Police have solved one of Britain’s longest-running missing persons cases after a woman was found alive and well following an appeal, 52 years since she was reported missing.
Sheila Fox, now 68, had last been seen in Coventry city centre when she was 16 in 1972.
At the time of her disappearance West Midlands police said that she was living with her parents and may have been in a relationship with a man. The force launched an appeal to help solve the case on Sunday.
Officers had said they were keeping an “open mind” and believed she may have moved out of the area without telling anyone, despite there being no trace of her.
On Wednesday police officers were able to confirm that Sheila was alive and well, having spoken to her. She had been living in another part of the country.
A police spokeswoman said: “We are delighted to announce the conclusion of one of West Midlands police’s longest-running missing person investigations.
“A single photo of Sheila from around the time of her disappearance was found by officers investigating and published on our website and social media. Within hours of the appeal, members of the public got in touch with information, which led the team to her.”
The full image released by West Midlands police
SWNS
Detective Sergeant Jenna Shaw, of the force’s cold case investigations team, said: “We are a small team of officers, and I’d like to recognise the work of DC Shaun Reeve, who managed to resolve this case with help from the public.
“Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened.”
