Mark Garvey

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

merseyside-police

Missing From:

Bootle/Walton, Merseyside

Summary:

Mark Garvey was just fifteen when he disappeared on a chilly Monday evening in early March of 1987. He had grown up in the Merseyside area of England, in the suburbs of Bootle and Walton near Liverpool. After an argument with his girlfriend, Mark left in tears and was last seen walking to get a bus by the Jolly Miller pub, on Queens Drive, and has not been seen since.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On March the 2nd 1987, 15 year old Mark Garvey went out to his girlfriends house in West Derby, Liverpool from his home in Walton. After they had an argument, he headed to the bus stop to go home. Mark found her in the company of his best friend, and the ensuing confrontation upset him enough that he stormed off in tears. Mark had actually left around 9:30 PM, presumably to catch the bus. Investigators eventually confirmed that Mark was indeed seen waiting at the bus stop outside the Jolly Miller Pub at around the time he supposedly left his girlfriend's house. Multiple witnesses placed him there. Yet no one could say for sure whether he ever got on a bus, where exactly he might have gone, or whether he decided to walk. In fact, according to the official record, that sighting by the pub was the last time anyone could reliably confirm seeing him at all.

Additional Details:

He was a star student at De La Salle RC Comprehensive Academy (now Dixons Croxteth Academy), a devoted Everton F.C. fan, and a young man who harbored dreams of studying law and becoming a solicitor one day. He was always good at letting me know where he was, so when it got to midnight I phoned the police. Police worked on the case for three months, questioning everyone at Mark's school, De La Salle in Croxteth, searching Walton park with tracker dogs and making an announcement on the Tannoy at Goodison - but there was no trace of Mark and no one came forward with information. The subsequent investigation found no proof that Mark boarded a bus, nor did it uncover any leads suggesting foul play. Over the years, Mark's parents kept his case in the public eye, handing out flyers, speaking to local news outlets, and working with support groups for families of missing persons. Dorothy, in particular, remained convinced that there was a missing puzzle piece out there — maybe someone who had witnessed Mark getting on or off a bus, or overheard something about his argument that night — that might explain what truly happened. Tragically, Dorothy passed away in January 2025, never having learned what became of her son. Mark's siblings have since carried on her determination, trying to keep the conversation alive in local Facebook groups and through occasional mentions in the media.

Case Last Updated:

Jul 17, 2026