Patricia Kopta, who disappeared in 1992, was discovered living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico.
(CNN) --
A Pennsylvania woman who disappeared more than 30 years ago and was believed dead by her family was recently found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico, her family and police said at a news conference Thursday.
Patricia Kopta, now 83, was last seen in Pittsburgh in the summer of 1992, according to a missing persons flyer released by the Pennsylvania Emergency Response Center.
Her husband, Bob Kopta, reported her missing a few months later, in the fall.
At the time, he informed authorities that it was not uncommon for his wife to "go out of sight for short periods," according to the flier.
Police identify the body of missing British mother Nicola Bulley
“I came home one night and she was gone, and no one knew where she was,” Kopta said at the news conference with Ross Township police.
Police said they were first informed of the discovery of the missing woman when an agent from the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and a social worker from Puerto Rico contacted them last year saying they believed Patricia was living in a adult care home in Puerto Rico.
advertising
“What we were told was that she had been in their care since 1999, when she was found in need on the streets of Puerto Rico,” Ross Township Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp said.
INTERPOL and the social worker said Patricia was found wandering the streets and over the years had "refused to talk about her private life or where she came from," Kohlhepp said.
At her advanced age, Patricia began to reveal some isolated information that would eventually lead those around her to contact Ross police, Kohlhepp said.
Patricia Kopta is now 83 years old.
A history of mental health problems
When in Pittsburgh, Patricia was a "well-known street preacher," according to the missing persons flyer.
She would approach strangers and tell them that she had had visions of the Virgin Mary and that the world was coming to an end.
Police said her disappearance was not overtly suspicious because "they knew that she had a history of mental health problems and had told other family members that she was leaving, that she was concerned that she would be placed in a care facility here," he said. Kohlhepp, who also indicated that police knew he had probably left of his own free will.
Her husband said that her she had talked about wanting to go to Puerto Rico to live in a tropical environment.
“I even put an ad in the Puerto Rican newspaper looking for her,” Kopta said at the press conference, adding that he spent a lot of money over the years looking for his wife.
Patricia and Bob were married for 20 years before she went missing, Kohlhepp told CNN.
He added that Patricia had no known family or connections in Puerto Rico.
DNA tests helped connect the dots
Police determined that the woman was indeed Patricia through a nine-month process in which they compared DNA samples provided by her sister, Gloria Smith, and her nephew.
"We really thought she was dead all those years," Smith said at the news conference.
Even before the DNA test was completed, the family knew it was Patricia from her photo, Kohlhepp said.
Smith said she has called the adult care home in Puerto Rico several times, but has not been able to hold a conversation with her sister because she has dementia.
“We didn't expect it.
It was a great shock to see her, to know that she is still alive, ”said her sister.
"You know, we are very happy and I hope I can travel to see her."
CNN has not been able to directly contact the woman's family.
missing