UK UK - Sheila Le Grys, 25, North Walsham, Norfolk, 7 Dec 1963

[Al Ka]

Wow Jessie, you are on the roll. Thank you for digging out all those articles.

Well, here it is, full article, my 3rd and last free view. Again, no idea how to get article here as screenshot though.

Few things from article - fight between them was on 6th Dec. On the morning of 7th Dec she mysteriously disappeared at 7.30am and was reported missing on 15th.

They had disagreements about money, housing and as per his words "My friendship with other women" hmmm

 

[Al Ka]

Let's see if it works. Full article - 27th Jan 1964 Daily Mirror

 

[jessie]

Absolutely brilliant !! Thank you so much Al Ka. Even if I could access the page with my dismal computer skills I couldn't bring it over and these reports are really all we have aren't they?

Shall keep searching as because of his piloting career this might have been considered newsworthy then? Also wondering if 'friends' of both Fred and/or Sheila were approached for comments.

 

[Elainera]

I think it is clear we are looking for remains. How and where would pilot dispose of body...?

That was my first thought, but no, helicopter pilots always fly minimum crew of 2 people.

Are you sure this (two people) was a requirement in 1963? And if yes how strictly was it monitored and enforced?

Or could he have done a short flight alone on the sly? Psychopaths can be very charming, maybe he convinced someone at a small airbase to let him do a quick flight, made up a story, maybe at night, and dropped her body in the nearest ocean.

 

[Elainera]

Let's see if it works. Full article - 27th Jan 1964 Daily Mirror

View attachment 166424

Sheila's mother is saying here she plans to hire a private detective. I wonder if she ever did. Is that an angle that could be sleuthed? I guess only if the PI made his findings public somewhere?

 

[Al Ka]

Sheila's mother is saying here she plans to hire a private detective. I wonder if she ever did. Is that an angle that could be sleuthed? I guess only if the PI made his findings public somewhere?

I think at this point in case cold as this we can sleuth anything. Maybe we should search under her mother's name too as perhaps she might have done news interviews about Sheila too.

 

[jessie]

Sheila's mother is saying here she plans to hire a private detective. I wonder if she ever did. Is that an angle that could be sleuthed? I guess only if the PI made his findings public somewhere?

Sheila's mother also mentioned hiring a private detective in one of the earlier Daily Mirror reports. So very sad for her.

What unbelievable rubbish about Sheila leaving 7.30 am on a Saturday morning ! What about getting their 3 young children up, dressed, fed? As if ! Worst time of day for a mother of young children to walk out ! moo.

 

[Al Ka]

Are you sure this (two people) was a requirement in 1963? And if yes how strictly was it monitored and enforced?

Or could he have done a short flight alone on the sly? Psychopaths can be very charming, maybe he convinced someone at a small airbase to let him do a quick flight, made up a story, maybe at night, and dropped her body in the nearest ocean.

No, I am not sure, it is just my assumption from reading on pilot forum. I have no doubt he was intelligent and charming. He had advantage from 6th to 15th, 9 days to get rid of her body. As ground was frozen in December I doubt she was burried, or at least not at that time.

We know that body weight of deceased person is almost twice as heavy as alive so I think he would have difficulty to take her body to helicopter unnoticed by anyone.

Even though security very likely was not as strict on airport bases as nowadays , there was still some and each flight had to be logged etc. He also could not dispose of her body alone by chopper as he or someone else would have to fly the machine while other person hypothetically would dispose of the body in the air.

Unless he had help from someone else.

At this point we can't rule out other scenarios what he did or where her body could be.

 

[jessie]

Unfortunately it doesn't sound as if police were searching for a dead body after Sheila's disappearance. They were given a (to them) a very convincing story that she left of her own accord. Time and search opportunities lost.

 

[Elainera]

No, I am not sure, it is just my assumption from reading on pilot forum.

Are you a member on that forum? If so you could ask about the requirement of two pilots, how strictly it was enforced.

True about weight and carrying her onto an airbase though (even if in a trunk or something, he probably would've needed help), and the difficulty of throwing her out alone in mid-air.

But where could she be? As you say the ground was frozen, but maybe he stored her in the attic or basement or shed or something and moved her months later somewhere and buried her.

LE probably never searched the property?

 

[jessie]

Are you sure this (two people) was a requirement in 1963? And if yes how strictly was it monitored and enforced?

Or could he have done a short flight alone on the sly? Psychopaths can be very charming, maybe he convinced someone at a small airbase to let him do a quick flight, made up a story, maybe at night, and dropped her body in the nearest ocean.

Just for interest and no idea if same in 1963/4:

Helicopter pilot | My World of Work

What's it like?
You would transport passengers in a helicopter for business, leisure or to respond to an emergency.
For example, you might transfer oil rig workers to an offshore platform, or take business clients between cities as part of a charter service.
It’s a responsible job; the crew and passengers will rely on you for a safe journey. They’d expect you to remain calm and act decisively if there was a crisis.
Before a flight you would:

• Check weather conditions and airspace restrictions along your planned route
• File flight plans
• Work out fuel requirements and maximum loads
• Check the helicopter's equipment and instruments
• Carry out safety checks
• Gain clearance from air traffic control to take off

During the flight, you’d use a range of instruments to navigate, control height and speed, and communicate with air traffic controllers.
After landing, you would fill in the post-flight paperwork, including a duty hours log, before preparing for the next flight.
You would fly single- and multi-engine helicopters. You might fly on your own or, on a larger helicopter, work as part of a team with a captain and co-pilot.
As well as being able to concentrate for long periods you’d need excellent hand-to-eye coordination and spatial awareness.

 

[wtiger]

Sorry for the lack of sources from my earlier posts....,it's more a lack of technical ability than a disregard for rules!!

I strongly suspect that there are family members who know more than the police do in this case.
I note the efforts of her granddaughter in trying to get info on the circumstances.
This is NOT a mystery to some people close to the action.

I often say with these cases....it's only a mystery because WE don't know......but people rarely just vanish into thin air without good (or bad) reason

 

[Jennifer le Grys]

Hi I'm Freds and the missing Sheila grandchild

Yes his second wife Sheila is a white I have all his records here off everything nothing to do with my grandad with his second wife.And with Sheila first he didn't reported her missing as he was out on a job that's why he reported her missing late

 

[Jennifer le Grys]

In some news letters have lied as I found his old police reports about Sheila like papers do they always ly my grandad was still wondering until his last breath

 

[Jennifer le Grys]

This is Sheila her mother and that Frederick tuttle

 

[Tortoise]

In some news letters have lied as I found his old police reports about Sheila like papers do they always ly my grandad was still wondering until his last breath

Hi and welcome Jennifer.

Lovely photo of Sheila. So I take it that is Sheila with her mother and her step-father?

Have you ever considered that your now deceased grandfather may have been deceiving people about what happened? I notice it's reported he said she left after they had a row and he didn't want her back. It is very unusual for mothers to leave their little children and not ever make contact with them. Do you know if the police still have the Christmas card that was posted from Coventry after Christmas?

 

[jessie]

Hi I'm Freds and the missing Sheila grandchild

Yes his second wife Sheila is a white I have all his records here off everything nothing to do with my grandad with his second wife.And with Sheila first he didn't reported her missing as he was out on a job that's why he reported her missing late

Many welcomes Jennifer. It is good that you have found us here - we are doing our best to try and find out what happened to your grandmother Sheila Le Grys, but difficult after so many years of course as there is so little information to go on, as no doubt you have found.

It would be really helpful to read the reports of the time that you have in your possession. Is it possible to copy them here? Also we love photos, so if you feel you would like to put them here for us that would be great.

 

[Jennifer le Grys]

Hi and welcome Jennifer.

Lovely photo of Sheila. So I take it that is Sheila with her mother and her step-father?

Have you ever considered that your now deceased grandfather may have been deceiving people about what happened? I notice it's reported he said she left after they had a row and he didn't want her back. It is very unusual for mothers to leave their little children and not ever make contact with them. Do you know if the police still have the Christmas card that was posted from Coventry after Christmas?

Hi they reopened the case in 2012 the DNA they had from the card is defently Sheila.
My grandad would never do so a thing what's all been posted here.that Frederick tuttle I have heard off from family members off the rickett was distance after this so may look into his history

 

[Jennifer le Grys]

Many welcomes Jennifer. It is good that you have found us here - we are doing our best to try and find out what happened to your grandmother Sheila Le Grys, but difficult after so many years of course as there is so little information to go on, as no doubt you have found.

It would be really helpful to read the reports of the time that you have in your possession. Is it possible to copy them here? Also we love photos, so if you feel you would like to put them here for us that would be great.

I have some old letters from there friends

 

[wtiger]

Hi Jennifer

Hope you dont mind us asking the questions...because nobody ever found anything without looking for it.

So the D.N.A was confirmed as Sheila?

I would totally believe that not everything printed in a newspaper was true, however there are clearly some things that when left unexplained appear to make little sense

1 - it was quoted in 2 articles that Frederick had told newspaper reporters that "there is no mystery to solve" and that "she left of her own will"

Yet you have reported that Frederick "wondered" until his last breath......those 2 statements are not compatible...one of them must be wrong?

When Frederick re-married....had he previously divorced Sheila?
If yes then this would support the idea that he was satisfied that she was simply moving on

But if the answer to that question is "no" then surely Frederick must have been marrying his second wife running the risk of committing bigamy?

As has already been said....anything that you could clarify with regard to what was printed in the papers would only be helpful.

Lastly, i am certain that i speak for everyone here when saying that we 100% hope that sheila has lived a happy and healthy life at an unknown place of her own choosing...she would not be the first to do so...nor the last.

Everything is better when you have answers....it's the question marks that cause the most pain....good luck with the search for your truth