A woman who mysteriously disappeared 52 years ago has finally been found alive.
Sheila Fox disappeared from Coventry, UK, in 1972 when she was just 16 years old, The Guardian reported.
West Midlands police reported that the missing teenager had been living with her parents at the time of her disappearance and may have been in a relationship with a man.
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For decades, investigators explored all possibilities and held onto the hope that Fox had simply moved away from the area. However, no trace of her was found until a renewed appeal led to a breakthrough.
On Sunday (December 29), West Midlands Police released a grainy photograph of Fox from the time of her disappearance on their website and social media platforms.
Within hours of its release, members of the public got in touch with police about crucial information that led to finding the woman, who is now 68.
On Wednesday (January 1), authorities revealed that Fox is alive, and well, and is now living in another part of the country.
The announcement marks the resolution of one of the longest-running missing person cases that the force has investigated.
A police spokesperson spoke about the incredible discovery in a news release, which read: “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,” they added.
DS Jenna Shaw, from the cold case investigation team, also shared a statement: “We searched through every piece of evidence we could find and managed to locate a photo of Sheila.
“We are a small team of officers and I’d like to recognize 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 to them and, hopefully, be reunited with them,” she said.
The force recognized that advancements in forensic technology have greatly enhanced their ability to investigate cold cases, leading to success in identifying and locating missing people.
