The body of missing Nicola Bulley has been found 24 days after her mysterious disappearance. Leading up to this, authorities commenced an intense search that lasted for days, with no substantial lead. Bulley's body was later found in a river on Sunday by a 'psychic'.
Bulley's family's worst fears were confirmed by police on February 19, 2023. The police revealed that the dead body was pulled out of the River Wyre in Lancashire was Bulley's. The missing mother-of-two body was found a mile from the bench on the banks.
Bulley's phone had earlier been discovered on the bench 23 days before her body was found. Paul Ansell, Bulley's partner, and her family were devastated by the news. A press conference was held following the painful discovery, but the grieving family was not present.
According to DailyMail, they, however, sent a statement expressing their grief and paid tribute to Bulley. The touching address showed the family expressing how they would never comprehend what their beloved daughter, wife, and mother went through during her grueling last moments.
The statement continued, "We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the center of our world, she was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that." The write-up also stated that the late Lancashire mom's daughters will have all the support they needed as they passed through the heartrending period. The family also appreciated the support they got from people who genuinely helped and supported them.
Bulley's case became a centerpiece for the 170,000 people who go missing in the UK yearly. The distressed family addressed the intrusion they suffered due to a vacuum of information. The Lancashire Constabulary lost control of Bulley's case.
Detectives believed she fell into the river due to her "specific vulnerabilities." However, this did not stop internet trolls from making ludicrous claims. The police released a lot of information which led to cruel online speculations, and the vulnerability of the family.
People suggested that Ansell, friends, or Bulley's family members could have been involved in criminal acts. The family said they would one day have to explain how they were 'vilified' to Bulley's daughters. The Bulley-Ansell family criticized how authorities handled the case as they hoped the same doesn't happen to another family.
The mourning family also addressed how some of the press coverages, as they called out the lack of respect for privacy. In retrospect, the family hoped they would be able to process the tragedy that befell their family in privacy.
The body of Bulley was found by a psychic. It was a big blow to the hundreds of Lancashire forces who searched the same river twice. When her case went viral on social media, it attracted several unwarranted theories.
Bulley's case became a social media sensation and brought a lot of people, both TikTok detectives and some mediums to the small village as they attempted to find her. Among them was Jason Rothwell who is a psychic. The 33-year-old found Bulley's body in River Wyre.
Rothwell, who is from Oldham, said he was not asked by Bulley's family or the police to get involved. He had once assisted in the recovery of Michael Brooks. Rothwell added that he decided to use his gift to try to locate Bulley as well.
The investigation of Bulley's disappearance and the way the case was handled by the police got a lot of backlash. Three weeks after the mother-of-two vanished, the police made her struggles with alcohol and perimenopause public.
They classified Bulley as a 'high-risk' missing person. In another statement, the police said Bulley stopped taking her HRT medication. Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith was the detective leading Bulley's search. However, she did not attend the press conference where Bulley's body was confirmed.
On January 27, 2023, Bulley disappeared on a riverside dog walk in St. Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire. The mother-of-two dropped off her daughters, aged nine and six at school. She, then, parked her car in St. Michael's on Wyre. The 45-year-old decided to take her dog, Willow, for a riverside walk. By 8:43 GMT, Bulley was seen in the lower field by a fellow dog walker who knew her.
After that, Bulley sent an email to her boss. As a mortgage adviser, she had a Team conference call for her job. The last time Bulley was seen was by 9:10 on the upper field by another dog walker. Bulley's phone which was still connected to the call was found 25 minutes later on a bench on the riverbank.
At the start of the investigation, Police shared their working hypothesis on Bulley's disappearance. They believed she went into the river and her disappearance was not suspicious. Lancashire Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson stated that there was no evidence of criminal or third-party involvement.
Smith, who was leading the investigation shared her hypothesis. The first was that Bulley could have gone into the river, or a third party was involved. The last hypothesis was that she voluntarily left.
As reported by BBC, Bulley's friend, Heather Gibbons, addressed the speculations going on about Bulley's case. At that time, Gibbons said the speculations were 'vile' and 'incredibly hurtful'. Gibbon expressed her concerns about Bulley's daughters looking back at the incident when they get older.
She bemoaned how things turned wry. Gibbons stated that instead of people genuinely searching for Bulley, they turned the area into a tourist spot. The sad friend continued that people only showed up to "do personal social media things'' which was hurtful.
