At this point, Kevin said he went back to feed Rhys, and he never actually saw Natalie leaving the front door. After 45 minutes, Kevin was done feeding the baby, but Natalie had not returned. And she never did. 

As time passed and there were still no signs of Natalie—who had said she would be right back— and with no way of contacting her, there was no other choice than to report her missing to the police. 

It took five days before the news of her sister’s disappearance finally found its way to Rebecca. She could not believe it, saying: 

“It’s got to be a mistake; she wouldn’t go missing. She wouldn’t leave Rhys behind.”‘ 

But as she rang Natalie’s phone, and it was off realization began to hit. 

On September 8, Natalie’s father David gave an appeal to the public, saying, “it is like she has disappeared off the face of the earth.”  

Meanwhile, the police searched the homes of the missing 17-year-old and her relatives and took DNA samples. The following month, they offered a reward for information on Natalie’s whereabouts in the hope of encouraging people to come forward. 

Kevin was, of course, interviewed on multiple occasions and was even arrested on suspicion of murdering Natalie in March 2004—but he was eventually released without charge. Kevin has protested his innocence ever since. 

However, there are some pieces of evidence suggesting that something did happen to Natalie inside her home—and she might have never left to buy cigarettes after all. 

At an inquest in January 2019, a taxi driver told police he had been called to the house, and a man came out carrying a baby and holding four or five black bin bags. During the investigation, the bags were recovered from the loft, as well as a blood-stained T-shirt—which matched Natalie’s DNA. Kevin’s reply to the revelation was rather curious, he said: 

“I never said I didn’t get a taxi; I’m saying the taxi driver is a liar. I want to make sure the truth comes out. I didn’t put anything into the taxi.” 

Of course, as the T-shirt was found at Natalie’s home, the blood on it could have come from anywhere at any point. Nevertheless, based on the evidence, the Country’s senior coroner Zafar Siddique delivered a verdict stating Natalie most likely died the day she disappeared at her home or nearby:  

“I don’t know from the evidence and the circumstances how, sadly, she lost her life. I am satisfied that on the balance of probability, Natalie is deceased…It’s likely that she died at her home address or in the near vicinity on September 1, 2003.” 

During the investigation, woodland, lakes, and graveyards were searched, and police received reports of possible sightings of Natalie across the UK—but to the 17-year-old’s family, something happening to her at home makes much more sense. Rebecca says she is “billion percent” sure her sister did not run away. She would not have just left Rhys behind. In addition, Natalie’s bank card that she allegedly took with her that day has never been used again since her disappearance. 

But if Natalie was really murdered inside her home, where is her body, and how was there so little evidence left behind? Did her murderer have time to clean the crime scene and stage the disappearance? Rebecca and the rest of the family and friends of Natalie are hoping these questions will be answered one day. 

The investigation into the disappearance and murder of Natalie Putt continues. If anyone has any information—no matter how insignificant they feel it might be—please get in touch with the investigation team on 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org 

At the time of her disappearance Natalie was 5’1″ tall, slim build, with black shoulder-length hair and a Midlands accent. She was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, tight cream trousers, large gold hooped earrings, white trainers, and an engraved pendant. 

SOURCES 

Natalie Putt: Missing mum died ‘at or near her home’ 

Natalie Putt: Open verdict as coroner says missing mum ‘likely died near home’ 

Special report: Questions remain in mystery of missing Natalie Putt 

Sister of missing Natalie Putt who left her 11-week-old baby behind when she vanished in 2003 says she’s desperate for the truth 

Father of missing mother Natalie Putt ‘wants closure’ 

New image released in search for Natalie Putt 

Natalie Putt: Timeline of key developments in search for missing mother 

10 years after Black Country mum Natalie Putt went missing police say case still open 

Two-year mystery of missing mum 

Graves exhumed following fresh leads in cold case of missing teenage mum 

Natalie Putt: Missing mum’s sister ‘keeps campaigning’ 

Natalie Putt: Police probing Dudley mother’s 2003 disappearance begin digging up graves 

Natalie Putt Inquest: Teenage Mum Missing For 15 Years Probably ‘Died At Home’ – Despite No Body Being Found 

Mystery of teen mum Natalie Putt feared murdered after vanishing and leaving behind 11-week-old baby 

Natalie Putt murder investigation: inquest set to open 

Natalie Putt’s family not giving up search for teen 

The mysterious disappearance of a teenager feared murdered after leaving behind her 11-week-old baby