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Case Description
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Robert Douglas Sparks, a 45-year-old private pilot and retired Air Force officer, went missing on November 19, 1972, after departing from McAllen, Texas. He had been hired by a man named Lonnie D. Shaw to fly around the lower Rio Grande Valley for a photography trip. The two left McAllen in a 1970 Piper Cherokee aircraft that Sparks had rented for the flight. At around 1:50 PM, Sparks contacted the FAA, stating they were en route to Tampico, Mexico, even though he lacked the required papers to e ...Read More
Last Seen: Nov 19, 1972
Last Seen: Nov 19, 1972
Links to Additional Sources (9)
See any mistakes?Victim Details
Apr 28, 2020
Sep 11, 2023
Robert
Sparks
97
45
70 inches
168 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
Nov 19, 1972
McAllen
Texas
Hidalgo County
No
262
81682
Federal Bureau of Investigation - San Antonio Field Office
San Antonio
Texas
Bexar County
78249
5740 University Heights Boulevard, Texas
2102256741
Federal
Law Enforcement
7-772
Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office
8965
Brown
Brown
Brown
11/25/2025
Area Last Seen:






