Family search for answers after ‘incredibly gifted’ student, 20, is found dead

The family of an “incredibly gifted” student, who had moved to Manchester to “follow her dreams” before she was found dead in Salford Quays, say they are still desperate for answers three months after her tragic death.

Charlotte Burlace-Colquhoun, 20, was found dead in the water on December 20, 2022, two days after she was reported missing.

More than three months after her death, her family say they have conducted their own investigation and are desperate for answers – still searching for some of her belongings that have not yet been recovered and trying to track down anyone they might has seen or spoken. to her in the hours before her disappearance.

Charlotte, who lived in a student house on Frederick Road, often went for a walk late at night.

CCTV footage before she went missing saw her wearing a black tote bag, wearing a pink/red colored wig and a black beanie, none of which have been found.

She had been reported missing after she was last seen two days earlier in the early hours of December 18, 2022.

CCTV footage before she went missing saw her wearing a black tote bag, wearing a pink/red colored wig and a black beanie, 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 mother says it’s unclear if she wore the wig or not.

Her mother Sara also said she left her accommodation with her key fob, key fob, iPhone and citizen ID card which are also yet to be recovered.

The family have been working “full-time” conducting their own investigation, trying to trace her latest movements and talking to anyone who may have seen her between Dec. 18 and the morning of Dec. 20, when she was found dead.

Sara also said her accommodation next to the River Irwell, which runs into the Salford Quays, was about five miles from where she was found.

Sara said, “We want to know what happened after she left her dorm early Sunday morning because she wasn’t found dead until more than 50 hours later.

She was last seen wearing a red, white, and blue American flag cardigan, black leggings, and Doc Martens. CCTV footage before she went missing showed her wearing a black tote bag, wearing a pink/red wig and a black beanie, which have not been found

“We are trying to find out everything we can to help us get answers about how she entered the river and why. Someone must have seen her. Police believe she entered the river in the Frederick Road area.

“She used to like to go for a walk late at night, because she had autism she often found people difficult, so she went at a time when it was quieter and less likely to bump into people.

“As a family, we’re just trying to figure out what happened. This has been so hard for all of us. We are desperate to find out what happened to our daughter.”

Sara said Charlotte’s sister Hannah had also traveled to Salford and followed the five-mile route along the River Irwell from her accommodation to Salford Quays, scoured the area and fished through the water with sticks in hopes of finding her missing . stuff in vain.

Earlier on January 6, an inquest into Charlotte’s death opened at Bolton Coroner’s Court. A post-mortem listed her cause of death as drowning.

“Any valuables she was carrying have not been found and we want to know if anyone saw her or if she spoke to anyone or was with anyone,” Sara added.

“Everything (the autopsy) tells us she wasn’t dead before she entered the water – but we don’t know how, when or why.

“We spent three and a half months full-time trying to find out what happened. Since she used social media, we searched her entire profile and reached out to friends we don’t even know. It’s been like a full-time job and it’s exhausting at a time when we should be able to grieve.”

After her death, Charlotte, known to close friends as ‘Lottie’, was remembered as a ‘beautiful’ and ‘intelligent’ woman in a tribute from her family.

“Charl had just started university studying ‘Post Production for TV and Film’ and was embarking on a new future with great prospects,” the statement said. “Her death is a huge loss for all of us.”