The family of missing Manic Street Preachers‘ guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards have revealed that they’ve unveiled “vital new evidence” into his disappearance.
Edwards went missing from the Embassy Hotel in central London on February 1, 1995 aged 27. His car was found near the Severn Bridge shortly after. He was officially ‘presumed dead‘ in 2008, although there have been a series of alleged sightings of the guitarist around the globe since his disappearance. He had suffered a lengthy battle with depression.
His sister Rachel Elias has continued to campaign on behalf of missing people in her search for Edwards. Now, she claims that new evidence got hold the truth to his whereabouts.
“We were told that Richard crossed the bridge at 2:55pm,” she told ITV. “And we have the toll booth receipt that says 2:55. So we were led to believe there was an eight hour window between his time of departing the hotel to crossing the Bridge on that same day.
“But it’s since come to light by tracking down the person who made the [bridge’s time recording] machines and making enquiries that that was a 24 hour clock, it always was. So that meant 2:55 was 2:55am.”
She continued: “So we were appealing to people to have seen him at certain times that day when actually those times are meaningless now.
“We are hoping that it will establish a new line of enquiry because this is vital information that changes everything and turns it all on its head and needs to be looked at again.”
Rachel has also been working with with The Missing People’s Choir – who recently entered Britain’s Got Talent.
“On the 22nd December my brother would have been 50 years old, so another milestone birthday gone,” she said in an interview last year to mark what would have been his 50th birthday. “We don’t know where he is.”
Speaking of her work with the choir, she continued: “The power of music has been beneficial. We never thought we would generate so much interest and awareness.
“The Missing People charity offer a provision where someone can ring in and just let them know. Even if they don’t want us to know, but let us know that they’re OK.”
Edwards’last recorded work was the Manics’ 1994 masterpiece ‘The Holy Bible‘, although they later revisited lyrics he left behind for 2009’s acclaimed ‘Journal For Plague Lovers’.
To donate to the Missing People charity, text HOPE plus your donation amount (i.e. HOPE £10) to 70707, and for more information visit here.
Manic Street Preachers meanwhile, recently unveiled new single ‘International Blue’ from their upcoming album ‘Resistance Is Futile‘.
“On the single and the whole album, there are a lot of mini tributes to things that make your life feel a little bit better,” bassist Nicky Wire told NME. “Rather than my internalised misery, I tried to put a sense of optimism into the lyrics by writing about things that we find really inspiring.”
‘Resistance Is Futile’ will be released via Columbia/Sony on April 6, 2018 – and can be pre-ordered here.
Manic Street Preachers tour dates and tickets
The band’s upcoming UK arena tour dates are below. Tickets are available here.
23 April NEWCASTLE, Metro Radio Arena
25 April GLASGOW, The SSE Hydro Arena
27 April BIRMINGHAM, Arena
28 April MANCHESTER, Arena
1 May LLANDUDNO, Venue Cymru Arena
2 May LEEDS, First Direct Arena
4 May LONDON, The SSE Arena Wembley
5 May CARDIFF, Motorpoint Arena