In 1992, Patricia Kopta disappeared without a trace from Pittsburgh in the USA. The 53-year-old was then known as “The Sparrow” in his home town.
In his younger days, Kopta is said to have been a very successful student in Pittsburgh. She later became both a model and dance instructor, and also worked in finance, according to the family.
She should also have liked to go on holiday to Puerto Rico before she got married, her sister Gloria Smith tells AP.
– She loved the sea, the beach and the warm sun, says Smith.
However, after Kopta started work as an elevator operator in Pittsburgh, the family must have noticed a change in her.
– She said something about meeting an angel there, Smith’s sister tells AP.
For 30 years, the now 83-year-old Kopta has been away from his family. Photo: Ross Township Police Department
sea view
– She just left
Her husband Bob Kopta (86) tells People that the couple lived a completely normal life at the start, and that the wife was a Catholic who went to church on Sundays.
But over time, her faith must have taken a new direction, according to her husband. Among other things, the wife began to preach in car parks and busy roads, where she warned people against the end of the world.
– She claimed that the mother of God warned of a nuclear armageddon, Kopta tells People.
When the man returned home one evening in 1992, Patricia Kopta was gone without a trace.
– Nobody knew where she was. I do not get it. I didn’t throw her out, she just left, and didn’t say goodbye or anything, says Kopta.
The disappearance led to a major police investigation, but the police had no leads in the case. They are said to have also tried to talk to a clairvoyant to get information, without it giving them anything.
Seven years after his disappearance, Kopta was declared dead by the police.
Horror pictures: – A cruel case
– Sad
31 years later, Patrica Kopta was found in Puerto Rico – 270 miles away from her hometown. Today she is 83 years old.
When she arrived in Puerto Rico, she is said to have traveled around several places in the country for a long time, without having a fixed place of residence. She must have kept her past hidden from people she met.
In 1999 it was declared that she needed help. She was then moved to a nursing home, and is said to have also been affected by dementia.
Mysterious find in the sewer
However, Kopta is said to have begun to open up about his past to a social worker at the nursing home. Last year, the social worker had enough information to notify the US authorities about Kopta. A DNA test has also confirmed her identity.
According to assistant police chief in Ross Township, Brian Kohlhepp, the reason why Kopta disappeared was that she was afraid of ending up in an institution.
– Therefore, we believe that it was what made her decide to leave the country, says Kohlhepp during a press conference, reproduced by NBC News.
– It’s sad, but it’s a relief. When your wife disappears, you are a suspect, says husband Bob Kopta to AP.
Smith talks about what she thought when she got the news that her sister had been found, and alive.
– Shock. I couldn’t believe it. A big shock, says Smith.
She hopes to be able to visit her sister, despite the fact that Patricia is currently affected by dementia.
– Regardless of whether she recognizes me or not, I want to see her, give her a hug, and tell her that I love her, says Smith.
