Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #11

[Deleted member 320164]

Short of a body, what 'hard evidence' would you expect to find?

Not this again.

One of the following:

- Slip marks in the grass
- Tufts of grass where she tried to break her fall
- A boot, a piece of clothing
- Whatever was in her pockets - gloves, hair scrunchie, lip balm, tissues, sunglasses, keys
- Grab marks in the mud where she’d tried to hold onto the river bank to keep her head above water.

It may be possible to run around trying to put a harness on a dog, fall in a river, go into cold water shock, try to save yourself, drown, sink without a trace, without a single item on your person or in your pockets falling out either on land or in the water, all within the space of 12 minutes - but it’s a lot.

In the absence of any evidence of that happening, it’s still only one theory among others all of which have no evidence.

 

[Allabouttrial]

Basing this on my previous assumption that it was a normal day/walk and NB arrived back at the bench at the end of her walk and stopped to put Willow back on her harness/lead at 9.20am (time police state phone was on bench)

I think the most confusing time frame of the day is between 9.33 when Willow was allegedly found until 10.50 when PA was called by the school. What was happening at the river/park during this time?

9.33 Witness finds phone/dog

Missing Nicola Bulley's dog was 'in an agitated state' when discovered

Willow, the Spaniel, was spotted by a woman near a slippery riverbank by a bench where Nicola Bulley's phone was found still dialled into a business call.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The woman, who runs a business in picturesque St Michaels on Wyre, said she knew of Ms Bulley and hoped nothing 'bad' had happened to her.

Speaking today, she said: 'I saw the dog and I recognised it, but I suddenly couldn't think whose dog it was.

'There was a mobile phone on the bench and there was also something between the bench and the river so I went and looked, and it was a dog harness.

'The dog looked worried so I tied her up and rushed home as I had to go to an appointment.

'I then went and spoke to my daughter-in-law and she immediately knew who the dog was, alerted the woman's partner and that was it - the police were on it

How long did it take for the conversation with DIL and how long for someone to go back to Willow after she was tied up? Did no other witnesses arrive at the area and see Willow during this time? Was she alone? Why did it take so long to call PA if someone went back immediately?

10.15-10.30 - PA starts to get worried about NB not returning home from her walk and calls her phone. Once to her phone, once via her WhatsApp and once more to her phone (as per PA interview transcript)

PA called the phone 3 times during this time frame. Did no one hear it ringing if the mobile had already been found? A mobile can be answered if it rings without having to be unlocked?

So I got in the car, drove down there, ran down the river to where the bench is. Somebody had Willow and obviously there was a few other dog walkers there and stuff like that. Handed me Willow, handed me Nikki's phone. So I've rung the police at like.. about 10:50 and they were there, they got there at 25 past. So they were there really, really quick.

If NB didn't fall in the river between 9.20 and 9.33 then something else was happening during this time and maybe even beyond the 9.33 timeframe. What time did other witnesses arrive in the area as they were there when PA arrived? Are there statements from them as I don't remember seeing them?

Thing is that info. was from MSM. A more detailed description from the 2nd presser:

---

The witness made numerous enquiries to try and find the owner of the phone, not knowing whose phone it was and indeed whose dog it was. That led the witness to meet up with other people, who did recognise the dog as Nicola's and the school to which Nicola's children go was alerted at 10:50, as was her family.

---

 

[Mr X]

Phone lock screen displayed while logged into an online conference?

 

[cottonweaver]

There was a poster on that case who basically said, almost to the nearest square metre, where AKs body would be found…and the date it would be found.
he was absolutely spot on.

and wasn't it a member who had local knowledge of that particular river's features, currents etc ( I just had a quick browse of the thread this morning )

 

[tedtink]

PF said that he thought the phone could have been a decoy, but what about the harness?
We've discussed that NB usually carried her phone whilst listening in.
I'm wondering about the lead/harness, surely it's too big to have carried it in a pocket, so I guess it was either being held in her other hand OR tucked under her arm, worn looped over her arm?

Anyone know if a harness/lead would fit into a pocket? I know it depends on the size of the pocket, but they're quite bulky things I'd guess.

I dunno where I'm going with this atm, just thinking out loud.

 

[Miss_French]

Thanks. There has been so much traffic on WS, social media and the MSM that it's difficult to recall what was reported near the beginning. So the whole account from 9.33am to the alarm being raised revolves around witness reports by two related witnesses?

Can anyone remember where the string comes into it? Seems odd to use string to tie Willow up if the harness and lead are on the ground in plain sight.

Wasn't the string bit from the Tilly Ann twitter? But if the lead and harness were down the embankment, as has been reported, maybe it was easier to secure Willow then retrieve the items.

 

[cottonweaver]

Thing is that info. was from MSM. A more detailed description from the 2nd presser:

---

The witness made numerous enquiries to try and find the owner of the phone, not knowing whose phone it was and indeed whose dog it was. That led the witness to meet up with other people, who did recognise the dog as Nicola's and the school to which Nicola's children go was alerted at 10:50, as was her family.

---

I wasn't aware of that.

So, the criticism of that witness over 'a delay' might be wide of the mark? (Originating with the Tilly Anne Facebook post/new timeline)

 

[annpats]

Also it is a popular area for fishing. More than likely they were just anglers having a look around.

Do anglers do that? I've never seen fishermen 'scout' a place beforehand.
They usually just go there with rods and chairs and see what happens, don't they?

 

[Allabouttrial]

I wasn't aware of that.

So, the criticism of that witness over 'a delay' might be wide of the mark?

Correct. Although, apparently all this asking people who the dog belonged to could have been done elsewhere???!

ETA: So I gave up trying to push the point..

 

[Cuko]

the police helicopter is far more active (and flying noticeably lower) than in previous days.

Over any particular spot?

 

[sunshineray]

Do we know if Willow was still running free when the scene was first visited after the alarm was raised?

Wasn't it mentioned in an article that mentioned Willow running to and fro agitated from the bench to the river's edge? Or do I have that wrong?

 

[ayrshireguy]

Over any particular spot?

Estuary between Skippool and Hambleton

 

[Allabouttrial]

Wasn't it mentioned in an article that mentioned Willow running to and fro agitated from the bench to the river's edge? Or do I have that wrong?

Bench to the gate.

 

[Springplease]

Would NB be on CCTV at school car park and in car along her driving route to the school? Would a modern car have dash cam footage for a minute or so after switching off?

PF said that he thought the phone could have been a decoy, but what about the harness?
We've discussed that NB usually carried her phone whilst listening in.
I'm wondering about the lead/harness, surely it's too big to have carried it in a pocket, so I guess it was either being held in her other hand OR tucked under her arm, worn looped over her arm?

Anyone know if a harness/lead would fit into a pocket? I know it depends on the size of the pocket, but they're quite bulky things I'd guess.

I dunno where I'm going with this atm, just thinking out loud.

I loop my lead over my head and under one arm so it’s diagonally across my bod. It’s harder to strangle me with it that way

 

[Mr X]

Do anglers do that? I've never seen fishermen 'scout' a place beforehand.
They usually just go there with rods and chairs and see what happens, don't they?

It seems to have a bailiff. Day tickets available. So I think it's possible someone who did not know the place might check it before committing.

If trees could talk !




ETA has the lower sign been shot at ? If so by whom.

 

[Cuko]

Estuary between Skippool and Hambleton

Thank you

 

[Normanly]

Thing is that info. was from MSM. A more detailed description from the 2nd presser:

---

The witness made numerous enquiries to try and find the owner of the phone, not knowing whose phone it was and indeed whose dog it was. That led the witness to meet up with other people, who did recognise the dog as Nicola's and the school to which Nicola's children go was alerted at 10:50, as was her family.

---

Thank you. I had not seen this before. So Willow wasn't left tied up on her own at any point? I would have thought when the mobile rang 3 times after it had been found that someone would answer it especially if they were trying to work out who it belonged to?

I also wondered if Willow had been left alone and the mobile rang when it was still on the bench that the vibration may have made it fall onto the ground which could support the 2 conflicting reports of it being on bench/ground when found?

 

[Allabouttrial]

It seems to have a bailiff. Day tickets available. So I think it's possible someone who did not know the place might check it before committing.

If trees could talk !

View attachment 402418

Prefer it if dogs could talk. They come up a lot in cases.

 

[Allabouttrial]

So Willow wasn't left tied up on her own at any point?

Snipped by me.

See now that I'm not sure of, because I thought I had read that in MSM. Even though the police didn't say he was tied up by the witness doesn't mean he wasn't.

 

[SimsGuy67]

Prefer it if dogs could talk. They come up a lot in cases.

True. I wonder what Willow saw, accidental or not. Poor dog must have been so confused and worried.