A woman who went missing 52 years ago has been found alive after police released a grainy photo as part of an appeal, solving one of Britain's longest-running missing persons cases.
Sheila Fox, now 68, disappeared from Coventry in 1972, when she was 16. At the time, West Midlands Police said she lived with her parents and may have been in a relationship with a man. Officers said they were keeping an open mind, believing she may have left the area.
On Sunday, West Midlands Police launched a new appeal to help find Fox, publishing a photo of her taken at the time of her disappearance on its website and social media channels.
Within hours of its broadcast, members of the public contacted the information and on Wednesday, police confirmed that Fox was indeed alive. They said she lived in another part of the country.
A police spokesperson said: “We are delighted to announce the conclusion of one of West Midlands Police’s longest-running missing persons investigations.
“A single photo of Sheila from the time of her disappearance was found by investigating officers and published on our website and social media. Hours after the call, members of the public made contact with information that led the team to her.
DS Jenna Shaw, of the cold case investigation team, said: “We searched every piece of evidence we could find and managed to locate a photo of Sheila.
“We are a small team of officers and I would like to recognize the work of DC Shaun Reeve, who was able to solve this case with the help of the public. Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened to them and, hopefully, find them.
