Charles Samples Missing Person Case

Nov 28, 2011

Jul 08, 2023

Charles

Samples

98

37

68 inches

70 inches

140 lbs

160 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the spring of 1965, a 37-year-old man named Charles Daniel Samples, who often went by the nickname "Rusty," was in Tiptonville, Tennessee. At the time, he was living a transient life, traveling across the country by hopping on freight trains. This lifestyle was not unusual for him; he would often find work in a town for a period and then move on to the next. Despite his nomadic existence, Samples made it a point to stay in touch with his family, frequently visiting relatives in the different areas he passed through. It was through this connection that the last known trace of him was recorded. In May of that year, a cousin received a letter from him, postmarked from Tiptonville. The communication from Samples seemed routine, another stop on his journey. His cousin wrote back to him during the summer of 1965, but the letter was returned, unable to reach him. From that point on, no one in his family heard from or saw Charles "Rusty" Samples again. His disappearance was marked not by a specific event, but by the sudden and unending silence that followed the returned letter. The exact date of his last contact is noted as May 1, 1965. Over the years, the lack of any new information has left his case cold. Tragically, all of his immediate family members, including his parents and siblings, have since passed away without ever learning what happened to him. The investigation into his disappearance is managed by the Knox County Sheriff's Office. Described as a white male with blond or strawberry blond hair and brown eyes, he stood between 5'8" and 5'10" and weighed between 140 and 160 pounds. He had a full head of hair and a scar near his chin. When he was last heard from, it is believed he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a coat, a hat, and boots. The overview of this case is one of quiet disappearance; a man who lived a life on the move simply vanished, leaving behind only a returned letter and a family that would never have answers.

May 01, 1965

Tiptonville

Tennessee

Lake County

No

4110

Knox County Sheriff's Office

Knoxville

Tennessee

Knox County

37902

400 Main Street, Tennessee

8652152243

County

Law Enforcement

http://knoxsheriff.org/

13082

Knox County Sheriff's Office

Blond/Strawberry

Brown

Brown

07/03/2026