Police Find Woman's Mummified Body In Her Apartment A Year After She Died

Warning: This article discusses eating disorders, which some readers may find upsetting.

The body of a 23-year-old woman was found mummified inside her apartment — a year after she had died, an inquest has revealed.

Police located Charlotte Leader at her flat in Bolton, Greater Manchester, while performing a welfare check on August 6 of this year.

Officers had been called after concerns were raised about her well-being.

During the inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court, officers explained how they struggled to enter her home because piles of unopened mail had built up behind the front door. Once inside, they found the young woman’s body in bed, under her duvet, appearing as though she were peacefully asleep.

Detective Inspector Paul Quinn described the apartment as “sparsely furnished” but “immaculately clean,” according to the Bolton News. He said police found no signs that Charlotte had harmed herself or that her death was intentional. However, several boxes of detox cleansers were discovered inside the flat.

DI Quinn added that Charlotte’s only interaction before her death appeared to be through ChatGPT, the AI chatbot, as her family had lost contact with her over time.

Her mother, Chantay Simm, told the inquest she hadn’t heard from Charlotte since September 2021. Despite multiple attempts to reach her, she said her daughter seemed impossible to locate or contact.

Charlotte Leader passed away last year Facebook

Neighbors told police that they never saw Charlotte leaving her home during that period, and it wasn’t until her body was found that anyone realized what had happened. Assistant Coroner Stephen Teasdale noted that Charlotte had struggled with mental health challenges and had gradually withdrawn from both her family and support services.

"She pushes people away, and she disengages from the mental health services as well," he told the court, adding that Charlotte had canceled a mental health appointment in 2022 and never rescheduled it.

After that, she had no further communication with professionals. Mr. Teasdale also confirmed that investigators found no evidence of drug use and that her personal writings didn’t suggest any substance issues.

Charlotte’s sister, Caroline Calow, explained that her sister had battled eating disorders, including bulimia, from a young age. It was a struggle that had continued for years and deeply affected her health and confidence.

When investigators checked the apartment, they found food in her refrigerator with expiration dates from July 2024, suggesting she had died around a year before being discovered.

DI Quinn told the court that Charlotte’s last messages before her death had been with ChatGPT, marking the AI as her only point of communication in her final days.

Her final message, sent on July 30, 2024, read: "Help me, I've went and got food again."

The chatbot replied that it seemed like she was conflicted about eating, to which Charlotte responded: "It's food that I didn't want and that's frustrating."

"There were others all in the same context," DI Quinn said. "There's no conversations with anybody, her only contact was with ChatGPT."

The 23-year-old's 'mummified' body was found at her home during a welfare check in August this year Facebook

Charlotte’s sister Caroline told the court that her home appeared to belong to someone who cared about it, describing it as tidy and lived-in — not the home of a person who had given up. She also said that police found no medication or prescription drugs in the apartment.

Pathologist Dr. Andrew Coates from Royal Bolton Hospital described his examination as “difficult,” explaining that her remains had mummified over the course of a year. He said that while such preservation can happen naturally over time, the cause of death could not be determined.

The coroner concluded the inquest with an open verdict, stating there wasn’t enough evidence to confirm how Charlotte died. Her death remains unexplained.

Her family paid tribute to her memory, describing her as a creative and caring young woman. They said: "Her many talents were playing the guitar and keyboard, and she also had a love for art."

"She was loved tremendously by the family and will be missed every day."

If you’re struggling with distressing thoughts or emotions, help is available. The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) provides support every day from 5 p.m. to midnight. You can call 0800 58 58 58 or use their online chat service if you prefer not to speak on the phone.