Trevor Farthing was 52 when he disappeared without a trace on June 21, 2017, after being seen leaving a corner shop on Marshalls Cross Road in St Helens at around 9.30am. He was wearing a khaki green T-shirt and blue denim jeans. His long-term partner Marie Comber, 61, and their daughters Gemma, 41, Megan, 33, and Faye, 24, have not seen or heard from him since.
Family's Ongoing Search
Marie Comber described Trevor as a sociable man who enjoyed chatting with people. She told the ECHO: “He was a very chatty man. He liked talking to people. He liked communicating. When he used to go out for a night out, he used to have a lot of people coming to him and saying, ‘do you mind if we have a chat with you?’” She believes it is likely someone has spoken to him since his disappearance.
Marie added: “Maybe there's somebody out there who sat chatting to him sometime along the way. Maybe you remember just that little chat, a few words, sentences, anything that may help us in finding where he could be.”
Mental Health Struggles and Unusual Behavior
According to Marie, Trevor had struggled with mental health for many years but had previously managed it well. In the years before his disappearance, he began taking medication for the first time, which the family believes caused non-epileptic seizures. Trevor was due to see a doctor about this issue.
In the days leading up to his disappearance, Trevor's behavior became unusual. After an argument with the family, he left but returned, then began shouting and arguing, which was out of character. He was taken to a nearby facility for treatment. Three days later, staff called Marie to say they could not find him.
No Digital Footprint
Trevor did not have a smartphone, and the battery of his mobile phone was dead. He left his bank card at home and had no online banking. Marie noted: “From what I can see, the bank account he had has not been touched.” This lack of digital footprint has complicated the search.
Plea for Information
Marie said: “It's not just for me, it's for the girls as well - they miss him just as much as I do. But we just got to carry on and it's always there in your mind. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, it's always in your mind. You're always searching, you're always looking.”
She added: “We need to know what's happened to him. That's all we want to know - that he is okay and getting on with it. If we did find him and he's got on with his life I wouldn't say to him, ‘no, come on, you've got to come home with me.’ I wouldn't do that to him. I'm not that kind of person. But I would just like to know.”
Merseyside Police are appealing for information. Anyone with knowledge of Trevor's whereabouts can contact Merseyside Police on 101 or via Twitter @MerPolCC. Alternatively, contact the Missing People charity on 116 000 or email 116000@missingpeople.org.uk.
