Owen Parfitt and his mysterious disappearance (6 photos)

Unfortunately, people have disappeared at all times. Many similar cases can be solved. The reasons turn out to be mostly banal - murder, accident, amnesia, an attempt to start life from scratch. But the story of this man, despite the passing centuries, continues to excite the minds of detective lovers.





Owen Parfitt lived an incredible life by anyone, not just modern standards. He told stories of his youth that included piracy, great battles and numerous women. Most people were skeptical of his stories, and he undoubtedly knew this. But that never stopped him from talking about his glory days.

From pirates to cripples



Old postcard showing Shepton Mallet

By the 1760s, Owen Parfitt was already in his sixties. People around him said that his wild lifestyle had caught up with him. Now practically crippled, he lived with his elderly sister Suzanne in Shepton Mallet, a town in southwest England. For a man accustomed to rush freely from one adventure to another, paralysis must have become a very heavy burden.

Owen is resting





The disappearance of Owen Parfitt is one of Shepton Mallett's biggest mysteries.

He was about to embark on one last adventure that would attract the attention of the people of Shepton Mallet and neighboring villages. And then detectives from all over the world.

The exact date of this event is unknown. Some sources claim that this happened in June 1763, others place it in 1768. Be that as it may, one warm evening Owen Parfitt wanted to sit outside. Due to his almost complete immobility, he needed the help of his sister and neighbor, who carried him to a chair on the porch.

When his sister returned to the house, Owen was sitting calmly in a chair. Across the road, a short distance away, several farmers were working within earshot. Of course, if someone had approached him while he was sitting on the porch, they would definitely have seen something. But no one saw anything.

The disappearance of Owen Parfitt



In the evening, a thunderstorm was approaching, and Owen's sister went out onto the porch to bring her brother back into the house. But he was no longer in the chair. Knowing that he could not move anywhere on his own, she asked the farm workers if they had seen anyone coming for him. But none of them saw anything.

In a panic, the sister asked the farm workers and neighbors for help. Owen couldn't leave on his own, so it seemed like he'd be easily found. Incredibly, no traces of the cripple were ever found.

Unusual stories and theories



Over time, neighbors began to pass stories about what happened to him to each other. The versions included both real and fantastic:

the kidnapping was organized by ill-wishers who decided to take revenge for past grievances;

the disappearance was the result of a thoughtful multi-step of a man who could not come to terms with his position and condition;

former colleagues in the shop dragged him away to extract information about buried treasures;

the old man was simply taken away by the devil, who decided to personally come for the outstanding sinner.



Owen's incredible disappearance was never solved and became a popular local legend.

The story died down but became local news again in 1813 when a human skeleton was discovered during a building project at Shepton Mallet.

Everyone immediately came to the conclusion that these must be Owen's remains and began to come up with theories. However, doctors stopped this gossip, saying that the skeleton belonged to a young woman.

Another episode of construction in the area in 1933 did not shed any light on Owen's fate, leaving behind an empty chair and unanswered questions.

It remains one of southwest England's most intriguing mysteries. Arthur Conan Doyle himself called the case of Owen Parfitt "one of the most entertaining mysteries that has ever become known to the British public."