Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Missing Anne linked to two mystery men
THE family of a woman who went missing 16 years ago want to trace two bikers she was seen with.
Anne Simpson vanished on September 26, 2004, from a caravan park after a row with partner Anthony Rogers, known as Tom.
He claims she left alone. But in an interview, her granddaughter Stephanie Barwell told how a publican now says the pair had been drinking with two others.
She added: “Straight away he comes out with, ‘She was here with two bikers, Tom and two men’.
“That blew our minds. If these two guys would come forward it would be a massive achievement.”
Anne disappeared from Coastfields Caravan Park at Skegness, Lincs, aged 60.
Full interview is on The Missing podcast out today.
LEON Spinks shocked the world when he beat heavyweight legend Muhammad Ali in just his eighth pro bout in 1978 – but he fought his toughest battles outside the ring.
The boxer, who has died aged 67, said: “I had no control of myself out of the ring. All I cared about was going on to the next party. Who was I going to get high with? My life was cocaine, weed, cars and women. And I enjoyed it.”
His reign as champion would last just seven months – when a fitter Ali gained revenge – but Spinks became known as much for his humility and gaptoothed grin as his boxing career.
The American heavyweight star later fell on hard times, working as a £4.50-anhour cleaner at a YMCA and a part-time odd job man at Mcdonald’s.
Yet Spinks – who was nicknamed Neon Leon for his love of nightlife – never showed any signs of bitterness about his fall from the top.
In 2006 he said simply: “I unload the delivery trucks when they come in and get 50% cent off on Big Macs.”
Leading the tributes, heavyweight great George Foreman said Spinks had “the greatest gift… the smile.
“No one took that away from him. He could have let tragedy be his story. But that was not his story at all. Always willing to stop and give you a smile and not hold on to your ear. And especially not complain. Never any complaints.’’
Veteran Daily Mirror photographer Michael Brennan knew Spinks well. Author of respected book They Must Fall: Muhammad Ali and the Men He Fought, Brennan said: “He was a very humble man. I first met him when he was preparing for the second Muhammad Ali fight and at the height of his career. “Much later on I met him when he was scrubbing floors in Mcdonald’s and he couldn’t have been nicer. “Very courteous and pleasant. We took him for a couple of drinks at a local social club.
“A while later I was at a Ricky Hatton fight at Caesars Palace in Vegas and Leon was at the bar. health and he was found to be suffering with a shrinkage in the brain in 2012.
After retiring from boxing, Spinks lived quietly. His YMCA boss Bob Lauterbach said he was a good worker, adding: “I call him ‘Champ’ and he likes that. We get a ton of calls, mostly people wanting him to sign stuff. He’s real, real quiet.”
Spinks made over £4million from his fighting days but claimed he never saw most of it – and he fiercely denied spending most of the money on cocaine.
“That’s bulls***,” he said. “That’s what people think. My lawyers stole it from me. I was stupid and I gave them power of attorney.”
He claimed he never got a penny of the £2.5m he made for Ali-spinks 2, saying: “Well, what can you do? Life is a bitch and then you live it.”
Much of his life was marred by tragedy – one of his sons, Leon Calvin, was killed in 1990 in a drive-by shooting.
Spinks later suffered with health issues and was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer in 2019. He died on Friday evening in Henderson, Nevada, with his third wife Brenda by his side.
A statement from friends and family said: “His final fight was fought with the same skill, grace and grit that had carried him through so many lifetime challenges.
“Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his smile. He never threw in the towel.”
Son Cory, 42, and brother Michael, 64, also won major boxing titles.
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP