Missing Since 1981: Cinnaminson Detective Takes Lead On Search For 'Birdy'

CINNAMINSON, NJ — A South Jersey woman has not been seen since she left home in the early 1980s. A Cinnaminson detective has spent years looking for answers in the disappearance of Roberta Anne Michels-Hopkins.

Roberta, nicknamed "Birdy," left her Camden home to run errands in February 1981 and never returned. Cinnaminson and State Police recently asked the public for tips that could help them find her.

In February 2022, a relative reported Roberta missing to the Cinnaminson Police Department. Det. Geoffery Chiumento took the case and has spent two-plus years "exhausting every investigative lead" in an effort to find her, said Police Chief William Obuchowski.

State law requires police agencies to accept any missing-persons case without delay. It's unclear whether Roberta or her family had any connection to Cinnaminson before that moment — Obuchowski told Patch he couldn't disclose any further info about the case.

During the investigation, Chiumento contacted the State Police Missing Persons Unit, which developed an age-progressed rendering of Roberta (see above).

Roberta is about 72 years old, according to State Police. She is a white woman with green eyes, who had long, brown hair and was known to occasionally wear wigs.

She was about 5 feet, 1 to 5 inches tall and 120 to 130 pounds, the agency said. She also has scars on her right ankle and right wrist.

Anyone with information can contact Cinnaminson Police Det. Chiumento at 856-829-6667 ext. 2075 or the State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000 ext. 2554. Both agencies welcome anonymous tips.

View the sharable Facebook post from State Police: