Overview

• Full name: Carl Leon Nicholson Jr.
• Age at disappearance: 58, according to a secondary missing-person listing
• Date last seen: December 23, 2022
• Last reported location: Anmoore, Harrison County, West Virginia
• Significant evidence location: Haymond Rocks Road, Mount Clare, Harrison County, West Virginia
• Case classification: Missing person and wanted fugitive; possible death remains unconfirmed
• Current status: Whereabouts unknown; publicly reported fugitive warrant remains unresolved
• Investigating authorities: U.S. Marshals Service and West Virginia State Police
• Reward: $5,000 announced in January 2026
• Main circumstances: Nicholson was last seen driving a silver 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo on December 23, 2022. Seven days later, the vehicle was discovered burned near Mount Clare. Investigators interviewed more than 60 associates but had not established his whereabouts as of January 2026.

The age and Anmoore location are reported in secondary missing-person data. The vehicle discovery, investigation, and reward are documented in contemporary news reports.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Carl Leon Nicholson Jr. Missing Since 2022 in West Virginia: Burned Vehicle, Fugitive Investigation, and $5,000 Reward

Carl Leon Nicholson Jr. disappeared in north-central West Virginia in December 2022, leaving investigators with a troubling mystery involving a burned vehicle, an extensive search across several counties, and unanswered questions about whether he is alive.

More than three years later, federal authorities renewed their public appeal for information, announcing a $5,000 reward in January 2026. Investigators have acknowledged the possibility that Nicholson is deceased, but no remains have been recovered or publicly identified as his.

The case is unusual because Nicholson is both a missing person and a wanted fugitive. Authorities are seeking him in connection with criminal charges filed after his disappearance. His whereabouts remain unknown, and his death has not been established.

Case Summary

• Full name: Carl Leon Nicholson Jr.
• Age at disappearance: 58, according to a secondary missing-person listing
• Date last seen: December 23, 2022
• Last reported location: Anmoore, Harrison County, West Virginia
• Significant evidence location: Haymond Rocks Road, Mount Clare, Harrison County, West Virginia
• Case classification: Missing person and wanted fugitive; possible death remains unconfirmed
• Current status: Whereabouts unknown; publicly reported fugitive warrant remains unresolved
• Investigating authorities: U.S. Marshals Service and West Virginia State Police
• Reward: $5,000 announced in January 2026
• Main circumstances: Nicholson was last seen driving a silver 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo on December 23, 2022. Seven days later, the vehicle was discovered burned near Mount Clare. Investigators interviewed more than 60 associates but had not established his whereabouts as of January 2026.

The age and Anmoore location are reported in secondary missing-person data. The vehicle discovery, investigation, and reward are documented in contemporary news reports.

Background and Circumstances of Carl Nicholson’s Disappearance

Who Is Carl Leon Nicholson Jr.?

Carl Leon Nicholson Jr. was a West Virginia man whose disappearance became the subject of a multi-county investigation involving state and federal authorities.

He was reportedly 58 years old when he disappeared in December 2022. By January 2026, news reports described him as 61.

According to descriptions circulated by authorities, Nicholson is a white male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Little independently verified information has been published about his early life, employment, family relationships, or everyday activities before December 2022. Those details should not be assumed from unrelated people with similar names.

December 23, 2022: Last Known Sighting

Nicholson was last reported seen on December 23, 2022, driving a silver 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo bearing West Virginia license plate 2RK964.

Secondary missing-person records identify Anmoore, a community in Harrison County, as his last known location. Contemporary news coverage confirms the date and vehicle description but does not independently establish the exact street or circumstances of the final sighting.

Investigators subsequently reconstructed portions of his movements over a five-day period. According to WV MetroNews, Nicholson traveled through six West Virginia counties:

• Randolph County
• Barbour County
• Upshur County
• Lewis County
• Taylor County
• Harrison County

Authorities have not publicly provided a complete itinerary establishing the precise order, purpose, or timing of every stop.

December 30, 2022: Vehicle Found Burned

One week after Nicholson’s last reported sighting, his Chevrolet Monte Carlo was discovered burned on Haymond Rocks Road in the Mount Clare area of Harrison County.

The discovery became one of the most significant publicly known circumstances in the investigation.

However, the existence of a burned vehicle does not, by itself, establish what happened to its owner.

Public reporting does not establish who set the vehicle on fire, whether the fire was intentional, whether Nicholson was present when it burned, or whether investigators recovered physical evidence connecting the fire to an assault.

No publicly verified forensic conclusion establishes that Nicholson died at the location.

The vehicle’s discovery raises serious questions, but its evidentiary significance must be distinguished from speculation.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Criminal Warrant Issued in February 2023

On February 2, 2023, a warrant was issued in Gilmer County for Carl Leon Nicholson Jr.

According to January 2026 reporting citing federal authorities, the warrant involved charges of sexual assault, domestic violence, and failure to update sex offender registration information.

These are serious allegations. However, criminal charges are not convictions, and the available reporting does not establish that Nicholson was convicted of these particular offenses.

The February 2023 warrant was issued after his reported disappearance in December 2022. Therefore, the chronology does not support a claim that he vanished after that warrant was issued.

The warrant and missing-person investigation are related in the sense that authorities are seeking Nicholson, but the publicly available information does not establish why he disappeared.

Investigators Interview More Than 60 Associates

Federal authorities reported that detectives had interviewed more than 60 known associates of Nicholson.

According to the January 2026 reports, those interviews had not produced a confirmed sighting establishing his whereabouts after the events surrounding the December 2022 vehicle fire.

The number of interviews demonstrates the scope of the investigative effort, but the public reporting does not disclose individual witness identities, complete statements, or the contents of the interviews.

There is also no verified public account establishing that a particular witness saw Nicholson being assaulted, abducted, or killed.

Physical and Forensic Evidence

The burned Chevrolet Monte Carlo remains the most significant physical item publicly identified in the case.

The available reporting does not confirm whether investigators recovered usable fingerprints, DNA, blood evidence, accelerants, surveillance recordings, or electronic location data.

Nor does it establish whether forensic specialists were able to determine the cause of the fire.

No publicly confirmed DNA identification, forensic genetic genealogy breakthrough, or recovery of Nicholson’s remains was located in the reviewed reporting.

The absence of publicly released findings does not necessarily mean those investigative steps were never undertaken. It means their results cannot be responsibly described as established facts.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Possibility One: Nicholson Is Deceased

One of the most important developments is the public acknowledgment that investigators believe Nicholson may be deceased.

WV MetroNews reported this assessment in January 2026, while emphasizing that his body had not been found.

This is an investigative possibility, not a confirmed death or homicide determination.

Without identified remains or other conclusive evidence, the precise circumstances of any possible death remain unknown.

Possibility Two: Nicholson Remains Alive

Because Nicholson has not been located, the possibility that he remains alive cannot be excluded from the publicly available evidence.

The outstanding warrant makes his case different from many missing-person investigations, but it does not prove that he deliberately disappeared or successfully evaded authorities.

No verified public information establishes that he adopted another identity, crossed state lines, or received assistance in concealing his whereabouts.

Questions Investigators Have Not Publicly Answered

Several central questions remain unresolved:

• Who last had verified contact with Nicholson on December 23, 2022?
• What was the exact sequence of his movements through the six reported counties?
• How did his Chevrolet Monte Carlo come to be burned on Haymond Rocks Road?
• Was the vehicle fire connected to his disappearance?
• Did anyone see Nicholson after his last confirmed sighting?
• Is Nicholson deceased, or is he living somewhere without having been identified?

There is no publicly verified basis for naming a homicide suspect, alleging a specific motive, or attributing the vehicle fire to an identified person.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

January 23–24, 2026: U.S. Marshals Announce $5,000 Reward

The most significant recent development located in the reviewed sources occurred in January 2026.

On January 23, WDTV reported that the U.S. Marshals Service was offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Nicholson.

The following day, WV MetroNews published additional details concerning the Gilmer County warrant, his last known vehicle, his travel across multiple counties, and the extensive interviews conducted by investigators.

The reporting also reiterated the possibility that Nicholson had died, although no body had been recovered.

Federal authorities warned that Nicholson has a reported history of violent tendencies and should be considered dangerous.

These January 2026 reports represent a renewed public appeal and reward announcement, not evidence that investigators had located Nicholson or resolved the case.

Sources: WDTV and WV MetroNews.

Case Status as of October 25, 2026

No publicly confirmed investigative developments after the January 2026 reward announcement were located in the sources reviewed for this article.

Specifically, no verified subsequent arrest, recovery of remains, official death determination, homicide charge arising from the disappearance, or forensic identification breakthrough was located.

Nicholson’s whereabouts therefore remain unresolved in the latest reporting verified for this article.

Conclusion: Information Still Needed in the Carl Nicholson Case

The disappearance of Carl Leon Nicholson Jr. remains an unresolved West Virginia investigation marked by unusual circumstances.

He was last reported seen on December 23, 2022. His vehicle was discovered burned one week later. Investigators subsequently pursued numerous interviews and examined his movements through several counties, but the publicly available information has not established what happened to him.

The February 2023 criminal warrant remains an important part of the publicly reported case history. At the same time, the possibility of Nicholson’s death has not been confirmed, and it would be inaccurate to describe the investigation as a solved homicide.

Anyone with information about Nicholson’s whereabouts, the movements of his silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo in December 2022, or the circumstances surrounding the vehicle fire is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service.

U.S. Marshals Service: 304-623-0486

Authorities have warned that Nicholson should be considered dangerous. Members of the public should not attempt to approach or detain him. Anyone encountering an immediate threat should call 911.

Even information that appears minor may help investigators clarify the events surrounding his disappearance.