There are numerous cases of missing girls and women in Albania, events that have often remained unsolved and their fates have become a mystery. Almost always, relatives, spouses or family members remain suspects in their disappearance or murder, while the reasons often remain unclear.
The show "Në Shënjestër" this Tuesday focused on the shocking case of the disappearance of Nadire Shpata, from the village of Bujan in Tropoja, who lost all contact on July 22, 2025. Since that day, her fate is unknown, while the first suspect is her husband, Ismet Shpata, now arrested by the police.
Nadire's last known contact was with her daughter at 10:00 PM on the evening of July 22, when she wished her a good night. Since that conversation, the daughter never heard her mother's voice again.
The next day, the morning of July 23, the girl tried to call her several times, but without success. Nadire's phone was no longer answered. As anxiety and fear grew, the family began searching, but no sign of her was found. Only a few days later, the police began their investigation, and in the couple's apartment, about 5 kilometers from Bajram Curri, details were discovered that raised strong suspicions.
Two dishes on the table and the mysterious disappearance at night
The police, arriving at the apartment, found the dining table unoccupied and two plates on it, which was consistent with the girl's testimony that her parents were eating dinner when she last spoke to her mother. According to preliminary investigations, Nadira's disappearance is suspected to have occurred between 11:00 PM on the evening of July 22 and 4:00 AM on the morning of July 23, when her husband stated that he had left for Durrës to visit his sister.
Another shocking testimony came from a member of Ismet Shpata's family, who said he had seen her completely wet from her clothes, although the weather was hot. He gave no explanation for this fact. Based on this, the Kukes Prosecutor's Office ordered searches in several reservoirs in the Durrës area and elsewhere, with the suspicion that Ismet Shpata may have killed her and then dumped the woman's body to hide it.
A marriage filled with violence and fear
Investigations revealed that Nadira's marital life had long been filled with physical and psychological violence. Local residents and relatives testify that she was a calm woman, but afraid and tired of living with her violent husband.
Just a few days before her disappearance, Nadire Shpata had presented herself at the Tropoja hospital with bruises on her body, caused by her husband's violence. However, she did not report it this time, perhaps out of fear, and returned to the same spot with her aggressor. This fatal decision may have cost her her life.
The investigative file shows that Ismet Shpata had previously been convicted of domestic violence by the Kukës Court in 2023, after a violent conflict with his wife. He had been released from prison just a few months before her disappearance.
In her complaint at the time, Nadire Shpata stated that her husband consumed alcohol excessively, did not take his psychiatric medication regularly, and often threatened her and her children with death. The couple's son testified before investigators that his father had displayed serious behavior, kept knives under his pillow, and had threatened:
"Give me money to go abroad, otherwise I'll kill my mother."
On January 21, 2023, Tropoja police intervened in the Shpata family's apartment after reports of violence, where they found Ismet locked on the second floor, with an axe in his hand, while his wife and son were outside in a vehicle. After a door was broken down by officers, he was neutralized and arrested.
Ismet Shpata claimed that he was carrying the axe to chop wood and that the conflicts were a result of "family problems," but the testimonies of his wife and children refuted this version.
The woman's cell phone in the man's car and the guns in the house
During the search of the apartment, police found two automatic firearms, which were sent for examination to the Institute of Scientific Police to determine whether they were used in any crime.
Meanwhile, a crucial piece of evidence was discovered in Ismet Shpata's car – Nadira's cell phone, placed in the front seat. This detail raised serious suspicions, as it is unusual for a person involved in a possible crime to forget key evidence in their vehicle.
Investigators are also checking phone records and cell phone antenna logs to determine the couple's recent movements and to see if their routes match. They are also analyzing whether chemical or biological traces were found on the dinner plates, which could indicate whether the woman was poisoned before she disappeared.
Strong suspicions towards the spouse
Despite his alibis, investigators believe that Ismet Shpata is involved in the disappearance, and possibly the murder, of his wife. He claims that Nadire left with “her lover,” but police have found no evidence to support this version. No evidence indicates that she left willingly, while all the evidence and testimony point to the opposite — a woman tired of violence, living in fear, and who perhaps had no chance of escape.
The Kukes Court has decided to keep Ismet Shpata in custody while the investigation continues. The prosecution and police are seeking new evidence to discover whether he killed her and where the woman's body may be.
Meanwhile, the 48-year-old's family is demanding justice and a full investigation into the tragic event, urging that the case not remain another forgotten file in the drawers of Albanian justice.
Pending a definitive answer, the mystery of Nadire Shpata's disappearance remains an open wound — a symbol of the silent violence that many women still face within the walls of their homes, often without protection, often without a voice.
