Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #17

[Simplistic67]

The discovery went from...An elderly couple, A middle aged dog walker, and now a psychic...
The reporting on this case has been absolutely shocking

 

[Woodburnbay]

Even though the police said they do not believe a third party involvement, I still hope they would fingerprint the phone, as I too am perplexed on the part about the phone approaching the bench

They said at the beginning and before they found NB that they didn't think third party involvement. They will now be seeking to understand if they were correct.

 

[Firstsnow4]

Watch this.

I only watched the main parts with diagrams of how the body moves under water but very interesting.

 

[mrjitty]

Actually I was in the newspaper business for a long time. You are correct, it's not a charity and news outlets do respond to what the public wants to consume. If the public weren't clicking, the stories would dwindle. I know many very thoughtful, ethical, principled journalists who do their utmost to be considerate of victims' feelings and who push back against assignments that would cause pain to victims. Painting everyone in the industry with a broad, negative brush is unfair.

I also point out that the media has been very helpful in countless cases by publicizing information that the families and/or law enforcement agencies want disseminated.

Does that mean there aren't unethical, intrusive and pushy journalists? Of course not; there are bad apples in every line of work. But most of the ones I know try very hard to be thoughtful and sensitive. And again, the consuming public has the most influence over what is covered and how extensively.

Thank you for your thoughts.

I tend to agree. It's a structural, industry wide problem that is demand driven. We see more and more infotainment because that is what people want. I also agree it's mostly not bad faith. You end up seeing hours and hours of talking heads speculating and video of a river, because "the story" ends up having its own logic.

 

[fergie7]

Wow. Full statement is pretty scathing of the press/media. Must have been hell for the family over the past 3 weeks.

Rest in peace Nicola.

Nicola Bulley family's statement in full as police confirm the worst

"We love you, always have and always will, we'll take it from here"

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Luxee]

Tney’ve conveniently left it out of the video of the press conference saved on their Youtube channel though, which will be the one viewed in future, long after the live broadcasts are forgotten. I think it does the family a massive disservice, and deals one final (we hope..) insult after the direct texts yesterday, not to have included their statement in the version saved for posterity.

So well said. I could only like it once, these words deserve so much more recognition.

 

[Edg]

N.

I do hope they can determine (through time of death and other indicators - Fitbit data maybe) if it was accidental or suicide. If the latter I think the family will always blame themselves. I hope it was an accident. I hope they can find peace eventually.

My layman’s understanding is that it’s generally possible to conclusively distinguish between ante-mortem and post-mortem drowning. Distinguishing between accident , suicide, or third party involvement is trickier.
In the absence of obvious injuries, it relies heavily of an analysis of a range of factors, including looking into location, timing and the background information regarding the individual.
If there any doubt They will generally perform toxicological tests. These can be relevant in evaluation the likelihood of suicide or misadventure and in some cases might also point towards third party involvement.

I’ll admit this was one of those cases that immediately drew my attention because of the police’s early insistence that they did not suspect third party involvement and that they we’re convinced she was in the river.

The downside of such assertions more generally , is that the crime is not treated as a crime scene and evidence cannot be secured nor are the identities of those visiting the scene recorded.
Further it can prejudice the conclusion reached a coroner.
I recall a long conversation with a forensic anatomist. Far from being the detached stoic you might expect, this chap retained an intact moral compass and human compassion.
He explained the ambiguity of a genuine finding of suicide or even misadventure. I would imagine the cases he found frustrating involved rather more obvious evidence of wrongdoing.

In this Instance there is by the looks of it just eerie oddness to the whole thing .
Those hunches and observations do not suffice to make any inferences.

The particularly aggressive condemnation of Websleuths was also unusual.
I very rarely engage in public forums , and in more potentially sensitive cases , I’ve noted that some information that just will not be published,

Most importantly perhaps is that in at least in other instance I’ve received a personal message of thanks from the family of a missing individual, for my own efforts in collating relevant information.

Yes it necessarily the case that police and other. Agencies will generally only show and interest only in 1st hand information.
But that doesn’t negate the value of some of the general information found and provided by volunteers like Websleuths.

Some individuals have a knack for finding people not simply based on the internet nor reliant on elevated access to information.

Others I know are experts in analysis of of information relating to buildings , and infrastructure.

Some of the most competent specialists are to be found well outside the realm of the qualified professional community.

The outcome here was the one I thought most likely.
It’s unsettling, and Tragic.

 

[Cuko]

@Cuko I hope they do a better job this time. That village needs to know exactly what happened to poor Nicola so they can go back to live in peace knowing there is no risk out there.

I think they will use a top-notch Home Office forensic pathologist for Nicola. It’s an incredibly high-profile, complex case and they will put the best of the best on it. JMO

 

[Anxala]

Sad news.
I can’t help but feel a bit saddened by the family statement, possibly not the best time for that. It felt more about Paul than poor Nicola.
IMO.

On the contrary.

Step into his shoes. Step into his shock and grief and despair. Step into the absolute sick hell he and his family and friends found themselves in through no fault of their own. Step into what they collectively have been subjected to and have had to endure over the last three weeks, courtesy of a media that, on the surface, professes empathy, sympathy and care for all the missing Nicolas of this world but, in reality, just uses and abuses them and their families ruthlessly and so horribly sordidly for clicks and revenue. And this is, god help us, what mainstream media has now descended and is reduced to in 2023.

His and his family and friends' rage is both so right and righteous here.

As very sad as it is, I'm so glad NB has been found and brought home to her family.

 

[Ched]

“
In a statement on Monday morning, Mr Faulding hit back at “unfair criticism” and “negativity”.

He said: “Sadly, the discovery was not found in the river but in the reeds at the side of the river which was not part of our remit as the side scan sonar does not penetrate reeds above or below the water.”

However, he admitted for the first time that he did search the exact stretch where the body was found “for four hours on our first day and then upstream past the weir on the subsequent two days”.
Bob Eastwood, who headed the force’s eastern division before retiring in 2013, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The dramas the police have had to deal with during this, it’s been on colossal scale and I think it’s a watershed moment in how policing going forward deals... [with] the use of so-called specialists.

“I think in this case [they] imposed themselves on the investigation and Nicola’s family, and I’m hoping their consciences are currently in overdrive.”

He added that the way the specialists behaved in the investigation “actually fed into a lot of people’s obsession” and “they got quite a lot of it wrong”.

Nicola Bulley blame game as search expert insists body location ‘not in our remit’

Peter Faulding clashes with ex-Lancashire police chief after stating that missing mother of two was ‘categorically’ not in the river

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Loobyloo]

Sorry I haven`t watched the news yet. Did they say the cause of death?

No.

 

[Scottish_Person]

Virginia Woolf managed it. She put stones in her pockets though.

Also, it used to be a thing years ago that people simply walked into the sea. I think they still do. The late Sally Brampton sadly comes to mind.

 

[Helechawagirl]

I’m glad they found her and saddened that she’s not alive. We may never know if it was suicide or an accident. Not having her phone with her points toward the former or if she was intoxicated could have forgotten it. At least she’s not in pain any more. RIP dear mother.

 

[Wishbone]

Still deciphering statements and quips by police. The fact that her phone “moved” to the bench (with presumably no confirmation of Nicola placing or carrying it there). There on the bench, the said phone remained until found by passersby (and still logged into the team call). The three key CCTV black-out areas sans any coverage in three precise areas.

Also keenly interested in the black hole in time where she cannot be accounted for. If foul play was involved - It takes very little time to commit such a murder and secrete the body. It seems equally possible in this situation and scenario. I simply hope they keep ALL OPTIONS open, until they can be firmly eliminated as being even remotely possible. She deserves nothing less.

I'm trying to patiently wait until cause and manner of death are revealed, if ever......

 

[Allabouttrial]

TRANSCRIPTION OF PRESS CONFERENCE

20TH FEB.

Chief Inspector - Good afternoon everyone. Sadly we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre. Nicola's family have been informed and are, of course, devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community. We recognise the huge impact that Nicola's disappearance has had on her family and friends but also the people of St. Michaels. We would like to thank all of those who have helped, during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.

Today's developments is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that at least it can begin to provide some answers for Nicola's loved ones. They remain foremost in our thoughts. The case is now being handled by His Majesty's Coroner.

The family have asked that we read a statement on their behalf. I'll now hand over to Detective Chief Superintendent Stables to do that.

Family Statement

Our Family Liaison Officer's have had to confirm our worst fears today. We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us. We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the centre of our world. She was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.

Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most. And it saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family. This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable this cannot happen to another family.

We tried last night to take in what we had been told in the day, only to have Sky News and ITV making contact with us directly when we expressly asked for privacy. They again, have taken it upon themselves to run stories about us to sell papers and increase their own profits. It is shameful they have acted in this way. Leave us alone now. Do the press and other media channels and so called professionals not know when to stop? These are our lives and our children's lives.

To those who genuinely helped and supported us privately, we thank you. The community support in St Michaels, friend's, neighbours and strangers has been nothing short of comforting and heart-warming. Friends you know who you are. Thank you.

Our hearts truly break for others who have missing loved ones. Keep that hope alive.

Finally, Nikki - You are no longer a missing person, you have been found, we can let you rest now. We love you, always have and always will. We will take it from here.

 

[gerbil]

Thank you @Allabouttrial

 

[ayrshireguy]

Rest in peace, Nicola

 

[Scottish_Person]

<modsnip>
I can't help but think that if the initial, probably local, news story of NB's disappearance had read 'Local vulnerable woman, 45, missing in St. Michael's on the Wyre. Police call for witnesses' it would have been a very different, quieter story, still with the same sad outcome but a lot easier for the police and ultimately the family.

I wonder how (if at all) the hysteria over this case will affect policing of missing persons in the future?

I doubt it. I have personal experience from nine years ago. The case was reported locally, almost exactly as you put it above except she was 56. It made the main Scottish news but not national. It didn’t stop the nasty comments and ‘husband did it’ comments on SM. (Never mind he was bedridden with long term MS). It was also odd seeing my sister being discussed on Websleuths. I have no idea why some cases get such publicity and others just disappear after initial reporting. On top of the numbers of people who go misssing every day in the UK, there are currently four people long term missing in my local area alone. Four families without closure. I now follow missing people cases. It’s a hellish situation and we were so fortunate the body was found in 50 square miles of forest. I know exactly what will have gone on behind the media. My heart goes out to her family. IMO it been completely overthought. The poor girl somehow slipped into the water and given she was wearing a duvet coat and boots was quickly dragged under. I expect it won’t be long, sadly, before another case for some reason gets the spotlight when so many don’t.

 

[Loobyloo]

TRANSCRIPTION OF PRESS CONFERENCE

20TH FEB.

Chief Inspector - Good afternoon everyone. Sadly we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre. Nicola's family have been important and are, of course, devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community. We recognise the huge impact that Nicola's disappearance has had on her family and friends but also the people of St. Michaels. We would like to thank all of those who have helped, during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.

Today's developments is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that at least it can begin to provide some answers for Nicola's loved ones. They remain foremost in our thoughts. The case is now being handled by His Majesty's Coroner.

The family have asked that we read a statement on their behalf. I'll now hand over to Detective Chief Superintendent Stables to do that.

Family Statement

Our Family Liaison Officer's have had to confirm our worst fears today. We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us. We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the centre of our world. She was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.

Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most. And it saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family. This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable this cannot happen to another family.

We tried last night to take in what we had been told in the day, only to have Sky News and ITV making contact with us directly when we expressly asked for privacy. They again, have taken it upon themselves to run stories about us to sell papers and increase their own profits. It is shameful they have acted in this way. Leave us alone now. Do the press and other media channels and so called professionals not know when to stop? These are our lives and our children's lives.

To those who genuinely helped and supported us privately, we thank you. The community support in St Michaels, friend's, neighbours and strangers has been nothing short of comforting and heart-warming. Friends you know who you are. Thank you.

Our hearts truly break for others who have missing loved ones. Keep that hope alive.

Finally, Nikki - You are no longer a missing person, you have been found, we can let you rest now. We love you, always have and always will. We will take it from here.

Thank you.
Should it be 'have been informed' on line 3?

 

[Allabouttrial]

Thank you.
Should it be 'have been informed' on line 3?

Thank you!