21 year old Henry Louis Baltimore Jr was last seen in East Lansing, Michigan on May 30, 1973. He disappeared a few days before he was set to testify against a man who robbed him at gunpoint.
Background
Henry Louis Baltimore Jr was born on January 16, 1952 and is the second oldest of eight children. He graduated from Parkside High School in Jackson, Michigan in 1970.
At the time of his disappearance, he was was a social science honor student and the drum major for the Michigan State University Marching Band.
He worked at the MSU library and lived with three roommates in an off campus apartment at 340 Oak Hill Avenue.
His loved ones do not believe he would have left voluntarily, as he always kept in close contact with them.
Disappearance
On May 30, 1973, Henry Louis Baltimore Jr was last seen at his off campus apartment in the 300 block of Oak Hill Avenue in East Lansing, Michigan.
When his sister went to the apartment to get a paper from him she discovered he was missing. His roommate told her he had gone to the library and never returned.
Henry hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
After the paper’s due date his sister still hadn’t heard from him, so she contacted their father who subsequently reported him missing.
Investigation
Henry’s vehicle, a 1968 Buick, was found at his home, about an hour and a half after he was last seen. All of his belongings, including his keys, money, and clothes, were left inside his apartment.
Henry disappeared a few days before he was set to testify in an armed robbery case.
In March of 1973, Henry went to the police to report that he had been attacked and robbed at gunpoint in his apartment by two males.
He didn’t report the robbery for two weeks because he said one of the suspects, Roy L Davis of Flint, had threatened him.
Roy Davis was arrested and charged with the robbery. Henry told his sister that Davis had threatened to kill him, and asked prosecutors to drop the case. They refused.
Henry did not appear for the preliminary examination in early May, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He was fined $50 and forced to testify at the new preliminary examination on May 24, 1973.
Davis’ arraignment was set for June 1, 1973, but Henry disappeared before he could testify.
Neighbors state they saw Davis knocking on Henry’s front door the day he went missing.
Another police report states that two men in a green car showed up at Henry’s apartment that night and were knocking on his door. Neighbors also state the two men were asking if they knew where Henry was.
Roy Davis later pleaded guilty to felonious assault with intent to commit robbery. He was sentenced to six months in jail.
He has never been charged in connection with Henry’s disappearance. No physical evidence linking him to the disappearance has been found, and Davis’ mother provided an alibi for him on the night Henry disappeared.
Police originally thought Henry had gone into hiding because of the death threats, but later determined he likely met with foul play.
Police believe Henry was home alone when two men began knocking on his apartment door.
Since there were no signs of forced entry, they believe he opened the door for the men and was taken into the green car that was seen in the area.
East Lansing police Detective Steve Gonzalez said Baltimore is still classified as a missing person because no concrete evidence of a homicide or kidnapping has been found.
Appearance
Black male born on January 16, 1952. Henry has black hair, brown eyes, stands 6’2 tall, and weighs 175 pounds.
Clothing & Accessories:
Henry was last seen wearing a black turtleneck sweater, light gray pants, and black and gray shoes.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Henry Louis Baltimore Jr please contact the East Lansing Police Department at (517) 351-4220, the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office at (517) 676-2431, or Crime Stoppers at (800) SPEAK-UP.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $2,500 for information that leads to an arrest in the disappearance of Henry Baltimore Jr.