Shocking: A woman missing for 31 years and declared dead has been found alive.
Patricia Kopta’s narrative seemed to be straight out of a Hollywood movie. The 83-year-old, who was last seen in June 1992, was discovered 31 years later, after all hope of her survival had been lost. Here’s the incredible trip of this woman, which gave us chills.
A mind-blowing discovery
After disappearing from her birthplace of Pittsburgh more than three decades ago, Kopta, who suffers from dementia, was discovered in a nursing home in Puerto Rico, where she had been since 1999.
They were able to find her because a social worker was concerned about her well-being. It took nearly a year for the DNA sample to confirm Patricia’s identification.
Patricia had been struggling with mental health.
Patricia fled, leaving behind her younger sister Gloria and husband Robert, whom she married in 1972.
Robert, who is now 86 years old, claimed that his wife had a mental health issue and that her behavior had become increasingly inconsistent over time. He explained, ”Something must have happened. Someone approached her because she started talking about ‘the world is about to end’.
Patricia would roam about urging passersby ”to go home because the world was going to end in three days.”
The young woman was known for her beauty.
People on the street dubbed Patricia ”The Sparrow” because of her small stature. Kopta worked at a glass manufacturer for ten years before being forced to retire due to migraines caused by stress, according to doctors. She then started working as an elevator operator.
People felt the then-young woman ”looked like an airline stewardess from the early 1960s.” Her sister says, ”She just liked the ocean, the beach, the bright weather,” and that young Patricia would frequently vacation in Puerto Rico before meeting her husband, Robert.
This wasn’t her first disappearance.
Patricia’s situation worsened in the early 1990s when she was robbed and her engagement ring stolen. She later had several confrontations with police and was jailed.
Robert mentioned that his wife has a tendency to disappear for little periods of time. He said, “I come home one night and she’s just gone, and nobody knows where she is.”
But, after nearly 6 months of her not returning home, he filed a missing person’s report and informed the authorities of her disappearance.
Her sister can’t wait to hug her.
Robert did not remarry, however he doesn’t have any plans on seeing Patricia and admits that he now wants to forget the past, even though he says that her being found is a ’’relief off my mind.’’
Patricia’s sister Gloria, however, wants to travel to Puerto Rico to see her sister, given that she can’t have a phone conversation with her due to her dementia. Gloria noted, ’’Whether she knows me or not, I still want to see her and give her a hug and tell her I love her.’’