Law Professor Was Last Seen Descending from Mountain on Veteran’s Day. No One Has Heard from Him Since

Authorities in northern Georgia are searching for a Texas law professor who disappeared on Veterans Day while hiking in the mountains.

Charles Hosch, 67, was reported missing on Tuesday, Nov. 11, according to a news release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office. His last known location was the Byron Herbert Reece Trail near Blood Mountain, where he was seen “descending from the top of Blood Mountain,” per information shared on his law firm’s website, Hosch & Morris, PLLC.

Hosch had been in Gainesville, Georgia, visiting his brother in the area where he grew up, his law partner Kate Morris told CBS affiliate KTVT. She said he planned to take “a nature walk on the trail that he grew up hiking on.” His vehicle was later found at the trailhead, indicating he reached the area as intended, but he has not answered his phone, which family and colleagues say is unusual for him.

His daughter, Julia Hosch-Singh, said the family is deeply concerned but trying to stay positive. “It is really heartening to see so many people working so hard to bring my dad home,” she told KTVT.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office said Hosch was last seen wearing khaki pants, a camel-colored sweater and a dark green jacket. He is described as 6-foot-1 and about 200 lbs.

On its website, his firm notes that Hosch is a Harvard Law School graduate who has spent more than 30 years mentoring students at SMU Dedman School of Law and has long been a respected figure in the legal community. He previously served as a partner at Strasburger & Price, LLP for 35 years before co-founding Hosch & Morris, PLLC.

Hosch is also described as a former Eagle Scout who has remained active with the Scouts for years and teaches Sunday school at University Park United Methodist Church. He has been married to his wife, Beth — whom he met in college — for 42 years, and the couple recently welcomed their first grandchild.

Drone teams and K-9 units are involved in the search effort, which included 95 search and rescue personnel as of Sunday, Nov. 16, according to Hosch’s law firm. “To his peers and students alike, he is not only an exceptional attorney and teacher, but a wonderful friend whose unwavering reliability and warmth have touched countless lives,” the firm wrote.

Authorities are now asking hunters in the area where Hosch disappeared to review any game cameras “on or near the Byron Herbert Reece Trail or surrounding Blood Mountain area,” noting that “trail camera footage could provide critical information to help bring Charles home.”

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Union County Emergency Operations Center at (706) 439-6091 or call 911.