Why we should never give up the search for Hull’s missing people

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MISSING PERSONS CASES WHICH STILL RESONATE IN THE CITY

IF there is anything worse than losing a loved one in tragic circumstances, it is losing someone and not knowing what happened.

That sense of not knowing is a source of torture for families.

There is no closure and they can never truly move on, even if hope of finding a missing relative alive is all but gone. No matter what the facts point to, families will forever cling on to hope.

Even if families accept a missing loved one has died, they will forever wonder what happened.

We take a look at the missing persons cases in Hull which feature on the Humberside Police website and also look back some one of the high-profile cases which have never been resolved.

In these cases, Humberside Police has confirmed they are still missing and any new information that comes to light will be investigated.

Two high-profile missing people are not on the list as inquests have been held, even though no body has been found.

Russell Bohling, 18, vanished on March 2, 2010, after he left the family home in West Ella for Bishop Burton College. His Renault Clio was found at Bempton Cliffs the next day.

In December 2019, assistant coroner David Rosenberg delivered an open narrative conclusion after ruling out suicide.

He said it was likely Russell had died at Bempton Cliffs, but believed there was

not sufficient evidence to suggest there was third-party involvement.

Andrew Bunby disappeared in January 2007. He was sleeping rough in the city after going through a separation.

Police believed he had been killed and arrested a 54-year-old man on suspicion of murdering him six months after his disappearance. However, the man was later released without charge.

An inquest into his death was finally held in December last year.

Assistant coroner David Rosenberg recorded a narrative verdict and concluded the “circumstances surrounding his death are unknown”.

Anyone with information on any of the cases should call Humberside Police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

Here are the cases which currently feature on the Humberside Police missing persons page: 1Manh Vam Chu

Manh Vam Chu, 17, was last seen in Hull at around 11.30pm on Tuesday, August 11, of this year, and has not been in contact since.

Police have particular concerns because he doesn’t know the Hull area very well and is only a teenager.

Humberside Police say: “We are concerned for his wellbeing, as he has limited knowledge of the area and does not speak much English.

“It’s believed he may have tried to travel to the Shropshire area, where he has links.”

Manh is around 5ft 7in and was wearing a blue T-shirt, black denim shorts and black sliders.

If you have seen him, or have any information that could help find him, call 101, quoting log number 128, of August 12.

2Christian Barbu

An abandoned HGV sparked a missing person investigation last year.

As The Pride of Hull ferry docked after an overnight journey from Rotterdam the lorry and belongings were found aboard. But there was no sign of their owner.

Christian Barbu vanished on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

Christian, 28, did not disembark the ferry and police have not received any further news on his whereabouts.

On the anniversary of his disappearance, a Humberside Police spokesman said: “We received a report that HGV driver Christian Barbu, of Romania, had not disembarked from the Pride of Hull following a trip with his HGV from Rotterdam to Hull.

“Christian boarded the P&O ferry in Rotterdam on Friday, August 9, 2019. On Saturday, August 10, his vehicle and belongings remained on the ship but he was nowhere to be found.

“We issued a missing person appeal to try and find him or information about his whereabouts, but a year on there has been no further news and Christian has not been found.

“We are appealing once again for anyone with information about Christian to contact us.”

If you have any information, call 101, quoting log number 313 of August 10, 2019.

3Hang Thi Ho

Vietnamese teenager Hang Thi Ho (also known as Nha Quynh Ho) was last seen in Queens Gardens in Hull on March 19, 2019.

Although she had gone missing before, this time she was not quickly found and her disappearance remains a mystery.

Humberside police said at the time: “It’s not the first time she has been missing, but we want to find her to make sure she is safe.

“She is white, around 5ft 2in, of slight build with shoulder-length straight, dark brown hair.

“She was wearing a white puffa jacket with a brown fur collar, dark jeans or leggings and black shoes.”

If you have any information, call 101 quoting log number 449 of March 19, 2019.

Below is a list of some of the more historic and high-profile missing persons cases in the Hull area.

4Renata Antczak

The disappearance of mum-of-two Renata Antczak is the latest high-profile missing persons case and is probably the most mysterious of all.

She was last seen dropping her youngest daughter off at school and, in the years that have passed, her name and face has become known to almost everybody in Hull.

A couple of months after Renata vanished from her Kingswood home, Humberside Police announced they were treating her disappearance as a potential murder inquiry.

Detectives leading the investigation say all lines of inquiry to find her alive have “proved fruitless” and no one who knows Renata has had contact with her since, whether in Hull or her native Poland.

Thought to be the largest murder investigation in Hull in 20 years, senior investigating officer Chief Inspector Tony Cockerill gave an update on the third anniversary of her disappearance in April 2020. He said: “It has been three years since Hull mum Renata Antczak disappeared after she dropped her youngest daughter off at school on Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

“Since then, our officers have worked to

piece together what happened to her and this remains an active and ongoing investigation.

“Disappointingly, no new information has come to us since the last anniversary and I would urge anybody with any information to come forward so that we can carry out the necessary investigations.” .”

The last known sighting of Renata was at t Broadacre Primary School, wearing a distinctive bright yellow puffa jacket. She was reported missing by her dentist husband, Dr Majid Mustafa, that night.

Although police have made previous appeals, including through a social media video that reached 300,000 people globally, y, officers believe someone, somewhere, may y still hold information that could be critical l to the inquiry.

In 2018, Dr Mustafa, formerly of Beamsley Way, Kingswood, was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to intentionally encouraging an offence.

Suspecting Renata of having an affair, he tried to get a friend to obtain the “date rape” drug GHB so he could use it on his wife and unlock her iphone with her fingerprint. 5Jason

Jason Norfolk had been on a pub crawl in Old Town when he became separated from friends in the early hours of December 6, 2015.

That was the last time anyone ever saw him. His shoes and mobile phone were found on a muddy bank near the Arctic Corsair, but Jason has never been found.

Karen Norfolk has long accepted her son Jason, 20, died the night he disappeared, having probably fallen into the river after a night out.

She told the Mail: “It is very upsetting for us. We are distraught and heartbroken by the loss of Jason. We have still not got any

Norfolk

closure closure. Our hope of ever finding him is just getting slimmer and slimmer.

“We continue to hope he can be found so we can have a funeral and finally get some closure. We now think that will probably never happen.”

Jason had visited several pubs in Old Town the night he went missing. No one noticed him leave Rumours Bar, but CCTV showed him walking along Liberty Lane, towards High Street, city centre, at 1.16am. His precise movements thereafter are not known.

Last year, Karen hit out at Hull City

Council for not putting up railings in the area where it is believed Jason fell in, but the council said it was not practical.

6Michael Conboy

Michael Conboy, 80, was reported missing on April 20, 2009.

The pensioner, who lived alone in Saxton Court, north Hull, last spoke to one of his sisters on the phone at about 10.30pm on the Sunday.

She had arranged to meet him at his house early the next morning, but when she arrived she discovered her brother had vanished.

Police said Mr Conboy’s curtains were drawn and the lights were left on, suggesting he may have left during the night.

Officers searched the Northern Cemetery in Chanterlands Avenue, west Hull, which Mr Conboy mentioned to his family. They also searched the area around his home and former places of work.

Police were particularly concerned as he may have been suffering from memory loss and was extremely vulnerable.

Michael did not have his bus pass and has not used his bank account since his disappearance.

Police searches using mounted units, divers and a helicopter failed to find the pensioner, who had been confused after his discharge from hospital following a viral infection.

Mr Conboy is white, about 5ft 4in to 5ft 5in and, at the time, he was very slim and had grey, balding hair. He often wore glasses and usually dressed in a shirt, tie and trousers.

Last year, on the tenth anniversary of Mr Conboy’s disappearance, Detective Chief Inspector Stewart Miller said: “Despite a thorough investigation at the time of his disappearance and in the subsequent years, Michael still has not been found.

“Although this is a very rare occurrence, as with all long-term missing people, our enquiry remains open until we locate them.

“Even now, if anyone has any information, no matter how small, that may assist us in finding Michael, we would want to hear from them.”

7Gloria Bielby

Hull glamour model Gloria Bielby went missing 41 years ago.

Gloria was last seen on February 2, 1979, getting into a red Ford Escort with a man outside her home in Dawnay Road, Bilton.

The married 36-year-old mum worked at

Reckitt and Coleman as a secretary and told no one of her plans to leave.

The last sighting of her was at 11.30am by a neighbour who believed she saw Gloria putting a suitcase into the boot of the car, which was being driven by a well-dressed, middle-aged man.

Described as a devoted mother to her then 11-year-old son, detectives at the time feared the worst as she disappeared without a trace. She has not been in contact with her son, family or friends since.

In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, she had told friends she was afraid to be alone after receiving nuisance telephone calls.

The night before her disappearance her husband Bernard Bielby, who ran a butcher’s shop in Bilton Grange, east Hull, gave her £3,500 to buy a new car as part of a separation settlement.

There were rumours Gloria had been dating other men in the area. It is believed she had connections to sportsmen and businessmen in the area.

In 2013, Humberside Police reopened the investigation into her disappearance under a “cold case” review. The detectives believe it is possible they are dealing with a murder inquiry but are keeping an open mind.

At the time, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Hutchinson said: “This is a review of a longterm missing person. We are exploring the possibility she came to some harm.

“She may well have had an accident or committed suicide. We need to review all of the case papers and explore all of the possibilities. We will be concentrating on the last time she was seen and what the inquiry found after that”.

A key part of the reopened investigation focused on trying to identify the man Gloria got into the car with, who was never traced.

As it stands, cold case review did not bring to light any significant new information.