In Great Britain, a woman found 52 years after her disappearance

Disappearing in Coventry in 1972, Sheila Fox, then 16, was found thanks to an appeal for witnesses and an old blurry photo.

It's a story worthy of a Netflix series: Sheila Fox, who left without a trace in 1972 at the age of 16, reappeared 52 years later alive and in good health. The news was announced by the police of the West Midlands, in the United Kingdom, on Wednesday January 1, thus ending the “one of the longest investigations in history” of this brigade in central England.

The British press, which is trying to retrace the mysterious journey of the now 68-year-old woman, recalls that her disappearance caused a lot of noise. Still a teenager, Sheila had disappeared in Coventry, in the center of the country, without the police being able to find the slightest clue. At the time, investigators concluded that it was a runaway with a love story behind it.

It was only during yet another call for witnesses, on December 29, 2024, that the affair took a completely different turn: the investigators added to the announcement a photo – blurry and in black and white – taken at the time of his disappearance.

“Only one photo of Sheila dating from the time of her disappearance was found by investigators. It was published on our website and on social networks. Hours after the call, members of the public received information that allowed the team to find her“, explains the investigator Jenna Shaw at Guardian.

Information taken, sometimes with numerous details, and after verifications, the police claim to have been able to make direct contact with the missing person, who is now retired in another region of the country. “We are delighted to announce the conclusion of one of the longest missing persons investigations carried out by West Midlands Police“, welcomed the police in a press release.

Like Sheila Fox, cold case investigators say they hope to solve new cases through this type of process. Et conclude: “Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened to them and, hopefully, find them.“