Missing Aberdeen sisters: What we know so far as search efforts continue
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of two twin sisters in Aberdeen continues this weekend with a major search operation ongoing.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32 and originally from Hungary, were last seen on Market Street in the city centre at Victoria Bridge heading over the River Dee towards Torry on Tuesday, January 7 at around 2.12am.
Their last recorded movements saw the pair cross the bridge and turn right onto a footpath in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
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Earlier this week, detectives revealed the siblings, who were both wearing rucksacks, had been spotted on CCTV footage at the same bridge around 12 hours before their disappearance.
An image showed Eliza and Henrietta walking near the Victoria Bridge at 2.50pm the previous day on Monday, January 6.
After visiting the bridge, they made their way back through the city centre, and were seen on CCTV walking via the Union Square shopping centre and back to their flat on Charlotte Street.
Detectives said there was nothing to indicate that either Eliza or Henrietta left their flat again until shortly before they were last seen at the River Dee in the early hours.
A text message was sent from Henrietta's mobile phone to their landlady at 2.12am on January 7 from the area of Victoria Bridge, indicating that they would not be returning to their flat - the same time they were last seen.
The phone was then disconnected from the network and has not been active since.
On Wednesday, January 8, the sisters' personal belongings were found inside the flat, and the landlady reported her concerns for the pair to the police.
Since being reported missing, a major hunt has been launched in the north-east, with dive teams carrying out extensive searches of the river and the harbour area.
A police helicopter and dog branch has also been used in the search, and officers have said there is nothing to suggest any criminality or suspicious circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
They also stated that there is nothing to suggest the sisters left the immediate area after 2.12am on January 7, and that specialist resources will continue to scour the area in the coming days.
Timeline of sisters' disappearance
Tuesday, December 31 - Edit Huszti - the other triplet - speaks to Eliza and Henrietta on New Year's Eve. She says they appear happy and cheerful
Saturday, January 4 - Jozsef Huszti - the brother of the missing sisters - speaks to pair over the phone. He also feels there was nothing out of the ordinary after a 40-minute conversation.
Monday, January 6 - At 2.50pm Eliza and Henrietta are seen on CCTV near Victoria Bridge walking with backpacks through the city. They head towards their Charlotte Street flat via Union Square shopping centre.
Tuesday, January 7 - Eliza and Henrietta are seen on CCTV at 2.12am on Market Street heading towards Victoria Bridge and the River Dee footpath. They also send a text to their landlady informing her they will not be returning to their flat and their phone is disconnected.
Wednesday, January 8 - The sisters' belongings are discovered in their flat and the landlady reports her concerns to the police, with a search subsequently beginning to locate the pair.
On Friday, Superintendent David Howieson said: "We have carried out a significant trawl of public and private CCTV footage as we try to establish the sisters’ movements.
"Several hours of footage are being examined by a dedicated team of officers and we have so far established that Eliza and Henrietta were at the footpath next to the River Dee at 2.50pm on Monday, January 6, 2025.
"Although the sisters didn't engage with anyone else at this time, the area would have been busy and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen them. Please think back, did you notice anyone matching their description?
"After returning home, there is nothing to indicate that Eliza or Henrietta left their flat again until shortly before they were last seen at the River Dee.
"Extensive enquiries are ongoing and I would again stress there is nothing to suggest any suspicious circumstances or criminality.
"We have had a positive response from the public to our appeals and I would like to thank everyone who has already come forward. I would again urge anyone with any information which could help find Eliza and Henrietta to get in touch.
"We remain in regular contact with Eliza and Henrietta’s family in Hungary and we will continue to provide them with support at this very difficult time.
"Searches will continue in the coming days and our officers will continue to do everything they can to find Eliza and Henrietta."
Eliza and Henrietta appeared to be leading perfectly normal lives in Aberdeen before their sudden disappearance, with the former a hotel worker and the other a Costa employee.
Jozsef Huszti, the sisters' brother, told BBC News earlier this week that their mother had spoken to the siblings on Saturday, January 4, and that nothing seemed unusual in their 40-minute conversation.
Their sister Edit Huszti - the other triplet - also revealed she had spoken to them on New Year's Eve and that they appeared happy and cheerful, and that the sisters were closed and did most things together.
Both are described by their family as sociable but preferring to stay home over going out, with Eliza a fan of cooking and the duo often opting to watch films.
Edit added that she believed it was out of character for Eliza and Henrietta to be out on the city centre streets in the early hours of the morning.
Jozsef also revealed earlier this week his surprise at learning the sisters had intended to move out of their flat, stating his shock in an interview.
He told the BBC: "They wrote a message to their landlady that they wanted to immediately end their tenancy agreement.
"We didn't have any information about that. So that's the strange thing, that the girls didn't tell us anything about that. They never mentioned any such plan."
He also told the broadcaster the women had no financial difficulties and were saving up to eventually buy their own property.
Search operations are being focused on the River Dee, with officers believing the pair may have entered the water but are keeping their investigation open as they have yet to rule out any potential theories.
Supt Howieson told reporters: "I don’t want to speculate on likelihood, we are open minded, we have a theory which involves them entering the water as a potential, but we can’t rule out that the timeline continues on from that, but we haven’t established that through enquiries."
He said they have the support of police in their home country, who are liaising with the wider family, and added that police remain "extremely concerned" about the sisters.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0735 of Tuesday, January 7, 2025.