Charles left his family's apartment in the 500 block of 40th Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee at 3:00 p.m. on December 31, 1981. He walked to his former girlfriend's residence in the 300 block of 37th Avenue north. They had recently broken up. According to the ex-girlfriend, Charles tried to convince her to change her mind about the breakup, but she refused, and he left her home crying at 5:00 p.m. When she asked him where he was going, he said, "Don't worry about it." He never returned home and has never been heard from again. Charles has a birthmark on his right cheek. His nicknames are Charlie and Little Charlie.