Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #16

[Cluella DeVille]

I have always found the timeframe between 9.33 to when PA received the call at 10.50 from the school strange. If I had been first on scene I would have been calling and checking the area/river to find the owner. I would have checked Willows collar for a tag.

I think there were a number of elderly witnesses involved around that time and it appears to have taken over an hour to raise the alert

Taking information from the police timeline and media reports:-

A lady (P) was first on the scene. Willow was loose in field. Phone was on bench. Harness (? and lead) were on the ground

A man (R) then was next at the scene. Phone still on bench and not on floor as previously reported

Both recognised Willow and had seen PA and NB walking her before but did not know them

P at some point rang R's wife which I presume was to see if she knew who the owners were

Someone also then rang the vets but they could not help

P tied up Willow as had to rush home to an appointment I don't know if R continued his walk or stayed at bench.

At some point P spoke to her DIL (who was friends with NB on Facebook). She knew who NB was and called the school who then rang PA

Another man with a white dog has been mentioned as being a witness and coming through the gate and seeing the phone on the ground 2ft from the bench. No idea where this fits into the timeframe

Like I said very confusing

Some great points. IMO R was definitely the second person through the gate, he has the correct dog breed that formed initial reports, though I'm really not convinced P was the first. Where man with fluffy white dog comes into the frame has not been elaborated upon, neither is it clear who the person sighting NB from a distance at 9.10...has that time now been verified as it was still being deliberated over? I do have my own theories on the latter two as well the first lady through the gate

 

[Mr X]

If NB was having brain fog , headaches , loss of sleep etc caused by symptoms of menopause or not taking her hrt meds. Then what would even be the point in walking away? What would that actually achieve ? She would still be experiencing all of those symptoms.

IMO not if she walked away with some con man who had spotted her weakness and been working on her for some time.

There are awful people around who specifically prey on the vulnerable and know how to make them feel better.

 

[Agatha3]

I think the article really should point out strongly that the family had said the media were ready to publish stories about Nicola's vulnerabilities, so in this case I don't feel the family and the police had much choice. Better for the police or family spokesperson to put it out first than the tabloids.

Now I do think there is a discussion on maybe the way it was worded and the exact detail, by the police, but I don't think they had much choice in terms of having to mention the things that Nicola had been going through (in terms of prior welfare check at least).

The papers, not necessarily tabloids, may have been going to publish the welfare call which could have been linked to alcohol, not the alcohol and menopause problems.

 

[Davieson]

If NB was having brain fog , headaches , loss of sleep etc caused by symptoms of menopause or not taking her hrt meds. Then what would even be the point in walking away? What would that actually achieve ? She would still be experiencing all of those symptoms.

I agree, but she might think that she would be better away from the stress of home and family.
Not off grid though, she would need some safe place to go to.

 

[Andreee]

It's hard to keep up with this case from Australia: BTW Australia had a missing female:

Melissa Caddick - Wikipedia

She scammed over $20mil in a Ponzi scheme (just saying).....

Only her foot was found 3 months after her disappearance. It makes for interesting reading.

We know, we have a thread here on Websleuths about Melissa

 

[veqzer]

Or if she'd gone missing previously, maybe that's why PA headed to the abandoned house?

I think that is a very good point, and to expand on your comment, a welfare check can be requested when someone is missing. For speculation, perhaps PA had requested the check because she had gone missing that day after an altercation of some kind.

 

[Notascreenname]

If NB had threatened to jump into the river then that would lead the police to believe that this is what happened.

I think you're onto something here.

 

[Meeky]

That does not seem like something for which police would be contemplating an arrest.

It was interesting that they felt the need to expressly say that nobody was arrested.

IMO this could possibly have been for a beach of the peace rather than anything sinister. Maybe somebody got a bit loud.

I think they specifically said that no arrests were made to stop (yet more) speculation. Had it been a domestic there would have been an arrest. Had there been a public order incident there would have been an arrest. Call outs for concerns for welfare are just that and don’t involve arrests but rather ensure the health and safety of an individual

 

[Agatha3]

I think they specifically said that no arrests were made to stop (yet more) speculation. Had it been a domestic there would have been an arrest. Had there been a public order incident there would have been an arrest. Call outs for concerns for welfare are just that and don’t involve arrests but rather ensure the health and safety of an individual

Could it have been a caution?

 

[Cluella DeVille]

It IS very confusing! Admittedly, I'm a bit of a continuity freak, but I just cannot get past the nagging weirdness which is the first witness's initial statement that 'the gent' 'comes through the gate after me and sees a phone lying on the floor', and later statements that it was found on the bench, which Ron re-stated in his Sky News live with KB.

I can't fully articulate why this bothers me so much, but it's troubled me right from the get-go.

Which IS it? It can't be both!

It bothers me because there is a huge gap in the timeline! We can probably expand on our questions and theories outside of the main forum in the private message/conversation area?

 

[Mr X]

I think they specifically said that no arrests were made to stop (yet more) speculation. Had it been a domestic there would have been an arrest. Had there been a public order incident there would have been an arrest. Call outs for concerns for welfare are just that and don’t involve arrests but rather ensure the health and safety of an individual

Surely there must be a cutoff point between heated argument and domestic violence incidents otherwise the police would be run off their feet.

I've had plates thrown at me and eardrums almost perforated but never remotely considered calling the police about it.

Mind you that was in inner east London so I suppose it's normal.

 

[shadwell]

Could it have been a caution?

Sounds like it was an MH crisis response team - the onus would be on treatment rather than arrests.

ETA: IMO, JMO, MOO etc…

 

[Meeky]

Could it have been a caution?

Not unless they had been interviewed either following an arrest or in a voluntary capacity. Given the short space of time between the two events and lack of arrest I would say that this hasn’t happened

 

[Meeky]

Surely there must be a cutoff point between heated argument and domestic violence incidents otherwise the police would be run off their feet.

We are! Day in and day out, custody cells are full of “domestics” ranging from shouting and heated arguments through to ABH and GBH.

 

[Simplistic67]

It bothers me because there is a huge gap in the timeline! We can probably expand on our questions and theories outside of the main forum in the private message/conversation area?

Im convinced someone was tasked to watch over Willow whilst NB went to use a toilet and not a bush...imo

 

[Cluella DeVille]

You've just hit on something IMO.
Wasn't it reported the first lady on the scene who found the dog was reported as saying she might have fallen in if she had been faffing etc? Can't find the link sorry.

Correct

 

[JennieM]

If NB had threatened to jump into the river then that would lead the police to believe that this is what happened.

Or if she'd gone missing previously, maybe that's why PA headed to the abandoned house?

That could also explain why he was so concerned with her being late. Not because he is controlling etc. I really feel for PA, I really do.

 

[Andreee]

Isn’t he 70? I don’t think of that as elderly these days! A lot of 70 year olds are still working!

I agree! And many are as clear as a bell in their thinking!

 

[Andreee]

I think that was the gentleman who appeared shortly afterward. Faffing about near the edge. Dog sniffing fishing bait.

On a lighter note, getting a chuckle out of some of these British words (to me, Canadian) I've never heard before, like 'faffing' !

 

[Cluella DeVille]

Im convinced someone was tasked to watch over Willow whilst NB went to use a toilet and not a bush...imo

Certainly not impossible...pretty good shout that