Richey Edwards — Manic Street Preachers Guitarist Vanishes on Eve of US Tour

In the early morning hours of February 1, 1995, Richey Edwards — guitarist and lyricist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers — drove away from his London hotel room at 7 AM, leaving his passport and Prozac behind, and was never seen again. He was 27 years old and had been scheduled to fly to America that day for a promotional tour. Edwards had a well-documented history of self-harm and had spent time in psychiatric facilities in the years before his disappearance. His lyrics were consistently preoccupied with themes of self-destruction, worthlessness, and oblivion. In 1991, he had carved the words "4 REAL" into his forearm with a razor blade during an interview to prove his sincerity. His car was found two weeks after his disappearance at a motorway service station near the Severn Bridge — a bridge with a long history as a suicide location. Evidence of extended habitation in the car was found. Financial records showed he had withdrawn £200 per day from his bank account — the daily ATM limit — on multiple days after his disappearance, with the last withdrawal on February 14. Edwards was declared legally dead in 2008. No body has ever been found. The withdrawals after his disappearance have led some to believe he orchestrated a deliberate vanishing. Reported sightings have come from across the world including India, where he was supposedly living in a hippie commune. The Manic Street Preachers continued without him and dedicated their subsequent work to his memory.