Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #12

[StillDiggin]

#MISSING | Have you seen Nicola Bulley, who has gone missing from home in Inskip?

Nicola, 45, was last seen at around 9.15am today (Friday, January 27th) on the footpath by the river off Garstang Road in St Michael’s on Wyre.

She is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair. She speaks with an Essex accent.

She was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellies. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

Immediately prior to going missing she was walking her dog, described as a brown-coloured Spaniel. Although the dog has since been found close to where we believe Nicola was last seen, we hope this might help jog the memory of anybody who saw her at around the same time and who may have information about where she was going.
Lancashire Police

Nicola Jane Bulley FB page
Nikki Bulley - Mortgage Adviser - FB page
Nikki Bulley - Strava Runner Profile page


Media, Maps & Timeline *NO DISCUSSION* THREAD

Thread #1 Thread #2 Thread #3 Thread #4 Thread #5 Thread #6 Thread #7 Thread #8 Thread #9
Thread #10 Thread #11

3 Feb 2023​

 

[Sillybilly]

Please continue discussion here.

All members are expected to familiarize themselves with Websleuths rules found here, and also linked in my signature.

We aren't going to reinvent the wheel by repeat posting of all the rules, reminders, the Dos and Don'ts.

Additionally, links to and discussion of fundraising is not allowed unless it is a fundraiser run by close friends or family AND even then, the only thing allowed is a possible snippet of a previously unknown fact regarding the specifics of the case itself (i.e. wearing black sneakers, or ??). The actual $ figures and how it is progressing or not are off limits.

 

[emylou]

Pure speculation here, but a few questions I have...
1. Could someone have used a quad bike in the area?
2. I remember reading that Willow already had some string tied to the collar? Is this correct? Is it possible someone led the dog there with this string?
3. If a person is assaulted/murdered and no blood is produced (i.e strangulation) would a police dog detect anything?
4. Was the lead/harness found near the river? Was it thrown with an attempt to hide it in the river? Could it be an accessory?

Nicola walked the same route every day. Someone local or watching would know this route. I pray it's not as sinister as my mind is thinking.

 

[Seni]

Apologies if this has been raised before.

Several years ago a teenager disappeared whilst on a walk along river. Camera caught someone on a bike coming from opposite direction.

So police knew something happened. They searched the river for days and eventually found remains that had been covered by wood, sticks and other materials, weighing the body down. The perp was found hanged in trees nearby.


.

 

[Beckxsy]

Pure speculation here, but a few questions I have...
1. Could someone have used a quad bike in the area?
2. I remember reading that Willow already had some string tied to the collar? Is this correct? Is it possible someone led the dog there with this string?
3. If a person is assaulted/murdered and no blood is produced (i.e strangulation) would a police dog detect anything?
4. Was the lead/harness found near the river? Was it thrown with an attempt to hide it in the river? Could it be an accessory?

Nicola walked the same route every day. Someone local or watching would know this route. I pray it's not as sinister as my mind is thinking.

Quad bikes are used relatively often with farmers etc not always but in that area I'd presume it would be used agricultural reasons.

 

[Lilbitcurious]

IMO LE are either going it alone and don’t need the publics help or, have hit a brick wall! They haven’t given a press conference since last week. No images of “red van” or “2 men”. They had this info and didn’t make it public, it was the witnesses that did, why? Either this info is relevant or it is not! Shouldn’t the public have been told so by now? Or is the case drawing too much public attention that they are being very hesitant to say anything and just getting on with it themselves? Maybe that IS what they are doing.

 

[Distant Observer]

Apologies if this has been raised before.

Several years ago a teenager disappeared whilst on a walk along river. Camera caught someone on a bike coming from opposite direction.

So police knew something happened. They searched the river for days and eventually found remains that had been covered by wood, sticks and other materials, weighing the body down. The perp was found hanged in trees nearby.


.

That was the tragic murder of Alice Gross. I don't think the timeline would allow for someone to hide NB's body on the river bed. But then nothing makes sense in this case.

 

[acutename]

Pure speculation here, but a few questions I have...
1. Could someone have used a quad bike in the area?
2. I remember reading that Willow already had some string tied to the collar? Is this correct? Is it possible someone led the dog there with this string?
3. If a person is assaulted/murdered and no blood is produced (i.e strangulation) would a police dog detect anything?
4. Was the lead/harness found near the river? Was it thrown with an attempt to hide it in the river? Could it be an accessory?

Nicola walked the same route every day. Someone local or watching would know this route. I pray it's not as sinister as my mind is thinking.

3. possibly someone on here who has a SAR dog and I am just an amateur, but dogs have very sensitive noses- pick up on sweat, skin flakes, skin oil, urine, maybe a fragrance or soap she had on, etc. no need for blood, BUT time, wind, weather, etc. would dilute the scents. IMO.


here is some "official" info:
Using the odor image as a reference, the bloodhound is able to locate a subject's trail, which is made up of a chemical cocktail of scents including breath, sweat vapor, and skin rafts. Once the bloodhound identifies the trail, it will not divert its attention despite being assailed by a multitude of other odors.Jun 9, 2008

Underdogs | The Bloodhound's Amazing Sense of Smell - PBS​

 

[CSIAngus]

3. possibly someone on here who has a SAR dog and I am just an amateur, but dogs have very sensitive noses- pick up on sweat, skin flakes, skin oil, urine, maybe a fragrance or soap she had on, etc. no need for blood, BUT time, wind, weather, etc. would dilute the scents. IMO.


here is some "official" info:
Using the odor image as a reference, the bloodhound is able to locate a subject's trail, which is made up of a chemical cocktail of scents including breath, sweat vapor, and skin rafts. Once the bloodhound identifies the trail, it will not divert its attention despite being assailed by a multitude of other odors.Jun 9, 2008

Underdogs | The Bloodhound's Amazing Sense of Smell - PBS​

Cadavar dogs can find traces of where a body has been stored up to years later and have found skeletons buried for more than 25 years. They are amazing dogs. I'd be deploying as many as I could get, fanning out from the bench area to cover the whole of St Michaels.

 

[Seattle1]

Checking in at thread #12 with a lump in my throat -- 2 little girls didn't have a Sunday cuddle or meal with their mummy.

 

[Lilbitcurious]

Her comments came as Paul revealed his partner's car keys remain missing and asked the public to look out for them.

They are 'a Mercedes key with a couple of Mercedes keyrings on it, one black and one blue, a round wooden key ring with paw prints on it, and a couple of normal keys.'

Local saw 'hooded men trying to hide faces' near Nicola Bulley route

A local alleged that two men - who appeared to be wearing hoods or hats - were near to St Michaels church just over 24 hours prior to Nicola's disappearance.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Lilbitcurious]

Her comments came as Paul revealed his partner's car keys remain missing and asked the public to look out for them.

They are 'a Mercedes key with a couple of Mercedes keyrings on it, one black and one blue, a round wooden key ring with paw prints on it, and a couple of normal keys.'

Local saw 'hooded men trying to hide faces' near Nicola Bulley route

A local alleged that two men - who appeared to be wearing hoods or hats - were near to St Michaels church just over 24 hours prior to Nicola's disappearance.

www.dailymail.co.uk

IMO he’s taking it upon himself to find her. Hats off to him!

 

[PS8800]

For those fixated on the dog being dry-theres a video uploaded to YouTube with a woman whos been searching the river area with her springer who loves a swim. She took it to that exact spot and the dog would not jump in, it refused.

Similarly when I take my dog to a spot where we walk him on the edge of town, its a huge ditch but he has to jump off the ledge to get down-he wont jump where its too high for him to jump back up from the other side.

 

[jigzy]

For those fixated on the dog being dry-theres a video uploaded to YouTube with a woman whos been searching the river area with her springer who loves a swim. She took it to that exact spot and the dog would not jump in, it refused.

Similarly when I take my dog to a spot where we walk him on the edge of town, its a huge ditch but he has to jump off the ledge to get down-he wont jump where its too high for him to jump back up from the other side.

But we do know that Willow DID like to jump in and get wet at that particular beach area at the far end of the walk that I am referring to. <modsnip>

 

[Firstsnow4]

I would still like to know where the CCTV is in this area (circled in red on plan). The police are saying NB wasn’t seen leaving via allotment lane but something could have happened here and then she could have been hidden in a car/van in the same location before being moved out of the area, even at a later date. You would then only see the car/van leaning allotment lane. JMO.

Wyreside Farm Park

maps.apple.com

 

[eeejay268]

I have to say on this case, I think she fell in. She had an over excited spaniel charging around between the bushes, she may have thought she put the phone down on the bench, could easily have fallen on the floor, or it was in her pocket and fell out.

She approached the river bank with harness in hand, dog bounds out of bushes skittled her into the water, she hits her head on the rocks below the water line, rolls into the water due to the weight of her clothing as the rocks only extend a foot or 2, it’s much deeper more 3-4m deep hence the deep water signs.

The water is partially tidal and has undercurrents. It also moved in a particular way due to tidal behaviour and the impact of the weir. She could have been over the weir in a matter of days.

This is just my opinion.

 

[tedtink]

But we do know that Willow DID like to jump in and get wet at that particular beach area at the far end of the walk that I am referring to. <modsnip>

There's a huge difference in wading in, (slowly walking in until paws leave the ground) at the beach area and jumping off a bank, for a dog anyway.
IDK whether Willow would leap off a bank into the river, I haven't seen that reported?

 

[ayrshireguy]

But we do know that Willow DID like to jump in and get wet at that particular beach area at the far end of the walk that I am referring to. <modsnip>

It's possible NB never made it to the beach area that day.

 

[Cluella DeVille]

Apologies if this has been raised before.

Several years ago a teenager disappeared whilst on a walk along river. Camera caught someone on a bike coming from opposite direction.

So police knew something happened. They searched the river for days and eventually found remains that had been covered by wood, sticks and other materials, weighing the body down. The perp was found hanged in trees nearby.


.

This is the case of 14 year old Alice Gross who went missing on 28th August 2015, body found 30th September 'concealed' in the canal/river. I do remember it very well as the area is local to me Alice Gross: Timeline of the Met police investigation

 

[jigzy]

There's a huge difference in wading in, (slowly walking in until paws leave the ground) at the beach area and jumping off a bank, for a dog anyway.
IDK whether Willow would leap off a bank into the river, I haven't seen that reported?

But my point was about Willow going into water at the beach area not jumping off a bank - I’ve never thought that.
If Willows routine was to take a dip at the easterm most point of the walk, the furthest point, and yet was found dry, I believe this could indicate that Willow never reached the beach with NB on this occasion as something happened to prevent that.