Name: Charles David Hope
Case Classification: Missing
Missing Since: March 31, 1982
Location Last Seen: Hernando Beach, Hernando County, Florida
Date of Birth: September 30, 1940
Age: 41 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 185 pounds
Hair Color: Grey
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Trimmed, tan, and in good condition
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available
Clothing: Blue Hawaiian shirt
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Charles Hope, a real estate broker from Hernando Beach, was reported missing on April 6, 1982. He was last seen on March 31, 1982, walking out of the Redfish Seafood and Steak House restaurant in Hernando Beach, carrying a plastic container of mustard greens under his arm. His late uncle, also named David, who sat and drank with Charlie that night at the Redfish, said Hope didn't appear to be particularly agitated and was most concerned about getting the mustard greens to his girlfriend's house.
On April 6, 1982, Mr. Hope's vehicle was found at his real estate office. No one has seen or heard from him since that day. Hope was a business leader, had held one political appointment and sought elected office; he was the scion of a pioneer Florida family. He was a well-known figure in Hernando nightspots, where he performed the nearly impossible task of juggling multiple romantic relationships in an area where everyone knew everyone.
There has been no activity on his Social Security number since his disappearance, no reported communications with any friend or family member, and, although rumors of his having appeared at family reunions constantly circulate, he has not. Two months before disappearing, Hope had resigned from his post as chairman of the Hernando Port Authority. The fact that he headed the Port Authority sometimes fuels speculation about connections to the tons of marijuana known to have been smuggled across the county's marshy coasts. He was a Shriner, past president of the local Lions Club and a member of the Hernando County Board of Realtors.
Most friends and relatives do not recall any strong signs of depression in Hope, although his first wife remembers him spending more time than usual on his final visit with his children that week. One son thought Charlie seemed depressed when he came to his graduation from military boot camp a short time before disappearing.
Agency Name: Hernando County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 82-06840; 352-754-6830
Agency E-Mail: 82-06840
Agency Case Number: 82-06840
NamUs Case Number: Unknown
NCIC Case Number: M-082966674
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office
St. Petersburg Times - 4/6/92 (The newspaper is now called the Tampa Bay Times)
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Added: Prior to 2012; Last Updated: 11-13-2021 - By: Htmlcnvtr
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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