The disappearance of Trevaline Evans has left detectives baffled for more than thirty-two years. In 1990, the antique dealer left her shop in Wales and seemingly vanished into thin air. But what makes this case stand out, is the cryptic and chilling messages left behind on park benches since. Here, we delve into the disappearance of Trevaline and the mystery behind the eerie plaques left thirty-two years on.
Background
Born on 6th September 1937, Trevaline Evans was born into an ‘ordinary family that was close-knit’. One of three siblings, a then twenty-year-old Trevaline married local engineer Richard Evans who she then later welcomed their only child with.
Little else is known about Trevaline’s life.
The Disappearance
On June 16th, 1990, 52-year-old Trevaline Evans left her shop in Llangollen with a note placed in the window reading “Back in 2 minutes”. Just 2 hours later would be the last time that Evans was seen alive.
Friends who interacted with Trevaline that morning described her as ‘happy and relaxed’, and reported that she planned to go out that evening. Police estimated that around thirty people encountered Evans at her shop that morning. Numerous reports stated that Trevaline was seen conversating with a man who was reportedly wearing either a suit or a polo neck.
At 12.40 p.m, the note was placed in the shop window and Trevaline closed the store. The last confirmed sighting occurred at 1pm, on the busy high street of Castle Street. Purchasing an apple and a banana from a market vendor, Trevaline continued on her walk and was never confirmed to have been seen alive again.
Her husband, who was thirty miles away at their holiday bungalow at the time of her disappearance, tried to contact his wife later that evening. After becoming worried when there was no answer, Richard contacted a neighbor who checked to see if Trevaline was home and then at her shop. Once informed that his wife was at neither, and of the note in the shop window, Richard phoned the police.
Police searched the shop and found a banana peel in the bin, but unsure of how long it had been there, they could not confirm if Trevaline ever returned to the shop. Her handbag, car keys, a bouquet of flowers and some shopping were also discovered inside, sparking the theory that Trevaline may have made it back but then forced out of her shop against her will.
Statements
As CCTV was not widely used at the time, investigators began door-to-door enquiries in the hopes of receiving sightings. With this, three witnesses came forward with information.
The first witness described seeing Trevaline near her home on Market Street at around 2.30pm. This left detectives baffled, as questions began emerging as to why Trevaline would be walking in the direction of her home without any belongings.
The second witness allegedly saw Trevaline at 2.35pm, walking along the A5 road to the neighboring town. This location was just a short walk from where the first witness had seen Trevaline.
The third witness stated seeing a woman matching Trevaline’s description walk into Park Avenue. This was also a short walk from the market vendor, but this sighting was more than two hours later.
A search of the River Dee, where Trevaline’s shop was located near, turned up nothing.
With no money ever taken from her account and her car left near the shop, the investigation met a dead end. Richard offered a £5,000 reward for information regarding his wife’s disappearance.
Trevaline’s disappearance had now become one of the biggest investigations in North Wales. In 1997, Trevaline Evans was declared legally dead, with police announcing that they believed someone had lured her away and that she was no longer alive.
Richard Evans’ arrest
Trevaline Evans’ case was re-opened in 2001, as new forensics were available. June 2001 saw Trevaline’s husband arrested, however he was quickly released after his alibi of being at the holiday bungalow was confirmed by numerous people.
In 2015, Richard sadly passed away at the age of eighty-three, never knowing what had happened to his wife.
The Sutton Brothers
Just three years ago, brothers Andrew, a former chief auditor, and Lee Sutton, a carpenter, claim to have purchased a camera which supposedly showed human remains under Rhuddlan Golf Club. They also stated they had over-heard a conversation where an unknown man revealed that Trevaline was buried at the club. North Wales police dug up the bar, but nothing was found. They claimed that the remains had been removed by the time police carried out their investigation. The brothers remain convinced that the remains were that of Trevaline.
Another Mystery
30 years after Trevalines disappearance, walkers along a popular stretch of walkway discovered a plaque fixed to a bench. The plaque read:, "In memory of Trevaline Evans Vanished 16/6/1990. Found - Rhuddlan GC 14/3/2019 Removed 19/3/2019 RIP".
Who left the plaque at the site more than 30-miles from Llangollen has puzzled police and locals.
The second plaque was found at Presatyn hillside, fixed to a wooden bench at an abandoned 200-year-old miner’s cottage. The inscription reads:"Justice awaits those responsible for the removal and disposal of Trevaline Evans (in this life or next) from Rhuddlan Golf Club on March 19, 2019 at noon. May the Lord have mercy upon their soul."
The brothers who originally contacted police regarding the Golf Club deny any involvement with the plaques, and the owner of both remains a mystery.
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