Missing Since: 2020-07-31 Location: Lodi, California
Carter was last seen driving his White 1998 Dodge conversion van on Highway 12 just west of Interstate 5 in Lodi, California on July 31, 2020. He disappeared after leaving his mother’s home and has never been heard from again. The next day, an acquaintance of Carter’s took Carter’s dog to his mother, saying he’d found the dog wandering near Highway 12 and Interstate 5. When the family asked the man where Carter was, he was surprised that he hadn’t come home yet. The day after that, the van was found abandoned and burned alongside North Guard Road, in the same area where the dog had been found. Carter had been homeless for several years before his disappearance, but turned his life around and bought a motor home after winning money in the lottery. He lived with his mother at the time of his disappearance, but maintained the relationships he had formed in the homeless community and provided financial assistance and transportation for people experiencing homelessness. The van was found near a homeless encampment where he sometimes visited friends. According to his sister, a few days before his disappearance Carter had a dispute with a couple living near Highway 12 and Interstate 5 and the man threatened to harm him. The couple dropped out of sight a few days after Carter’s disappearance, and when the man resurfaced in September, he had some of Carter’s belongings. When Carter’s relatives visited the home of the acquaintance who had returned his dog, they found some more of Carter’s belongings at that person’s home: his identification, food stamp cards and a knife. Since his disappearance, Carter has not accessed his financial accounts or maintained his cellular phone service. His family fears he came to harm, as they don’t think he would have simply walked out of his life. Investigating Agency California Highway Patrol 916-731-6386 Stockton Crime Stoppers 209-946-0600 Source Information Stockton Police Department Facebook Page for Larry Carter CBS News The Lodi News Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 9, 2024; casefile added.