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The remains of a "beautiful and talented" woman were discovered in her flat a year after she passed away. An inquest heard that Charlotte Leader was found deceased at her residence on Newbury Walk in Bolton.
She was discovered during a police welfare check on August 6 this year, but Bolton coroner's court heard evidence suggesting she had died in summer 2024.
Charlotte's family had not heard from her since September 2021, mum Chantay Simm told the inquest, while police said the only messages they found on her phone were to ChatGPT.
She told the court that Charlotte had been "impossible to find" following search attempts, while neighbours said they never saw her leave her home, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Charlotte's family paid tribute to her in a moving post on social media, the Mirror reports.
They said: "Charlotte was a very beautiful and talented young woman. 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."
Assistant Coroner Stephen Teasdale told the court that Charlotte had "suffered from mental health issues", adding: "In time, she becomes a stranger from the family, she pushes people away, and she disengages from the mental health services as well."
Mr Teasdale said Charlotte had declined a mental health appointment in 2022 and had no further contact with services. He also confirmed that 'no illicit drugs were found at the scene' and her diaries did not 'suggest that as a problem'.
Charlotte's sister, Caroline Calow, revealed that the 23 year old had battled eating disorders, including bulimia, from a young age.
She further stated that there was "absolutely no medication" in the flat, but it appeared to be the home of "someone who cared", not "the flat of someone who had given up".
Police discovered a "large volume of letters" behind the front door and food in the fridge with sell-by dates of July 2024. Charlotte's body was later found under her duvet.
Detective Inspector Paul Quinn described the flat as "sparsely furnished" and "immaculately clean", with "no suggestion she intended to take her life, or anything to suggest she would do anything untoward".
He mentioned that boxes of a detox cleanser were also discovered.
DI Quinn informed the court that the only conversations on Charlotte's phone were with ChatGPT, to whom she had asked for help about getting rid of food she 'didn't want' in her last message on July 30, 2024.
DI Quinn said: "There were others all in the same context - there's no conversations with anybody, her only contact was with ChatGPT."
Dr Andrew Coates, a pathologist at Royal Bolton Hospital, admitted that examining Charlotte's remains was "difficult" as she had become "mummified", which he said was 'not unreasonable' to occur over a year.
Mr Teasdale concluded the inquest with an open verdict, indicating that there was insufficient evidence to ascertain the cause of death.