Kansas Cold Cases: Charles Giles

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW/KWCH) - Family and friends of a murdered Wichita restaurant owner hope a new effort might lead to answers.

Charles Giles owned Neighbor’s Bar and Grill in Wichita. One night in July 2019, he closed up and went home - but never made it through his front door.

Giles’ girlfriend Conn Schrader says Neighbor’s was like its own community, with Giles as the patriarch.

“Neighbors was just like, the Cheers bar. Everybody was family,” she said. “(Chuck) loved his granddaughters, loved his daughter.”

Employees like Willie Guider also felt like family.

“That’s the kind of heart he had,” Guider said. “You know, if he sees you in a bind, he’ll help you out.”

But investigators believe Neighbor’s is at the heart of what happened July 18th, 2019. Wichita Police Det. Robert Chisholm said they have a rough idea of what happened.

“He closed for the night. When he arrived home, a person came up, shot him multiple times, and we believe stole (the) money,” Chisholm said.

Security video from a house down the street just after 10 p.m. the night of the murder shows the moments before Chuck is attacked. It’s grainy, but it shows a car dropping off a man, then speeding away. The man who got out walks across the street, and waits.

“The person walked up to him, shot him multiple times, took the money and then ran down the street,” Chisholm said.

Connie found Chuck lying in the driveway, and thought to check his pocket for cash. When she found none, she says, she knew it was a robbery. She says it was no secret where and when Chuck would be carrying a lot of money.

Chisholm agrees.

“(It was) somebody that knew his routine, knew where he would be and when he would be there and went to his house and waited for him there,” he said.

In three years, no one has talked. Authorities hope a new effort might spark conversation. Chuck Giles is the nine of hearts in the Kansas Cold Case Deck. The playing cards will be distributed in the state’s prisons and jails. Each card shows an unsolved homicide or missing persons case.

Maybe someone in the system sees it - and knows the Neighbor’s secret.

The two individuals that are involved in this - they are known to other people,” Chisholm said. “They’ve talked to people, they showed up with money, and all of a sudden went on a spending spree - something along those lines.”

Anyone with information about Gary Nelson’s murder - or any cold case - should call the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-KS-CRIME.

Note: Original reporting on the Charles Giles case from KWCH-TV.

Prior KS Cold Case Profiles:

Joshua Jernagin

Clarence “Butch” Lavin

Gary Leo Nelson

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