Craig Rodgers Melton was 34 years old when he was last known to have been in Fargo, North Dakota, on September 17, 2020. Public missing-person records identify him as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, with reported weights ranging from about 190 to 220 pounds. He was described as wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans, and he had distinctive tattoos, including tattoos on his forearms. His case is listed by NamUs as Missing Person / NamUs #MP74312.
According to public case summaries, Craig was last seen in the company of two men and was believed to be giving them a ride from Fargo to Belcourt, North Dakota, a community located on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. He was driving a maroon and red 1999 Saturn SL with Oregon license plate 653KYU. Those who knew Craig reportedly found his sudden lack of contact deeply unusual, and the circumstances quickly became alarming because he did not return, reach out, or resume normal contact with family and friends.
Craig’s Saturn was later found in Belcourt, on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. The Charley Project reports that the car was found inoperable and abandoned in a wooded area, with the dash and rear seat removed. The discovery of the vehicle without Craig only intensified concern for his safety and left investigators and loved ones searching for answers about what happened after he left Fargo.
As the investigation developed, the Fargo Police Department sent detectives to the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation to interview potential witnesses, and the case was eventually taken up by the FBI. The FBI now describes Craig as a murder victim and states that its Minneapolis Field Office is seeking the public’s help regarding his murder and disappearance. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible and/or the location of Craig’s remains.
Reporting on unsealed federal court documents has described witness accounts connected to the days after Craig left Fargo. According to KFGO, coworkers saw him with two men at Kroll’s Diner in Fargo on September 17, 2020, and Craig said he was giving them a ride. A friend reportedly saw him later that night, and that was the last time loved ones saw him. The same report describes later witness statements from Rolette County and allegations involving a dispute, possible blood evidence, and claims made by another individual, but those details come from court-document reporting and should be understood as part of the investigative record rather than a complete public account of what happened.
Craig’s disappearance remains a painful unresolved loss for the people who love him. Public sources reflect both the early missing-person investigation and the later federal characterization of the case as a murder investigation, while also showing that authorities continue to seek information. Anyone with information is asked by the FBI to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip through the FBI’s online tip system; the Fargo Police Department has also been identified as an investigating agency in public missing-person listings.Last Seen: Sep 17, 2020
