The cold case death of Charles Anderson Ewing - Hot Springs, Arkansas - May 16, 2011
On May 16, 2011, a report came in about a floating car in Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Arkansas. It turned out to be a new Cadillac, with the body of an adult man close by.
The victim was 55-year-old Charles Ewing, a wealthy Mississippi businessman. He was in town for five days on a pleasure trip. The investigation, which began immediately, revealed that the millionaire was carrying more than $30,000 in cash, along with three guns. But it is soon discovered that a large bag full of money was missing from the trunk of his car. It was said to be worth around a million dollars.
Despite the somewhat suspicious circumstances, the local police soon assumed it was a fatal accident. With that, the investigation came to sort of an end quickly.
Pathological examination
After examination of Charles Ewing's body, his death was attributed to ''hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with drowning''. Traces of marijuana and Prozac were found in his blood, in addition to low alcohol levels. The autopsy report ruled his death an accident. A conclusion that was not believed by his relatives.
Coincidence or not?
What made the case all the more strange was that Charles's mansion in Tunica, Mississippi - nearly 180 miles from Hot Springs - was broken into on the night of his death. As if that wasn't strange enough, the burglar(s) turned out not to have stolen anything of value. This while the whole house was full of valuables. The only place the burglar had been was the master bedroom. There, traces showed that he was looking for something specific. Personal papers were scattered everywhere. Officers found burnt remains of handwritten letters in the driveway. It also turned out that the robber had wanted to open a gun safe in the garage, but was unable to do so.. Despite investigations, it was never found out who was behind the burglary.
Suspicious company
In the five days Charles had been in town, he had been partying pretty much nonstop. In addition, he spent large amounts of money, as if he didn't even care. Despite the fact his fiance was back in North Mississippi., he was accompanied by two much younger women (one, the nanny of Ewing's ex-fiancee in Mississippi, and the other, a stripper from Memphis). These women had watched on the balcony of the hotel room across from the lake when Charles's body was pulled from the water. They told police they had no idea what had happened. Officers did not question them, and after cleaning up the hotel room they left the scene. The matter seemed to be over.
However, Charles' daughter Amery, did not believe in a fatal accident. Since her father's death, she and her brother have been determined to unravel the mystery surrounding Charles' death. The mere fact that his glasses were found under his bed in the hotel room after his death told them that something wasn't right. Their father was practically blind, and would never, ever go outside without his glasses. He wouldn't even have been able to.
Money-throwing Charles
Thanks to research by Amery, her brother and others, including a private detective, more and more things came to light. The hotel where Charles and the two women, both in their twenties, stayed was near a boat dealership. The owner of the company's security, named John Angel, appeared to have spoken to Charles the day before his death. The millionaire had introduced the two women as his girlfriends. According to Angel, the three wanted to buy a boat. Charles would have a lot of money with him that he kept in a cool box. It was hundreds of thousands of dollars. This cool box has mysteriously vanished since his passing.
Soon more people came and talked about meeting Charles. It turned out that on the night of Charles's death, a masseuse had been hired by his two young girlfriends. This woman immediately noticed that Charles was behaving strangely and that he had spots on his face. He paced the room, and allegedly told her he wasn't feeling well. According to the masseuse, she was offered drugs several times by the two women in the room, which she refused each time. When she took an open bottle of beer from them and took a few sips from it, she soon felt dizzy. In a panic, she contacted her employer, who quickly came to pick her up. The young women, meanwhile, were trying to get her to stay in the hotel room. In addition, according to the masseuse, they were very pushy and even aggressive. She was even chased by the girls as she left the hotel as far as the lobby.
In another example, an employee of the hotel (Clarion Resort) where the three stayed that weekend saw the car floating in the lake that morning. He helped pull the vehicle out of the water, noting that the windows and trunk of the car were open. Then he remembered hearing the sound of a revving car the night before. Like Charles's daughter, he didn't believe it was an accident.
Fiance marries another man
Also very striking was the fact that Charles's fiancée, who was also the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, tied the knot with another man just ten days after his death. Mississippi detectives spoke to her after Charles's passing, but the woman's attorney said she had nothing to do with his death.
Police suspect murder
A few months after Ewing's mysterious death, authorities realized there was something fishy about the case. Although they first assumed an accident, they now assumed a murder. The police interrogated numerous people, but soon got stuck with the investigation.
Ex-fiancée said she knows more
In 2017, Charles' ex-fiancé in Mississippi suddenly contacted Amery, the daughter of the late millionaire. She told her that she knew who had 'killed' her father and now wanted to tell her. However, she wanted the $25,000 reward money. Amery hesitated for a long time to meet her ex-stepmother, but decided against it because she feared for her own safety.
Information wanted
Charles's loving children, along with a host of others, are still searching for answers. They will not give up the search until the mystery is unraveled. Have you ever heard or seen something, or do you even have concrete information about the death of Charles Ewing, don't hesitate and get in touch now (anonymously) using the form below.
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