West Midlands Police have cracked one of the UK’s most enduring missing person mysteries, finding a woman safe and sound 52 years after she vanished. Sheila Fox was last seen in the centre of Coventry at just 16 years old in 1972.
At the time of her disappearance, she was living with her parents and was possibly involved with an older man. The force renewed their appeal for information on Sunday, December 27, keeping an “open mind” about the possibility that Sheila had simply moved without telling anyone, despite no evidence of her whereabouts.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed by the police that Sheila, now aged 68, has been found in another part of the country and is indeed alive and well. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We are delighted to announce the conclusion of one of West Midlands Police’s longest-running missing person investigations.
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“We recently published a renewed appeal to help find Sheila Fox, who went missing from Coventry in 1972.”
Officers had unearthed a single photograph of Sheila from around the time she disappeared, which was shared on the police website and social media platforms.
The public responded swiftly to the appeal, providing information that led the investigative team directly to her.
The grainy photo that helped trace Sheila Fox after she went missing 52 years ago
Detective Sergeant Jenna Shaw of the force’s Cold Case Investigation Team said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have found Sheila after more than five decades.”
“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 recognise the work of DC Shaun Reeve, who managed to resolve this case with help from the public.
Shaw concluded by reflecting on the importance of their work: “Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened to them and, hopefully, be reunited with them.”
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