Police searching for missing Cardiff woman Charlene Hobbs launch murder investigation

Police searching for missing Cardiff woman Charlene Hobbs have launched a murder investigation.

Charlene, 36, from Riverside, Cardiff, has not been seen since July 2024.

The last confirmed sighting is a mobile phone photograph taken of Charlene at a property in Broadway, Adamsdown.

Charlene’s disappearance is now being treated as murder and the Crimestoppers charity is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Powell, from South Wales Police, said:

“We have always been determined to find Charlene alive and return her to her family, but despite a huge number of enquiries we have no proof that Charlene is alive. We are now investigating her disappearance as murder.
"While I have always maintained an open mind, the lack of evidence that Charlene is alive means that we are now treating her disappearance as a murder investigation.
“We have spoken to more than 250 people, either known to Charlene or from areas where she is known to frequent, and no-one can tell us where Charlene is or that she is alive, which of course we, her family and friends desperately want to hear.
“Several of those we have spoken to believe that she has died but no-one has been able to provide any specific details. We are hoping that the Crimestoppers reward will help focus people’s minds.
“Charlene’s family continue to be updated, and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”

Detectives and specialist search teams are continuing with extensive efforts to find Charlene and determine the circumstances around why she is missing.

DCI Powell added:

“I still firmly believe that answers lie in the community, and that someone out there holds key information that will help us find Charlene.
“I urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they think it may be, to please contact South Wales Police or Crimestoppers.”

Charlene, who has a distinctive dragon tattoo on her back, was seen on CCTV in Morrisons Local, Adamsdown, on July 23, 2024, the day before the photograph was taken at a property in Broadway, Adamsdown, at 6.07am on July 24, 2024. Her hair was in a bun, and she was wearing a dark strapless top.

Charlene's family has issued the following statement:

"We have been updated by DCI Powell that this is now a murder investigation, and that a Crimestoppers appeal has been made with a £20k reward. We still hope that Charlene can be found safe and well.
"We are grateful for the support of Crimestoppers and the reward to help us find her, and hope that this will help people to come forward with information about what has happened to Charlene."

A 45-year-old man arrested in connection with the investigation remains on police bail.

A 43-year-old man and 38-year-old woman have been released without charge.

Information on the Crimestoppers reward can be found here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/mar/20-000-reward-offered-for-information-on-murder-of-charlene-hobbs-fom-south-wales

Information and video footage such as from mobile phones, CCTV cameras, doorbells or dash-cams can be submitted to South Wales Police via this link: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/62SWP24B95-PO1

Or:

• Live Chat https://www.south-wales.police.uk
• Contact us via https://bit.ly/SWPProvideInfo
• Call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Always call 999 in an emergency.