Rolf Neslund, a 79-year-old retired sea captain and native of Norway, was last seen at his Lopez Island, Washington, home on August 5, 1980. Neighbors described a turbulent marriage to his wife Ruth, with frequent heavy drinking and violent arguments that sometimes drew police calls. Friends grew concerned when Rolf, who kept regular contact with loved ones, vanished without his clothing, eyeglasses, or vital diabetes medication, and his financial accounts went untouched.

Rolf’s car was later found abandoned at the Anacortes ferry terminal with no clear indication who had driven it there. Ruth initially told investigators he had left on August 14, 1980, possibly for Norway with a former girlfriend, a claim that investigators found inconsistent with his habits. In February 1981 friends reported him missing and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation.

Family testimony grew more ominous when Ruth’s brother Paul Myers said she admitted shooting Rolf twice in the head with the help of their brother Robert Myers, then dismembering and burning the body and scattering the ashes on the property. Rolf’s body has never been recovered. Did anyone on Lopez Island in 1980 see Rolf, his car near the ferry, or notice unusual activity at the Neslund property?