COLD CASE COP ON HUNT FOR PEOPLE WHO VANISH

PC looking at 100 cases involving Midlanders missing since 1968

- BEN PERRIN News Reporter

A TENACIOUS West Midlands Police officer probing scores of cold case missing person inquiries has found people living all over the world as he attempts to bring families 'closure'.

PC Shaun Reeve, from the force's specialist long-term investigation team, is one of two officers dealing with 100 historic cases in Birmingham and across the region.

The cases range from 1968 to last year and sit on a police database separate to live or current missing person cases.

One case cracked by the diligent officer was 16-year-old Sheila Fox - one of the West Midlands Police's oldest missing person cases from the 1970s.

PC Reeve says people go missing usually due to one of four reasons — they're lost, they come to harm through an accident, third party involvement - with a criminal element - or voluntarily, including suicide.

But the process of finding people safe and well can prompt an “endless” list of inquiries. These could involve financial checks, phone usage, social media posts, travel checks, police contact, prison checks, or hospital, healthcare and social care inquiries.

PC Reeve, who is based at Park Lane in Newtown, said: “I leave absolutely no stone unturned, I investigate everything and it’s like putting a puzzle together.

“For me this is a dream job and it's something I love. It's about trying to bring closure to families.

“A lot of the families know they probably won't have closure in terms of finding the person, but knowing somebody is dedicated to continue to search with an investigation is some sort of closure for the families in itself.

“At least they know every single thing is being done to find their loved one. These people (who are missing) don’t have a voice. They deserve everything thrown into it to look for them.