Robert Wayne Connor, 61, was last seen on the evening of July 18, 2003, sitting at the bar of the Boxcar Grille on North Oxford Street in Claremont, North Carolina. A family member reported him missing six days later, on July 24, after attempts to contact him failed.

When investigators checked his 20-acre property on the 4100 block of Highway 70, several things looked out of character: his pickup truck was parked in an unusual spot, his Dachshund Rusty was found hungry and frantic, there were a stack of unanswered letters in the mailbox and fourteen unheard messages on his answering machine, and a .357 Magnum he kept under the couch cushions was missing. Early searches of nearby areas including Lyle Creek, Connor Park and the land around his home turned up nothing. In February 2006 authorities interviewed John Franklin Dickson, the last person known to have seen Connor, but that interview did not yield useful leads; a subsequent search of a pond a few miles from the home also proved unsuccessful.

The circumstances suggest he may not have left voluntarily and foul play is suspected, but the case remains unsolved. Anyone with information about Robert Connor or his movements the night of July 18, 2003, is asked to come forward.