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The Umatilla Tribal Police Department is actively seeking assistance from the public in their efforts to locate a missing 71-year-old man from Oregon. They are particularly interested in obtaining any video footage that might help in their search.
“We are reaching out to anyone with road-facing cameras in the areas from Short Mile Road eastward to Cayuse Road, including River Road, and from Cayuse Road to Bingham Road on the Umatilla Indian Reservation,” stated UTPD Detective William Morris.
According to KATU, Wesley Dixon Jones was last spotted on October 5. Surveillance footage captured him traveling east on Short Mile Road in a vehicle at around 3:15 p.m.
The vehicle, a 2003 gray Ford Escape with Oregon license plate SM15454, was later seen heading west, but Jones was not inside.
Jones is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. He is described as a Native American male, standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing approximately 140 pounds, with brown eyes and long black hair.
At the time of his disappearance, he was reportedly wearing a Tiger Scout jacket that is black and red, a black shirt, black sweats, and boots.
“It is an open investigation, and we’re treating it as a criminal investigation because that’s still a possibility,” Morris stated in a press release.
“We are still actively searching for Wesley Jones, and because this is an open investigation, we are unable to share certain specific steps we are taking. We continue to rule out possibilities as we gather more information.”
Two searches have been conducted along the Umatilla River with K9s and drones by UTPD and the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, officials say. Jones’ family has also participated in the search.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation stated Friday that the MMIW Search & Hope Alliance will be at the Umatilla Indian Reservation next weekend to assist in the search for Jones with specialty equipment.
The equipment will help in searching “the deep pockets of the water.”
If you have footage of the area in question, or you have information regarding the case, you are encouraged to contact the UTPD at 541-278-0550 or Morris at 541-969-7139.
[Feature Photo via Umatilla Tribal Police Department]
