Louis was last seen at his home in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles, California on December 13, 1980. He disappeared together with his wife, Betty Balas, and neither of them have ever been heard from again. Photographs of Betty are unavailable. She's described as Caucasian with blonde hair and brown eyes, 5'4 and 140 pounds. Her date of birth is February 2, 1904; she was 76 years old at the time of her disappearance.

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.