Betty Balas, 76, and her husband Louis Balas, 77, vanished from their Wilshire district home in Los Angeles on December 13, 1980, sometime between 6:15 and 9:00 p.m. Officers who later entered the house found the front door open with a set of keys in the lock, the television on, and the bathtub full of water. No signs of struggle were reported; the couple’s maroon 1978 Cadillac and the car keys were missing. The Cadillac was recovered the next day in a vacant lot about seven miles from their home.

The disappearance came one day before Louis was due to testify in court against Larry Eugene Boyce, who had previously attacked, robbed, and threatened him in 1978. Boyce, who had a prior murder conviction and was out on bail at the time, was later convicted on various charges including the kidnapping of Louis, but authorities have not conclusively tied him to the Balases’ disappearance. Investigators have said they suspect foul play and the involvement of up to three people, including a woman who may have been pregnant. The couple has never been found.

Does anyone have memories of the Wilshire neighborhood in December 1980 or information about the car’s recovery that could help explain what happened to Betty and Louis?