Melvin Luther Wilson, 44, of St. Paul, Minnesota, disappeared on September 15, 1971, the day he was due to appear in federal court on counterfeit charges connected to operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He never showed up for that court date and despite investigations and searches has not been seen or heard from since.

Wilson was described as about 6 feet tall, 175 to 195 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes, a tattoo of an anchor on his right forearm and a scar over his right eye. He has been considered both a fugitive and a missing person; over the years there has been speculation linking his disappearance to criminal activity or the possibility he assumed a new identity, but no solid evidence has emerged to explain what happened.