Richey Edwards' Last Day Revisited Nearly 3 Decades Manic Street Preachers Rhythm Guitarist Went Missing

Nearly 25 years ago, Richey Edwards disappeared without a trace.

Conspiracy theories emerged since the Manic Street Preachers' rhythm guitarist and lyricist, as his missing case still has unanswered questions. In 2008, The Guardian released a report noting that the Probate Registry of Wales named his parents as the executors of his estate after he had "died on or since February 1, 1995."

According to the news outlet, the declaration meant the case was closed.

On the day of his disappearance, Edwards, who was 27, left his London hotel room and was never seen again.

In her interview with GQ in 2020, the musician's sister, Rachel, opened up about the "perpetual loss" as "no grieving involved" since Richey disappeared.

"We first became aware that Richard was missing when Martin Hall [Manics manager] informed us. He called my parents to tell them that he wasn't in the hotel and they in turn informed me," she said. "At first we thought that he'd maybe taken some time out for himself and that he'd return. But here I am a quarter of a century later still wondering."

The magazine asked Rachel how mentally and physically exhausting it had been for her as they kept on receiving information that ultimately resulted in nothing. As their parents already died, she was reportedly the only one who could carry on to know more about what truly happened to her brother.

There was no definitive proof that Richey died by suicide, especially since his body was never recovered.

Amid the buzz, Sara Hawys Roberts and Leon Noakes' book Withdrawn Traces: Searching for the Truth About Richey Manic suggested that Richey might have plotted his disappearance. It cited a woman he reportedly met at Cardiff's Whitchurch Hospital and said that he moved to Israel to live in a kibbutz.

The book also mentioned a woman named Vivian, who was reportedly the last person Richey saw before he disappeared.

"She was in the hotel room with Richey the night before he vanished. But we haven't been able to track her down," the authors wrote. "Apparently the night before Richey was trying to give Vivian his passport, saying 'I won't be needing this anymore'."

Although he was declared "presumed dead" in 2008, the Metropolitan Police said he is still listed as a missing person and that the case remains open.