Overview

• Full names: Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm
• Ages at disappearance: Not independently verified
• Year of disappearance: 1980, according to the supplied case information
• Last reported location: Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA)
• City: West Palm Beach
• County: Palm Beach County
• State: Florida
• Intended destination: Kansas City; the destination state has not been independently confirmed
• Case classification: Reported missing persons; homicide classification not established
• Current case status: No publicly verified resolution identified
• Reported PBSO case number: 80-024957 (supplied reference, not independently confirmed)
• Additional supplied reference: MP102368 (database association unverified)
• NamUs profile supplied: Missing Person Case #102367

Important documentation note: The supplied NamUs URL identifies record 102367, while the separately supplied reference is MP102368. These are different numbers. The available research did not establish which number belongs to which man, so they should not be treated as interchangeable.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm: The Unsolved 1980 Disappearance Linked to Palm Beach International Airport, Florida

In 1980, Clarence Hopper reportedly departed from Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, intending to travel to Kansas City. Charles Timm was also reportedly connected to the journey. According to the case information supplied for this article, neither man was seen again.

More than four decades later, fundamental questions remain unanswered. Did the men board their intended flight? Did they arrive in Kansas City? And what happened after they were last known to be in the Palm Beach area?

The disappearance is associated with Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reference 80-024957, along with missing-person database references that require further confirmation.

Although the circumstances raise serious questions, no verified evidence reviewed for this article establishes that either man was murdered. Their disappearances must therefore be discussed as missing-person cases rather than confirmed homicides.

Case Summary

• Full names: Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm
• Ages at disappearance: Not independently verified
• Year of disappearance: 1980, according to the supplied case information
• Last reported location: Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA)
• City: West Palm Beach
• County: Palm Beach County
• State: Florida
• Intended destination: Kansas City; the destination state has not been independently confirmed
• Case classification: Reported missing persons; homicide classification not established
• Current case status: No publicly verified resolution identified
• Reported PBSO case number: 80-024957 (supplied reference, not independently confirmed)
• Additional supplied reference: MP102368 (database association unverified)
• NamUs profile supplied: Missing Person Case #102367

Important documentation note: The supplied NamUs URL identifies record 102367, while the separately supplied reference is MP102368. These are different numbers. The available research did not establish which number belongs to which man, so they should not be treated as interchangeable.

Background: Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm Before Their Disappearance

The disappearance of Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm is associated with Palm Beach County, Florida, and a reported trip originating at Palm Beach International Airport in 1980.

At the center of the case is a relatively simple account: Clarence Hopper reportedly left the airport headed for Kansas City and was never seen again. Charles Timm was reportedly missing in connection with the same journey.

Beyond these circumstances, publicly verifiable biographical information remains limited.

Their ages, occupations, hometowns, family relationships, and reasons for traveling could not be independently established through the sources located for this article. It is also unclear whether the men were relatives, friends, coworkers, or traveling companions.

These details matter because understanding the purpose of the journey could help establish where the men were expected to go, whom they planned to meet, and when someone first realized they were missing.

The supplied account identifies the airport as the starting point of the disappearance, but does not establish the exact date in 1980 or the last independently confirmed sighting of either man.

The 1980 Disappearance at Palm Beach International Airport

Palm Beach International Airport serves the West Palm Beach area of southeastern Florida.

According to the supplied case description, Clarence Hopper departed from the airport with Kansas City as his intended destination. Charles Timm was reportedly connected to the same disappearance.

However, several important distinctions remain unresolved.

There is no independently verified passenger manifest, airline record, boarding confirmation, or arrival record available in the material reviewed for this article. Consequently, it cannot be established whether both men boarded an aircraft, traveled together on the same flight, or arrived at their intended destination.

The account also does not identify the airline, flight number, departure time, or the specific airport in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

These gaps prevent a more precise reconstruction of their final known movements.

A departure from an airport and a confirmed aircraft boarding are not necessarily the same event. Likewise, an intended destination does not establish that a traveler reached that destination.

Until supporting records or official investigative details become available, the precise circumstances of Hopper’s and Timm’s disappearance remain uncertain.

Investigation History and Available Evidence

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office case reference

The supplied information associates the disappearance with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) and case number 80-024957.

That reference has not been independently matched to a publicly accessible sheriff’s investigative record. It should therefore be regarded as a supplied case number pending official confirmation.

The PBSO Missing Persons Unit handles missing-adult investigations and maintains procedures for gathering information, tracking leads, and coordinating with other agencies.

However, the agency’s general description of its missing-person procedures is not evidence that any particular investigative technique was used in the Hopper or Timm cases.

Travel records and potential witnesses

Because the disappearance reportedly involved air travel, several categories of historical records could be important to establishing the men’s movements.

These include airline reservations, passenger manifests, airport records, and any statements from people who saw or communicated with the men before their planned departure.

No case-specific documents of these types were independently located.

Similarly, no verified witness account was found establishing the last time either man was seen, whether they were together, or whether anyone observed them after their planned journey began.

This does not mean such evidence never existed. It means the evidence could not be confirmed from the publicly accessible material reviewed.

Physical and forensic evidence

No publicly verified case-specific information was located establishing the discovery of luggage, personal belongings, identification documents, or other physical evidence connected to the disappearance.

There was also no verified public documentation of DNA comparisons, forensic genetic genealogy, fingerprint identifications, or dental-record matches involving either man.

No identified remains could be reliably linked to Hopper or Timm through the sources reviewed.

Without official documentation, it would be inappropriate to claim that these methods were used or that they produced results.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

There are several possible lines of inquiry, but none should be mistaken for an established explanation of what happened.

Did both men board their intended flight?

One of the most important unresolved questions is whether the men actually boarded an aircraft.

If both boarded, investigators would need to establish whether they reached Kansas City and what happened afterward.

If either failed to board, the investigation would potentially focus on his movements in or around Palm Beach International Airport.

Neither scenario has been independently established.

Were the disappearances directly connected?

The supplied case description links Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm. However, the nature of that connection remains unclear.

It has not been independently established whether they were traveling together, shared a reservation, planned to meet at the destination, or disappeared under identical circumstances.

Determining the relationship between the two missing-person records would be an important step toward understanding whether they represent one connected incident or separate cases.

Was criminal activity involved?

The unexplained disappearance of two people can raise concerns about possible criminal activity.

However, there is no verified evidence in the reviewed sources identifying a suspect, establishing foul play, or confirming a homicide.

Other possibilities cannot responsibly be evaluated without additional evidence.

No specific criminal theory should be presented as fact simply because the disappearances remain unexplained.

Could historical records provide answers?

The case’s age presents a significant challenge. Airline operations, record-retention practices, investigative technology, and communications systems have changed considerably since 1980.

Nevertheless, original police reports, archived correspondence, historical newspaper coverage, or surviving family documentation might help clarify the timeline.

Whether any such records remain available in this particular investigation has not been established.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates — October 2026

As of October 19, 2026, no publicly confirmed recent investigative developments were located that could be specifically attributed to the disappearance of Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm.

The available research did not establish any newly announced arrests, identified suspects, confirmed remains recoveries, DNA breakthroughs, genetic genealogy identifications, or official resolution.

No recent public statement from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was located confirming that the supplied case number remains active or identifying a newly assigned investigator.

The sheriff’s office continues to maintain a Missing Persons Unit and provides public contact information for reporting missing-person information. This establishes a current point of contact, not a new development in either man’s case.

The supplied NamUs reference remains relevant as a possible database lead, but its association with the two men requires confirmation from the individual profiles. A database listing or change in a record should not be interpreted as evidence of a new investigative breakthrough without additional documentation.

Conclusion: A Disappearance Still Awaiting Answers

The reported 1980 disappearance of Clarence Hopper and Charles Timm leaves an important historical mystery centered on Palm Beach International Airport and an intended journey to Kansas City.

The central facts requiring confirmation are straightforward: when each man was last seen, whether they boarded their intended flight, whether either reached Kansas City, and how the two missing-person cases are connected.

Until those questions can be answered with reliable evidence, the circumstances of their disappearance remain unresolved in the available public record.

Anyone with firsthand knowledge, historical travel documents, family correspondence, photographs, or other information concerning Clarence Hopper or Charles Timm is encouraged to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office at 561-688-3400.

The sheriff’s office publishes this number for missing-person reporting and information.

When contacting authorities, callers can mention the supplied reference 80-024957, while asking the agency to confirm its association with the case.

Even decades after a disappearance, reliable information can help clarify the historical record and provide answers to families who have waited far too long.