Lee Roy Young, 56, was last seen having lunch at a Coco’s restaurant at 4700 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, Arizona, around 12:30 p.m. on May 4, 1990. The next day his plum-colored Lincoln Town Car was found burned beyond recognition in a remote area of Pinal County near Oracle, about one hundred miles south of Phoenix. The blaze destroyed much of the potential evidence in the vehicle.

Several unsettling details emerged during the investigation. A few hours after the last confirmed sighting — around 3:00 p.m. — calls were made from Young’s car phone; at least one call was traced to a payphone and another to a woman who later denied speaking with him. Thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry remained in the trunk, though his Rolex watch and his briefcase containing investigative files were missing.

Two main theories were discussed: a robbery related to his side business buying and selling jewelry, and retaliation linked to his work as a bank executive and fraud investigator. Young had told federal authorities he suspected his bank was being used in a money-laundering scheme with possible ties to a Colombian drug cartel. No suspects have been publicly named and the case remains unsolved.