Missing Woman Nicola Bulley 4

[ofwarren]

www.lep.co.uk/news/crime/nicola-bulley-day-13-latest-updates-as-search-for-missing-mum-continues-4017066

Lancashire Evening Post has just posted this update.

I’ve googled timelines but can’t find the answers to this:
Who first called the police and when?

The last sighting of Nicola wasn’t by the bench down by the river was it? It was in one of the fields.

Her partner did after the school contacted him about the dog and phone.

What an absolute shambles. The family and close friends must be horrified.

@ThighMistress I have wondered this since last Friday! Such a massive time for the dog to be left alone for a start! And for an area that has 700 cars drive past it had no one else walk through that area??

I think it's more likely no one has come forward because it will expose them for walking past a dog tied up with string and did nothing to help.

That's my personal opinion. Given the time of day and how busy it was around the village. Someone has walked past but won't put themselves. You can imagine how that would go down with Joe Public right now.

This is what's puzzling me too

It's a 10 minute window in which something happened to her but then there's a much longer period of time before anyone realises something has happened and people in the area are looking for her. Who knows what happened during that time - she could have been swept downriver, carried off by someone, or walked off herself.

Again, unless I've misunderstood, there's no CCTV covering the path between the gate and the bridge on Blackpool Lane. She could have walked out the way she walked in. But without her dog and her phone..

Ah, when the police said there was only one route not covered I thought it must be where the broken camera is. So she could have left westwards towards the main road? It would be difficult for someone else to take her that way though, without being seen?

I think the phone was put on the bench and the dog shut behind the gate so it didn’t follow. Either she walked up that track alone or was taken, I’ve no idea but I’ve got dogs and wherever I go they follow. When out they barely go 5 seconds without coming back to check where I am. It’s pretty obvious she never went in the river. The river was low and calm that day.

Yes, the top field behind Rowanwater

Agree

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if I'd found a dog running loose, alone and in a distressed state and a phone on a bench and the dogs harness on the floor, particularly near a river, I would have phoned the police immediately. Appointment or no appointment.

That’s what I understand. Her belongings and dog found by bench. But NB last sighted in field. Police seemingly convinced she went into water but possibly in different location to bench. And if I understand correctly there was a possible exit from the area that isn’t covered by CCTV so they’ve asked for any vehicle dash cam footage. Phone (found on ground or on bench, I’ve read differing reports) still connected to Teams call.

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That's a really good point. There could be potential witnesses ashamed to come forward

I think the police are focused on the drowning theory only because there is a river nearby. There was no sighting of Nicola by the river

But she already wasn't there! Nothing happened to her there after 0933 because she already wasn't there.

She may have been 'swept away' by then but the police and the diving man think not.

They've checked upriver of where she's thought to have gone missing, right? It seems so obvious to ask it but if the phone and dog were some kind of decoy she could have potentially gone in along any of that stretch but all the reporting has focussed on below the bench and downstream.

Could it have been a dognapping attempt gone out of hand? I’m in the NW and been a few round here for pedigree breeds, some involving knives. Pehaps Nicola jumped into action tried to fight them off her beloved dog (would explain putting phone down etc) and either fell in the river in the process or was injured/killed in the altercation and they’ve panicked and done something with the body.

@DingDonkey Swept away ? Have you seen the river ?

More possibilities than just the river theory.

@madeyemoody - you may be right. I was discussing this with ds and we could think of several people who would mind their own business/not want to get involved/were too busy to investigate a dog tied up with string and a lone phone.

Also fear of looking stupid: only yesterday I found a dog running along the pavement away from the woods. I apprehended it but when the owner emerged from the path he snapped, “He was not lost.” Well, silly old me.

The road doesn't pass the field. The field isn't on the way to anywhere. The only people going down there would be walkers or anglers. The 700 cars are because the road is the main route between Garstang and Blackpool. Nobody's going to stop off for a quick dog walk on their way to work.

They have definitely done upstream of the bench. Peter said this morning

Usually if someone was killed by a knife there would be blood everywhere and it would have been at the scene.

Would also think if it was something impulsive like that, the perpetrator would likely just do a runner asap and get away from there. They wouldn't concern themselves with hiding the body as that leaves more questions than answers.