Three weeks after Nicola Bulley’s disappearance, a body was discovered in a river close to the location where she was last seen. Nicola Bulley’s boyfriend has expressed his family’s grief.
Paul Ansell wrote, “I have no words right now, only anguish.”
Ms. Bulley vanished while strolling her dog in Lancashire’s St. Michael’s on Wyre, prompting a massive search.
On Sunday, Lancashire Police reported that they had “tragically recovered a corpse” from the River Wyre.
“So we cannot know” if it was her, a statement said.
The death is being regarded as “unexplained” at this time, and officers have begun identifying the body.
However, Lancashire Police stated that Ms. Bulley’s family “has been informed of the latest developments. And our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”
Mr. Ansell added in his statement, “We’re all in this together; we must be resilient.”
Despite “an overwhelming onslaught” of criticism, former Lancashire Police chief superintendent Bob Eastwood defended the force’s probe.
He explained that the river is tidal and swift-moving when asked how a body could have been discovered a mile from Ms. Bulley’s last known location despite an extensive river search.
“The tide’s ebb and flow could have taken the body in and out,” he said.
To immediately presume that the body was present the entire time is a step too far.
During a three-week search that garnered national attention, he stated that Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith. The case’s senior investigating officer, was subjected to misogynistic harassment.
Mr. Eastwood also charged “so-called specialists” with interfering with the investigation and Ms. Bulley’s family.
He stated that they “fed into many people’s obsessions” and added, “I hope their consciences are presently in overdrive.”
Ms. Bulley, a mortgage consultant, was last seen walking her springer spaniel Willow on January 27 after leaving off her two school-aged daughters, ages six and nine.
Soon after, her phone and dog were found on a riverside bench.
Previously, police stated that they believed the 45-year-old woman entered the river and that her disappearance was not suspicious.
In St. Michael’s on Wyre, one mile from her last known position, her body was found. It is believed that two individuals walking their dogs along the river discovered the body and notified authorities.
The fact that Nicola Bulley’s unidentified body was discovered less than a mile from where she disappeared raises numerous concerns. Why exactly did it take three weeks?
People will now question whether the search was conducted correctly, in addition to the intense focus on how Lancashire Police conducted this investigation.
Despite some family worries about their conviction, they seemed confident from the start.
At the center of this investigation is the question of how police handled the disappearance of a woman. Including her public information and their ability to handle Lancashire’s sudden media focus.
The search attracted a great deal of interest, with a large number of people visiting and filming in the area. Also a great deal of speculation and the dissemination of various unfounded theories on social media.
The police were compelled to issue dispersal notices and warnings for antisocial behavior. As a result of the sheer number of people who showed up in the tiny village and online rumors.
One influencer was detained and fined after posting that he had been in “people’s back gardens at night with torches,” while two others were arrested after sending threatening messages to parish councilors regarding the case.
Julie Mackay, a former Det Supt with Avon and Somerset Police, told that “armchair detectives” with a “desire for true crime” had complicated the investigation for police and Ms. Bulley’s family.
She acknowledged that some individuals had a “genuine desire to assist,” but criticized those who were motivated by “their gratification, self-promotion, or even narcissistic approaches.”
Lancashire Police’s investigation was met with opposition after they disclosed Ms. Bulley’s struggles with menopause and alcohol. Which they said was “to forestall further speculation.”
Ms. Bulley’s family stated that they were aware that police were disclosing the information because “people were speculating and threatening to sell stories about her.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman raised concerns about the police statement, prompting Lancashire Police to announce an internal review of its investigation.
Ms. Braverman reiterated her reservations about the decision on Monday but stated that “it was a matter for the authorities” and that she would reserve judgment pending the outcome of the review.
