CA CA - Betty, 76, & Louis Balas, 77, Los Angeles, 13 Dec 1980

[Gardener1850]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP27889
Betty Balas

Missing Person / NamUs #MP27888
Louis Balas

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact December 13, 1980
NamUs Case Created March 3, 2015
Last Known Location Map
Location Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles County

Circumstances of Disappearance
Betty Balas and her husband, Louis Balas (MP 27888), were last seen at their home in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles on December 13, 1980.

Transportation Comments: Louis and Betty Balas' automobile was found the day after their disappearance, 7 miles from their residence.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[UncoolNegated]

Louis Balas had been previously kidnapped in 1978. He was scheduled to testify against that person just days before his and his wife disappeared in 1980.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Louis Balas had been previously kidnapped in 1978. He was scheduled to testify against that person just days before his and his wife disappeared in 1980.

Yikes! Are there any newspaper articles out there about the case?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Louis had an "Artificial body part/aid and wears glasses"

Any idea what the artificial body part was? Is it something besides a hearing "aid" maybe? Did he have an injury from the military?

 

[UncoolNegated]

Yikes! Are there any newspaper articles out there about the case?

LA Time Dec 18 1980. Attached excerpt.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Sounds like they were taken at gunpoint.....
Facebook Post dated 2/24/2016
Unsolved Cold Cases

Louis Balas
#Missing Since: December 13, 1980 from Los Angeles, #California
Date Of Birth: June 26, 1903
Age: 77 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Gray hair, brown eyes. Louis has a receding hairline. He wears eyeglasses.

Louis was last seen at his home in the Wilshire district of #LosAngeles, California on December 13, 1980. He disappeared together with his wife, Betty, and neither of them have ever been heard from again.
When authorities checked the Balas residence, they found the front door open, the television set turned on and the bathtub filled with water. There were no indications of a struggle. The couple's car was found the next day, seven miles from their home. They vanished the day before Louis was supposed to testify against a man who allegedly kidnapped and robbed him in 1978, but it hasn't been proven that their disappearances were related to his testimony.
Foul play is suspected in the Balases' cases, which remain unsolved.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
California Department Of Justice
Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit
916-227-3244
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/balas_louis.html

 

[PayrollNerd]

CA DOJ website has sooooo little info......

Louis Balas

 

[UncoolNegated]

One, Larry Eugene Boyce was convicted of kidnapping Louis Balas in 1978. At this kidnapping, Boyce demanded money. The trial was a few days after the Dec. 18 1980 kidnaping, according to the journalism of the early 1980s. When you read the original journalism, it seems like Boyce had a motive to disappear Balas. However, I didn't find anything that conclusively linked him to rekidnapping Balas. Police considered the couple dead as early as April 1981. Indeed, at this point there is no hope that they are alive given their ages at that time and that nearly 40 years has gone by. It would be nice if surviving relatives had closure.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Here it mentions he had a heart condition.

560DMCA - Louis Balas
Name: Louis Balas
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: December 13, 1980
Location Last Seen: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California

Physical Description
Date of Birth: June 26, 1903
Age: 77 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair Color: Gray
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Has a heart condition

Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Louis Balas and his wife, Betty , were last seen at their Wilshire district home on December 13, 1980. Police found their television on, a bathtub filled with water and the front door of their house open. Nothing was missing from the house, and there were no signs of struggle. Their car was found the next day, seven miles away.

Balas disappeared a few days before he was set to testify in a case against a man who allegedly robbed and kidnapped Balas in 1978. Foul play is suspected.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: California Department of Justice: Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 916-227-3290
Agency E-Mail: [email protected]
Agency Case Number: 80-822058

NCIC Case Number: M-673438284
NamUs Case Number: Unknown

Information Source(s)
CA DOJ

Admin Notes
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated:2/14/18

 

[PayrollNerd]

One, Larry Eugene Boyce was convicted of kidnapping Louis Balas in 1978. At this kidnapping, Boyce demanded money. The trial was a few days after the Dec. 18 1980 kidnaping, according to the journalism of the early 1980s. When you read the original journalism, it seems like Boyce had a motive to disappear Balas. However, I didn't find anything that conclusively linked him to rekidnapping Balas. Police considered the couple dead as early as April 1981. Indeed, at this point there is no hope that they are alive given their ages at that time and that nearly 40 years has gone by. It would be nice if surviving relatives had closure.

Be sure to edit your post and add a main stream media link to the Eugene Boyce story.

 

[PayrollNerd]

So, who had a baby???

Police seek three in apparent kidnap of elederly couple
Date: 12/19/1980
LOS ANGELES -- Detectives searched Friday for a man and two women in the apparent kidnapping of an elderly couple who disappeared from their home last weekend.

Police Lt. Gray Reichling, who released composite drawings of the suspects, said the descriptions were gathered with the help of unidentified citizens who responded to a police request for help in the case. One of the women being sought was believed to be pregnant.

Snipped:
Reichling would not say who supplied police with the descriptions and refused to provide further details in the case.

Police and prosecutors are trying not to prejudice a variety of cases now pending against Larry Eugene Boyce, 29, a convicted killer who is charged with 14 felonies, including the 1978 kidnapping and robbery of Balas.

Balas was scheduled to testify last Monday against Boyce, who was ordered back to jail Thursday when prosecutors complained that his freedom on $110,000 bail -- in light of the Balas' disappearance -- was frightening other witnesses.

Boyce allegedly jumped Balas and tried to kidnap him two years ago in an underground parking garage at a local bank. Balas was allegedly forced to go to a bank and cash a check.

Despite objections from defense lawyer Walter Gordon, who said Boyce had agreed to be questioned by police about the apparent kidnapping of the couple, Judge Williams Keene revoked the bail and ordered the defendant jailed.

 

[Concertqueen]

One, Larry Eugene Boyce was convicted of kidnapping Louis Balas in 1978. At this kidnapping, Boyce demanded money. The trial was a few days after the Dec. 18 1980 kidnaping, according to the journalism of the early 1980s. When you read the original journalism, it seems like Boyce had a motive to disappear Balas. However, I didn't find anything that conclusively linked him to rekidnapping Balas. Police considered the couple dead as early as April 1981. Indeed, at this point there is no hope that they are alive given their ages at that time and that nearly 40 years has gone by. It would be nice if surviving relatives had closure.

So, who had a baby???

Police seek three in apparent kidnap of elederly couple
Date: 12/19/1980
LOS ANGELES -- Detectives searched Friday for a man and two women in the apparent kidnapping of an elderly couple who disappeared from their home last weekend.

Police Lt. Gray Reichling, who released composite drawings of the suspects, said the descriptions were gathered with the help of unidentified citizens who responded to a police request for help in the case. One of the women being sought was believed to be pregnant.

Snipped:
Reichling would not say who supplied police with the descriptions and refused to provide further details in the case.

Police and prosecutors are trying not to prejudice a variety of cases now pending against Larry Eugene Boyce, 29, a convicted killer who is charged with 14 felonies, including the 1978 kidnapping and robbery of Balas.

Balas was scheduled to testify last Monday against Boyce, who was ordered back to jail Thursday when prosecutors complained that his freedom on $110,000 bail -- in light of the Balas' disappearance -- was frightening other witnesses.

Boyce allegedly jumped Balas and tried to kidnap him two years ago in an underground parking garage at a local bank. Balas was allegedly forced to go to a bank and cash a check.

Despite objections from defense lawyer Walter Gordon, who said Boyce had agreed to be questioned by police about the apparent kidnapping of the couple, Judge Williams Keene revoked the bail and ordered the defendant jailed.

I work as a caregiver for the daughter in law of Mr.and Mrs. Balas, she tells me the story of what happened and how hard they searched with no outcome, she mentions that her husband who unfortunately passed away in 2011 never came to have that closure of where his parents were at least the remains. Though she is 100% that Boyce is the one that kidnapped them she says that she is still sadden that’s Boyce is charged with another charge and not with kidnapping and or murder for her in laws, she is 87 years old now and she knows she’ll meet her husband in the afterlife soon but she’ll go without knowing where the remains were and if this case will ever be solved, but I for one is someone who will continue to look into this cold case and give the grandson to Mr. Louis Balas some type of closure as well of his grandfather and grandmother.

 

[Laughing]

Welcome to Websleuths, @Concertqueen !

Thanks for your input into this sad, sad story.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I work as a caregiver for the daughter in law of Mr.and Mrs. Balas, she tells me the story of what happened and how hard they searched with no outcome, she mentions that her husband who unfortunately passed away in 2011 never came to have that closure of where his parents were at least the remains. Though she is 100% that Boyce is the one that kidnapped them she says that she is still sadden that’s Boyce is charged with another charge and not with kidnapping and or murder for her in laws, she is 87 years old now and she knows she’ll meet her husband in the afterlife soon but she’ll go without knowing where the remains were and if this case will ever be solved, but I for one is someone who will continue to look into this cold case and give the grandson to Mr. Louis Balas some type of closure as well of his grandfather and grandmother.

Welcome to WS! It’s good to have the perspective of someone close. Be aware that the terms of service (TOS) do require a main stream media (MSM) link. In the alternative, you click edit on your post and add that this is just my opinion (JMO) or reach out to a moderator to become a Verified Insider (VI). You’ll want to do one of these 3 options in order to keep your “unofficial” information from being deleted.

Please give our regards to the family. Praying they learn more info and their family is returned to them soon.

 

[tiffkinsadder]

LA Time Dec 18 1980. Attached excerpt.

Wow!

 

[teo4all]

Original KNXT Channel 2 News Update at 11pm report on 6/23/1981 regarding this case

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Betty Balas – The Charley Project

Louis Balas – The Charley Project