Summary based on the NamUs case record (CP999656395) and
1 other sourceMelvyn Walter Butzlaff was 87 years old when he went missing from Ormond Beach, Florida, and his case is classified as an endangered missing person. He is described as a White male, about 5'6" and 140 pounds, with graying brown hair and brown eyes. He was balding, wore prescription eyeglasses, and was known to suffer from dementia, which can increase vulnerability to confusion, disorientation, and exploitation.
In 2014, Melvyn was living with his son, Robert Butzlaff, in the 600 block of B Robin Road in Ormond Beach. Investigators noted that, outside of his son, the last confirmed contact from family was earlier in 2014, when his daughter in Casselberry, Florida, saw or spoke with him. Months later, when she could no longer reach him, she was the one who alerted authorities that he was missing.
According to the account provided by his son, Melvyn left Ormond Beach in late August 2014 with a caregiver known only as “Beverly A.” She was described as a White woman in her seventies who drove a white Lincoln, and the pair were believed to have traveled toward Greenville, South Carolina. After that trip, his son said he never heard from his father again, and Melvyn’s cell phone was later found to be turned off. Authorities reported they were unable to locate either Melvyn or the alleged caregiver in the Greenville area, leaving the circumstances of his disappearance unclear.
Police publicly stated that Melvyn had not been seen for more than two months by the time the missing-person investigation became known, and that his son had not reported him missing. The combination of a delayed report, an older adult with dementia, and an uncertain travel story complicated the early timeline and left major unanswered questions about where Melvyn went, who he was with, and what happened after he left Ormond Beach.
Years later, a federal case brought renewed attention to the disappearance without resolving it. In a February 2, 2023 U.S. Department of Justice press release, prosecutors stated that a Social Security beneficiary identified as “M.B.” was reported missing in October 2014 and “has never been located,” while his son was sentenced to federal prison for fraudulently redirecting and spending his missing father’s Social Security benefits. The court record described how the disappearance was not reported to the Social Security Administration, allowing payments to continue, but it did not provide an explanation of what happened to Melvyn or where he may be.
For those who may have seen Melvyn or have information about the woman described as his caregiver, even a small detail could matter for a family still living with uncertainty. Investigators listed for the case include the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the Ormond Beach Police Department.Last Seen: Aug 1, 2014
