced, citing the lack of any physical evidence and the inconsistencies in witness statements.