Enigmatic Elderly Man Lives On Cruise Ship For Years, Cops Step In

Wilson’s Story

He was born and raised in Brooklyn; up until 1946, he had spent time abroad with the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence. He had seen a lot of things and had a lot of stories from that time.

After that, he met his wife and started working as a pharmacist, earning about $65 a week. But after a few years, his luck had taken a wild turn.

Success

During his time in the navy, he was acquainted with a German textile manufacturer who asked him to introduce lace-making machines to the U.S. From then on, Wilson built what became his own successful lace-making business.

Since that time, most of the lace production moved from the West to China, where labor is cheaper. However, his company has managed to stay afloat. It still owns 45 of the 70 machines currently producing lace in America. 

Retirement

However, Wilson retired in 1989 and left the business in the hands of one of his grandsons. Since then, he had spent most of his time at sea; he and his wife loved cruise ships, and they would spend months sailing.

But at one point, his beloved wife passed away; and things had never been the same for Wilson. So he took a drastic decision.

Living At Sea

He decided to spend the rest of his days living on a cruise ship. He had a condo in Boca Raton, Florida, where he kept his possessions.

But at least 3 or 4 years had passed since he last set foot there. To Jill, something still didn’t quite add up. 

The Officer 

Jill was still curious about one thing. Everything the older man had explained showed that he was an upstanding person in many ways. 

What Jill had witnessed that morning didn’t quite fit the image. So why was he seemingly being interrogated by police officers?

Legal Problems

The man explained that his peculiar lifestyle meant he had to contend with unusual legal problems. Jill was suddenly very intrigued again. 

He had seemed a straight-laced figure so far. Jill wondered if there wasn’t something else to the older man, perhaps a dark side. 

Strange Lifestyle

While certainly intriguing, there was no doubt that the man’s lifestyle was also extraordinary. If he did own property, it begged the question as to why he chose to live on a ship. 

On the other hand, if he was happy to live on the ship, why did he bother keeping the property on the mainland. Jill’s journalist instincts were going into overdrive. 

The Mystery Deepens 

Now that Jill thought about it, much of his story seemed a little odd. He had lived on the ship for so long, but none of the crew seemed to know that much about him. 

Was that a coincidence or by design? Jill had met guarded people before. Her experience had shown her that they were usually this way because they had something to hide. 

Another Possibility 

As Jill listened to his story, she kept these troublesome thoughts to herself. If the older man did have a darker side to him, she didn’t want to spook him or let on her suspicions. 

It suddenly dawned on her that Wilson reminded her of another person she had once interviewed. A new worrying possibility crossed her mind as she thought of this man. 

The Old Runner

Years back, Jill had covered a story that shocked her to her core. It had made her doubt everything she’d ever known about taking people at face value. 

The man in question had seemed like an ideal family man. As she dug deeper into the story, she realized how innovative criminals could be when they wanted to evade the truth. 

Bobby Love 

The man Jill had previously written a story on was known as “Bobby Love”. On the surface, he had lived an extraordinary life as a family man and was beyond reproach. 

However, in Bobby’s case, his wife and kids unexpectedly discovered that he held a shocking secret. It seems Bobby had been hiding his whole life. 

Parallels With Bobby 

In Bobby Love’s case, he had relocated to New York and lived an idyllic life for over 30 years. He was a devoted husband and father and an active member of his church and community. 

That was until the FBI came knocking with a warrant one day. Only then did Bobby’s family learn that he had been an escaped convict who had evaded the law for three decades. 

Surely Not 

As Jill looked at the wizened old man in front of her with his kindly face and gentle demeanor, she couldn’t help but trust him. He seemed far too likable. 

However, the fact that he had been living on a cruise ship all this time was weird at best. It could make sense if he were a fugitive that was afraid of ever returning to the mainland. 

Unanswered Questions 

Jill realized she was skipping ahead and allowing her reporter brain to over-analyze everything. As she listened instead, she realized that Wilson seemed to be upfront. 

He explained that since his possessions were all still stored in a property he owned on the mainland, he often needed police intervention.

It Made Sense

He confirmed that since his property was left vacant so often, he sometimes had to contend with vandals and squatters. Luckily, he had a good relationship with the local police.

The two officers had actually wanted to see him to clarify some paperwork regarding a misunderstanding about the house. Jill was relieved but still had one burning question. 

A Strange Choice

Given that Wilson was successful, he obviously wasn’t living on the ship out of necessity. He’d explained that he and his wife loved going on cruises. 

However, he could have chosen to keep going on them for holidays. If he still had property on the mainland, the big question was, why choose to live on the ship full time?