GA GA - Charles Hosch, 67, Dallas Law Partner and SMU Professor last seen hiking Appalachian Trail, Union County - 11/11/2025

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  • #21
DBM double post
 
  • #22
IceIce9 said:
The hiker’s account confirmed to the family that Hosch made it to the summit, something they weren’t sure of because “he wasn't really wearing proper hiking shoes.”
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Oh dear. They should check all the places he could possibly fall into after slipping on the trail.
 
  • #23
Ground search is being scaled back so specialist k9s can get searching.

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  • #24
Hexe said:
Oh dear. They should check all the places he could possibly fall into after slipping on the trail.
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He was dressed as if he was taking a walk around the local city park, not up a very rocky, reportingly sometimes challenging hike to the summit so I'm thinking the decision to go to the top was somewhat spur of the moment as it was such a pleasant day. For someone with his outdoors experience and his intellect, his doing so with possibly inadequate footwear or without backpack or small daypack with food/water (as best as I could tell from the photo) made me wonder if he was having any signs of cognitive decline, albeit early. That, or dehydration, could have resulted in confusion on the descent. I hope the K9's are able to pick up a scent on him. His family is so very wrorried.
 
  • #25
GraceG said:
He was dressed as if he was taking a walk around the local city park, not up a very rocky, reportingly sometimes challenging hike to the summit so I'm thinking the decision to go to the top was somewhat spur of the moment as it was such a pleasant day. For someone with his outdoors experience and his intellect, his doing so with possibly inadequate footwear or without backpack or small daypack with food/water (as best as I could tell from the photo) made me wonder if he was having any signs of cognitive decline, albeit early. That, or dehydration, could have resulted in confusion on the descent. I hope the K9's are able to pick up a scent on him. His family is so very wrorried.
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I agree with you, completely. That is my deduction as well.
 
  • #26
Hopefully the K9’s are able to locate Charles, I feel awful for his family.
 
  • #27
Sadly it seems that today is the last day the k9s will be out searching. Fingers crossed.
 
  • #28
I didn't realise they were updating their search efforts on Charles law website.

www.hoschmorris.com

About the Search for Charles M. Hosch — Hosch & Morris, PLLC

Last Updated, November 24, 2025: Charles M. Hosch, a beloved Dallas attorney and SMU law professor, has been missing since Tuesday, November 11, 2025, after setting out to hike the Byron Herbert Reece Trail near Blood Mountain in Union County, Georgia, where extensive search and rescue operations ha
www.hoschmorris.com www.hoschmorris.com
 
  • #29
A cold snap is coming in which worries me. Does anyone know if Charles had discovered a recent illness? Before this most recent warm spell, we had some cold weather and it sounds like Charles was not dressed for staying any length of time on the trail. Sounded like no food provisions either. Had he lost a close relative or wife? Just trying to figure out a little about his state of mind. It's about 2.5 hours from me but after Thanksgiving, I may head up to hike with my dogs. Although thinking I may find him after search and rescue would be quite difficult. He must have gotten really turned around. Perhaps he experienced a medical event and became disoriented leading him further from the path. This is so worrisome to me.
 
  • #30
I keep thinking about Geraldine Largay just two miles from the trail. "Geraldine Largay (2013): A 66-year-old hiker who disappeared on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. Her body was found two years later just two miles from the trail, after she had gone off path to relieve herself and couldn't find her way back. She survived for 26 days and kept a journal."-AI
 
  • #31
It’s been raining pretty hard in north atlanta all day. It hardly rained at all during the warm snap, but it looks like the weather’s changed.
 
  • #32
bluefantastic said:
It’s been raining pretty hard in north atlanta all day. It hardly rained at all during the warm snap, but it looks like the weather’s changed.
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Yes, a cold front's coming in. I'm 45 minutes away from you. The weather was warm though, despite the rain. Even the nights have been mild. This is the best time for searching because the leaves have been falling big time and it's a lot easier to see now and before the snow. A lot of the weeds and grasses are shriveling up and turning brown too. I can see my neighbors homes now through the woods when I couldn't during the summer months.
 
  • #33
Where could Charles be?
I see there are a couple of lookout points on the trail where you could slip on the smooth rock. But searchers would have checked below those points fairly early on.
It doesn't look like the trail has a lot of forks/offshoots and the weather was dry. Also it's a fairly busy trail, even in November (based on AllTrails reviews that I read).
I, like others, am concerned that he didn't have proper hiking shoes nor hiking clothing and gear.
Where are you Charles?

The upcoming cold snap is concerning.

Hikers on the trail are aware that Charles is missing.

1764114542496.webp
 
  • #34
  • #35
Snoopster said:
Where could Charles be?
I see there are a couple of lookout points on the trail where you could slip on the smooth rock. But searchers would have checked below those points fairly early on.
It doesn't look like the trail has a lot of forks/offshoots and the weather was dry. Also it's a fairly busy trail, even in November (based on AllTrails reviews that I read).
I, like others, am concerned that he didn't have proper hiking shoes nor hiking clothing and gear.
Where are you Charles?

The upcoming cold snap is concerning.

Hikers on the trail are aware that Charles is missing.
Click to expand...


Glad to see you on this story, Snoopster.

I’ve been surprised so little attention has been paid to this case in the forums (not just websleuths), because I have found the story worrisome, riveting and I followed it closely each day.

The family must be in agony, I simply cannot imagine what that must be like.

And, simply put, how can someone go missing on a short hike and never found?

I’ve gone over all the general possibilities I can think of which I’m listing below. Of course, some could occur in combinations.
MOO.

Perhaps the effect of emotions - he had just spent time with his brother settling some family things. He was taking a jar of soil from that area of Georgia, place of his origin, back to Texas. Perhaps he was very emotional and that caused him to be distracted and get lost. Or take steps he would not ordinarily take.

Perhaps he encountered a malevolent person. But his credit cards have not been used, as far as I’ve read, his car not taken, and a 67 year old man is not typically the profile of someone taken for other reasons. It’s possible but I think less likely.

Perhaps he got lost and fell somewhere difficult to find.

Perhaps he sought refuge in somewhere difficult to find.

Perhaps he left the area on foot or in someone’s car.

Perhaps he had a stroke or heart attack (but in that case why was it impossible to find him? Unless he was far off the trail by that point.)

Perhaps dementia caused him to get lost, or to leave his car and walk away on foot, etc.

Perhaps he learned he had a sickness, perhaps deciding to decide things on his own terms.

Perhaps a hunting accident. Perhaps the hunter tried to cover things up - but I’d think the dogs would have detected something like this.

Lastly, any combination of the above.

The dogs detected his scent in 2 areas. I wonder where those 2 areas were.

Wishing the best for his family and that he is found.

All for now.
 
  • #36
  • #37
What a lovely website they created for Charles. He sounds like such a wonderful man.

I fear he slipped and fell somewhere that's hard for searchers to see. The website has updates on the search. I hope the new searchers have luck next week.

www.bringcharleshome.com

About the Search | Join the Search Today — #BringCharlesHome

Learn about the ongoing search efforts for Charles, including rescue operations and safety tips for hikers, as we work to bring him home safely.
www.bringcharleshome.com www.bringcharleshome.com
 
  • #38
Couldn't help but think about him all day today. The cold snap is here and it's expected to be 28 degrees F. Too cold right now. Charles was dressed nicely. He did have a coat but no sweater. Does anyone know if he had a day pack with him or hiking shoes? I figure they must know these things by now.
 
  • #39
If the video still of him is when he's heading to the trail, it didn't look like he had a daypack. I seem to recall a report that he wasn't wearing dayhikers or hiking boots, but I'm not certain. I just remember thinking he looked like he wasn't planning an up-and-back hike, more just a short hike to enjoy being in the woods and mountains. I was so surprised someone reported seeing him on his way down, and it sounded like he may have summited or gotten close to the summit.

The cold weather is a distressing addition to the situation.
 
Last edited:
  • #40
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