By KATIE JOHNSON

Niles Daily Star

CASSOPOLIS — Tips from citizens in the Niles and South Bend areas regarding a missing Cassopolis man have turned up no leads, Chief Frank Williams confirmed Friday morning.

Charles Wagner, 43, who lives at the Graham Street apartments, was last seen at about 9 a.m. Sunday, July 4 walking east toward Vandalia.

Wagner, who is mentally impaired, does not drive and is often seen walking around town. Williams said he is very trusting.

“We don’t know if he jumped in with someone,” Williams said.

The public was notified earlier this week that Wagner was missing after all interviews in the investigation led to “dead ends,” Williams said.

Wagner’s mother lives in Cassopolis, and he has a grandmother in Niles and an aunt in Dowagiac. He has many friends in Cassopolis.

“Charlie is pretty well-known, I’d say,” Williams said. “People he’s always had contact with, he hasn’t called.

“Charlie would give you the shirt off his back,” he said. “He wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

Williams has been with the Cassopolis Police Department for 35 years, and has never had a missing person case like this one — just reports of children who were gone for a few hours and other minor cases.

Williams said Friday that he plans to possibly mobilize people Monday to begin searching fields; however, it is difficult to search when they have no leads as to where to begin. He said the search is like “looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Williams may also contact the state police soon to request an aviation unit for the investigation.

“Between now and Monday, I’ll do a lot of soul searching,” he said.

Wagner is a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds.

If you have information about the whereabouts of Charles Wagner, contact either the Cassopolis Police Department, (269) 445-8100, or the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, (269) 445-1205.