Mystery of dog-walker who has vanished

[pellinore]

Paul Ansell, an engineer, said he is focusing on staying strong for their two daughters, who have been asking what has happened to their mother a week on after she disappeared on a dog walk. 

Speaking near the scene where Ms Bulley was last seen by the River Wyre in Lancashire, he told broadcasters: 'My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them.

'I'm scared that if I put focus into anything else it's going to take my focus off that. Just hoping to goodness that anything comes out from the interview yesterday no matter how tiny.' 

After thanking the local community for its 'incredible' support, he added: 'I just can't believe we're a week on and it seems like we're no further on. It just seems absolutely impossible. Like a dream. I cannot get my head around it. Right now it's like she's vanished into thin air, it's insane.' 

Nicola Bulley's heartbroken boyfriend speaks publicly for the first time | Daily Mail Online

Edited February 3 by pellinore

[Susanc241]

Very strange.  Only thing I can add is that if she had fallen, slipped or was pushed in the river, the dog being a spaniel would most likely have gone in after her.  They have no fear of water, they love it.  But it was ‘bone dry’ when found.  Not being in its harness or on the lead, and not tied up it would have tried to follow her if she was forced away by someone else and maybe hit or scared off by that someone, hence it’s agitated state.  The open phone line does seem to indicate a sudden and unexpected interruption as she maybe was sitting on that bench.  As I said, very strange.  Hope there is a good outcome.

[pellinore]

3 hours ago, Susanc241 said:

Very strange.  Only thing I can add is that if she had fallen, slipped or was pushed in the river, the dog being a spaniel would most likely have gone in after her.  They have no fear of water, they love it.  But it was ‘bone dry’ when found.  Not being in its harness or on the lead, and not tied up it would have tried to follow her if she was forced away by someone else and maybe hit or scared off by that someone, hence it’s agitated state.  The open phone line does seem to indicate a sudden and unexpected interruption as she maybe was sitting on that bench.  As I said, very strange.  Hope there is a good outcome.

Superintendent Sally Riley is now giving an update ..

She said that despite the deployment of an "unprecedented" number of resources: "Unfortunately we have still not found Nicola, but our search continues"...

She said "unprecedented" resources have been deployed.

These include drones, helicopters, police divers, sonar equipment, cameras, underwater drones and staff wading in the shallower parts of the river.

It was added that the search has taken teams all the way to the sea.

They have also taken a 1km land search of the radius from the area she was last seen - but this was to "no avail so far".

Nicola Bulley case: Lancashire Police giving update on missing dog walker's disappearance | UK News | Sky News

Edited February 3 by pellinore

[Susanc241]

And they, the police, are now saying they think the most likely explanation is that she fell into the river…….still seems odd, as she was a good swimmer and parts of river were deep, yes, but other parts just inches deep.  The not knowing must be driving the family to despair.

[Robotic Jew]

Maybe she just.....ran away?

[+Desertrat56]

3 minutes ago, Robotic Jew said:

Maybe she just.....ran away?

But what about the dog?   I find it hard to believe she ran away and didn't take the dog with her. 

[Robotic Jew]

1 minute ago, Desertrat56 said:

But what about the dog?   I find it hard to believe she ran away and didn't take the dog with her. 

Why? Want to run away and fake a kidnapping and make it believable? Leave your dog. 

[kartikg]

There is a river, it's most certain that she would have slipped, maybe she wanted to relieve herself. It would have been mysterious if she had been disappeared from somewhere else, but close to a water body it's almost a given. 

[WolfHawk]

1 hour ago, Robotic Jew said:

Why? Want to run away and fake a kidnapping and make it believable? Leave your dog. 

The dog would probably have followed her if she ran away.

[Buzz_Light_Year]

Probably be featured on a future episode of "World's Most Evil Killers" or some other crime show.

[pellinore]

4 hours ago, Susanc241 said:

And they, the police, are now saying they think the most likely explanation is that she fell into the river…….still seems odd, as she was a good swimmer and parts of river were deep, yes, but other parts just inches deep.  The not knowing must be driving the family to despair.

There have been quite a few cases where missing people have been found alive. I find it odd the police haven't found her- they have had drones as well as staff searching the river.

There is only a 10-minute window during which police cannot account for her whereabouts that morning. They have all but discounted the possibility she left the area where she was last seen, saying most of the exits are covered by CCTV. Nevertheless, a week later she remains missing, leaving her family and friends at a loss as to what happened to her.

The police have said their “working hypothesis” is that she fell in the water. But no body has been found, despite extensive searches in the river. 

Nicola Bulley: mystery of 10-minute window in which she disappeared | UK news | The Guardian

Edited February 3 by pellinore

[Inn Spectre]

This sounds like one for Jonathan Creek.

[pellinore]

"This is a very strange one," he says.

"I'm looking at this, I've worked on hundreds of cases, and this is a really odd one.

"I mean, the phone being found, a bench; normally, if someone would trip, they would have their phone in their hand.

"You know, the dog being dry; going after dogs, this is why a lot of people drown. They jump after their dogs.

"But the dog was found dry, so it clearly didn't go in the river, and that's what gets my suspicion about this case is it's a very, very odd one."

Nicola Bulley case - latest: Forensic expert says case 'a very, very odd one'; police say issue with dog could have led missing mother-of-two to river | Latest updates | UK News | Sky News

Edited February 4 by pellinore

[DreadLordAvatar]

When there are no clues, it is a result of an alien abduction.

[Ell]

Maybe she got onto a boat or ship?

[Cookie Monster]

12 hours ago, Ell said:

Maybe she got onto a boat or ship?

I`m going for someone pulled in their boat, chloroformed her, dragged her onto the boat, and set sail.

[Abramelin]

On 2/4/2023 at 3:12 AM, DreadLordAvatar said:

When there are no clues, it is a result of an alien abduction.

You mean foreigners? Could be.

[Still Waters]

A friend of a missing mum who vanished on a dog walk has said "vile theories" being shared online are "incredibly hurtful" for her family, as police condemn social media abuse.

Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen walking next to the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire.

Police believe she may have fallen into the river.

Her friend Heather Gibbons said people may not realise Ms Bulley's family can read their speculation.

As part of the investigation, detectives have appealed for potential witnesses and released CCTV images from the area.

A woman they urged to come forward on Saturday contacted them shortly after the appeal went out.

Detectives said the online abuse of people who had been helping their inquiry was "totally unacceptable".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64529251

[Cookie Monster]

3 hours ago, Still Waters said:

A friend of a missing mum who vanished on a dog walk has said "vile theories" being shared online are "incredibly hurtful" for her family, as police condemn social media abuse.

Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen walking next to the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire.

Police believe she may have fallen into the river.

Her friend Heather Gibbons said people may not realise Ms Bulley's family can read their speculation.

As part of the investigation, detectives have appealed for potential witnesses and released CCTV images from the area.

A woman they urged to come forward on Saturday contacted them shortly after the appeal went out.

Detectives said the online abuse of people who had been helping their inquiry was "totally unacceptable".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64529251

These things bring out the sickos on Social Media who are after weird kicks.

In my opinion she has either drowned, or been abducted. We don`t have anything in UK waters that will eat a human which could wonder up a river by mistake. And its too cold for something to have wondered in from further afield.

If she`s drowned she should have been found by now. Even at this time of year after a week she`d be floating by now and anyone within a 100 metres would be able to smell her. I think its a clever abduction. Either one of the witnesses is lying (and planted her phone, dog harness, and dog) or someone has got her onto their boat and sailed off with her.

Victims of crimes like this usually know the person who did it, and the witnesses knew her. Mmm.

Edited February 5 by Cookie Monster

[kartikg]

17 hours ago, Cookie Monster said:

I`m going for someone pulled in their boat, chloroformed her, dragged her onto the boat, and set sail.

Human trafficking! Probably someone had to meet their quota 

[Cookie Monster]

2 hours ago, kartikg said:

Human trafficking! Probably someone had to meet their quota 

It seems like farming territory, maybe someone needed some new `unpaid` workers.

[pellinore]

Day 11, and still nothing found. It's not as if the River Wyre is much of a river, it's small.

A friend of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley says she hopes specialist underwater teams will uncover nothing – because then it rules out the police's theory she fell into the river.

An expert diving team will use helicopters and specialist sonar equipment as they assist in the search for Ms Bulley today. 

Peter Faulding, a world-renowned forensics expert and founder of private search and rescue organisation Specialist Group International, said he would be bringing 'high-spec' sonar equipment worth around £55,000 that has a 'very high hit rate' and can 'find people within the hour' in search operations. He vowed today: 'If she is there, I will find her.'

Friends of Nicola Bulley bring in private diving team to 'rule out' theory she fell in river  | Daily Mail Online

Edited February 6 by pellinore

[Cookie Monster]

4 hours ago, pellinore said:

Day 11, and still nothing found. It's not as if the River Wyre is much of a river, it's small.

A friend of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley says she hopes specialist underwater teams will uncover nothing – because then it rules out the police's theory she fell into the river.

An expert diving team will use helicopters and specialist sonar equipment as they assist in the search for Ms Bulley today. 

Peter Faulding, a world-renowned forensics expert and founder of private search and rescue organisation Specialist Group International, said he would be bringing 'high-spec' sonar equipment worth around £55,000 that has a 'very high hit rate' and can 'find people within the hour' in search operations. He vowed today: 'If she is there, I will find her.'

Friends of Nicola Bulley bring in private diving team to 'rule out' theory she fell in river  | Daily Mail Online

She goes round to one of her friends for a cup of tea, gets murdered, her friend takes her phone and dog, stages her disappearance, and meanwhile claims to be a witness?

[Rlyeh]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:42 PM, DreadLordAvatar said:

When there are no clues, it is a result of an alien abduction.

The argument from ignorance.

[Jon the frog]

2 hours ago, Cookie Monster said:

She goes round to one of her friends for a cup of tea, gets murdered, her friend takes her phone and dog, stages her disappearance, and meanwhile claims to be a witness?

Yeah, that well placed  phone is quite a strange find... if she had drown it would be with her. If nobody saw there at the park, maybe someone saw the dog with somebody else ? But with everyone watching their cellphones all the time while walking... could have gone below radar easily.

Edited February 6 by Jon the frog