Found Safe UK - Missing teen Sheila Fox, 16, found after 52 years, hours after renewed effort by West Midlands Police, Coventry *missing 1972, found 2024*

[iamshadow21]

Missing UK woman Sheila Fox found alive and well after 52 years

Within hours, a member of the public got in touch and helped police track Fox down.

Fox was confirmed to be safe and well and living in another part of the UK, police said.

 

[MarziPanda]

I hope she's had a good life. She might not have even realised she was still technically a missing person.

 

[iamshadow21]

I hope she's had a good life. She might not have even realised she was still technically a missing person.

Yeah, I strongly suspect she didn't.

And, as I just said to my partner, if there was a specific reason she walked away from her family, it probably isn't an issue any more due to the passage of time and people getting older or passing away.

But it was the early seventies... For all we know, she was just a free spirit making her own way.

I hope she's had a wonderful life.

MOO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The breakthrough came after officers published a renewed appeal to locate Sheila, sharing a photo of her taken around the time of her disappearance on their website and social media channels.

Within hours, members of the public came forward with information that led investigators to her.

Detective Sergeant Jenna Shaw from the Cold Case Investigation Team expressed her joy at the outcome. “We’re absolutely delighted to have found Sheila who went missing from Coventry after more than 50 years,” she said. “This case has been a monumental effort, and I’d like to particularly recognize the work of DC Shaun Reeve, whose dedication, along with the support of the public, made this possible

https://www.birminghamworld.uk/news/coventry-woman-missing-found-alive-4928775

Ella Fox-Martens, who says Sheila is her grandpa’s cousin, posted a screenshot of the news to X, with the caption: “This is my grandfather’s cousin. Just unimaginable scenes in the family group chat at the minute.”

A fellow X user expressed her sympathies, writing: “I can imagine they would be freaking out. If someone in your family just peaces out and is later found living elsewhere without having spoken to anyone in 50 years, you're going to have some questions to ask yourself. That's faking your death and moving to Cuba.”

Another user quipped: “Damn though, did she WANT to be found? After half a century I’m thinking gurl bounced for a reason.”

'Unimaginable scenes' in family group chat as cousin who vanished in 1972 found

Sheila Fox was found alive and well 52 years after vanishing without a trace in 1972, aged 16, after police launched another appeal, sharing her photo on social media

www.dailystar.co.uk

 

[Teesside]

With all the sad disappearances and sometimes bodies found it’s good to have a happy ending

Coventry woman who vanished 52 years ago found alive and well | Coventry | The Guardian

Mystery of Sheila Fox’s disappearance at 16 solved after fresh police appeal

amp.theguardian.com

 

[ZaZara]

Sheila Fox wasn't missing. But somehow the police never got the message.

Inside REAL story behind case of missing woman 'found' 52 years later

Teenage mum Sheila remained estranged from her parents and siblings at this point and would remain so for another decade or so - before herself making contact again. Or at least trying to.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14241289/missing-woman-case-vanished-alive.html
'She got back in touch with her family in the 1980s,' recalled Kevin, 75, who still lives in Coventry. 'But by then the whole family had moved to Canada.'

While Sheila was out of contact Chris and Anne Fox and Sheila's three older siblings had indeed emigrated.

They left Coventry for Delta, British Columbia in 1976 to start a new life, perhaps partly to put the trauma of Sheila's disappearance behind them.

The precise details of what happened when she tried to get back in touch are unclear but it's believed that word reached the Fox family in Canada and the whole notion that Sheila was missing was laid to rest at this point - but apparently no one got around to informing West Midlands Police that they were back in contact.

Cousin Kevin recalls: 'We all thought at the time that her parents would have informed the police that she'd been found, but who knows? Maybe they did and the message got lost in the records.'

(...)

Cousin Rob Kevin told us: 'In any case, when it came on the news that police were issuing a new appeal after 52 years, we all had a good laugh and I'm not sure who put them right, but I was a bit surprised to see them patting themselves on the back for the investigation!

And another relative, publisher Ella Fox-Martens, 26, tweeted a link to the story writing: 'This is my grandfather's cousin. Just unimaginable scenes in the family group chat at the minute.'

Later she added: 'The most telling part being that she'd been back for years! "A bit late in the day," as my great aunt put it.'

BBM