Charles Howard Kindred III

• Missing Since 10/01/2001
• Missing From Winter Haven, Florida
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 10/23/1973 (51)
• Age 27 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9 - 5'10, 120 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A striped t-shirt, blue denim shorts, and a Florida Gators baseball cap.
• Medical Conditions Kindred has a skin condition that causes his skin to shred, crack, or appear burned.
• Associated Vehicle(s) White Ford F-150 pickup truck (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Sandy blond hair, brown or blue eyes. Kindred may go by his initials, C.H.

Details of Disappearance

Kindred dropped his children off at day care on the morning of October 1, 2001 and then continued on to a now-defunct auto parts store on State Route 60 east of Bartow, Florida. He was last seen talking to two men at the business. He was never heard from again after that. His white Ford F-150 pickup truck was later found abandoned at a Lakeland Speedway convenience store located at Comtree Road and A-Z Parkway.

Kindred had sole custody of his three young children in 2001 and is described as a devoted family man, and it's uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning or be out of touch with his loved ones.

Robert Ernest Levesque was indicted for second-degree murder in Kindred's case in July 2003, but the charges were dropped in April 2005, before the case could go to trial. He was indicted again, this time for first-degree murder, in May of that year. A photo of him is posted with this case summary.

Levesque, a career criminal with convictions dating back to 1969, was one of the men last seen with Kindred, and surveillance camera footage proved it was he who parked Kindred's vehicle where it was later found abandoned.

Levesque owned a "chop shop" that processed stolen vehicles, and Kindred had arranged to buy a "chopped" Ford pickup truck from him, but Levesque told him he wouldn't be able to sell him the truck. Kindred allegedly became angry and threatened to expose Levesque's criminal activities to the police. Authorities believe this was the motive for the murder.

At one point in 2002, Levesque offered to lead authorities to Kindred's body, but the deal fell through and he refused to cooperate any further. At his trial in late 2005, Levesque's attorney argued there was no hard evidence to connect him to Kindred's murder and no proof Kindred was even dead.

Levesque's girlfriend testified against him, stating he had borrowed a shotgun on the day Kindred disappeared and when he returned it, there were signs that it had been fired. A cellmate of Levesque also testified, saying Levesque told him he killed Kindred to silence him.

Levesque was convicted of second-degree murder in December 2005, and sentenced to life in prison. He maintains his innocence.

Foul play is suspected in Kindred's disappearance due to the circumstances involved.