Overview

Last Seen: June 29, 2011
Location: Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota
Age When Missing: 68
Date of Birth: May 3, 1943
Status: Missing
NamUs: MP23550
Investigating Agency: Fargo Police Department

Charles Edward Tear was last known to be in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 29, 2011. Available case information indicates his final documented contact was with law enforcement following an arrest. Tear reportedly lived a transient lifestyle, had connections to Minnesota, and was not reported missing until a considerable amount of time had passed.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Charles Edward Tear Missing Person Case: Fargo, North Dakota Disappearance Since 2011

Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: June 29, 2011
Location: Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota
Age When Missing: 68
Date of Birth: May 3, 1943
Status: Missing
NamUs: MP23550
Investigating Agency: Fargo Police Department

Charles Edward Tear was last known to be in Fargo, North Dakota, on June 29, 2011. Available case information indicates his final documented contact was with law enforcement following an arrest. Tear reportedly lived a transient lifestyle, had connections to Minnesota, and was not reported missing until a considerable amount of time had passed.

Charles Edward Tear Disappears From Fargo, North Dakota

Charles Edward Tear was 68 years old when he disappeared from Fargo, North Dakota, during the summer of 2011. He was described as a white male approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes.

Unlike many missing-person cases, there does not appear to have been an immediate report that Tear had disappeared. According to information compiled by the Doe Network and reproduced in other case databases, Tear was last seen in Fargo on June 29, 2011, by police following his arrest.

Authorities and missing-person organizations have also described Tear as someone who lived a transient lifestyle. He had ties to Minnesota, which creates the possibility that he traveled outside Fargo after his last documented encounter. Publicly available records do not identify a confirmed destination or verified sighting after June 29, 2011.

The Delay in Reporting Charles Tear Missing

One of the most significant circumstances in Tear’s disappearance is that he was reportedly not declared missing until long after he was last seen.

A delayed missing-person report can substantially complicate an investigation. Potential witnesses may no longer remember specific details, surveillance recordings may no longer exist, and records of a transient person’s movements may be limited.

For someone accustomed to traveling or living without a permanent residence, an absence might also take longer to be recognized as unusual.

Public case summaries do not explain exactly when Tear’s family or others first became concerned, who formally reported him missing, or what prompted the eventual investigation.

Family Continued Looking for Charles

There are signs that Tear’s relatives continued searching for him years after he vanished.

A Missing Homeless organization Facebook post circulated Tear’s case and stated that two of his brothers were desperately trying to locate him. The post repeated Fargo, North Dakota, and June 29, 2011, as his last known location and date.

Another noteworthy public comment appeared on The Charley Project’s website in October 2024. A commenter identifying herself as Tear’s granddaughter said she wanted information about him and was confused about whether he had ever been found or remained missing.

The identity of a social-media or website commenter cannot be independently established from the post itself, but the comment demonstrates that members of the public identifying themselves as Tear’s relatives were still seeking answers many years after his disappearance.

Conflicting 2001 and 2011 Disappearance Dates

Tear’s case has had an unusual date discrepancy.

In March 2018, The Charley Project discussed discovering that NamUs listed Tear’s disappearance as June 29, 2011, while another source apparently listed the date as June 29, 2001.

The difference may have originated as a typographical error, but the discrepancy was significant because it changed the timeline by an entire decade.

Current official records resolve the issue in favor of June 29, 2011. The North Dakota Attorney General’s missing-person database presently lists Tear’s last-seen date as June 29, 2011, as does NamUs. The Doe Network also classifies him as missing since that date.

For that reason, June 29, 2011, should currently be treated as the authoritative date unless law enforcement releases information establishing otherwise.

Expansion of Charles Tear’s Missing-Person Case

Tear’s disappearance eventually received wider exposure through national missing-person databases.

The Charley Project added his case in March 2018 and recorded an update in February 2019.

NamUs currently maintains Tear under missing-person record MP23550. The current NamUs page identifies the case as Charles Edward Tear of Fargo, North Dakota, with a last-contact date of June 29, 2011.

The Doe Network added Tear to its database in February 2022 as case 5692DMND.

A Websleuths discussion devoted to his disappearance was opened in August 2023, further circulating the known circumstances of the case.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

As of August 27, 2026, Charles Edward Tear remains listed in North Dakota’s official missing-person database.

The North Dakota registry currently calculates his age as 83 and continues to identify the Fargo Police Department as the investigating agency. The department’s listed telephone number for the case is 701-235-4493.

NamUs also continues to maintain Tear’s missing-person record under MP23550.

No publicly accessible law-enforcement announcement located during this review reports that Tear has been found, identifies a suspect, establishes that a homicide occurred, or announces a confirmed new sighting.

There also does not appear to be publicly released evidence establishing what happened after Tear’s last documented contact with police.

The continued appearance of his name in North Dakota’s active missing-person registry means the publicly available status of the case remains missing rather than resolved.

What Remains Unknown

More than fifteen years after Tear’s last documented appearance, several fundamental questions remain unanswered.

It is unknown where Tear went after his contact with Fargo police on June 29, 2011. It is also unclear whether he remained in Fargo, traveled into Minnesota, continued living a transient lifestyle elsewhere, encountered an accident or medical emergency, or became the victim of a crime.

There is currently no publicly documented evidence establishing any one of those possibilities.

What is known is comparatively limited: Charles Edward Tear was in Fargo on June 29, 2011; police were reportedly among the last people known to have encountered him; his disappearance was not reported immediately; and no verified subsequent location has been publicly established.

Charles Edward Tear remains missing, and Fargo Police continue to be identified as the agency responsible for his case.