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

[Zuleika]

'77it

I'm not sure it is like a cliff, I thought it was a steady drop but steep at the bottom. If it is then it needs some sort of barrier up. The option re willow would point to suicide and then the problem becomes how was the body not found that day.
Your third option seems the most plausible explanation I've heard so far and the one with fewest holes in it. I have to confess I didn't realise there's a path under the bridge and this means she can get beyond the weir without being seen. The only problem again is Willow, normally I'd expect her to follow her mum so she would have to have been tied up or be incredibly obedient

 

[tree1]

Not sure what has been published, only reference I did see was that he stated what he saw to be the body of a woman with blonde hair. I don't know if it's known whether she was recovered in the clothing she went out wearing that morning and JMO would have expected her hair to be very wet and dirty in the circumstances? He is probably not at liberty to discuss things further whilst the case is ongoing?

I remember thinking I was surprised he could tell blonde as blonde hair can look dark when wet.

 

[Cluella DeVille]

I remember thinking I was surprised he could tell blonde as blonde hair can look dark when wet.

Very much so, and more so if the natural base colour is darker. In a situation like this when it may be expected mud, dirt, leaves and the like would have collected in hair. It did make me assume the hair was probably dry if the blonde was obvious

 

[Simplistic67]

I remember thinking I was surprised he could tell blonde as blonde hair can look dark when wet.

The find was not treated as a potential crime scene. It should have been IMO. The medium in fact is photographed re entering the area to further point out where the body lay. Why couldnt the police just take over from the outset instead of allowing the extra foot traffic within a potential scene...
This case is so bizarre.

 

[Simplistic67]

From what I remember he only gave a very brief, general few lines with no detail included whatsoever. Which I thought was respectful.

I dont think he was going to say anything. The only reason he did was because he was photographed. The original dog walkers find would have continued IMO....

 

[shinimeggie]

Look.

From the beginning, the police have known more than any of us, as it should be. I'm not blind to the faults of the police; however, I believe if they thought it was a crime, they would have treated it like a crime.

There was something somewhere that showed what happened to NB, and that what happened to her was either an accident, or an on-purpose. And whatever that something was it's been there since Day 1 and nothing that happened in the next 3 weeks changed their minds -- even the growing length of time, which in itself could have been an indication of something nefarious.

It's very sad what happened to Nicola. But there is clearly something that clearly showed the police which way to look and, based on where she was found, they were also looking the right way.

I suspect some things will come out during the inquest, including information about the call that was answered by particular specialists, that may make things clearer, and I suspect whatever happened will click into place, with evidence. But we're not privy to the behind-the-scenes stuff, and nor should we be.

 

[29 Acacia Road]

Even though the authorities like to release the body to the family as soon as possible, even in non straight forward deaths, I am fairly certain that they would not have released Nicola to the family for a funeral if there were signs of foul play by a 3rd party. I do not think a delay of a week or even a few weeks while LE undertook further investigations to rule out any criminal involvement to Nicola would have been deemed inappropriate or come as any surprise to the family or anyone else.

If the family cremate Nicola then this would rule out any further tests being done directly on her body in June. Even though all the relevant tests and observations have been done during the post mortem already (and so further access to her body should not be needed), I don't see anybody taking that risk of releasing Nicola's body already if there was any chance of criminal 3rd party action having played a part in her death, not given the media interest and constant conspiracy theories.

 

[crazychris]

Just thought. Another reason not to release the body if any 3rd party involvement was suspected at all would be because any accused person can request another independant post-mortem.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

That being so it would have been she who arranged the harness and phone positions ,making her way downstream knowing the dog couldn't get under the gate?

IMO the dog, if loose, could have easily followed her and the gate is just wide cross bars of metal aside from the fact that other people with the same sized dogs proved their dog just went straight round and under the gap in the fence. JMO I can't link to the sort of content creators who went and did this. I can't imagine how NB could have been any distance from the dog without it following her unless something nefarious happened to her and she was either snatched or the dog was held back.

Right at the beginning some people speculated the dog should have been shaved and checked for cuts, marks, and bruises and that suggestion was mocked and anyway didn't happen but why not? It would make sense surely to see if something physically distressing had happened to the dog?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Could someone kindly direct me to read the actual discovery by the medium. I'm not sure if he just stated that he found a body, or did he give any description of clothing etc.

The first breaking media reports said someone had spotted blonde hair. I found that a bit odd as NB's hair was medium brown and even the lightest of blonde hair looks brown when wet.

 

[porkypies]

The find was not treated as a potential crime scene. It should have been IMO. The medium in fact is photographed re entering the area to further point out where the body lay. Why couldnt the police just take over from the outset instead of allowing the extra foot traffic within a potential scene...
This case is so bizarre.

But on this basis, the whole of the river and surrounding fields and woodland would be a 'potential scene' since it is not known where, how, or why NB entered the water?

 

[HelenK]

Even though the authorities like to release the body to the family as soon as possible, even in non straight forward deaths, I am fairly certain that they would not have released Nicola to the family for a funeral if there were signs of foul play by a 3rd party. I do not think a delay of a week or even a few weeks while LE undertook further investigations to rule out any criminal involvement to Nicola would have been deemed inappropriate or come as any surprise to the family or anyone else.

If the family cremate Nicola then this would rule out any further tests being done directly on her body in June. Even though all the relevant tests and observations have been done during the post mortem already (and so further access to her body should not be needed), I don't see anybody taking that risk of releasing Nicola's body already if there was any chance of criminal 3rd party action having played a part in her death, not given the media interest and constant conspiracy theories.

This makes a lot of sense.

 

[crazychris]

Does anyone know why at the time they found NB in the river, the scene wasn't treated differently? I am assuming at that point they would have no idea whether foul play was involved?

They must have been sure right from Day 1 that there was no foul play and never really deviated from that. Wonder if she left a note or sent a text or just said something to someone. Usually a woman disappears whilst on a walk you think of abduction.

 

[crazychris]

But in that case there would be no water in her lungs, surely? I’m no expert but I think a post mortem would reveal that immediately, confirming that the body must have been placed in the river after death. Jmo

I am guessing that her lungs were full of water, no wounds either, meaning she drowned and that's why no murder investigation was opened and the body was released so quickly. Accident or suicide verdict. May even be misadventure or even open. It may never be known how she came to be in the water.

 

[PeggyHenry]

I am guessing that her lungs were full of water, no wounds either, meaning she drowned and that's why no murder investigation was opened and the body was released so quickly. Accident or suicide verdict. May even be misadventure or even open. It may never be known how she came to be in the water.

Yes, I think you’re probably right.

 

[Nikynoo]

Just thought. Another reason not to release the body if any 3rd party involvement was suspected at all would be because any accused person can request another independant post-mortem.

I don't believe that this is correct, especially if a home office pathologist carried out the pm.

 

[Zuleika]

They must have been sure right from Day 1 that there was no foul play and never really deviated from that. Wonder if she left a note or sent a text or just said something to someone. Usually a woman disappears whilst on a walk you think of abduction.

Perhaps they had been somewhat led into their unswerving belief if they'd had a conversation with the people who did the home visit ?

 

[pineapple23]

They must have been sure right from Day 1 that there was no foul play and never really deviated from that. Wonder if she left a note or sent a text or just said something to someone. Usually a woman disappears whilst on a walk you think of abduction.

While that was their main hypothesis, they did look at other scenarios. At one time they had around 40 detectives on the case following up potential leads. You don't do that imo if you have a closed mind to other possibilities.
There may well have been a note etc, but it's also possible that concerns were raised due to state of mind, previous threats or history. While many think the police shared too much detail, clearly they haven't shared it all (nor should they). The welfare check for example or any history that might be relevant.

 

[CS2C]

I can't see that the identity of the witness is of any relevance to anyone other than the police.

I haven't asked for the identity ? I am asking is this the eye witness who was sought early on in the investigation because clearly at some point there is a witness who the police have seen on CCTV who could/should have seen Nicola but for whatever reason didn't. I am asking do we know the location and time ?

 

[Zuleika]

Are you referring to the woman with the pram ? If so ,she did come forward .