Body of missing UK woman Nicola Bulley found in river

The case of Nicola Bulley, a missing mother of two, has come to a tragic end after her body was found in the River Wyre.

What happened to Nicola Bulley?

According to the Independent, before her disappearance, Nicola Bulley dropped her children off at school, left the car parked, and took the dog to exercise in the nearby riverside field.

The mum of two was last seen walking her dog, Willow, at around 9:10 am on 27 January 2023, near her home in St. Michael on Wyre, Lancashire. Her phone was discovered on a bench about 20 minutes later.

In the beginning, the police's main theory was that she had fallen into the river, and there was not a sign of a crime. The Lancashire Police had been searching for her since her disappearance, with specialist diving teams being deployed to search the river.

Despite the effort, the diving team failed to locate any evidence leading to Nicola's trace. The team's lead, diving expert Peter Faulding, was recently struck off from the National Crime Agency's list of experts.

Where was Nicola Bulley's body found?

According to Sky News, Nicola had been missing for three weeks before dog walkers discovered her body in a reed-heavy area close to the river.

On 20 February 2023, the Lancashire Police confirmed that the body of Nicola Bulley had been found in the River Wyre. Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson announced that the case was now being handled by His Majesty's coroner and that the police had found the investigation highly complex and highly emotional. Her cause of death was finally revealed as drowning.

A statement from Nicola's family was also read aloud at the conference, expressing their devastation and criticizing the press and members of the public for their treatment of Nicola's friends and family. They said:

'We will never forget Nikki, how could we? She was the center of our world. Our girls will get support from the people who love them the most. It saddens us that we will have to one day explain to them that the press and members of the public had accused their dad of wrongdoing.'

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has demanded answers over the case. This article will explore the events leading up to Nicola's death and the reactions to it.

Why were the police criticized?

During the investigation, online sleuths descended on the small Lancashire village, and police faced criticism for sharing intimate details about the missing mortgage broker. The family of the deceased expressed their need for respect and privacy from members of the public as police continued the search.

The case had attracted much media attention, with hundreds of people turning up to help with the search and conspiracy theories being spread on social media. However, the family of the deceased criticized the police for sharing intimate details about Nicola's struggles with alcohol and menopause. The family reportedly said that while Nicola would not have wanted this information disclosed, it was better than having people speculate and threatening to sell stories about her.

After the discovery of Nicola's body, the Lancashire Police faced criticism for their handling of the case. The police watchdog has contacted the force, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman has demanded answers over the case. Lancashire Police are now the subject of an internal investigation.

Read more:

⋙ Nicola Bulley: The mysterious case of missing dog walker who 'vanished into thin air'