DNA samples were able to confirm her identity
An American woman who went missing more than 30 years ago and was later declared dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico, Guardian reported. The woman identified as Patricia Kopta, who is now 82, had last been seen in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1992. She was later declared dead by authorities after they failed to locate her.
Turns out, she had been found wandering the streets of northern Puerto Rico in 1999. Diagnosed with dementia, she now lives in a nursing home on the Caribbean island and was identified by a social worker.
Mrs Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her home town, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. However, as she suffered progressively from dementia, she began to divulge details about her life. Meanwhile, staff at the nursing home made contact with Pennsylvania authorities who were able to make a connection. DNA samples were able to confirm her identity, Ross Township police said.
Before leaving Pennsylvania, doctors said she was showing some signs of schizophrenia. She was also briefly institutionalized after doctors diagnosed her with ''delusions of grandeur.''
"She was concerned she was going to be institutionalized. Which is what we believe led her to decide to flee the country,'' authorities said Friday.
Her husband Bob Kopta said he had been married to Mrs Kopta for 20 years before she went missing. However, Mr Kopta never remarried.
''You wouldn't believe what we've been through. It's such a relief to know she's alive,'' Mr Kopta, said at a news conference on Thursday.
Mrs Kopta has two sisters - a twin, who died six years ago, and a younger sister. Her surviving sister Gloria Smith said, "Shock. I didn't believe it. Total shock," when she learned the news, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
She also added that Mrs Kopta often went to Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married.