Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #14

[Sofacy]

But they fit well to me.
Taking the children to school then the dog for a walk are normal reasons to leave the house and be out in the countryside by the river without anyone asking questions or seeing anything out of the ordinary.
Ditto logging on to the work call means that work would note your presence at 9.01am and still logged on at 9.30, hence not speaking and not on camera - so she did not need to be present, leave the phone by the bench, so no-one would be worried,
This suggests to me a logical thought out plan from someone who did not want to be stopped or found.
And I don't think the dog was overlooked at all as has been suggested by other posters, phone and dog by the bench where they would both be found and easily identified, plenty of people walking in that area, just time to walk away and out of sight ?

Willow is a Springer Spaniel, yes? This breed of dog is considered a “velcro dog” in that they tend to follow their people everywhere. If premeditated, how did she get the dog to stay near the phone while she either entered the river or left the area? Springer Spaniels love water too. The dog was reportedly dry when found. Why pace in an agitated manner in one specific location if Willow knew what direction Nicola went? Why not follow as this breed is known to do?

 

[bearbear]

wondering if her vulnerabilities were witnessed independantly by friends and family and who supplied the police with this information?

 

[porkypies]

Labour MP Stella Creasy said: "The decision to disclose this level of detail on a missing person's private life, with no evidence that this is assisting in finding her, is deeply troubling. The police need to be much clearer as to why any of this helps find Nicola Bulley or support this investigation."
Richard Saunders said: "The fact that the police feel that they had to divulge that Nicola Bulley had significant issues with alcohol due to struggles with the menopause makes me uncomfortable. Give the poor woman some privacy. It’s none of our business."

Liam Hunt added: "The Nicola Bulley ‘breaking news’ isn’t even news. It’s completely insensitive, it adds nothing to the case and it’s what every single woman has to goes through at some point in their life. Lancashire Police are just rubbishing her reputation."

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu said: "What the hell! Nicola Bulley "struggled with some significant issues with alcohol" & had "ongoing struggles with menopause" by Lancashire Police is disgraceful What the hell has that got to do with finding Nicola? Is she not worth finding? Is public perception meant to change?!"

Fury over police statement detailing missing mum Nicola Bulley's alcohol issues

Police have been searching for missing mum Nicola Bulley, 45, for 20 days.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

I'd like to say to:
Stella Creasey:
The Lancashire police are human beings like yourself, and the pressure on people does not go unfelt however professionally they behave, the pressure being put on them now could well be a serious distraction to them as individuals trying to find a missing person.
Richard Saunders:
They are not giving NB privacy because they are trying to find her - which is quite the opposite and is not a private matter.
Liam Hunt:
No way does every single woman struggle with menopause, your hear about the ones who do.
Mos-Shogbamimu:
How do you conclude that the police think NB is not worth finding ? they are looking in all the places they hope to find her, I think they released this information in order to help inform public perception and explain their focus.

 

[tedtink]

I don't think an ambulance was called. The police press release says it was 'a response car staffed by both police and health professionals' that attended their home on 10th Jan.

UK - Nicola Bulley, St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire), Jan 27, 2023 *MEDIA, MAPS, & TIMELINES - NO DISCUSSION*

Yes, another poster kindly cleared this up earlier.

https://www.leics.police.uk/news/leicestershire/news/2021/may/leicestershire-polices-mental-health-triage-car3/

 

[kittythehare]

I wonder if they’ve consulted a second opinion on their interpretation of the evidence yet

Nicola Bulley police 'may have breached national guidelines' by not drafting in another force

A former Police and Crime Commissioner said Lancashire Police appear to have failed to conduct a peer review in the missing Nicola Bulley case.

Martyn Underhill said the force could be in breach of national policing guidelines. The ex-Dorset PCC said in a case such as this it is recommended a second constabulary be brought in for a review within seven days

Mr Underhill said, from the outside, it appears they may have made "operational mistakes", including quickly moving to the hypothesis that it was an accident. He explained there are several scenarios as to what might have happened to Nicola and her inadvertently falling in the river is just one.

He tends to do that.
They didn't arrive at that hypotheses until the first presser which I think was about 8 days . In that time they had put in a lot of the groundwork.. I posted links at the beginning of the last thread or the middle of it.. but they're all on their Facebook page..

Lancashire Police

Lancashire Police. 249,968 likes · 5,247 talking about this. The official Facebook page for Lancashire Police. This page is not monitored 24/7 so don't report c

www.facebook.com

They're all dated too and they provide descriptions of both the work and all the agencies that are assisting, HM Coastguard, National SAR, Mountain Rescue, Fire dept.. it's one of the most remarkable feats of co-ordination I ever saw.
It was so weird to go through it yesterday and reading all the things they were being accused of and seeing in black and white that the information was public and well documented for anybody who wanted to fact check.
Bizarre!

Lancashire Constabulary - Nicola Bulley Missing Person Investigation

The latest news and information for Lancashire Constabulary

www.lancashire.police.uk

It really is good. There is no shortage of expertise at their disposal. Absolutely none.

 

[Doesitmakesense]

I'll note I've tried to follow all the threads as best I can, but have had to jump ahead at times as the thread has gotten way ahead of me.
From what I have read their appears to be no evidence of NB being forcibly removed from the location. Has their been any physical evidence to indicate she went into the river eg slip marks, trampled areas etc?

 

[kittythehare]

Willow is a Springer Spaniel, yes? This breed of dog is considered a “velcro dog” in that they tend to follow their people everywhere. If premeditated, how did she get the dog to stay near the phone while she either entered the river or left the area? Springer Spaniels love water too. The dog was reportedly dry when found. Why pace in an agitated manner in one specific location if Willow knew what direction Nicola went? Why not follow as this breed is known to do?

That is the mystery which has remained a mystery.
I don't know.
But she could have sent a delayed text for someone to come and get her.. she could still do what she did and dog would not have been put at risk..
Maybe there was no preplanning.

 

[Loobyloo]

I'll note I've tried to follow all the threads as best I can, but have had to jump ahead at times as the thread has gotten way ahead of me.
From what I have read their appears to be no evidence of NB being forcibly removed from the location. Has their been any physical evidence to indicate she went into the river eg slip marks, trampled areas etc?

None reported.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

2 ft at the riverbank. 4 mtrs deep in the middle, where she was presumed to have gone in

She is not presumed by anyone to have gone in at the 4 metre deep point as it is some distance from the shallow edges, that has never been said.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

wondering if her vulnerabilities were witnessed independantly by friends and family and who supplied the police with this information?

It was stated that PA had made them aware at the time of his call. I assume they must also be aware from the incident where they attended her home, however we don't know what the grounds of that were.

 

[Woodburnbay]

In the last thread, a few posters shared the notion that LP released the nature of the ' specific vulnerabilities ' because somebody from the media had already been ' tipped off'

I notice that MWT tweets were posted on the last thread.

This tweet might be at the root of why they later went into detail? What do you think? Is it plausible? He seems to be saying that his own actions brought further disclosure from LP

https://twitter.com/x/status/1625916138214260747

Shame that MTW is claiming credit for this. That's the way he markets himself though.
Shamefull.

 

[Miss_French]

I wonder if they’ve consulted a second opinion on their interpretation of the evidence yet

Nicola Bulley police 'may have breached national guidelines' by not drafting in another force

A former Police and Crime Commissioner said Lancashire Police appear to have failed to conduct a peer review in the missing Nicola Bulley case.

Martyn Underhill said the force could be in breach of national policing guidelines. The ex-Dorset PCC said in a case such as this it is recommended a second constabulary be brought in for a review within seven days

Mr Underhill said, from the outside, it appears they may have made "operational mistakes", including quickly moving to the hypothesis that it was an accident. He explained there are several scenarios as to what might have happened to Nicola and her inadvertently falling in the river is just one.

The NCA was brought in as it is responsible for the UK Missing Persons Bureau. It has reviewed the case and said there were no suspicious lines of enquiry to follow.

Police reject idea Nicola Bulley could have been crime victim

Police think it's likely she fell into the river while walking her dog

www.examinerlive.co.uk

 

[Woodburnbay]

Imagine the feeling of uncertainty, for someone like nicola (an upstanding citizen), not knowing if she was facing charges or not (MOO) regarding whatever happened on the 10th. It would be anxiety inducing, and would probably push someone to drink even further, and sloop into a deeper depression. These are all JMO. But it definitely makes you wonder.

The meeting the night before becomes more relevant now.
As has been said before, this could have been a supportive meeting where both NB and her partner attended.

It could still have been a meeting with her boss who may have had to terminate her employment

Also the reason why the grandparents stayed longer to look after the girls IMO of course.

 

[Allabouttrial]

Exactly!
But you'd think it is the way the police and the media are carrying on.
The police said very early on they don't think there is a criminal element to this case.......yet they're still desperately trying to find her. I don't know how much of that is for the public's sake, to stop further criticism.
But at some point, th searches will have to stop.
It is a missing persons case only. There must have been millions spent trying to find her already.

And if that was your loved one who was missing?

 

[Loobyloo]

The meeting the night before becomes more relevant now.
As has been said before, this could have been a supportive meeting where both NB and her partner attended.

It could still have been a meeting with her boss who may have had to terminate her employment

Also the reason why the grandparents stayed longer to look after the girls IMO of course.

I don't think there was a 'meeting the night before'. This is NB's father's account:

'we picked the children up the Thursday before she went missing, as we do every Thursday. We took them home, Nicola had had a meeting with her boss in Garstang and she said can you stay a bit later because I have an important client coming in on Zoom. We said 'no problem' and stayed.'
Devastated parents promise to never stop looking for mum-of-two who vanished

So NB's meeting with her boss was in the daytime & doesn't seem to have involved PA. Then there was a Zoom call with a client, after the children had been brought home from school, but only 'a bit later'.

If the meeting with her boss had been to terminate her employment, it seems unlikely she would have been 'very upbeat' (same article) about her work & logging into a work Teams meeting the next morning.

 

[annpats]

And if that was your loved one who was missing?

Even so, I'd have to be a realist.

Police searches cannot go on forever. Nearly 3 weeks is very generous .....most missing people don't get that!

Family, friends and the village community can still search for her if they want to.

 

[Miss_French]

I do find it odd they get full access in a missing persons case with no obvious criminal aspect involved...which is what they said Nicola's case is.
I'm for personal freedoms, and adults have the right to disappear if they want to. And I don't think unless there is a potential criminal aspect, that police should have the right to wade through your online accounts.
IMHO.

But it's not always known that a person has gone missing intentionally until it's investigated, and that can include looking at someone's social media. There are cases where people have gone missing due to an accident, such as being in a car that has gone off the edge of the road and there were no witnesses.

It's about closure for the families and enabling them to move on emotionally and, on occasions, legally, such as access to bank accounts.

 

[SuperEye]

IMO an alibi cannot be established until a time of death is known. Something could have happened to NB just before, on or after 11am. Up until then she could have wandered off intoxicated. This possibility opens up all sorts of potential scenarios. JMO

 

[Woodburnbay]

With regards to the police incident on the 10th, a member of the safeguarding team at the school should have been informed through Operation Encompass. There may well have been other consequences too, such as social services involvement, and I would imagine many people know about the alcohol issues, IMO.

On another note, as a 40-something woman, I am very uncomfortable with them releasing such personal information. It's not going to help them find her three weeks later. It's not going to help her daughters. They could have said she was "vulnerable" from the very beginning and left it at that.

Police were most probably forced to reveal this information in a sensitive way because if MWT or the DM had done it first it would have been devastating for the family. Police had no choice IMO.

 

[bradshmj10]

If police attended her home alongside health care professionals during an incident, it is likely that a referral to social services was made. Even if there is an altercation between adults, social services still believe that children are at risk of emotional harm. Child protection enquires can be very stressful for parents and humiliating. I am not saying this is what definitely happened here, but I'm familiar with the procedures in such cases.

Good god, the phrases 'at risk of emotional harm' or 'potential future emotional harm' are ones I have heard once too often in other people's experiences and it seems to be a favourite plucked from textbooks. Not saying it doesn't have it's place, but it is used to excess by child protection teams so much that it seems like crystal ball talk.