On September 1st, 2003, seventeen-year-old Natalie Putt left her home in Thornleigh, Lower Gornal, Dudley, West Midlands, telling her ex-partner Kevin McCallum that she was popping out to buy cigarettes. She had recently given birth to her son, Rhys, who was just eleven weeks old at the time. Natalie left the baby with relatives and was never seen again. What began as a missing person case quickly evolved into a suspected murder investigation, one that has haunted her family and West Midlands Police for over two decades.
Natalie, born in Aberystwyth, Wales, was a young mother navigating the challenges of early parenthood. She had been in the process of ending her relationship with McCallum, the father of her child. Witnesses reported that she seemed in good spirits that day, with no indication she planned to abandon her newborn son. Her disappearance was entirely out of character; Natalie had no history of running away, no significant financial issues, and strong ties to her family.
Police launched an immediate search. Natalie was last seen leaving her home around evening time, heading toward a local shop. Extensive appeals were made, including reconstructions and media coverage. In March 2004, an eighteen-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of her murder but was later released without charge.
Over the years, the case saw periodic reviews. By the mid-2010s, West Midlands Police had reclassified it as a murder inquiry following a “sign-of-life appraisal”—a process confirming no evidence she was still alive, such as bank activity, benefits claims, or sightings.
A significant breakthrough appeared in 2017 when new information emerged, partly spurred by a moving performance on Britain’s Got Talent by the Missing People Choir, which highlighted Natalie’s case. A caller from a telephone box provided details that police described as “crucial.”
This led to several dramatic searches. In June 2017, for example, graves were exhumed at Ruiton Cemetery in nearby Upper Gornal, based on intelligence suggesting her remains might have been hidden there. Nothing was found.
Later that year, in September and October, police conducted an extensive search of Ellowes Hall Wood and surrounding woodland near her home, including swampy areas. Again, no trace of Natalie was discovered.
In January 2019, an inquest was held despite the absence of a body—a rare occurrence. Senior coroner Zafar Siddique recorded an open verdict, concluding that Natalie was deceased and likely died on or around September 1st, 2003, “at or near her home” in Lower Gornal. He emphasized that the exact cause of death remained unknown, but the circumstances pointed to foul play.
West Midlands Police reiterated their belief that Natalie had been murdered. Her death certificate lists the date and place of death as September 1st, 2003, at her home address.
As of 2026, more than twenty-two years after her disappearance, Natalie Putt’s case remains unsolved. No one has been charged with her murder, and her body has never been recovered. Extensive searches of lakes, woodlands, graveyards, and other sites near Lower Gornal have yielded no results.
The case continues to feature in anniversary appeals by missing persons charities and police. West Midlands Police periodically review cold cases, and they urge anyone with information—no matter how small—to come forward.
Crime Immemorial 