Family of mum missing for 50 years beg for answers after murder probe launched
The family of a woman who vanished more than 50 years ago and feared to have been murdered have asked the public for their help.
Isabella Skelton, originally from Glasgow, was last seen in the Crumpsall area of Manchester on June 5, 1969. The mother-of-three, 35, had moved south with her family in the 1960s before disappearing days before the 15th birthday of her daughter, Lynda Chapman. Mrs Chapman, 69, appeared on BBC One's Crimewatch Live to urge people to come forward, the Daily Record reported.
She said: "We had a normal family life and she was a typical mum. She went to work and she looked after the house. In the beginning I was surprised she left before my birthday. My dad told me she had gone to work away and that was basically it. You need a mother and I found not having one traumatic.
"I started in 1978 to look for my mum. My husband and myself went to Glasgow and tried the electoral rolls. Nothing happened so we kept pushing and pushing for different things but we have come to a dead end really. If somebody knows anything hopefully they can find some way of getting it across.”
Isabella Skelton was last seen in June 1969 (MEN Media)
Lynda holding a photo of her mother (Manchester Evening News)Greater Manchester Police confirmed in December the case had been classed as a murder inquiry. One man has been interviewed under caution on suspicion of her murder but no one has been charged. Ms Skelton was born in Glasgow on January 21, 1934, and lived in the Anderston area before marrying Lewis Skelton in 1952. The couple lived on Carnoustie Street, in the city's Tradeston, before relocating to Greater Manchester in the 1960s, first living in Salford then moving to Crumpsall.
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They had three children, Lynda, Richard and Stephen. Ms Skelton worked for Atlas Express, based in Salford, and at Gallagher Cigarettes. She was working at Ball Bearings Services at the time of her disappearance. The family tried several means to trace Ms Skelton over the decades, including drawing on the services of a genealogist. However, it wasn't until 2019 Mrs Chapman realised her mother was never formally reported missing.
A police photo progression of how she may have aged (MEN Media)Greater Manchester Police became involved and the force later released an age-progressed image of what she would look like today. In October 2020 a man was interviewed under caution on suspicion of the murder. In 2021, detectives carried out a three-month forensic search and excavation of her last known address. No human remains or conclusive evidence were uncovered.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "This has been a complex and protracted investigation, and at this stage, all conventional lines of enquiry in our search for Isabella, have been exhausted. As with all complex investigations like this, we will continue to keep an open mind, and should new evidence come to light, we will follow all lines of enquiry to provide Isabella's family with the answers they deserve. Needless to say, such cases are never closed, and we would be grateful for any new lines of enquiry or information."
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