Possible breakthrough in mystery of woman missing for almost a year

A woman who has been missing since last summer may have been spotted in Wales with ‘unknown people’.

Charlene Hobbs, 36, vanished on July 23, 2024, with CCTV last capturing her at a Morrisons Local in Adamstown, Wales.

Since then, her disappearance has been treated as a murder, and an award of £20,000 has been posted for any information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

Now, South Wales Police say Charlene may have been spotted in two different sightings.

On July 29, around 11.20 am, Charlene was spotted on a local bridge linking Adamsdown and Splott, wearing a blue jacket and walking ‘single file’ with two men.

One of the men was described as white, in his thirties or forties, and of average height. The second was wearing a black face covering.

On November 1, around 5.30 pm at Asda in Coryton, Cardiff, a witness saw Charlene standing by the security desk with a young boy around four years old.

A woman, described as approximately 40 years old with short burgundy dyed hair, approached Charlene and all three left the supermarket, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Powell, from South Wales Police, said: ‘We would appeal to anyone with further information on these two sightings in Adamsdown and Coryton to please come forward.

‘In particular, we are urging the two men on the railway bridge and the woman with the dyed burgundy hair in Asda to come forward.

‘Despite a huge number of enquiries, we still have no proof that Charlene is alive, but we remain determined to find Charlene alive and return her to her family.’

The last known sighting is a photograph of Charlene taken in Broadway, Adamsdown, on July 24, 2024.

A 45-year-old man arrested in connection with the investigation remains onbail.

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