Charles “Charlie” Hawkins was a 63 year old man living in New Mexico when he vanished without a trace.

Charles worked as an agricultural manager at New Mexico State University for 29 years. He was married at the time of his disappearance. The following is an excerpt from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) about Charles and his career:

“Charlie Hawkins’ career spanned 29 yrs (2/16/67 -- 3/31/96) with the college (New Mexico State University). He was the farm superintendent as the Mayfield farm was converted to a research center now known as the Leyendecker Plant Science Research Center. Charlie was raised in the Mesilla Valley and his familiarity with agriculture practices in the valley and gentle management style made him an effective manager. Charlie spoke Spanish and worked well with faculty, staff and students in three departments. He was invaluable to field researchers matching the skills of the farm crew to the needs of a very diverse faculty. Not only was he good with people, but also with farm machinery—a rare combination. In fact, he was very involved with the first drip irrigation project in the Mesilla Valley, and often involved in off-farm research activities for several faculty. He had “great practical knowledge” that he was always willing to share and was a “damn good man of the land”.” - Excerpt from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

Charles vanished without a trace in March of 1998.

On March 19, 1998, Charles was last seen driving in his pickup truck in Las Cruces, NM. Exactly one month later, on April 19, 1998, Charles’ pickup truck was found abandoned with the doors locked in a desert arroyo outside of Las Cruces, NM. Extensive searches of the area where his truck was found did not reveal any clues or evidence as to Charles’ whereabouts or what may have happened to him.

Where the case stands today.

Today, Charles has remained missing for more than 24 years, with no sign of him being found since his disappearance. Exactly five years to the date of Charles’ disappearance, on March 19, 1998, he was declared legally dead. His case has officially been labeled a ‘cold case’ by investigators, who continue to wait for new leads to be sent in. If you have any information regarding Charles' disappearance or his whereabouts, please contact the Las Cruces Police Department at (575) 526-0795.

At the time of his disappearance, Charles was described as a 63 year old caucasian man with thinning gray hair and brown eyes. He was between 5’6”-5’10” tall and weighed approximately 170-180 lbs. Charles has a scar on his lower left leg from his mid-calf to his inner thigh area that is roughly 2-3" wide and 8-9" long. Today, Charles would be 88 years old. According to his wife, Charles had shown suicidal tendencies prior to his disappearance.