Missing Woman Nicola Bulley 3

[ofwarren]

I couldn't see another post so thought I'd create one.

There is a police press conference this afternoon. I can't see a time for this but it's sounding like a routine one.

I hope they are exploring every avenue with thoroughness and urgency, but they appear to be sticking firmly to their theory that she is in the river. If their efforts and energies are focused towards this, I think it is a grave mistake. I would be very happy to be wrong about this.

They are investigating all lines of enquiry, the police have said this throughout the enquiry.

It makes a lot of sense what you are saying, but wasn't that gate covered by CCTV?

For all his talk initially about knowing 'within an hour', he has admitted it's much more complicated than he thought and will take at least 3-4 days. I think the police should have the best equipment available but it won't search river banks and has places it doesn't cover that have to be searched by divers and is not fail-proof in tidal areas.

Did they say they have the cctv on Rowanwater now?
Someone shared a photo of the gate on the top field where she was spotted last.
Apparently the residents have the code to the lock.

It could be that she really is not in the river !

LuluBlakey
I remember that. It was Sally Allan. She walked from Ponteland to the quayside in Newcastle, over 10 miles. l can see the cctv footage in my mind's eye. She seemed to be walking very purposefully.
So sad, poor lady.

Statement on Sky News by Superintendent Sally Riley.
Scroll down to 3 Feb 14.58
news.sky.com/story/nicola-bulley-case-lancashire-police-to-give-update-on-missing-dog-walkers-disappearance-12802121

On city streets where he had a car. This is in a field at the edge of a small village where any vehicle would be a distance away. I can't see how he could get her to a car without being seen and without the dog following. She could have used the emergency screen on her phone or turned the meeting onto camera and unmute to get help before he left it as a decoy.

Anyone abducting a woman there who had a dog would have to somehow get her to a car, leave her in the car (presumably in a boot) hoping she'd make no noise, stop the dog following and barking/attacking him, return to the dog and get it, the lead, phone and harness to the seat and make the dog stay there, then return to the car, leaving no fingerprints , footprints or evidence of a scuffle, avoiding all CCTV cameras and without being seen by anyone and all within 10 minutes. It is 99.9% impossible.

@Bluekerfuffle
Post at 20.34 is in answer to your request for the source of the dog running between the gate and the bench. Superintendent Sally Riley.

Ok lulu. If you say so. I know the area and it's not at all like you describe but fine.

I actually do believe she's in the water but I'm worried that she's not, being local and a woman.

I have a horrible feeling that this will be one those cases that will never be solved.

Tragic...

I think it's possible the dog has run off when she was distracted with her call in the top field. The dog's harness is apparently replaced when they leave that field and the dog wasn't wearing it's harness. It makes me think she has realised she can't see the dog, left the field and gone towards the river dropping her phone and the harness on the bench. The dog then returns and can only find the harness and the phone so paces around where the remaining scent is. I can't explain why NB has not been found though given the equipment means you can see individual stones.

Sometimes, people just get up and go away, for many many reasons. There doesn't always have to be a criminal aspect.
The Police will be looking at every possibility in the enquiry.
Let's hope she is found soon but speculation isn't helpful

a lot of the time they hold these press conferences to study the reaction of the family.

I haven't watched it, can't bring myself to, she went missing not too far from me at all and was put in the river that runs through a park I took my children too often, ive only been back a few times, its too weird to be there. Ive got a teen daughter and for this to happen on our doorstep really shook me up and made me realise how vulnerable women are, it honestly scares me to let her out of the house alone, we have had many chats about been safe but when a fully grown woman goes missing you think what hope there is for a teenager.

Libbys mother is amazing, such a strong woman, I don't think I could cope half as well as she has.

didn't one of the police divers say they didn'T beleive that she was or that it was very unlikely that she was?

So what are you suggesting?

To the op who said she didn’t have financial worries, her partner certainly does which would have affect them as a family.

The police said they’d had a look at the phone and Fitbit data but aren’t giving away any more details. If they manage to eliminate any sightings of Nicola walking on the lane or road between 0910-30 then it places Nicola firmly near the river and fields. Assuming the Fitbit was working properly and Nicola had gone into the river, the Fitbit may have stopped working due to the very cold water . This would give an approximate time of water entry (assuming no foul play).

An attacker could have come up behind Nicola, put a knife to her throat, kicked the dog if necessary, and closed the gate in the dog’s face. That’s assuming the dog was at Nicola’s feet. It might have been off sniffing around as dogs do. The shock of having a knife to the throat would probably ensure silence.

Where exactly are the CCTV cameras? I thought I read the exits were covered but this didn’t include the gate.

How do you know he's got financial worries?

Yes, that's her name. Her family were baffled, they'd had a lovely Christmas Day, had plans for Boxing Day and the rest of the holidays, had no indication she was feeling like that, she gave them no warning (although it emerged afterwards there had been indications of her feeling sad and unconfident).

The rumours that people made up were shocking, the speculation about possibilities was ludicrous- abduction, murder, about who had done it, about her running off with someone, she was supposedly seen in several cities. The police kept saying they had no indication on CCTV that she had left the riverside or that anyone else had been there, but that didn't stop any of it. There were facebook pages with people fighting, even a man with a fishing boat who took himself out in it and began searching the river without permission from the police and organised search patrols along the banks and was reporting his findings. The police took a real battering from the rumour-mongers (who mainly had no idea of what the police had actually done or of details of the operation- which was vast).

In the end, sadly, the police were spot on. Her family were so dignified throughout although clearly desperately worried.

I assumed she could easily book into the Teams call without being on video. Thats what I would do if I was on a walk. Especially if its a regular catch up - it was only a 30 minute meeting - team members just checking in for a chat or updates if they have anything to report, or maybe just a few corporate messages So it wouldn't be particularly noticeable if you put the phone down to do something. Going to retrieve a stick or ball, talking to a stranger...

I assumed from the outset that it was an accidental fall in the river. But given the searches and the size of the river that now is very much harder to believe. But there's such a small window for the other options - murder, abduction or voluntary disappearance. It doesn't look like it would be very easy to remove her from a popular walking spot without being seen.

Its perplexing.

I haven't RTFT and don't want to speculate - as we have been asked not to by police....however, this is a quote from Sherlock Holmes “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” ~ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.