A woman who was declared missing and later presumed dead has been found alive decades after her disappearance, more than 30 years later. reported by LaDbible
Patricia Kopta, a devout Roman Catholic from North Hills, Pittsburgh, was reported missing by her husband Bob on November 27, 1992, months after she vanished on June 20, 1992. Known for her free-spirited nature, Patricia often preached and had spiritual visions, telling strangers that the world was on the brink of a nuclear war.
Bob reported her missing to the police, noting that it wasn’t unusual for Patricia to disappear for short periods. However, she was quickly classified as a critical missing person, prompting an urgent search. A poster released by the Pennsylvania Emergency Response Centre suggested that Patricia might have flown to Puerto Rico after her disappearance, but she had not been seen or heard from since.
Bob, who never remarried, was left worried and heartbroken, fearing that every unidentified body found might be his wife. He sought help from a psychic and placed ads in Puerto Rican newspapers, as Patricia had loved vacationing there before their marriage, according to her sister Gloria.
Seven years after her disappearance, the family obtained a legal declaration that Patricia was dead. But in 2023, the case took a surprising turn. told by People
Patricia, now 83 years old, was discovered alive in a nursing home in Puerto Rico, 1,700 miles from her home. She had been found wandering near the home in June 1999 and taken in as a person in need. Initially silent about her past, Patricia eventually began to open up, revealing signs of dementia. A social worker, suspecting she was from Pennsylvania, contacted the relevant authorities.
A DNA test confirmed her identity as Patricia Kopta. Bob, 86, expressed relief at a press conference following the revelation. “It’s a sad thing, but it’s a relief off my mind. When your wife goes missing, you’re a suspect.”
Rumors suggested that Patricia’s mental health began deteriorating in 1984, and after losing her job, she started roaming the streets. She was diagnosed with delusions of grandeur, with doctors suspecting schizophrenia. Known for her eccentricity, Patricia married Bob in 1972, but she might have left him and the country to avoid being institutionalized.
“After 30 years, you try to forget about it,” Bob said at the press conference when asked why his wife vanished. “Now, I can forget about it. We know what happened, and she is taken care of now. She could have come home any time. But that’s what she wanted. She always said she wanted to go to a warm climate.” According to Yahoo News
Her sister Gloria flew to Puerto Rico after the positive DNA test to see Patricia for the first time since 1992. “We’re very thankful to know that Patty is alive and well,” Gloria told WMTW. “She’s being well taken care of. We really thought she was dead all those years. It was a very big shock to know that she’s still alive.”
Police reported that Patricia told locals she had arrived on a cruise ship from Europe all those years ago, leaving much of her time on the island a mystery.
