In August of 2000, the dry heat of West Texas became the backdrop for one of the state’s most haunting mysteries. Samuel Jones, a respected geology teacher from Houston, was known for his meticulous nature and love of the outdoors. That summer, he planned what seemed like a straightforward but memorable adventure: a father–daughter trip to Guadalupe Peak, the tallest point in Texas.

His 14-year-old daughter Simone, an aspiring artist, would accompany him. Their plan was simple—hike to the summit, spend the night beneath the desert sky, let Simone sketch the Milky Way in its full brilliance, and then call home from the top to assure Eleanor, Simone’s mother, that they were safe. The trip was as much about family bonding as it was about passion, uniting Samuel’s devotion to earth sciences with Simone’s blossoming love of art. On August 8, Samuel carried out his well-known ritual of preparation. His colleagues described him as methodical, someone who folded maps carefully, checked gear more than once, and packed each supply with precision. Simone, on the other hand, brought the lighthearted spirit of a teenager about to enter high school.

She was excited to draw the stars in a sky untouched by city lights. Before leaving in her father’s old Ford pickup, Simone asked Eleanor if she thought she would really be able to draw the Milky Way. Eleanor replied with a smile, “You’ll draw it better than anyone ever has.” Neither could have known those would be the last words between them before silence fell. When the promised call never came by Friday evening, Eleanor’s unease grew into alarm. By Saturday morning, park rangers were contacted. The search that followed was large and intense. Helicopters scanned the rocky ridges from the air, search dogs followed possible trails, and volunteers fanned out across the park.

Before long, Samuel’s truck was located at the Pine Springs trailhead, and their names were in the trail logbook, confirming they had set out. Yet beyond that, there was nothing—no footprints, no abandoned gear, no sign of distress. After five fruitless days, the official search was scaled back and the disappearance labeled a probable hiking accident. But for Eleanor, the lack of answers felt unbearable, like a door being shut far too soon. Life moved forward around her, but Eleanor remained anchored to the moment Samuel and Simone vanished. She dusted Samuel’s geology books regularly, preserved Simone’s last sketchbook in a protective case, and refused to let go of Samuel’s promise: “We’ll call you from the top.”

The unanswered questions haunted her. Had they lost their way? Been caught in a storm? Or crossed paths with someone else on the trail? For 13 years, the mystery lingered with no resolution. Then, in September 2013, two seasoned hikers ventured off the established trails into steep, rarely traveled terrain. From a distance, they saw a strip of fabric fluttering on a cliffside. Approaching cautiously, they found a sun-bleached tent anchored to a ledge with bolts. Inside were human remains, later confirmed through dental records to be those of Samuel and Simone.

But the discovery raised more questions. The ledge was extremely difficult to access, requiring climbing skills Samuel wasn’t known to possess. The bolts used to secure the tent were heavy-duty, not the sort typically used by recreational campers. The site suggested someone else may have been involved. Among the belongings were two weathered backpacks, a corroded camp stove, and Simone’s sketchbook. While most pages were ruined, a few had survived. One drawing depicted Samuel and Simone hiking together, but behind them was a third figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat with shaded eyes. Next to the figure Simone had written a single name: Caleb. Detective Angela Miller, reviewing the evidence, dug into park records and found a 1999 report about a man named Caleb Brody, who had harassed a family near the park.

He had once lived on the park’s edge, working briefly for a concessionaire, before selling his property and leaving after the Joneses disappeared. When investigators eventually located Brody in Oregon, he denied any connection to Samuel or Simone. With no physical evidence linking him to the case, prosecutors declined to pursue charges, and the deaths remained officially undetermined. Some search team members later admitted that early assumptions about a simple hiking accident may have limited the initial investigation. The lack of definitive forensic evidence left Eleanor without the answers she had long sought. Today, Simone’s preserved sketches remain in Eleanor’s care, serving as both personal treasures and powerful reminders of the importance of thorough, unbiased investigations in missing person cases.

Eleanor has shared the story in the hope that it inspires future search and rescue efforts to consider every possibility, no matter how unlikely. Samuel and Simone’s trip was meant to be about sharing time together under the stars, but it ended in uncertainty. What remains are fragments of their journey—maps, notes, and Simone’s haunting sketches. Their memory endures in the rugged peaks they once climbed and in the determination of those who continue to seek the truth about what happened on Guadalupe Peak all those years ago.