The family of a young woman who had moved to Manchester to 'pursue her dreams' before being found dead in Salford Quays say they are still desperate for answers three months on from her tragic death.
'Incredibly gifted' student Charlotte Burlace-Colquhoun, 20, was found in the water at Salford Quays on December 20 of last year. She had been reported as missing after last being seen two days before, in the early hours of December 18.
More than three months on from her death, her family say they have been conducting their own investigations and remain desperate for answers - still searching for a number of her belongings that have not yet been recovered and trying to trace anyone who may have seen or spoken to her in the hours before her disappearance.
READ MORE Young woman moved to Manchester to pursue her dream - then she was found dead
Charlotte, who had only recently moved to Salford and was living in student accommodation on Frederick Road, frequently went out for walks late at night. CCTV images before she went missing saw her carrying a black tote bag, wearing a pink/red coloured wig and a black beanie hat, none of which have been found.
She was last seen wearing a red white and blue American flag cardigan, black leggings and Doc Martens. She had a shaved head so her mum says it is unclear if she was wearing the wig or not.
Her mum Sara also said she left her accommodation with her key ring, key fob, iPhone and citizen ID card which are also yet to be recovered. The family have been 'working full time' conducting their own enquiries and trying to trace her last movements and speak to anyone who may have seen her between December 18 and the morning of December 20, when she was found dead.
Sara also said that her accommodation beside the River Irwell, which leads through into connecting Salford Quays, was a length of around five miles away from where she was eventually found.
"We want to find out what happened after she left her student accommodation in the early hours of Sunday, because she wasn't found dead until over 50 hours later," mum Sara told the Manchester Evening News.
"We are trying to find out anything we can to help us get some answers about how she entered the river and why. Somebody must have seen her. Police believe she entered the river in the Frederick Road area.
"She used to love going out for walks late at night, because she had autism she often found people difficult so she would go at a time that it was quieter and there was less chance of bumping into people.
"As a family we are just trying to piece together what has happened. This has been so difficult for us all. We are desperate to find out what happened to our daughter."
Sara said that Charlotte's sister Hannah had also travelled up to Salford and re-traced the five-mile-long route along the River Irwell from her accommodation to Salford Quays, scouring the area and fishing through the water with sticks in hope of finding her missing belongings to no avail.
An inquest into Charlotte's death previously opened at Bolton Coroner's Court on January 6. A post mortem noted her cause of death as drowning.
"All of the valuables she had with her haven't been found and we want to know if anyone saw her or if she spoke to or was with anybody," Sara added.
"All it (the post mortem) tells us is that she wasn't dead before she entered the water - but we don't know how, when or why.
"For three and a half months we have been working full time trying to work out what's happened. Because she used social media we have been ploughing through all her profile and contacting friends who we don't even know. It's been like a full time job and it's draining at a time when we should be able to grieve."
Following her death, Charlotte, known as 'Lottie' to close friends, was remembered as a 'beautiful' and 'intelligent' woman in a tribute issued by her family.
"Charl had just started at university studying ‘Post-Production for TV and Film’ and was beginning a new future with great prospects," the statement added. "Her death is a massive loss to us all."
A full inquest into Charlotte's death is provisionally expected to take place at Bolton Coroner's Court in May.
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