• British police discovered the body of a young woman in her Bolton apartment more than a year after she went missing
• Her last messages had been with an AI chatbot, which helped investigators establish the likely timeline of her death

Charlotte Leader, 23, was found dead in her Bolton apartment over a year after her presumed death

Investigations revealed that Charlotte, described by her family as “a very beautiful and talented young woman,” had gradually withdrawn from her family and mental health services

Her mother, Shantay Sim, said the family had been unable to contact her since 2021 despite repeated attempts

It was also revealed that Charlotte had suffered from eating disorders since childhood, including bulimia

Investigators noted that her apartment was “extremely clean” but mostly empty, with piles of unopened mail and spoiled food dated 2024, which helped determine the probable timeline of her death

The investigation showed no signs of drug use, suicide, or foul play.

Her last interactions were solely with an AI system, with her final message reading, “Help me, I bought food again.” The AI responded, “It seems you have conflicting feelings about food,” to which Charlotte replied, “It’s the food I didn’t want, and it frustrates me.”

This conversation helped establish the timeline of her passing

Forensic pathologist Dr. Andrew Coates said the body was “difficult to examine” due to its “partially decomposed” state, and no evidence suggested deliberate harm

Judge Steven Teasdale concluded the investigation with a verdict of “death of unknown cause,” noting that there was insufficient evidence to determine the exact cause of death