Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos

Charles Howard Kindred III


Kindred, date, approximate 2001; Robert Levesque
Date Missing 10/01/2001
Missing From
Winter Haven, Florida
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Male
Race
White
Date of Birth 10/23/1973 (48)
Age 27 years old
Height and Weight 5'9 - 5'10, 120 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A striped t-shirt, blue denim shorts, and a Florida Gators baseball cap.
Medical Conditions Kindred has a skin condition that causes his skin to shred, crack, or appear burned.
Associated Vehicle(s) White Ford F-150 pickup truck (accounted for)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Sandy blond hair, brown or blue eyes. Kindred may go by his initials, C.H.
Details of Disappearance Kindred dropped his children off at day care on the morning of October 1, 2001 and then continued on to a now-defunct auto parts store on State Route 60 east of Bartow, Florida. He was last seen talking to two men at the business. He was never heard from again after that. His white Ford F-150 pickup truck was later found abandoned at a Lakeland Speedway convenience store located at Comtree Road and A-Z Parkway.
Kindred had sole custody of his three young children in 2001 and is described as a devoted family man, and it's uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning or be out of touch with his loved ones.
Robert Ernest Levesque was indicted for second-degree murder in Kindred's in July 2003, but the charges were dropped in April 2005, before the could go to trial. He was indicted again, this time for first-degree murder, in May of that year. A photo of him is posted with this summary.
Levesque, a career criminal with convictions dating back to 1969, was one of the men last seen with Kindred, and surveillance camera footage proved it was he who parked Kindred's vehicle where it was later found abandoned.
Levesque owned a "chop shop" that processed stolen vehicles, and Kindred had arranged to buy a "chopped" Ford pickup truck from him, but Levesque told him he wouldn't be able to sell him the truck. Kindred allegedly became angry and threatened to expose Levesque's criminal activities to the police. Authorities believe this was the motive for the murder.
At one point in 2002, Levesque offered to lead authorities to Kindred's body, but the deal fell through and he refused to cooperate any further. At his trial in late 2005, Levesque's attorney argued there was no hard evidence to connect him to Kindred's murder and no proof Kindred was even dead.
Levesque's girlfriend testified against him, stating he had borrowed a shotgun on the day Kindred disappeared and when he returned it, there were signs that it had been fired. A cellmate of Levesque also testified, saying Levesque told him he killed Kindred to silence him.
Levesque was convicted of second-degree murder in December 2005, and sentenced to life in prison. He maintains his innocence.
Foul play is suspected in Kindred's disappearance due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Polk County Sheriff's Office
863-534-6379
Other
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The Tampa Tribune
The Lakeland Ledger

Missing Person Photos

A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos