SHE BOARDED A BUS — CCTV TRACKED HER TO A BOATYARD, THEN VITORIA VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE

A 31-year-old Brazilian clinical psychologist disappeared in Essex more than six months ago. Police have traced parts of her final movements on CCTV — but the mystery remains unsolved.

More than six months after Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto disappeared in Essex, investigators are still trying to piece together what happened to the Brazilian woman.

The 31-year-old clinical psychologist had travelled around 1,600 miles to the UK after attending a conference in Morocco. She arrived on February 2 and was staying in the Southend area with her friend, Liliane Silva.

Then, on March 3, Vitoria travelled to the University of Essex campus in Wivenhoe.

It was there that some of the last known movements of her journey began to emerge.

THE BUS RIDE THAT BECAME A KEY CLUE

CCTV captured Vitoria boarding a number 87 bus in Wivenhoe shortly after 1 p.m. on March 3.

Around 30 minutes later, she got off the bus on Bellfield Avenue in Brightlingsea.

About an hour after that, she was reportedly captured by a doorbell camera in the Hurst Green area.

Police later obtained additional CCTV appearing to show a woman believed to be Vitoria walking across a field.

But the trail became increasingly difficult to explain.

Shortly after midnight on March 4, CCTV showed a person believed to be Vitoria climbing over a fence into a boatyard in Brightlingsea.

Minutes later, further footage placed her at an industrial site close to Brightlingsea Creek and the marina.

Then came one of the most puzzling pieces of evidence.

Footage appeared to show a person believed to be Vitoria in a rowing boat moving further out into the harbour.

And after that, she disappeared.

HER BAG WAS FOUND DAYS LATER

Vitoria was reportedly wearing a dark coat, a blue turtleneck jumper, light-blue jeans and black trainers.

She was also carrying a white shoulder bag bearing the words “people over profit.”

Police later found the bag at the industrial site on March 9.

Her laptop was also discovered in Brightlingsea.

Meanwhile, around midday on March 4, a boat was found adrift near Bradwell-on-Sea after apparently becoming unmoored from a location near Copperas Road.

An orange horseshoe-shaped buoyancy aid was missing.

Police began examining the possibility that Vitoria may have unmoored the boat from a pontoon.

However, the boat did not appear to have its engine running and eventually drifted away from the area.

A SEARCH ACROSS LAND AND WATER

Essex Police launched extensive searches involving specialist officers, marine units and air support.

Investigators searched areas of land, coastline and water as they attempted to establish what happened after Vitoria was last seen.

Her phone and financial records have also been examined.

According to police, those checks have not revealed significant or unexpected activity that would explain her disappearance.

That has left investigators with a trail of CCTV footage — but no clear answer.

“CLEARLY NOT WELL”

Vitoria’s friend Liliane previously told the BBC that she appeared unusually quiet when they met at the university and was “clearly not well.”

Her family has continued to appeal for information.

Her sister Marina has urged people to check properties, outbuildings and possible hiding places for any sign of Vitoria.

Friends and relatives have also appealed to members of the Brazilian community in Essex, asking them to display Brazilian flags in the hope that Vitoria might see them and recognize a welcoming place.

SIX MONTHS LATER, THE QUESTIONS REMAIN

The CCTV appears to provide investigators with a remarkable timeline of Vitoria’s final known movements.

A bus.

A seaside town.

A field.

A boatyard.

An industrial site.

And finally, footage apparently showing someone on the water.

But what happened after that remains unknown.

Police have not confirmed what became of Vitoria, and there is no confirmed explanation for why she disappeared.

For her family, the uncertainty continues.

More than six months later, they are still waiting for the one piece of information that could finally explain what happened to her.

Anyone with information about Vitoria’s whereabouts or her movements around Brightlingsea is urged to contact Essex Police.