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Patricia "Pat" Gail Kopta, had not been seen since June 20, 1992, and her husband Robert "Bob" Kopta reported her missing on Nov. 27 of that year, according to the police.
She had a history of mental health issues and had disappeared before, so although there were rumors of a mugging and her jewelry being stolen, the police say family and friends knew she was looking for mental health treatment and her disappearance "was never believed to be suspicious," authorities stated during the press conference. Over the years, the police thought she left the North Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh for additional care and followed leads along those lines. This is kind of what she did because not only did she leave Pittsburgh but she took a trip to Puerto Rico.
Although it remains unclear how or when she took this trip, Kotpa checked herself into an adult care facility on June 30, 1999, according to the Allegheny County detectives. She told the staff she had been traveling from a cruise ship from Europe, although detectives can find no evidence that she ever visited the continent.
As she aged and become more comfortable with the staff she shared details about life in Pennsylvania. She mentioned she used to do street preaching at concerts, something which was widely noted as she was filmed several times going by the name "The Sparrow" in the 1980s. Somehow the staff was familiar with the case and called the police in Ross, PA.
In September 2022, her sister and nephew provided a cheek swab for DNA samples so she could be identified.
The police say she is doing well but did not say if she has been reunited with any of her family in PA.
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