Chilling new footage has been released by police showing the last known movements of a missing Brazilian psychologist hours before her personal belongings were discovered near a boat yard in Essex. Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto, a 30-year-old academic, vanished on March 3 while visiting a friend in Southend, Essex, sparking an extensive police search operation.
Final Bus Journey Captured on Camera
Essex Police have shared compelling CCTV evidence showing Ms Figueiredo Barreto boarding the number 87 bus on Boundary Road in Wivenhoe, Colchester, just after 1pm on the day she disappeared. The Brazilian psychologist had been assisting her friend Liliane Silva, a PhD student and lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Essex, with a written project at the Colchester campus before they parted ways around 1pm.
The footage reveals she remained on the bus for approximately 30 minutes before disembarking at Bellfield Avenue in Brightlingsea – an area her friend confirms she had never previously visited. Police believe she then arrived in Brightlingsea around 2.30pm, with doorbell footage capturing her image approximately ten minutes later in the Hurst Green neighborhood.
Distinctive Bag Discovery Raises Concerns
Nearly a week after her disappearance, a passerby discovered Ms Figueiredo Barreto's distinctive tote bag bearing the slogan 'people over profit' on a greenspace near Copperas Road in Brightlingsea, close to a boat yard. The discovery was reported to police yesterday afternoon, with officers confirming the missing woman's family has been notified and is receiving ongoing support from specialized officers.
The last confirmed sighting of the psychologist came from Justin Francis and his partner, who were walking their dog along Bellfield Avenue when a woman matching her description approached them and introduced herself as Vitoria. "She asked if she could come into our home, but didn't explain why," Mr Francis revealed, adding that they now feel "a little bit guilty" for being the final people to see and speak with her.
Uncharacteristic Behavior Before Disappearance
During a press conference with Essex Police, Ms Silva described her friend as being "emotionally resting and quiet" on the day she vanished, noting she was unusually reluctant to discuss what might be troubling her. "It's just not her, she is always talkative. She was not that contemplative person," the concerned friend explained.
Ms Figueiredo Barreto was last seen wearing a dark coat, blue turtleneck jumper, light blue jeans, and dark trainers with white soles. She was carrying the white shoulder bag with the distinctive 'people over profit' message that was later recovered.
Additional CCTV Evidence Emerges
Police have identified further CCTV footage showing a person, believed to be the missing psychologist, jumping over a fence near where her bag was found in a boatyard shortly after midnight on March 4. This development has intensified the search operation in specific areas of Brightlingsea where teams are conducting detailed searches using officers on foot, air support, specialist dogs, and volunteers from Essex Search and Rescue.
Disturbingly, Ms Figueiredo Barreto's friend and fellow psychologist Fernanda Silvestre told a Brazilian newspaper that the missing woman's phone – which is paired with hers – had activated emergency mode and sent a signal location pointing toward the sea.
Family's Emotional Appeal for Information
Standing alongside Vitoria's mother Gleyz Bezerra Fiqueiredo Barreto and her boyfriend Janilson Gomes Da Silveira Filho, Ms Silva made an emotional plea for her friend's safe return. "We are really concerned, really worried," she stated. "Vitoria was always that person that was addicted to a screen, always updating us, discussing what was happening around the world. So we know she is around us in this fantastic community and we want you to help us to find her."
The missing woman's mother added that her daughter "cannot be well at all," while Ms Silva expressed concern about her friend's mental state, suggesting "she is probably not in a good place, she is probably out of her mind, upset, struggling."
Possible Route Confusion Theory
Ms Silva shared a theory that she and Vitoria's family currently believe might explain her movements. They suspect the psychologist may have been attempting to catch a bus to Colchester town centre, London, or Southend but potentially misinterpreted the route. "She may have boarded the bus on the opposite side of the road because she had forgotten cars drive on the right-hand side in the UK," Ms Silva suggested, noting her friend might have been looking at the situation from a Brazilian perspective.
During their final encounter, Ms Silva recalled trying to ask her friend what was wrong when she appeared "upset, airy and confused." "She invited me to look at the ducks, she didn't want to talk and she said that we would talk later," the friend remembered. "I said 'Sometimes it's too late V, lets talk', but she said 'Observe the ducks' – which was not her, she was not that contemplative person."
Police Intensify Search Efforts
Detective Superintendent Anna Granger has urged anyone who saw Vitoria or has "even the smallest amount of information" to come forward immediately. Police are also requesting that everyone in the area check their CCTV cameras for any potential sightings of the missing psychologist as search efforts concentrate on specific locations in Brightlingsea.
The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together the final hours before Vitoria Figueiredo Barreto's disappearance, with friends and family desperately hoping for her safe return.
