Inside the cold case investigative team fighting to make sure no missing person is ever forgotten
S.A little-known unit in the West Midlands has solved more than 240 unsolved disappearances in just three-and-a-half years by combing through decades-old files and leveraging the reach of social media.
The five-man unit, formally known as West Midlands Police’s “long-term complex team”, was formed to find people who have gone unnoticed, whose disappearances have never been solved and whose names are in danger of fading from public memory.
When the team was formed in April 2022, it had more than 320 unsolved missing persons cases on its record. Today, this number has dropped to 79.
Officers take on any stalled investigations and some breakthroughs date back half a century. The Independent spoke to the team about their work, the cases that stick with them and why it’s vital someone keeps looking for answers.
Unit member Constable Shaun Reeve said: “None of them have a voice today. Many have been forgotten. A lot of people don’t even know they’re missing. I think they deserve to have their stories, their names, their faces really put out there.”
As well as the charity Missing People, Independent It aims to raise £165,000 to launch SafeCall, a free new service that will help the 70,000 children reported missing each year find support and safety no matter what.
donate Here or text SAFE to 70577 to donate £10 to Missing People, enough for one child to get help.
The team’s breakthrough came with one of the UK’s longest-running missing persons cases: the 52-year disappearance of Sheila Fox, who disappeared from Coventry in 1972 at the age of 16.
“When I took on the case three years ago I thought it would be what we call a ‘quick win’,” said PC Reeve, explaining that many old cases are never fully investigated. “This was actually my most frustrating case because I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what it was.”
The case seemed to be at a standstill as there was only a grainy, unrecognizable black and white photograph to work with; until PC Reeve finds a small microfiche negative buried in an old file. Using a machine from a local library, he converted it into a clear image.
He published a call on social media on New Year’s Eve 2024. The next day, two or three of Ms. Fox’s old friends showed up, unaware of her missing report. The information they provided gave officers the final clues they needed to find him.
PC Reeve said: “He was safe and well, there were no problems, that was the main thing. I don’t think he even knew he was lost.” “You’re looking at a tiny piece of information that could shed light on the whole incident. If it weren’t for that photo, he’d still be missing.”
Many of the team’s cases date back decades. The oldest is Maria Aldridge, who disappeared from Birmingham in 1968 at the age of 17. But they also deal with dead-end current cases; the newest ones started in May.
“Since forming this team we have managed to start from scratch and really sink our teeth into the majority of these cases,” said PC Reeve.
Much of the original paperwork was lost, damaged or never collected. But modern systems—facial recognition, digital pathways, and vast online databases—now offer new paths to ancient mysteries.
“In some cases, we’re left with nothing to work with, and a few months of investigation snowballs into a huge investigation into a huge investigation, and there’s a lot of information in there,” he explained. “Every case is unique, and we literally work on what we’re given or what we find. We do old footage, a lot of facial recognition, there are literally thousands of lines of interrogation… We deal with everything from shoe experts to bag experts.”
Because the team only works on long-term investigations, they leave no clues untouched and even provide support to other police forces on similar complex cases.
With social media and digital footprints now at the center of missing person searches, information is more accessible than ever before. Sergeant Paul Horobin said: “Historically speaking, there were a lot of paper records. Nowadays, it is much easier to obtain information by searching government agencies’ open source systems or public databases, contacting labor and pensions departments.”
Before 2022, the agency did not have the capacity to carry out this level of special work. Cases were occasionally revisited, usually by the police officer who took them.
The team now “future-proofs” every investigation, ensuring any officer years from now can clearly see what was done. They also prioritize collecting DNA samples from families; This is something that is rarely done in older cases.
Every answer offers the possibility of closure, and every breakthrough gives a new voice to someone who can no longer speak for himself.
As PC Reeve put it: “I think they deserve to have their stories, their names, their faces actually out there.”
Please donate now To the Independent and Missing Persons’ Safe Call campaign, which aims to raise £165,000 to create a free, nationwide service to help vulnerable children find safety and support.
If you or a loved one is lost, text or call the charity Missing People on 116 000 for advice, support and options. It’s free, confidential and non-judgmental. Or visit www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help
