SMU law professor goes missing on hiking trail in Georgia
By Marvin Hurst
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Texas (KTVT) — Charles Hosch has many people concerned about his whereabouts. The 67-year-old has not been seen since Tuesday, his law partner at Hosch & Morris, Kate Morris, said.
“He was visiting with his brother in Gainesville, Georgia, where they were from,” she said. “They had breakfast together. He had intended to take a nature walk on the trail that he grew up hiking on. Apparently, he made it to the trail. His car was found there.”
Morris said Hosch would always answer his phone. He has not.
She and Hosch’s family are in Georgia, where he went missing at the Byron Herbert Reece Trailhead on Veterans’ Day. The Union County Sheriff’s Office said he was wearing khaki pants, a camel color sweater, and a dark green jacket.
On Saturday, authorities said a credible source reported seeing Hosch and having a conversation with him late Tuesday night.
Wife Beth, daughter Julia Hosch-Singh, and Mary Catherine Hosch cling to hope for good news.
“We are worried, but at the same time, we remain hopeful because of the wonderful work that is already underway and has been, and we can see it,” Hosch-Singh said. “It is really heartening to see so many people working so hard to bring my dad home.”
Friday evening, Morris said a canine got indications of a location he’d been on the trail. For them, it’s confirmation of his presence and may help in a search where only the seasoned are allowed.
On Saturday, investigators asked anyone with hunting cameras in the area to check their footage.
“The trails are very rugged. There are a lot of leaves on the ground,” Morris said. “It’s been very cold, and this is not gentle territory.”
Morris and Hosch-Singh were complimentary of the job Union County officials were doing, but realized that more would be helpful.
In the meantime, outside the SMU Dedman School of Law on Friday evening, a gathering of the Christian Legal Society. It was a vigil to pray for Hosch.
“And truly, we were coming here to pray that our professor, who has given us an intellectual and emotional refuge, will find a physical refuge,” Ethan Sullivan said.
Sullivan is the president of the Christian Legal Society. He has also taken classes under Hosch and has a connection, as many students do, to the one-on-one meals, sugar cookies given out in class, the mentoring beyond the law, and, of course, Christianity.
“Moments like this bring the reality to bear on how fleeting life can be, how impermanent it is,” he said. ” I think it’s just a realism that life is a gift. It’s a precious gift, and it can be taken at any moment.”
Morris said the searches for Hosch are from sunup to sundown. She posts updates on the status of the search and provides Hosch background on their firm’s opening page.
Amelia Mugavero contributed to this report.
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