At a news conference in Ross Township, Bob and Gloria filled in the details of Patricia’s life before and after her disappearance.
DNA testing brings past into view
Patricia Kopta had been a straight-A student, a dance instructor, and a model.
She would often visit Puerto Rico with her friends before she got married, in 1972, Smith recalled. Patricia was nicknamed “The Sparrow.”
“She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine,” Smith remembered.
Smith said that after a decade working at the glass company her sister had to quit because of migraines that doctors blamed on stress.
She took a job as an elevator operator at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. It was there that Patricia had a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with delusions of grandeur and schizophrenia.
She became a street preacher during an episode. And was known to frequent parking lots and busy streets. And was often seen out in the community population 31,000 north of Pittsburgh. She would often warn people of the end of the world.
