Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #5

[justicepeace]

<modsnip - quoted post removed>

Exactly this. This seemingly safe, close, tight-knit community have woman who live there fearful to go out alone -

Nicola Bulley disappearance leaves women 'fearful of going out' in village

Christine Bowman had been identified as a dog walker who may have been one of the last people to see Nicola before she vanished

www.lancs.live

I feel this area is upmarket so to speak and any press is bad press.

 

[msmarple99]

Apologies for asking this, but everything seems very confusing.

Am I right when I say there is NO CCTV footage of Nicola and Willow that day?
If I'm right, why not?

Again, if there's no CCTV footage, are we essentially relying on witnesses who believe they saw her at the other side of the field?

One person said they saw Nicola across a field and their dogs interacted briefly. Why didn't the witness say that they and Nicola also interacted? This would be very important info. If they didn't wave etc, why not?

Nicola wasn't wearing an easily identifiable coat. We've got red coat lady and yellow coat lady. She's also petite.

When people say they saw her across a field, did they specifically identify Nicola, or was it Willow who was identified and an assumption made that it was Nicola with her?

She wasn't wearing a hat, yet in numerous photos released of her, she's wearing a woolly hat. It was cold, why didn't she wear her hat? What about gloves? Isn't it odd that the day she's assumed to have fallen in a river, she wasn't wearing a hat that could easily have come off and be found?

Everything that could come away from a body in a river and help with the investigation, was either left on or by the bench, or was left at home. It's bizarre.

In her FB post Comment on walk Nov ²2 she stated not easy to forget your gloves syshe was in habit of wearing that was when she said it was "creepy"

Exactly this. This seemingly safe, close, tight-knit community have woman who live there fearful to go out alone -

Nicola Bulley disappearance leaves women 'fearful of going out' in village

Christine Bowman had been identified as a dog walker who may have been one of the last people to see Nicola before she vanished

www.lancs.live

I feel this area is upmarket so to speak and any press is bad press.

 

[EyeSpyU]

Where have they posted that it’s 15 feet at the bench? It’s not tidal above the weir either. Have you ever actually seen the river Wyre?

Professional experienced highly trained police divers have stated that the river depth at that part is between 15 and 16 ft. Why do you find that hard to believe? Are you saying they’re wrong?

What’s more, people can drown in far less deep water than that.

Also, the river is indeed tidal - if you’ve followed the case you’d know that. Why do you think divers have been traipsing the river miles upstream? It’s because it’s tidal.

 

[EyeSpyU]

Ok but that was the Elbe which is navigable by large ocean going container ships!

A huge river with powerful tides.

Not at all comparable.

The river is just 13 miles from the Irish Sea into which it flows.

 

[duscle]

What if there is an argument at 9:10 by the bench, NB ends up in the river, the other person ties Willow to the bench (perhaps loosely as Willow is agitated and not easy to tie) and leaves Willow there. Willow gets out of the harness eventually and stays in between the bench and river where she last saw NB like you say. It might be far-fetched but it wouldn't be impossible.

It's impossible to say how and why she ended up in the river. Personally, I go along with the theory that she slipped trying to pick something, possibly stopping Willow from going near the river. She did send a message that morning to a friend that morning it was very foggy. Also, that bench was near a steep bank.

It's unfortunate but the odds won't be in most people's favor should they fall into that river at this time of the year. She was heavily clothed wearing an ankle-length coat and a second coat and jumper underneath with Wellies. Just impossible to swim under these conditions. Add the cold water shock and you have a high chance of drowning. If this was summer, I am certain she might have swam out.

 

[EyeSpyU]

The police have stated that they do NOT believe a crime has taken place. Watch the video and you’ll hear everything.

Secondly, as a dog walker myself, if I were to find a dog who appeared lost without its owner and saw its lead on the bench next to a mobile phone, I’d assume the owner had gone off somewhere possibly to find a second dog they had with them, or suddenly needed to relieve themselves behind bushes or something. Whatever, I wouldn’t cancel important meetings by waiting for the owner to return. I’d do exactly what the lady did: tie the dog to the bench and phone other dog walkers I know to tell them there’s a stray dog at such and such place, and a phone too who I’d assume belonged to the owner - people can forget their phones sometimes. It does happen.

The woman knew people were coming to see the dog right away, so there was no reason for her to do anything else.

 

[ayrshireguy]

'Normally when a person drowns and are left a couple of days, they don't move far...this is not a fast tidal river.'

Forensic expert, Peter Faulding, says he believes Nicola Bulley 'is not in the river at all' after police say their theory is that she fell into the River Wyre.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1622137717499772930

 

[monkey115]

My understanding is that NB was towards the end of her routine walk. The bench was likely to be the end point where she would allow Willow to roam free. The evidence we have is that the phone and lead were on the bench but the harness was not, it was lying on the ground between the bench and the river. It is quite feasible that NB reached this point of the walk, placed her phone and the dog lead on the bench and was in the process of putting the harness back on Willow when she fell. Her father said she has done this walk many times so there will be some sort of routine, even if it varies a little. Maybe the police could establish if the bench area was a key area of the walk by speaking to PA and other regular dog walkers.

 

[msmarple99]

It's impossible to say how and why she ended up in the river. Personally, I go along with the theory that she slipped trying to pick something, possibly stopping Willow from going near the river. She did send a message that morning to a friend that morning it was very foggy. Also, that bench was near a steep bank.

It's unfortunate but the odds won't be in most people's favor should they fall into that river at this time of the year. She was heavily clothed wearing an ankle-length coat and a second coat and jumper underneath with Wellies. Just impossible to swim under these conditions. Add the cold water shock and you have a high chance of drowning. If this was summer, I am certain she might have swam out.

When did she state it was foggy.? What is relevant anyway unless you are referring to identifying someone across a field

 

[EyeSpyU]

'Normally when a person drowns and are left a couple of days, they don't move far...this is not a fast tidal river.'

Forensic expert, Peter Faulding, says he believes Nicola Bulley 'is not in the river at all' after police say their theory is that she fell into the River Wyre.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1622137717499772930

They said that about the fireman who disappeared in Lewes two years ago and was found about four weeks later having fallen in the river and was washed up just going into the sea. Bodies sink when they drown, especially weighed down with heavy clothes, and once gases develop it’s then that they resurface. The water is extremely cold right now, which could delay the process of gases building up.

 

[DetectiveLawless]

It's impossible to say how and why she ended up in the river. Personally, I go along with the theory that she slipped trying to pick something, possibly stopping Willow from going near the river. She did send a message that morning to a friend that morning it was very foggy. Also, that bench was near a steep bank.

It's unfortunate but the odds won't be in most people's favor should they fall into that river at this time of the year. She was heavily clothed wearing an ankle-length coat and a second coat and jumper underneath with Wellies. Just impossible to swim under these conditions. Add the cold water shock and you have a high chance of drowning. If this was summer, I am certain she might have swam out.

You don't slip without leaving markings or a trace of said slip or fall though. Where was it reported that it was foggy that morning?

 

[Beginnersleuth]

Interesting theory. Hadn't thought about that.

You’d have hefty boot impression I think. Even if only a couple. Unless it was a literal dive from the top. I’m the same height as Nicola too. 5ft3 people don’t have v long legs so if a running fall would be a few footsteps (vs tall person longer legs). And not sure a 5ft3 fall/dive could clear the area.
I’m just imagining my v clumsy self in that position.
Walking down to get closer would also leave marks. Unless they were there but not full attention paid at the time?

 

[todders]

When did she state it was foggy.? What is relevant anyway unless you are referring to identifying someone across a field

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/missing-dog-walker-previously-described-29092864

This is taken from a headline on the above link.But if you actually read what was said it does explain it.Of no relevance or connection to what we are discussing currently. IMO

In November, she shared a selfie while walking along the river and wrote: "A very foggy cold walk this morning, not a day to forget your gloves!

 

[EyeSpyU]

Red Coat followed by Yellow Coat, both of which draw a blank. Women who would hardly have to be identified on national TV given they are local and like everyone else, eager to help. What is the purpose of this, identifying women on a national forum who are well known locally and very happy to come forward?
<modsnip - not LE friendly>

Yes, people jumped on that new “key” witness, implying she was involved somehow, and it’s transpired she came forward as soon as she saw the request and has been totally eliminated. I don’t know why they even brought her into it as she wasn’t in the area at the same time as Nikki.

 

[SpursGyal]

The police have stated that they do NOT believe a crime has taken place. Watch the video and you’ll hear everything.

Secondly, as a dog walker myself, if I were to find a dog who appeared lost without its owner and saw its lead on the bench next to a mobile phone, I’d assume the owner had gone off somewhere possibly to find a second dog they had with them, or suddenly needed to relieve themselves behind bushes or something. Whatever, I wouldn’t cancel important meetings by waiting for the owner to return. I’d do exactly what the lady did: tie the dog to the bench and phone other dog walkers I know to tell them there’s a stray dog at such and such place, and a phone too who I’d assume belonged to the owner - people can forget their phones sometimes. It does happen.

The woman knew people were coming to see the dog right away, so there was no reason for her to do anything else.

Just because they have stated they don’t believe a crime has taken place, doesn’t mean one hasn’t. The same police force were saying the exact same thing 8 days after Lindsay Birbeck went missing.

 

[ayrshireguy]

Just because they have stated they don’t believe a crime has taken place, doesn’t mean one hasn’t. The same police force were saying the exact same thing 8 days after Lindsay Birbeck went missing.

Yep, there are many examples.

 

[I wonder]

You don't slip without leaving markings or a trace of said slip or fall though. Where was it reported that it was foggy that morning?

You can fall without leaving marks.

 

[Miss_French]

We all know Willow was seen alone without his harness at 9:30 and loitering around the bench /river and then spotted again at 10:30 running around but never too far away from the bench. So how could Willow have been tied up and then untied again at 9:30?

Dog refuses to leave spot he last saw his owners - but they never coming back

Thunder sat outside for days waiting for his owners to return home to him - but when they never came, rescuer Suzette Hall stepped in to provide him with a second chance at life

www.mirror.co.uk

Maybe as simple as Willow wasn’t tied very tightly to the bench and got free? If you're doing it quickly, to someone else’s dog, and thinking the owner isn't far away, you're not going to do some complicated knot that is difficult to untie.

 

[todders]

Yes, people jumped on that new “key” witness, implying she was involved somehow, and it’s transpired she came forward as soon as she saw the request and has been totally eliminated. I don’t know why they even brought her into it as she wasn’t in the area at the same time as Nikki.

You have to cover all bases dont you if the witness was seen going up and down allotment lane/garstang road and then possibly along the river walk they would have to find her just in case she saw anything of note. It only takes one small piece of evidence no matter have irrelevant to complete a more complex puzzle they are looking at.IMO

 

[PineTreeSleuther]

You can fall without leaving marks.

But it is unlikely.
Which imo means it cannot be assumed that is what happened.