UK Tina Whittamore, 15, did not return from a walk, Luton 31 May 1971

[StillDiggin]

A photo of a teenager who went missing more than half a century ago has been 'aged' by police to show what she would look like today.

Tina Whittamore was just 15 when she went for a walk in Luton, Bedfordshire, on May 31, 1971, and never came back.

The grainy black and white image, released today to mark the 53rd anniversary of her last confirmed sighting, is based on a photo of her taken shortly before she disappeared.

She is believed to have been in other locations since then, including London in the 1990s, but the trail has gone cold.


Detective Sergeant James Morgan, of Bedfordshire Police, said: 'We realise this is a case from many years ago but we never give up trying to find people reported as missing.

Teenager who vanished in 1971 'aged' by police in new appeal

A photo of Tina Whittamore, who went missing in 1971, has been 'aged' by police. The grainy black and white image is based on one of the missing woman aged 15.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Tina's half sister Lorraine Major said the family was shocked to learn the case has been reopened. She said they had been contacted eight years ago by a Norwich cold case unit attempting to find the identity of a murdered girl buried in a pauper's grave in the town with the suspicion it could be Tina. But DNA testing proved otherwise.

"Mum always hoped that she would be found," said Lorraine. "It was a massive shock when we saw on Facebook that the case had been reopened. But one way or another we all want closure.”

Lorraine said Evelyn was not allowed to keep her child when she was born out of wedlock in 1955. Tina was placed in care and later adopted. But her family never forgot her and recently have been looking into how they could trace her.

Police only have one picture of Tina from the time she went missing. Experts have aged it to give an idea of what Tina might look now. She would be 68.

https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/crime/luton-familys-hope-that-cold-case-review-could-find-their-missing-sister-4651505

 

[dotr]

Tina Whittamore: Police appeal to find teenager who vanished 53 years ago

Tina Whittamore said she was going for a walk when she was last seen in Luton on 31 May, 1971. She never returned.

news.sky.com

31 May 2024
'Detectives investigating her disappearance say there was a missing report issued by Thames Valley Police in September 1971 for an 18-year-old woman in High Wycombe called Christine King.
It was established that Tina and Christine were the same person.'
''In the early 1970s, there was information to suggest Tina had lived and worked in Soho and Notting Hill in London.

Police also believe she may have been treated in a hospital in the capital in 1990, but discharged herself before she could be identified.
She was in Holland Park and in 1991 was reported to be sleeping rough in Notting Hill.''

 

[Megsc]

Tina Whittamore: Police appeal to find teenager who vanished 53 years ago

Tina Whittamore said she was going for a walk when she was last seen in Luton on 31 May, 1971. She never returned.

news.sky.com

31 May 2024
'Detectives investigating her disappearance say there was a missing report issued by Thames Valley Police in September 1971 for an 18-year-old woman in High Wycombe called Christine King.
It was established that Tina and Christine were the same person.'
''In the early 1970s, there was information to suggest Tina had lived and worked in Soho and Notting Hill in London.

Police also believe she may have been treated in a hospital in the capital in 1990, but discharged herself before she could be identified.
She was in Holland Park and in 1991 was reported to be sleeping rough in Notting Hill.''

I'm not sure I understand quite right.. so she was first reported missing on may 1971 under the name Tina, 15 yo, then again on september 1971 under the name Christine, 18 yo ? So I guess it was by someone else than her family members but also someone who cares enough about her to do a report .. but who was it ?
Could she have run away under a new identity and then something happened to her and that's when she was reported missing for the second time ?
Too many questions!!