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medium sizeary Flanagan is only 16 years old disappeared. A lively, bubbly teen, recently engaged and adored by her three younger siblings, has her whole life in front of her when she disappears without a trace.
She is now considered the longest-running subject known missing persons case in the UK.
as independent £165,000 raised start up secure call – Provide free new services children in crisis With confidential support, guidance and safe access, we will continue to raise more funds to tell Mary’s story and why she has never been forgotten.
On New Year’s Eve 1959, Mary disappeared after leaving her home. west ham united Attend a work party. The now 82-year-old was never seen again or heard from, but her family has been fighting for answers for decades.
Her siblings never stopped searching for the truth, but two of her sisters died without knowing what happened to her.
In 2021, Mary’s sister Brenda wrote a letter in the hope of contacting her: “I am writing this letter in the hope that you will read it. I have missed you very much over the years, I have been looking for you for many years and will continue to do so.”
“I have so much I want to share with you, but right now I want you to know that I love you and I want you to connect with me and we can work things out at your own pace.”
donate here Or text SAFE to 70577 and get £10 free missing persons – Enough for a child to get help.
Almost nothing is known about the circumstances of Mary’s disappearance. All case files at the time were destroyed in the floods, leaving the Metropolitan Police with few leads when they reopened their investigation in 2013.
In the early 1960s, before the advent of CCTV, electronic records or regular documentation, it was much easier for someone to disappear without leaving a trace. It is also possible that important evidence was not collected at all.
The night before she disappeared, Mary told her family that she was going to a New Year’s party at the Tetler Sugar Factory where she worked. When she failed to return home, her parents went to the factory and were told that she had not worked for weeks, even though she left home every morning. It is unclear whether a political party ever existed.
She is also engaged to a man named Tom McGinty, who may have important information. By 2013, police were unable to identify him.
Although clues have surfaced over the years, none have provided conclusive evidence. However, Mary’s case remains unsolved and the police search continues.
Brenda recalls her sister Detective Podcast: “Mary is a very carefree girl, very lively and lively, she is very cute. She looks older than she is [was]she has her own opinion, and she will do whatever she wants to do.
“When Mary was getting ready to go out, putting on her makeup and stuff like that, I always looked at her and wished I could go with her.”
For more than a decade before Brenda’s death, Missing Persons’ Amy-Catherine Walker was a social worker who supported Mary’s family.
“This is an unusual situation,” she said, “and the longer you’re in this situation, the harder it is for other people in your life, no matter how much they love you and care about you – they don’t know what to say anymore.
“When you have hope, we have hope, and we will be with you no matter how long you need us.
“Everybody matters. Everybody is somebody to somebody, no matter how long it’s been. If we’re still eager to keep trying to find answers, we’re not going to give up.”
Recent events have shown that even long-standing cases can still be resolved. January, sheila fox A man missing for more than fifty years has been found safe and sound by West Midlands Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, National Missing Persons Policing Lead, said: “If a person is missing without explanation, or there is a fear that they may have been seriously harmed, the circumstances are investigated thoroughly and the case remains on file, often under regular review pending new information.”
“Advances in science, technology and policing have solved many long-standing or so-called cold cases. With this in mind, we always encourage those with new information about ‘old’ cases to come forward, as even the smallest clues can hold the key to solving a case and provide those who need them with the answers they crave.”
Missing Persons is no longer in contact with any of Mary’s surviving relatives. Ms Walker urged any family members who need support to contact the charity.
please Donate now Independent and missing people’s SafeCall campaign has raised £165,000 to create a free national service to help vulnerable children find safety and support.
If you or a loved one are missing and need advice, support and options, text or call the missing people charity on 116 000. It’s free, confidential and non-judgmental. or visit www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help