Wife Disappears after a Doctor's Appointment, 42 Years Later She's Found in a Nursing Home

A few years ago, a 78-year-old woman, Flora Stevens, went viral after being found in a nursing home, over four decades after she suddenly vanished. Sadly, the woman could not give any information regarding where she had been, and here is why.

For the longest time, officers from the New York Police Department reviewed the case of a missing woman who was an employee at the most exquisite hotel in upstate New York but was unable to develop any leads.

However, in October 2017, they solved the case, which eventually went viral. The missing woman identified as Florence "Flora" Stevens was found in an assisted living facility in Massachusetts, 42 years after she disappeared in upstate New York.

FLORA STEVENS DISAPPEARS

Stevens was 36 years old when she suddenly went missing on August 3, 1975. According to the Sullivan County Sheriff's office, she had a doctor's appointment at Community General Hospital, located at Monticello at the time, and was dropped off by her husband.

But after the appointment was over and the man returned to pick up his wife, Stevens had vanished. Immediately, the police went into action and did everything possible, but all efforts proved abortive.

The missing person's case remained unsolved for decades until the Sullivan County Sheriff's office received information about some unidentified skeletal remains, believed to be Stevens's. They hoped family members could provide DNA for identification.

THE SURPRISING DISCOVERY 42 YEARS LATER

Instead, investigators found out someone was using the missing woman's social security number in Massachusetts. So, they tracked down the number to a nursing home In Lowell.

The workers at the facility confirmed that the number belonged to a woman named Flora Harris, who had been there since 2001.

After further investigations, they confirmed that Flora Harris was Flora Stevens. She was 78 at the time, suffered from dementia, and could not speak correctly. However, the woman recognized an old photo of hers taken when she was 36 and worked at the hotel.

Even though Stevens recognized the old picture, her ill health made it impossible to narrate what had happened 42 years prior. So, the mystery of her whereabouts during that period remained unsolved.

THOUGHTS ABOUT STEVENS'S WHEREABOUTS

After Stevens was found, her story went viral, and several people shared their thoughts, including Festus Mbuva, a former worker at the assisted living facility. Mbuva strongly believed that Stevens never wanted to be found.

According to the man, it was evident that something had happened in her past, which she never wanted a part of. In addition, he said Stevens' husband was abusive, and she refused to share any details regarding her family. In conclusion, the woman preferred to keep her past life a secret.

After Stevens was found, other discoveries came to light. For example, Stevens' husband, Robert, passed away in 1985, the hospital she was dropped off at was abandoned, and the grand hotel she worked at closed in 1998. None of Stevens's living relatives could be located, but the officers were thankful that she was found and safe.