In the summer of 1977, in the quiet community of Hauula, Hawaii, a young mother named Charlotte Marcella Moriarty and her infant son, Marx, seemingly vanished into thin air. On the morning of June 21st, the 31-year-old left her home to take her five-month-old son for a walk in his stroller. Hours later, the stroller was discovered abandoned at a bus stop on Kamehameha Highway, but there was no sign of Charlotte or baby Marx. The child's father, Mark Barnes, reported them missing more than two weeks later, on July 10, 1977. He explained to authorities that Charlotte had a history of leaving for periods of time without notice and he had initially believed this was another such instance. However, Charlotte's family disputed this, stating that she would never have willingly left without contacting them, especially since her older daughter from a previous relationship was scheduled to visit that summer.
The days following their disappearance only deepened the mystery. A day after they were last seen, a woman matching Charlotte's description, accompanied by an infant boy, entered a stranger's home uninvited. The woman, who appeared to be acting erratically, identified herself as Jane Amae and her son as Tenzin Amae. She was subsequently taken to the Hawaii State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, while the baby was placed in protective custody. Just a few days later, on June 29, 1977, the woman, believed to be Charlotte, left the hospital against medical advice and disappeared once again. The infant boy she had with her was eventually adopted and, years later, through a remarkable series of events, was positively identified as Marx Moriarty.
Decades passed with no word from Charlotte. Her family grappled with the uncertainty of her fate, with her sister even consulting a psychic who claimed Charlotte and her son had met a violent end. This belief was so strong that the family began the process of having her legally declared deceased. Then, in 2011, a man named Steve Carter, who knew he was adopted from Hawaii, began searching for his birth parents. He came across an age-progressed photo of the missing infant, Marx Moriarty, and was struck by the resemblance. A DNA test confirmed that he was, in fact, the missing child. While this incredible discovery brought some answers, the central question remained: what happened to Charlotte Moriarty? The case of Charlotte Moriarty is a complex and heart-wrenching story that involves a mysterious disappearance, a new identity, a psychiatric hospital, an escape, and a son's long journey to uncover his past. Despite the incredible reunion of Marx with his biological family, Charlotte's whereabouts and what ultimately became of her after she walked away from the hospital remain unknown, leaving a void in the lives of those who continue to search for her.
Last Seen: Jun 21, 1977
