Sometime during May 1981, Roman told his mother he was enlisting in the United States Army for 20 years. He lived on Hone Avenue in the New York City borough of the Bronx at the time. Roman has never been seen again. His family members contacted the military and discovered there was no record of Roman enlisting in the Army in 1981 or at any other time.

Roman's relatives learned that he had a residential address on West Bay Avenue in Tampa, Florida shortly after his disappearance. Stacks of unused personal checks from First National Bank in Tampa were discovered at his home, along with other personal possessions. He never cashed a tax refund check dated June 10, 1981. A friend told Roman's family members that Roman held a Florida driver's license and it was discovered that he owned a red Buick or Isuzu automobile with a black interior. Roman also owned a .25 automatic pistol, which was apparently registered in Florida as well. Florida records have been searched and no trace of Roman was discovered past 1981.

Roman was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx in New York City. After graduation from Samuel Gomper High School, he attended Hunter College in the Bronx for one year. Roman was dismissed from the United States Air Force in 1979, two years prior to his disappearance. He was previously employed with Time-Life Magazine in the New York City borough of Manhattan prior to May 1981. He frequented Mexico prior to his disappearance; he had a girlfriend there. He also liked to socialize in bars and clubs. Roman's case remains unsolved.