Forty-eight-year-old Sandra Gant was a divorced mother of four adult children, and lived alone in a flat on Wellesley Road in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England. She was known in the local community as a popular figure, often visiting soup kitchens and navigating challenges with alcohol addiction. Friends and family described her as resilient, though her life had been complicated by personal demons.
The last confirmed sighting of Sandra occurred late on the evening of November 15th, 2003. She had spent the day socializing, joining two friends for drinks at the flat of a man she had recently met, located on Hayes Road. After an evening of drinking, Sandra left the address alone, intending to walk the short distance back to her home. She was never seen again.
When Sandra failed to make contact with her family, concern quickly grew. She had been seen by relatives the previous day, November 14th, but her sudden silence was out of character enough to prompt a missing persons report. Essex Police launched an investigation that rapidly escalated into a murder inquiry, believing foul play was involved due to the abrupt nature of her disappearance and lack of any subsequent sightings or activity.
Over the years, four individuals were arrested on suspicion of murder, including reports of a teenager being questioned in late 2003. However, no charges were ever brought, citing insufficient evidence. Despite extensive searches, appeals on television programs, leaflet distributions, and renewed calls for information—including in 2010, 2011, and as recently as 2023—no trace of Sandra has been found.
Her daughters have spoken publicly about the toll of the uncertainty. In interviews, they expressed a complex relationship with their mother due to her struggles but emphasized their enduring love and need for closure. “We have to accept she died,” one daughter told the BBC in 2018, reflecting the family’s belief that Sandra met a violent end. In 2023, marking 20 years since the disappearance, her daughters renewed appeals, stating they feared she had been “taken” and pleading for anyone with information to come forward.
Essex Police continue to treat the case as active, urging anyone with details—no matter how small—to contact them or Crimestoppers anonymously. As of 2026, more than twenty-two years have passed, and the fate of Sandra Gant is still a mystery.
Crime Immemorial 