This upstate New York man brought his wife to the clinic that day, but the unexpected happened not long after this. When he came back to pick her up, he could not find his wife anywhere. He started to worry right away, and he was right to feel that way. After talking to the receptionist, he found out that they did not see her either.
Nowhere In Sight
He returned as he told her he would, so where could she possibly be? What on earth happened to his wife? Where could she be now? It took a photograph for the police to finally close a 42-year-old case.
Nowhere In Sight
Nothing More Than A Cold
He took her to the medical appointment she had with the doctor. They did not find anything that looked unusual whatsoever. All he knew was that she had a terrible cold. He dropped her off there and said that he would be back in an hour or so. Things started to get weird not long after that, however.
Nothing More Than A Cold
Florence Stevens
Florence “Flora” Stevens was her real name. Her husband last saw her on the 3rd of August 1975. This 36-year-old woman was bursting with adventure and life in the past. Where could she have gone?
Florence Stevens
A Resort In The Catskills
During the 1975 summer, she had been working at a place called the Catskill Mountains. Her place of employment was called the Concord. It was a huge 1,200-room resort that was a bit among the tourists.
A Resort In The Catskills
Educated
They were able to find out a couple of things about her after seeing her job application. Detectives saw that she attended Lincoln High School in NY and that she was married to a man called Robert Stevens.
Educated
Opening The Case
Not one soul had any idea where this woman disappeared off to. They opened an investigation and many people volunteered to help look for her. Everyone was surprised and confused by what happened. After all, the only thing they knew about her was that she was a nice lady. This seemed out of character!
Opening The Case
The End Of The Road
They were unable to gather a lot of clues to track her down. It did not help that she had no living relatives that they knew of. It was hard to learn where she was born and grew up. It was a dead end.
The End Of The Road
No One Could Have Known
It was sad, but there was nothing they could do about this case. No one knew a thing about it. In those days, they had no clue that this case would be reopened about fifty decades later. Whoa.
No One Could Have Known
Senior Investigator Yan Salomon
Senior Investigator Yan Salomon, who worked for the New York State Police, was the one who reopened it in 2017. He found something that seemed connected to this case from a long time ago. What was it?
Senior Investigator Yan Salomon
Looming Questions
Did he actually find new information on the disappearance of Flora Stevens? Could he have found the woman after all this time? Where did she actually go and why? A lot of people wanted to hear about it.
Looming Questions
Skeletal Remains
However, he did not come bearing good news. It was true that he did see a woman. However, the truth was that she was not alive at all. What he stumbled upon were skeletal remains. Who could it belong to?
Skeletal Remains
Make Some Calls
The next thing for him to do was to pick up the phone and dial a couple of numbers. He called the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and requested to talk to a detective. He told them that he discovered the remains a woman in the Catskills, although he did require some help to find out who it could be.
Make Some Calls
Too Hard
Do you know how many adult women disappear in the United States alone? The answer is 70,000. Whoa. Could he really solve a case like this on his own? It was a great thing they had a great idea.
Too Hard
Information At Their Disposal
The United States recorded 21,894 active cases of missing women all over the United States by January 2016. They kept these cases in storage, so it meant that they could access these things without a hitch.
Information At Their Disposal
Looking For Her
Salomon had not been under the impression that it was going to be easy, so he created a team to look through the open cases and look for something that matched what he found. This should help, right?
Looking For Her
Welcome To Sullivan County
Salomon knew that it was a pretty long shot, but he had to try anyway. He then visited Sullivan County and started to research this case. He wanted to make it simpler by doing local searches that would make it a lot easier to figure out who the human remains belonged to.
Welcome To Sullivan County
An Open Case
Thanks to his deduction skills, he could tell that the woman lived in this area. What the detective wanted were answers to the questions he had. At last, they were able to identify an open case that happened in Sullivan County. It matched the description of what he found!
An Open Case
Looking For Answers
Was this the last piece of the puzzle? Salomon requested the detectives to check the case file for this one. He wanted to see if there were living relatives they could talk to. Sadly, there were none of those.
Looking For Answers
It All Came Together
The file on this missing woman case was very old. First operated in 1975, it gave them no relevant information whatsoever. However, he could tell that this case was going to be important. What gives?
It All Came Together
New Information
Salomon decided to defer the case to the people working at the Sullivan County police. It then went to Detective Morgan, who was tasked to figure out the connection between these two women. When he checked the case file of the missing woman, they found new information! What could it be about?
New Information
Connecting The Dots
They found her work ID. This confirmed what they already knew about her job. She had been working in the Catskill Mountains back then. It was the same place where they found the human remains!
Connecting The Dots
Fascinating News
In 1975, Flora Stevens suddenly disappeared. They never heard from her ever again. Get ready because this case took a turn for the wild not long after they reopened it. What was waiting for these detectives?
Fascinating News
The Missing Woman
Detective Morgan trusted his instinct. At the time, it was telling him that these two things were actually connected. He decided that it was time to take a serious look at the woman called Flora Stevens.
The Missing Woman
Looked Far And Wide
When she vanished, her husband made sure to go the distance and look for her as much as he possibly could. He did not expect that she would disappear just like that. Where did she even go?
Looked Far And Wide
Another Dead End
It has been a long time since then, but the investigation was opened again! The sad thing was that it was hard to keep this up since she disappeared. It seemed like they were hit by one roadblock and another.
Another Dead End
How Would He Do It?
The detective knew that this was going to be harder than usual. She did not have any living relatives for them to speak to, for one thing. He did not know how he could prove that his hunch was actually right!
How Would He Do It?
Her Social Security Number
He had been perusing both the national and local databases when he saw something that made his jaw drop. He could not believe that there was someone using the social security number of this woman!
Her Social Security Number
250 Miles From There
He dug deeper into this and tracked the phone number of the place down. It was located not far from Boston. What made it interesting that it was actually an assisted living facility. What was going on here?
250 Miles From There
A Different Last Name
Morgan then called the place. The staff let him know that the record was for a Flora. However, the last name was different. She was Flora Harris and not Flora Stevens! She had been there ever since 2001.
A Different Last Name
Identity Fraud
With another detective, Det. Morgan found himself driving up there. Neither of them could believe what they were about to learn. This cold case definitely took them to a place that they did not expect at all.
Identity Fraud
Possible Identity Theft
“Same first name, different last name, but same birth date and social security.” This was what Det. Morgan said when he spoke to CBS Boston. They had to talk to this person, that much was at least true.
Possible Identity Theft
Just Her Photograph
They took the one photo that they had of Flora Stevens. It was the one that they found in the database, the one that came from the work ID that they found in the area. They headed for the facility to talk to this Flora Harris. What was actually going on here anyway?
Just Her Photograph
Found Her
What she did would shock both of them. After they showed her the photo, she pointed at it. Morgan then said, “She says that’s me, or me, she responded with one word, me.” Aside from that, she also behaved strangely when they showed them a photo of Robert Stevens. She immediately said, “Robert.”
Found Her
She Couldn’t Remember
They failed to hear the answers they had about the circumstances that surrounded the disappearance, however. You see, Flora was experiencing dementia. She was unable to tell them anything about the last 42 years!
She Couldn’t Remember
An Abusive Husband
Morgan explained, “We really don’t know the circumstances of why or how she disappeared. She had psychiatric problems leading up to that point.” However, the caregiver assigned to her knew a couple of things about her life. Mbuva revealed that Flora said she had a horrible marriage to an abusive man.
An Abusive Husband
Maybe She Ran
A lot of detectives who knew about the case believe that she got on a bus and then left town to leave him. Morgan said, “Most of the secrets are locked inside of Flora, and I don’t think we’ll ever get them.”
Maybe She Ran
She Didn’t Want To Be Found
Festus Mbuva has looked after her for over 10 years. He said, “To be honest, I don’t think she ever really wanted to be found. You can tell something happened in her past that she didn’t want any part of.”
She Didn’t Want To Be Found
She’s Safe
He revealed that she grew up in Yonkers and often said ‘none of your business.’ Eric Chaboty of Sullivan County later said, “It’s a neat feeling [to find someone]. The main thing is we know that Flora is safe.”
She’s Safe
Solved But Unsolved
Sullivan County was able to close the case after they verified that Flora Harris was Flora Stevens. Sheriff Mike Schiff later explained, “It is not too often that you get to solve a 42-year-old missing person case.”
Solved But Unsolved
A Smile And Wave
It took them 42 years, but they managed to do it at last. They were able to find out what happened to the woman who disappeared out of the blue! While they did not get the answers to all of the questions they had, they were glad that she was safe. The 78-year-old woman smiled and waved as they left.
Thankfully the authorities ended up finding Flora, but would pre-school sweethearts Matt and Laura ever be reunited after so many years apart? Only time would tell…
A Smile And Wave
From A Young Age
Matt and Laura first met nearly 25 years ago at preschool. The 3-year-old boy and girl got to know each other on the playground in Phoenix, Arizona. They became quick friends! Their parents did not think all that much of this friendship until they had a hard time separating the two of them.
From A Young Age
The Early Days
When he was interviewed by Today, he said, “I don’t remember the first time I saw her, but she was always a girl who let me follow her around.” This would then lead to something incredible!
The Early Days
Safety Buddies
The true start of their special bond was the time they embarked on a school trip. The kids had to pair up with another child who would be their “safety buddy.” The two of them did not leave each other’s side!
Safety Buddies
Silly Matt
It did not take Laura long to realize that Matt was a warm and kind boy who only wanted to be a friend to her. The two of them soon became the best of friends who did everything together, from playing hide ‘n’ seek to secretly staying awake when it was nap time.
Silly Matt
Not Just At Preschool
It looked like the two of them just could not get enough time together! Their parents eventually started to set them up on playdates outside of the preschool as well. They liked going to the movies together.
Not Just At Preschool
Protecting Laura
When they watched movies, Matt had the chance to show his best friend just how much he loved her! During the scary parts of the film, he would always hold her hand to show her his support. Aww.
Protecting Laura
Impressing Laura
For him, Lion King was easily one of the best movies ever made. A lot of kids tried to impress their peers by talking about their moms and dads. Meanwhile, Matt liked to recite lines from the movie!
Impressing Laura
The Teacher
Without a doubt, he was able to impress her with his recital skills. However, he was even more smitten with her! Laura was able to teach him a lot of things back then. She was the one to teach him how to swing, draw rolling hills, eat string cheese, and more. Matt could not believe just how talented she was!
The Teacher
Winning Her Over
It was a Cinco De Mayo celebration at the preschool when he found another way to impress her. All the children were trying to hit the pinata. He tried to give it a shot and swung hard enough to crack it open soon. He said, “Fortunately, I was the kid who managed to do it and I assume it got her attention.”
Winning Her Over
Young Love
They were only four years old, but they were already lovebirds by then. Even though they were still very young, Matt did not want to hide how he felt about this amazing girl he called his best friend!
Young Love
Declaring His Love
As a matter of fact, he wanted all of them to know that he planned to marry this girl in the future. Their peers simply thought that he was being funny. In his frustration, he told them, “Just you wait!”
Declaring His Love
Birthday Parties
They stayed as close as possible and spent as much as they could. They went to birthday parties and hung out often. They kept spending a lot of time at their house and went on different adventures over the years. However, preschool was about to end. Was kindergarten going to be the same for these two?
Birthday Parties
Fearing The Future
There were already a lot of things for them to worry about at that point. They knew that it was possible that they would get separated and placed in different classes. This was not something that they liked to imagine. For this pair, it was hard to feel relieved about what the future would mean for the two of them.
Fearing The Future
Different Schools
Sadly, their fears came true! It was even worse than they had in mind because they did not only go to the same class but went to different schools altogether! It was not their parents who chose to do this. In this area, the kids were enrolled depending on the region. Still, their parents promised to set playdates.
Different Schools
Shaky Promises
As promised, the two of them still met on the weekends to spend some time together. They now had a lot of different things to talk about. They were surrounded by new people and experienced new things!
Shaky Promises
Drifting Apart
Sadly, the weekly visits started to happen on a less frequent basis. After quite some time, they did not see each other as often as they once did. The photo here shows them having a good time on Christmas.
Drifting Apart
Just Christmas
As time passed, the communication between Laura and Matt became limited to the Christmas cards they sent each year. They used to see each other every day, but new things popped up. They made other friends in their own schools. However, we still believe that their friendship was special!
Just Christmas
Growing Up
The years went on. With it, the Christmas cards started to get less sentimental until they stopped going there altogether. No need to point fingers here, since they had to focus on the present instead. The two of them were simply growing up and away from each other. This was all part of maturing.
Growing Up
High School
High school seemed light years away from kindergarten. This was even more true for preschool. We are not surprised to hear that they stopped thinking about each other at some point. They were busy teens!
High School
An Accident
When Laura was in first year high school, she scrolled through one of her friends’ phone. It was then that she saw a name she knew very well. She was shocked to see this number out of the blue.
An Accident
Heartwarming Memories
She could not believe it when she saw “Matt Grodsky” on the screen. What was the name of her childhood sweetheart doing on her friend’s phone? Before she knew it, she felt overwhelmed by the memories that flooded back. Her friend had no idea why she turned pale all of a sudden.
Heartwarming Memories
A Different Plan
Laura then explained exactly who Matt was to her. She told her friend the story of their young love! Her friend explained that she knew him from middle school. Laura tried not to think about it too much…
A Different Plan
Setting Them Up
Her friend could not believe the incredible story she just heard and wanted to set them up again. Laura was initially hesitant to do this. After all, they had not talked in a long time by that point in time.
Setting Them Up
Going Ahead
While they talked about it, Laura also had her reservations about having a boyfriend. Here was what she told People about it: “I was a freshman in high school so I was like, ‘I don’t think so!’”
Going Ahead
Matt’s Move
In the end, Matt got her number anyway. He texted her, although he felt nervous about what she would say to him. He felt relieved when she sent him a reply. He knew that it was going to be fine.
Matt’s Move
Seeing Her
So, what was the first thing that he noticed when he saw her again after all this time? It was her infectious smile! Matt was always a fan of that look: “She always had a huge smile.”
Seeing Her
The First Date
They agreed to go to the movies together, which must have brought back old memories. After seeing her again, it felt like love at first sight, round two. They hit it off, which is not really strange to hear!
The First Date
Like Old Times
The first date went swimmingly. They would soon start to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend as well. They also had their license by then, so it was easy for them to see each other whenever they wanted even if they attended different schools. Of course, they went to functions together as well.
Like Old Times
College Coming Up
Even though they already experienced separation in the past, they had to talk about their plans for college. Were they going to stay together even if they planned to move to different states after graduation? “Right after we graduated from high school, we were pretty hesitant,” she told People. She added, “We were like, ‘Do we stay together? Do we try to make it work?’”
College Coming Up
Long Distance
They did not want to rob each other of a great college experience. Matt was headed for Columbia College in Chicago, whereas Laura was headed for Northern Arizona University. This would mean that they would be 1,600 miles apart. Luckily, they were willing to give a long-distance relationship a try.
Long Distance
Staying In Touch
They knew that it was going to be hard, but they did not want to lose each other again. Even though they had different time zones, they spoke on Facebook each day and visited as much as possible!
Staying In Touch
6 Months
It was a good thing that they lived in the age of social media. This let them stay up the speed with their S.O.’s life. However, they still missed each other a lot. There was a time they were apart for half a year!
6 Months
The Perfect Throwback
Before they knew it, they were about to graduate from college. Matt decided to put together a surprise for his girlfriend. He made a picnic blanket and decided to hold it at the preschool they attended!
The Perfect Throwback
A Secret Plan
“I convinced Laura that we were going to a picnic at the preschool. We had just finished up our junior year of college, so I framed it as a nice relaxing date,” he said. That was not all there was to his plan.
A Secret Plan
Back To Their Roots
When Laura found out that they would visit their old preschool, she was moved. What a personal and thoughtful idea this was! It was nice to be back at the place where it all began for them.
Back To Their Roots
Matt’s Strange Behavior
On the way there, she saw that he was acting fidgety. She assumed that it was nothing but nerves and excitement about planning a secret date. However, he was still acting that way when they got there!
Matts Strange Behavior
The Big Move
She soon realized there was more to this picnic than meets the eye. Matt then went down on his knee and put his hands on hers. He brought out a ring and told her, “Will you marry me?” She was shocked but replied, “‘YES!’ I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this happening?’ I saw the ring and was like, ‘This is gorgeous. I’m so happy with it.’ I had no idea!”
The Big Move
Worrying
Apart from the fact that he was about to do a grand gesture, he was also worried about misplacing the ring: “I kept checking my pocket when she wasn’t looking to make sure the ring was still there.”
Worrying
Long Planning
This proposal happened on May 23, 2015. However, he had already started to think about it months before that day. Of course, he made sure to speak to her father and ask for his blessing.
Long Planning
Going All Out
Matt bought the ring and then asked his brother to stand in the bushes with a video camera to record the whole thing. He wanted to document the proposal this way, of course. It’s a good thing he did!
Going All Out
The Picnic Basket
He borrowed the picnic basket that his parents owned. This was not a regular basket since it was the same one that his dad used when he proposed to his wife and Matt’s mother. It was a special one.
The Picnic Basket
A Special Place
Matt and Laura were in the same spot where he proclaimed his love for her many years ago. He made it a reality! “I proposed to her at the place it all began… our preschool classroom,” Matt said when he spoke to Huffington Post. “When you like someone, you just kind of stand up and say it.”
A Special Place
Tying The Knot
The wedding took place on December 30, 2016. Remember what we said about Lion King? We are sure you will think it’s perfect that the first dance was to “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.”
Tying The Knot
True Soulmates
Their loved ones surrounded them and watched as they danced at the Arizona Historical Society. His uncle described the relationship this way: “For most kids in preschool, it’s about finding your snacks and your sleeping mats, but for them it was about finding their soulmates.”
True Soulmates
For Social Media
Like other couples in this day and age, they posted about the wedding on social media. Namely, it went up on Facebook and Instagram. The couple shared their photos for the benefit of their loved ones!
For Social Media
Laura’s Dad Speaks Out
At the wedding ceremony, her father talked about what it was like to adopt her. They found her at an orphanage located in India. You see, her dad and mom had a great love story as well!
Lauras Dad Speaks Out
Their Own Long Distance Relationship
Her father had been touring India and spent a year over there. At the time, he was already with his future wife. Eventually, she would find work at the American embassy there. They were finally together!
Their Own Long Distance Relationship
Visiting The Orphanage
They would then get married. Her mother told him about this orphanage with too many kids. They decided to pay the place a visit. The wedding guests were all intrigued as he narrated the story.
Visiting The Orphanage
Adopting Laura
While there were many children in the building, they wanted to go and see the babies the most. When they saw Laura, they found her with tubes running through her nose and IV drips in her arms. She had double pneumonia!
Adopting Laura
Not Leaving Without Her
Her parents had made their minds up about adopting this little girl, but the agency could not do that right away. Why? Well, there were policies for them to follow when it comes to these things.
Not Leaving Without Her
A Different Place
Her dad knew that it was time to try a different strategy, even a risky one. It had a great payoff as well. He was also working at the embassy by then, so he managed to bribe the officials with American items!
A Different Place
Back To Now
In the end, this was the right choice. Otherwise, Matt and Laura would never have met! During the ceremony, Matt’s uncle said, “Love is not one moment, not even this moment – it’s every moment.”
Back To Now
Dancing For Love
“Our favorite part of the wedding was the dancing and having everyone we love there to celebrate with us,” the newlyweds said about their wedding. “We tore it up on the dance floor and it was great being surrounded by everyone who played a part in bringing us together.”
Dancing For Love
Honeymoon Time
After the dream wedding, they went off to Maui to enjoy a memorable honeymoon together. They just put a ribbon on top of the fairytale ending and went off to paradise! This was not the end of it, however.
Honeymoon Time
The Way We Met
Laura wanted everyone to hear about their story, so she took an old and a new photo of them. She then shared these with an Instagram account called “The Way We Met.” Their story became a big hit!
The Way We Met
A Big Hit
After all, they had a unique story. However, they were surprised to hear that it went viral. Matt talked about it with pride: “I was enamored with Laura as a child, and I still am to this day.”
A Big Hit
Inspiring Others
The story did not get shared by “a few people.” Nope, it wound up getting 30,000 likes and nearly a thousand comments. In the end, it got 400k reactions! Media outlets also wanted to talk to them.
Inspiring Others
Social Media’s Feelings
We are sure that you also think that this was a romance that came from the movies. However, other people had similar stories as well! Meanwhile, there were those who mourned their past loves too…
Social Media’s Feelings
More Than They Thought
The story did not only make people feel nostalgic and touched. Interracial couples saw the story and felt inspired by the relationship between Laura and Matt! They said it made them feel strong and resilient.
More Than They Thought
Tyrese Gibson
The story also attracted the attention of Tyrese Gibson, who was in the Fast and the Furious movies. The actor adored the story! In fact, he felt so inspired that he did something extraordinary for them.
Tyrese Gibson
Treating The Couple
He has said that he liked love stories, so this was not unusual. He talked to the couple to share what he felt about the story and offered them a 3-day trip in Florida! They are interested in taking him up on it!
Treating The Couple
The Grodskys’ Future
They now live in the same roof in the Arizona house that they bought together. They are still young and have their whole lives ahead of them! Two years have passed since their wedding day. Matt is an account executive with a digital marketing agency, whereas Laura is with a non-profit organization.
The Grodskys Future
Becoming Parents
It did not take them long to decide that they do want to be parents… kind of. They now have a fur baby called Kirby! Isn’t this the most gorgeous puppy you have ever seen?
Becoming Parents
Real Parents
People wanted to know if they planned to have kids. This was their answer: “We would love to have kids at some point. Right now we are focused on our new puppy Kirby and our new house.”
Real Parents
What A Journey
They definitely had an amazing story together. “The best thing about our relationship is we are just silly and we appreciate each other every day,” they said. “Having gone through a long distance relationship, you learn really quick how much the other person means to you and we value our time.”
What A Journey
The Best In Each-Other
What do they love best about each other? “My favorite thing about Matt is his humor, he always makes me happy and he is the most driven person I know,” Laura answered, “He is always moving forward.” Here was what Matt had to say: “My favorite thing about Laura is her infectious smile and her desire to help those who are less fortunate. She is a force for good and it’s inspiring to be around her every day.”
The Best In Each Other
The Moment They’d Been Waiting For
There are still moments when they could do nothing but wonder about the way they found each other. It looked like the two of them were made for each other. It was nice to get married, but this was not all.
The Moment They’d Been Waiting For
A Wedding To Look Back On
The bride often throws a bouquet behind her back. The girl who then catches it would be the next one to get married! Luckily, no one fought at the wedding at all. Everyone was just happy to be there!
A Wedding To Look Back On
Celebrating Their Love
For Matt and Laura, every single day is a celebration in and of itself. Their love for each other runs very deeply. These two are connected through their souls! As you can see, true love always wins in the end.
Celebrating Their Love
One Small Step
Mind you, this is only the beginning for the two of them. Even though they started their new lives with a bang, they still have a lot of things to achieve. We have no doubt that they will go on to do great things!
One Small Step