Buzz
The grief of losing a child or loved one is an agony so deep that only those who have faced it can truly understand. Some people devote their lives to uncovering the fate of those who have gone missing. Sadly, many cases remain unsolved. In the United Kingdom, around 170,000 individuals are reported missing each year. While many are found quickly, there are numerous disappearances that remain unresolved, with people vanishing without a trace.
Here are 10 unsolved disappearances in England that are not as widely known. The fate of each person on this list is wrapped in uncertainty, with minimal evidence or clues to lead the way forward.
10. Ruth Wilson
Dorking, a small town nestled in the scenic countryside of Surrey, England, was thrust into the spotlight in November 1995 when 16-year-old Ruth Wilson mysteriously vanished. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are both puzzling and unsettling. Ruth appeared to come from a loving and close-knit family, and she was a regular churchgoer. Though not widely known, she had a few close friends and excelled academically at school.
On the day Ruth vanished, she took a cab to Box Hill, only to disappear without a trace. The driver dropped her off on the side of the road in the pouring rain, later telling the police that she appeared to be waiting for someone. At the time of her disappearance, Ruth was dealing with deep emotional struggles, having learned that her mother had committed suicide when Ruth was just four years old.
The day before she vanished, Ruth visited a florist and arranged for flowers to be sent to her stepmother two days later—after her disappearance. The police have withheld interview transcripts from the post-disappearance investigations, and both her father and stepmother have declined all requests from journalists for interviews or information.
9. Charlene Downes
Blackpool, long known as one of the UK’s top beach destinations, was thrown into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in 2003, when a young girl disappeared without a trace. The town, famous for its vibrant illuminations and budget-friendly family vacations, became the scene of a chilling mystery.
Charlene Downes was only 14 years old when she disappeared on November 1, 2003. On the day she vanished, several CCTV cameras captured Charlene in Central Blackpool, in good spirits with her sister. Her last known sighting occurred that evening near her home, when she bid her friend farewell. Both law enforcement and Charlene’s family are convinced she was murdered, but despite numerous investigations and public appeals, no body or trace of her has ever been found.
In 2007, two men were arrested and taken to trial, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Prosecutors at the trial suggested that Charlene had been murdered, and her remains were allegedly dismembered in a kebab shop. However, her parents do not agree with this theory.
In 2023, police made a new appeal in an effort to bring closure to Charlene’s family after 20 years of uncertainty. The investigation revealed that her disappearance is connected to child sexual exploitation. A reward of £100,000 is still being offered for any information that leads to the discovery of Charlene’s body or helps convict those responsible for her disappearance.
8. Ames Glover
Ames Glover was just 5 months old when he went missing on February 5, 1990. At the time, his parents were separated, and Ames was with his father, Paul Glover, on that Monday evening in Southall, London. Paul told police that he had left his son in the locked car while he went to withdraw money and purchase food. When he returned 15 minutes later, Ames was gone.
Police struggled to verify Paul’s account as there were no signs of a break-in in the vehicle, and no witnesses reported seeing Ames either in the car or being taken. Paul Glover became the primary suspect, but he was released without charge after his arrest and has always denied any involvement in his son's disappearance.
Ames’s mother, Shanika Ondaatjie, however, holds her ex-husband responsible for his disappearance and has made renewed appeals in 2012 and 2020 for any new information. Police believe that Ames may have been smuggled out of the country to Ghana, but no evidence of his whereabouts has ever been found. At the time, the police faced accusations of racial discrimination and of prioritizing other missing children cases over Ames’s because of his race and his broken family background.
7. April Fabb
More than 50 years ago, the small village of Metton in Norfolk, England, was shaken when 13-year-old April Fabb disappeared on April 8, 1969. Described as a ‘good girl’ by investigators, April was known for being quiet and having a love for animals. She lived with her mother and father, and her two older sisters had already left home.
On the day April disappeared, she was riding her bike from a friend's house to one of her sister’s homes to deliver a birthday gift for her brother-in-law. A driver later reported seeing April cycling at 2:06 p.m., but just nine minutes later, her bike was found abandoned in a field. The location of the bike suggested that April was abducted from the country lane, with her bike having been tossed over a high embankment into the field.
Sadly, numerous investigations have led to no breakthroughs, and the police have failed to find any evidence that would lead to April's discovery. Devastatingly, both of April’s parents passed away without ever knowing what happened to their youngest child. They kept her teenage posters on the wall for many years following her disappearance. Both of April’s sisters still reside in the village and are the first to hear about any new developments in the case. A memorial for April stands next to the church she attended every Sunday.
6. Sheila Fox
Six-year-old Sheila Fox became known as the “girl in the green mac” after she disappeared on August 19, 1944. A young girl from Bolton, Greater Manchester, Sheila left school on a Friday afternoon to walk home, but she never arrived. The media gave her the nickname due to the green mackintosh she wore on the day she vanished.
Life in the 1940s was vastly different from today. It was a time when communities felt secure enough to leave their doors unlocked at night, and it wasn’t unusual for a child as young as Sheila to walk home from school alone. Children had much more independence back then, with societal attitudes only shifting in the 1960s, particularly after the chilling crimes of the Moors Murderers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, were revealed.
After Sheila disappeared, there were several reports of her being seen with an unknown man. Some witnesses claimed she was walking beside him, others said they were riding his bike together, and one friend recalled Sheila responding “with this man” when asked where she was headed. At the time, police assumed that Sheila knew the man, but in retrospect, this might have been interpreted as potential grooming.
With no significant leads or evidence discovered, Sheila’s case remains unsolved. There was a brief resurgence of interest in 2001 when a search was conducted in a neighbor’s garden, but nothing conclusive was found. Sheila is still listed as a missing person.
5. Lee Boxell
More than 35 years ago, 15-year-old Lee Boxell vanished from his hometown of Sutton, South London. Known for his love of football, Lee went to meet a friend on September 10, 1988, to visit some nearby shops. After saying goodbye to his friend, Lee was never seen again. Despite the passage of time, there have been no confirmed sightings of Lee, leading police to believe he is no longer alive.
In 2014, three men were arrested in connection with Lee’s presumed murder, but they were later released without charge. A search of a local churchyard also produced no clues. In 2017, Lee’s father, Peter, took part in the Britain’s Got Talent competition, reaching the finals with the Missing People Choir. The choir performed “I Miss You,” a song written by Peter in memory of his missing son.
Now in their late 70s, Lee’s parents have tragically preserved his bedroom exactly as it was when he disappeared. In 2023, marking the 35th anniversary of Lee’s disappearance, they made another public appeal for any new information about their son’s case.
4. Alexander Sloley
Alex Sloley was 16 when he disappeared on August 2, 2008, in North London, just two days before his 17th birthday. Known as “Gogs” due to his glasses, Alex had a passion for football and traditional West Indian cuisine. He was preparing to begin his accounting studies at college but vanished without a trace after visiting a friend and heading home.
Alex had no passport and was carrying only a small amount of clothing, which suggests his disappearance was not voluntary. A particularly troubling detail in this case is that Alex had his cell phone with him when he disappeared, yet it was turned off on the day he went missing and has remained off ever since. His bank account has also shown no activity. Despite numerous investigations, the case remains unsolved and cold.
Alex’s mother, Nerissa Tivy, has expressed her belief that the police did not give his case the attention it deserved, partly because he came from a “working-class black family.” A devastating 2023 report by the charity Missing People revealed that the police solve a significantly lower percentage of missing persons cases involving black children compared to white or Asian children.
3. Kevin Hicks
At 16 years old, Kevin Hicks vanished without a trace after walking to a local shop on March 2, 1986. He had gone to buy eggs for a school cooking exam the following day. The evening should have seen him return home in just 15 minutes, but around 10 p.m., Kevin was spotted walking in the direction of his house—an hour and a half after he had left. Yet, no further sightings or clues have ever been found regarding his whereabouts.
Tragically, Kevin’s parents both passed away without ever knowing what truly happened to their son. Kevin’s sister, Alex, continues to believe her brother is still alive and regularly appeals for any new information. She recalls that in 1994, someone left flowers—without a note—on their mother’s grave, and she suspects it was Kevin. Alex theorizes that he may be living abroad. However, the police suspect that Kevin may have been a victim of grooming and was ultimately murdered.
2. Carmel Fenech
At 16 years old, Carmel Fenech was last seen on May 21, 1998, in South London. Her mother, Deirdre Fenech, reported her missing to the police on June 27, 1998. The delay in reporting was due to Carmel’s history of running away, having fallen in with a bad crowd and developed a crack cocaine addiction.
About a year before her disappearance, Carmel and her family moved from South London to Crawley, West Sussex, in an effort to distance her from negative influences and drugs. In her new town, Carmel had few friends and was still frequently seen around South London, despite the move.
Carmel was last spotted on May 21, 1998, at Camberwell Magistrates’ Court in London, where she was facing a shoplifting charge. She was accompanied by an unidentified man, but no description of him was ever provided. The authorities stated that Carmel seemed to know this man. This was the last confirmed sighting of Carmel, and no trace of her has ever been found, leading police to believe she may have been murdered. For information that leads to an arrest or conviction, Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000.
1. Mary Flanagan
On December 31, 1959, while most people were celebrating New Year’s Eve, 16-year-old Mary Flanagan disappeared from Newham, London. Her case is now one of the oldest unresolved missing person cases in Britain. Mary kissed her family goodbye—a gesture she didn’t typically make—before heading off to her workplace, where a Hogmanay party was scheduled that evening. She never returned home the following day.
Her parents filed a missing person report after discovering that Mary hadn’t shown up for work for over two weeks, despite returning home every night as if nothing had changed. At the time of her disappearance, Mary was dating a man named Tom, and her younger sisters believe she was planning to break up with him. To this day, the police have never traced Tom, leading many to suspect that he may be linked to her vanishing.
Brenda, Mary’s younger sister, who was only eight years old when Mary went missing, never stopped searching for her. Over the years, Brenda made countless appeals to the police and the public in an attempt to keep the case in the spotlight. Tragically, Brenda passed away in October 2023 without ever learning what happened to her sister.
