Woman Who Disappeared in 1972 Found ‘Safe and Well’ Thanks to Grainy Photo, Police Say

Sheila Fox’s discovery marks the end of one of the police department’s longest missing person cases, authorities in England said

David Chiu is a staff writer, Human Interest, for PEOPLE. A former PEOPLE intern from 2007 to 2008, he has been writing about news and entertainment for over 10 years.

Published on January 2, 2025 01:47PM EST

Authorities in England announced that a woman who had been previously missing for 52 years was found alive after police recently shared a blurry photo of her at the time of her disappearance.

In a Wednesday, Jan. 1, news release, West Midlands Police said that Sheila Fox was located and spoke with authorities who confirmed that “she is alive and well.”

According to The Guardian, Sheila Fox, now 68 years old, was 16 when she disappeared from the English city of Coventry in 1972. 

Police said that officers found a blurry black-and-white photo of Fox, which was recently published on the department’s website and social media. 

Hours after the posting, authorities said they started receiving information from the public that led to Fox’s discovery. 

“Sheila was confirmed to be safe and well and living in another part of the country,” continued the West Midlands Police’s news release. 

The discovery marks the end of one of the West Midlands’ longest missing person cases, the department added. 

PEOPLE contacted the West Midlands Police on Thursday, Jan. 2, for additional information. 

“We’re absolutely delighted to have found Sheila after more than five decades,” Detective Sergeant Jenna Shaw of the West Midlands Police’s cold case team said in a statement. 

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Shaw added that every piece of evidence related to the case was searched when authorities came across a photo of Fox. 

“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 said.

Authorities added that current advancements in forensic technology allowed authorities to pursue leads in the case that wasn’t possible at the time. 

No additional information was offered in the news release about the circumstances or reasons that led to Fox’s disappearance more than five decades ago.

“Every missing person has a story, and their families and friends deserve to know what happened to them and, hopefully, be reunited with them,” Shaw continued. 

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