Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #9

[OrlandoJames]

I am still not sure about eyewitness testimony. About a year ago my husband and I were in the car and we saw our daughter. I was about to roll down the car window and call her when she disappeared in a queue of people aoutside a shop. I was so sure it was her and was puzzled as she should have been in work over 75 miles away (she lives approx 80 miles away). I wondered why she was near our house and hadn't called in to see us - this was so unlike her. So I phoned her - and guess what? She was over 75 miles away at work. She thought I had gone off my rocker ringing her, thinking she was near my house. Yet the woman we saw looked and even walked like our daughter - she was her doppelganger - the spitting image. She was the same build, same hair, and from a distance the same face! The point is, God forbid my daughter had gone missing that day, both my hubby and I would have sworn blind to the police that she was less than a mile from our house when we last saw her at 11am that same day - but she wasn't! It wasn't her - but had I not called her I was 100% certain (mistakenly) that it was her. So we can assume things and eyewitnesses can be mistaken.

I am not saying that NB was not by the riverside that day walking her dog, but the people who thought they saw her at certain times may have been mistaken, so the timeline may be off quite a bit. We know she was on the Teams call, sent texts etc, but can we really be 100% sure she was where people think they saw her at those specific times. We sometimes see things and our brain deduces what they are based on previous knowledge etc, but we can be totally wrong.

JMO

Several eyewitnesses who know her saw her, her dog was found in the area and phone data has also pinpointed her location. I think it’s safe to say she was where the police say she was.

 

[Seattle1]

I found it very poignant that NB had extolled the benefits of good life insurance on her professional FB page, in case something happened to loved ones. And of course with no firm proof of death it would not be payable. I was also a bit unnerved to see she had put her mobile number clearly on her profile too. JMO.

As a mortgage advisor, if both her mobile and the comment about life insurance are posted on her professional FB page, I see the relevance and don't find it off. JMO

 

[Cranky]

Any idea what the fitbit would register if it was physically removed and thrown in the river? Presumably if it is not on the wearer's wrist it would cease to indicate movement, and if then put in water might indicate that it is immersed?

It wouldn't indicate anything because the last time it synced with her phone was the Tuesday before she went missing. It relies on a bluetooth to phone or pc or hardwired connection to pc to transfer data. The info can only be obtained from the gadget that is presumably still with NB.

 

[SpursGyal]

Any idea what the fitbit would register if it was physically removed and thrown in the river? Presumably if it is not on the wearer's wrist it would cease to indicate movement, and if then put in water might indicate that it is immersed?

Her Fitbit had not synced since the Tuesday before she went missing, they have no data from the Fitbit and cannot get any until they find it.

 

[Cluella DeVille]

Her Fitbit had not synced since the Tuesday before she went missing, they have no data from the Fitbit and cannot get any until they find it.

Do we know they haven't found it, is that information they might not release to the public?

 

[bringmeacupoft]

As a mortgage advisor, if both her mobile and the comment about life insurance are posted on her professional FB page, I see the relevance and don't find it off. JMO

Agree mortgages and life insurance go hand in hand.

And it’s her business page, thousands upon thousands of businesses/professionals advertise their mobile numbers

 

[SpursGyal]

Do we know they haven't found it, is that information they might not release to the public?

They have it on the list of items for members of the public to look for, so we can presume they don’t have it.

 

[Noseyjosey]

If i seen a dog on the loose i'd go in the opposite direction.

Same

 

[markoid]

Her Fitbit had not synced since the Tuesday before she went missing, they have no data from the Fitbit and cannot get any until they find it.

Not entirely sure this is entirely factual. On the article where her Fitbit was mentioned regarding Tuesday, it was her friend that has stated it hadn’t been synced and LE stated they had 3rd Party Apps that could access the Fitbit data. So, we do not categorically know that data has obtained from the Fitbit or related phone app.

 

[mrjitty]

Not entirely sure this is entirely factual. On the article where her Fitbit was mentioned regarding Tuesday, it was her friend that has stated it hadn’t been synced and LE stated they had 3rd Party Apps that could access the Fitbit data. So, we do not categorically know that data has obtained from the Fitbit or related phone app.

There seems to be a hell of a lot of confusion on this topic.

At the end of the day "not synced" means the data is on the device and not on the phone, and therefore not in the cloud. There is no way to get data off the device remotely.

I agree we haven't had a definitive statement on this and it is a complex area as far as "3rd party apps" go. e.g Fitbit can sync with apple health - did she have this integration set up? We don't know.

Fitbit can also receive notifications from other apps - e.g. messages. Did she have this set up? We don't know.

 

[Beckxsy]

We can acknowledge the harness and the phone was found by the bench. No mention of the lead. Its always been harness. Witness who found the phone and harness used string to tie the dog (possibly because no lead). Perhaps the lead was found and recovered from the river.

 

[Noseyjosey]

What if she's done a runner? The police can see she's planned to meet someone & start a new life elsewhere. Do they have to disclose this to the family? After all, isn't there a level of confidentiality that has to be maintained. Like if someone was to escape an abusive partner etc? (Not suggesting her partner was abusive).

 

[shadwell]

Not entirely sure this is entirely factual. On the article where her Fitbit was mentioned regarding Tuesday, it was her friend that has stated it hadn’t been synced and LE stated they had 3rd Party Apps that could access the Fitbit data. So, we do not categorically know that data has obtained from the Fitbit or related phone app.

They can use third party Fitbit compatible apps (eg Strava, MyFitnessPal etc) to sync the data, but only within bluetooth range. Unfortunately, there is no ‘magic bullet.’

 

[rojo]

what evidence would you need?

That she went in the river?

A sighting
A sound
An item of clothing
A possession being found
Signs of a slip or fall down the bank
Signs of a struggle to get out
The dog 100% not being wet
etc etc

We don’t have any of that. All we have is two weeks of searches finding nothing and the expert saying she’s not in there.

 

[Bluesleuth66]

I must admit, I too thought when she used the word “suddenly” in that sentence it sounded odd.

I’m wondering if it’s sloppy journalism or possibly the woman is elderly and may <modsnip: unnecessarily scrutinizing witness>

One question please: did she go to her meeting before discovering whose dog it was?

Not sure how significant this is but it does mitigate her leaving the dog, and not hanging about. You (among others) are saying 'meeting', she says 'appointment' I believe.

I think people are assuming she had a 'meeting' to get to - maybe business or social or whatever. My thoughts are maybe it was a doctor's 'appointment', either face - face or by phone - and she might "suddenly" have remembered, or realised the time. That's not something these days that she would want to miss. Hence her urgency to get back home asap. It allays some of the circumstantial suspicion being insinuated in some posts.

 

[todders]

I know we have been discussing the fitbit quite a bit and everyone has their own ideas on what the police know. But sometimes we just need to look back to the Police conference on the 7th February where it was stated the following:-

Reporter - Have you been able to obtain any information from Nicola's Fitbit device at all?

Superintendent - That remains ongoing, but nothing so far that has indicated any particular helpful piece of information. Thank you.

We have to take them at their word on this that nothing helpful has been found as of yet.IMO

UK - Nicola Bulley, St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire), Jan 27, 2023 *MEDIA, MAPS, & TIMELINES - NO DISCUSSION*

 

[PeggyHenry]

If this really was an attack/abduction or even a planned disappearance... wow. Pretty impressive. Honestly A * effort from the person/people involved, because this is the first case I've really followed that has been this mysterious with nothing much to go off. Small amount of witnesses, no evidence (that we are aware of) and not much CCTV footage either.

I do find it all so strange and I sort of always did although I still stand by I think she's in the river and it was an accidental death... I know everybody is moving away from that now just because she hasn't been found in there (esp by Peter and his team) but I don't believe that makes it impossible that her body could have travelled down the river like we've seen happen in other cases before. Seeing the pics yesterday I really felt for Paul... he just looked sad, confused, drained and everything else we can imagine. It's a horrible situation.

I'm interested to see what happens from here. I hope they explore all the other possibilities of what could've happened to Nicola, it's so scary to think that she could've been taken and there's no proof of anything. I have a feeling this type of planned attack in rural locations could become more of a thing after this and give some people ideas (if they think it'll be this easy to get away with it). I remember feeling this way after Sarah's abduction and then there was Sabina, Bobbi, Ashling all that followed.

This is exactly why I don’t think it was an opportunist attack by a stranger.
None of this appears to make sense therefore it probably didn’t happen in this way. There will be a scenario in which this makes sense.

We just don’t know it yet. I believe for this to have happened she must have known her assailant and perhaps been willing to deviate slightly from normal routine. Had she agreed to meet someone on or after walk… gone to sit in a car to apparently sign some papers….

I think it will be work related as she’d in a role that brings her into contact with new people. She seems a lovely and very attractive woman

 

[jtg65]

We can acknowledge the harness and the phone was found by the bench. No mention of the lead. Its always been harness. Witness who found the phone and harness used string to tie the dog (possibly because no lead). Perhaps the lead was found and recovered from the river.

Who has string on their person while out for a walk? And approaches a dog that isn't their own to tie it up? All seems quite abnormal to me.

 

[MsBetsy]

I'm not sure float would be the correct word. A d**d body sinks, it would have to be a strong current to move an object that weighed around 9 stone (just guessing at weight) for miles

I think initially a body sinks pretty quickly. However once it enters the bloat stage and fills up with gasses it tends to float.

It may not reach the surface but could travel a good distance if caught up in a strong current.

 

[JennieM]

I didn’t see mention of the Cartford Inn, though very happy to accept I may have missed it. Could you say what the relevance is?

Hi Sara11272, I don't know what the relevance is. This is what was said in the press conference (7 Feb) and I was just wondering if there was any more info in the press about it.

Reporter - In terms of CCTV, would that include The Cartford Inn which is further down river? I gather you only got that footage yesterday?

Superindendent - I'm not able to give very specific details of CCTV beyond the local village. I am aware what's been done in the local village, but everything of relevance to the river and the riverside is being considered, so I'm sure that is as well. Thank you.

UK - Nicola Bulley, St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire), Jan 27, 2023 *MEDIA, MAPS, & TIMELINES - NO DISCUSSION*

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