Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire), Jan 2023 #18

[PeggyHenry]

I looked back through posts until blue in the face, and it was categorically stated that the phone was found on the ground about two feet away from the bench. Over time it morphed into "on the bench" - period. I believe in one of the press conferences, it was "by the bench." Seemingly, the placement of the phone is unimportant in the overall scheme of things. To me, there is a difference between the phone being placed on the bench by Nicola in the ordinary course of events, and - landing somewhere on the ground away from her. It's saying something -

Agree .. this would seem to be extremely important. I recall that a male dog walker located it near the bench, on the ground, under a tree and put it on the bench.
If that is the case, then it would imply ( only imply) that some sort of disruption had occurred which startled Nicola.
For instance, from the top of my head…. She is sitting on the bench watching Willow, listening to the Teams meeting when someone approaches quietly from behind and she turns around, realising danger. She stands up - gets her phone ready to dial 999 and gathers harness quickly to collect Willow.. but the assailant grabs the items off of her and discards them .. dragging her away. Not a nice scenario and I’m just imagining a scenario in which the items are discarded around the bench and river bank.
On the other hand if the phone is found on the bench, that would not be a likely scenario at all..
so it’s important

 

[JennieM]

Prior to the police revealing sensitive information about alcohol, menopause and the 10 Jan visit, once 3rd party involvement was ruled out then most people would consider this to be an unfortunate accident.

If that remained the case, depending on what the family CHOSE to discuss with her daughters - and most importantly at what AGE they decided it was ok to discuss certain things with them (IF there were further things to discuss) - her girls would also believe this to be an unfortunate accident.

The narrative has changed now because of the disclosure of PRIVATE information that the police had not deemed important to the investigation to release from the start.

Regarding to comparing this to Laurel Aldridge's case where chemotherapy info was released by one of her relatives, I believe there are important differences. Her children are adults. Her children already know about the chemo. She needs the chemo to stay alive so releasing the information is important. Her family, not the police, has released the information.

All I know is that if this was about me or my mother or my daughters or my sisters, I would not want this information released. Not because I think it's shameful but because it is private. And when young children are involved, who will become entangled in this narrative as they grow older, it is even more important to protect sensitive information from prying - and not always kind - public eyes. MOO.

 

[JennieM]

As for the suggestion that the police's aim was to protect the family from slurs and the spotlight being on them, I would say it is far more important to protect an absent person's rights who can no longer speak for themselves, explain themselves, defend themselves, than to protect living people who can.

 

[Agatha3]

Unfortunately some do do it to their loved ones, but definitely not on purpose (IMO). But I don't think they're thinking about them in that moment. One example is tWitch Boss. There were several vids posted days before he died by suicide where they appeared to be a very happy family. Since he was aware of his issues years before, and wanted to be responsible for his family (is how I read into that), but I guess something snaps inside and they aren't thinking straight at that moment. It just seems like they are overwhelmed and powerless to stop themselves. At least that's MHO as I've never been suicidal so can't speak from experience, thank goodness. And he too loved and was very much loved, yet he still did it.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss shared an uplifting message about overcoming hardships five years before he tragically died by suicide.

“I’m 35 years old, I am a father of two, I’m a husband, so it’s just like I have so many lives other than my own that I have to take account for in my choices, my actions, and all of that,” he said at the time.

Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss once spoke on overcoming hardships: Life ‘keeps going’

“For me, it just helps to know that it keeps going … even if something seems very devastating like there’s some kind of force that’s going to keep going,” the “E…

pagesix.com

Not only that but their 9th anniversary was 3 days before. The article below is painting him as happy the days before. It just feels odd if you factor in things listed in the article:

Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' Days Leading Up to His Shocking Death

The famed DJ celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with Holker just days ago.

www.etonline.com

I can't imagine going from as happy as it appears they were, to doing what he did. It just does not make any sense to me, ya know? So I wouldn't be surprised if Nicola did die by suicide, although as we all know, there are other possibilities as well in this case. If so, she must have been fighting some tough demons in order to listen to them over the love for and from her family. It's all very sad.

As I and many others have said on here….people who take their lives often do so because the believe their loved ones will be better off without them.

 

[Mollie123]

Prior to the police revealing sensitive information about alcohol, menopause and the 10 Jan visit, once 3rd party involvement was ruled out then most people would consider this to be an unfortunate accident.

If that remained the case, depending on what the family CHOSE to discuss with her daughters - and most importantly at what AGE they decided it was ok to discuss certain things with them (IF there were further things to discuss) - her girls would also believe this to be an unfortunate accident.

The narrative has changed now because of the disclosure of PRIVATE information that the police had not deemed important to the investigation to release from the start.

Regarding to comparing this to Laurel Aldridge's case where chemotherapy info was released by one of her relatives, I believe there are important differences. Her children are adults. Her children already know about the chemo. She needs the chemo to stay alive so releasing the information is important. Her family, not the police, has released the information.

All I know is that if this was about me or my mother or my daughters or my sisters, I would not want this information released. Not because I think it's shameful but because it is private. And when young children are involved, who will become entangled in this narrative as they grow older, it is even more important to protect sensitive information from prying - and not always kind - public eyes. MOO.

Very well said. The choice has been horribly taken away now what to tell those poor little girls. My heart breaks for all of her family and friends and of course for poor Nicola

 

[Purplepixii]

I hate to even think it but what's the chance of media (of any variety) gate-crashing NB's funeral, do we think? I don't want to think that anyone, 'TikToker' or MSM, would dare invade the family's grief but seeing as behaviours so far have been so outrageously unacceptable I can't put it past anyone...

Hopefully if anyone does try something along these lines the family/friends will deal with them.

 

[lvbut]

I hate to even think it but what's the chance of media (of any variety) gate-crashing NB's funeral, do we think? I don't want to think that anyone, 'TikToker' or MSM, would dare invade the family's grief but seeing as behaviours so far have been so outrageously unacceptable I can't put it past anyone...

Hopefully if anyone does try something along these lines the family/friends will deal with them.

I imagine they’ll be lurking around somewhere, but I really hope they do the decent thing and just leave the family alone now. Let them grieve.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

<modsni - quoted post and response to it removed>

The data showing "having suicidal thoughts' and 'actual suicide attempt' really do vary. Often the reason people might have thoughts but not go through with it....... is because of loved ones.

I think those of us who veer to this as an' accident' are not blaming the victim, but hoping the variable of cherishing loved ones is more powerful.

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adults Aged ≥18 ...

2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data regarding ...

www.cdc.gov

 

[Nikynoo]

Prior to the police revealing sensitive information about alcohol, menopause and the 10 Jan visit, once 3rd party involvement was ruled out then most people would consider this to be an unfortunate accident.

If that remained the case, depending on what the family CHOSE to discuss with her daughters - and most importantly at what AGE they decided it was ok to discuss certain things with them (IF there were further things to discuss) - her girls would also believe this to be an unfortunate accident.

The narrative has changed now because of the disclosure of PRIVATE information that the police had not deemed important to the investigation to release from the start.

Regarding to comparing this to Laurel Aldridge's case where chemotherapy info was released by one of her relatives, I believe there are important differences. Her children are adults. Her children already know about the chemo. She needs the chemo to stay alive so releasing the information is important. Her family, not the police, has released the information.

All I know is that if this was about me or my mother or my daughters or my sisters, I would not want this information released. Not because I think it's shameful but because it is private. And when young children are involved, who will become entangled in this narrative as they grow older, it is even more important to protect sensitive information from prying - and not always kind - public eyes. MOO.

You do realise that all of the private information released will be made public at the Inquest? What if, as has been suggested by the family, that there was the likelihood of this personal information being 'sold' to the news media for salacious stories?

Whether you like it or, not, the personal information would have been made public, if not by the news media, then certainly at the Inquest.

 

[JennieM]

You do realise that all of the private information released will be made public at the Inquest? What if, as has been suggested by the family, that there was the likelihood of this personal information being 'sold' to the news media for salacious stories?

Whether you like it or, not, the personal information would have been made public, if not by the news media, then certainly at the Inquest.

Hi Nikynoo, I think there is a difference when the information comes straight from the horse's mouth.

I am unfamiliar with what exactly will be discussed at the inquest, thanks for explaining.

 

[Cuko]

You do realise that all of the private information released will be made public at the Inquest? What if, as has been suggested by the family, that there was the likelihood of this personal information being 'sold' to the news media for salacious stories?

Whether you like it or, not, the personal information would have been made public, if not by the news media, then certainly at the Inquest.

That’s a very important point.

 

[Nikynoo]

Hi Nikynoo, I think there is a difference when the information comes straight from the horse's mouth.

I am unfamiliar with what exactly will be discussed at the inquest, thanks for explaining.

Could you please clarify?

 

[JennieM]

Could you please clarify?

The police would be considered a more dependable source than the media.

 

[Undecided]

You do realise that all of the private information released will be made public at the Inquest? What if, as has been suggested by the family, that there was the likelihood of this personal information being 'sold' to the news media for salacious stories?

Whether you like it or, not, the personal information would have been made public, if not by the news media, then certainly at the Inquest.

When this was released we also didn’t know where she was and if she could be reading it, which I think should be thought of. I thought someone at WS had said the papers would have been in dodgy ground printing anything medical story wise.

We still don’t know how long she had been there until the inquest, it’s awful to think she may have seen some of it. I still do not understand why ‘vulnerable’ wasn’t mentioned at the beginning if it could’ve helped find her if she’d walked off , there’s always a golden 24 hours, it increased speculation of foul play as it was accident or that.


or why they got the coat length wrong (this was the main hypothesis here at one point that she’d tripped over it) , and road names wrong, or why we still don’t know where the phone was and by whom or when, then there’s the unusual fact the witnesses were related, or why there was no cordoned off bench while they weighed up what had happened or why there was zero evidence that she slipped marks wise or why there was no mention of fields (according to a WS ) she could’ve gone across just a fascination with CCTV from one road, or why a specialist dive team weren’t given crucial information, or why the dog was between bench/gate not bench/river, or why no CCTV was released by the police instead by friends of her in the morning fuelling speculation she wasn’t even there, or why a thousand other things I could mention. Hope the whys will become clear as the police rightly know more than me.

Hope all is clear in inquest but as someone else said it weighs heavily especially if it remains unclear in the inquest how a woman , who didn’t go to the river edge typically according to Strava, never came back from a walk they’d done a hundred times.

Whichever scenario it’s a horrible set of events for Nicola and those she had in her life. I hope in the inquest through evidence etc we finally get to hear from Nicola herself and she gets her voice, through the work they will do now.

 

[Normanly]

I looked back through posts until blue in the face, and it was categorically stated that the phone was found on the ground about two feet away from the bench. Over time it morphed into "on the bench" - period. I believe in one of the press conferences, it was "by the bench." Seemingly, the placement of the phone is unimportant in the overall scheme of things. To me, there is a difference between the phone being placed on the bench by Nicola in the ordinary course of events, and - landing somewhere on the ground away from her. It's saying something -

Just before Nicola was found I had started looking through the original police press release and conference. My original post below:-

I have been reading some of the initial police reports. I know timelines can change due to new witnesses etc but the initial statements are completely contradictory to the later ones

Police Facebook Update 30.1.23
Nicola was last seen on Friday morning (January 27th) at around 9.15am on the footpath by the river off Garstang Road in St Michael’s on Wyre.
?seen on the footpath around 9.15 not upper field?

First Police Press Conference
Police - I'm here today to appeal for witnesses in the case of Nicola Bulley. This is a 45 yr. old lady, from the local area, who sadly went missing last Friday morning at about 9.15 a.m. She was last seen walking her small brown dog on the towpath of the River Wyre. The dog was found about an hour later, as was her mobile phone.
?Found an hour later not 10mins?

Reporter - And was the dog tied up or...?
Police - No, the dog was loose and the dog was between the river and the bench
?not gate and bench?

Reporter - Where was her mobile phone found?
Police - Mobile phone was found on a bench near the riverbank

 

[gerbil]

This is the info for Lancs

Non-invasive post-mortem examination

www.lancashire.gov.uk

 

[Zuleika]

This is the info for Lancs

Non-invasive post-mortem examination

www.lancashire.gov.uk

This will not apply in the case of a body that's in a decomposed state?

 

[Simplistic67]

This will not apply in the case of a body that's in a decomposed state?

Im not sure if they would revert to the traditional method in this particular case.

 

[ginnyw]

I found this information on welfare checks interesting and this paragraph in particular (taken from Leeds gov info but suspect Lancs would be similar):

West Yorkshire Police guidance states that police officers will only conduct welfare checks where one or more of the following circumstances occur:

• It is considered that there is an immediate, real and substantial risk to the life and/ or a risk of serious injury to the person or any other person.
• The circumstances mean there is a reasonable belief that a crime has been, is being or is about to be committed.
• In the case of a child, there is a reasonable belief that the child is suffering or is at risk of suffering immediate and significant harm as set out in Section 47 of the Children’s Act 1989.

https://www.leeds.gov.uk/one-minute-guides/police-welfare-checks

I'm glad that there is an investigation happening into the 10th January visit as to me this is the missing piece of the whole jigsaw. JMO.

 

[Cuko]

I found this information on welfare checks interesting and this paragraph in particular (taken from Leeds gov info but suspect Lancs would be similar):

West Yorkshire Police guidance states that police officers will only conduct welfare checks where one or more of the following circumstances occur:

• It is considered that there is an immediate, real and substantial risk to the life and/ or a risk of serious injury to the person or any other person.
• The circumstances mean there is a reasonable belief that a crime has been, is being or is about to be committed.
• In the case of a child, there is a reasonable belief that the child is suffering or is at risk of suffering immediate and significant harm as set out in Section 47 of the Children’s Act 1989.

https://www.leeds.gov.uk/one-minute-guides/police-welfare-checks

I'm glad that there is an investigation happening into the 10th January visit as to me this is the missing piece of the whole jigsaw. JMO.

Thanks for posting the circumstances where welfare checks are deemed to be necessary/appropriate. Very interesting info. I agree the WF check could be the missing piece of the jigsaw.