Woman executive’s body in river points investigators to Brazil

Cecilia Haddad’s ex-lover is understood to have flown to Rio de Janeiro the day before her body was found by kayakers.

Haddad’s fully clothed body was found floating in ­Sydney’s Lane Cove River.

Police investigating the suspicious death of Brazilian executive ­Cecilia Haddad are chasing leads in her country of birth, where her ex-boyfriend is currently staying having left Sydney in recent days.

Police launched Strike Force Bronwyn to investigate and ­already have several people of ­interest as they closely examine her life and relationships.

Her ex-lover is understood to have flown to Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, leading police to make inquiries there.

The 38-year-old’s fully clothed body was found floating in ­Sydney’s Lane Cove River by ­kayakers on Sunday.

Police have been in touch with Ms Haddad’s devastated mother in Brazil, while her former husband travelled from Perth to Sydney to formally identify her body.

Police will fly to Perth today to quiz friends of Ms Haddad about the ex-boyfriend. The Daily Telegraph reports today that Ms Haddad’s friends told detectives the man had been due to return to Brazil on Monday, but brought forward his travel by a few days.

“Flight records are being checked to see when he actually left the country and when he was originally booked to leave,’’ a police source said.

“Obviously he is a person of ­interest and someone we need to talk to but there are others.”

Friends also told police Ms Haddad had been using dating sites since becoming single.

Detective Acting Inspector Ritchie Sim of the homicide squad said Ms Haddad had an active ­social life and large circle of friends.

Ms Haddad was last seen by friends at a barbecue in the Ryde area on Friday night.

She spoke to a friend about 8.30am on Saturday in a phone call about her plans for the day. Friends reported her missing after she failed to attend her appointments that day. On Sunday kayakers spotted her body just offshore from Woolwich. They notified authorities when they realised she was dead. Police initially believed she may have drowned.

Ms Haddad worked as a logistics manager for BHP in Western Australia before moving to NSW in 2016 to work as head of operational planning for freight company Pacific National.

Since last year she had been managing director at CHC Consulting and lived in an apartment in Ryde. Her car was found parked at West Ryde railway station late on Sunday. The red 2013-model Fiat 500 sedan with a black roof, registration number DJV50H, was previously seen outside her home on Saturday afternoon.

Police say they have some CCTV footage but are searching for more surveillance vision as well as dashcam footage.

There were no signs of a break-in or forced entry at her home and police have yet to identify any suspects but they have found people of interest in the course of their ­investigation. A cause of death has yet to be revealed.

One former colleague told The Australian Ms Haddad was “an incredibly intelligent, very vivacious, beautiful person”. “She lit up every room she walked into. She was able to do that while also being the brightest person in the room.”

She spoke English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Tributes flowed for Ms Haddad on Facebook. “You wouldn’t have given up without a fight,” read one.