A Wonder Valley man pleaded guilty in a Joshua Tree courtroom Wednesday to killing a Twentynine Palms man and stealing his car two years ago. Bryon Calvert was reported missing by his family on January 30, 2019, when he didn’t arrive at a friend’s house as promised. Later that evening, Bobby Collins was spotted by a family member driving Calvert’s car on Interstate 10 in Indio at a high rate of speed. Collins was subsequently arrested by the California Highway Patrol. Investigators learned that Collins had recently started a relationship with Calvert. Sheriff’s deputies got a search warrant for Collins’ home in the 4700 block of Gillespie Road in Wonder Valley and found Calvert’s body. Collins was then arrested on suspicion of murdering Calvert. Following a mental health evaluation last month, which declared Collins competent, Bobby Collins pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, carjacking, mayhem, and assault with a deadly weapon not a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 6.
