Journalist Charlotte Peet was last heard from on February 8 and was reported missing on February 17. Just four days before her disappearance, Charlotte posted about looking for a room in London
The mystery surrounding missing Brit Charlotte Peet has deepened following the emergence of new images.
Charlotte was last heard from on February 8, when she is understood to have messaged a friend telling her she was in Sao Paulo, Mexico and was planning to visit Rio de Janeiro. During the exchange, the 32-year-old asked if she could stay with her pal, though she explained that her house was already full so she was unfortunately unable to accommodate her.
After a back and forth, the friend didn’t hear from Charlotte again. Several days later, the family of the missing journalist got in touch with her to say they’d lost contact with Charlotte.
On February 17, she was reported missing. At the time, the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in Brazil (ACIE) released a statement “expressing concern over her disappearance and solidarity with her family and friends”.
Charlotte has contributed to publications such as Al Jazeera and The Times during her time as a freelance journalist. Her father Derek said he had not been informed of her trip to Brazil, and said it was not “normal” that she had gone abroad without first telling her loved ones, adding he suspected there was “something on her mind”.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “I wouldn’t say that it was normal, there was something on her mind obviously otherwise she would have let us know.” He added that Charlotte’s family was “very concerned” about her wellbeing and were “trying to pick up the pieces” following her disappearance.
Derek continued: “It’s very worrying but I don’t have any more to say, I’m very concerned but I just don’t know what’s going on, we’re just trying to pick up the pieces really.” More than two weeks after she was reported missing, police investigating her disappearance claimed she was alive and well.
Detectives in Rio de Janeiro said they’d been able to track Charlotte’s movements using the GPS on her phone, according to local media. According to police chief Elen Souto, Charlotte arrived in Rio on February 8 and stayed in a hostel in Copacabana until February 17.
After this, she is believed to have travelled to another hostel in the Botafogo district. In CCTV footage, Charlotte could be seen at a hostel reception where she handed in her bed sheets. She stayed at the hostel until February 24, according to Brazilian news site Globo.
Detectives have also released new photos, two of which are said to show her on a bus to Rio de Janeiro while another is said to show her at a beachside bar in the Leme district of Rio. According to Globo, the bus selfies appear to have been taken on February 8, and the beachside photo is allegedly from February 15.
“The main line of investigation is voluntary disappearance. We have two mobile phone numbers for her. The British number receives messages and calls. The Brazilian number, which has an area code for Sao Paulo, is programmed to not receive calls,” said Ms Souto.
Her last known location was Morro de Babilonia, a hillside shanty town where she did voluntary work when she lived in the city. “We have sent her photos, which show her getting off the bus in Rio, and in various places around Rio, to the Missing Persons Facial Recognition Programme,” Ms Souto said.
Just four days before she went missing, Charlotte had shared a message in a Facebook group about renting apartments in London. She wrote: “Hello. I’m looking for a double room in South West/East London: East Dulwich, Brixton, Herne Hill, Clapham, Balham, Streatham, Camberwell etc or would consider venturing east to the right place.
“I’m a 32-year-old journalist, friendly, respectful and organised. I love reading, keeping active and chatting to friends. Let me know if I sound like a good fit! Thanks!”