Missing Woman Nicola Bulley 7

[LoveMAFS]

The chat appears to have gone quiet today after the last thread filled up, so I'm making a new one for anyone who wants to come together whilst we all hold our breath hoping for a good outcome.

I know it's possible but I grew up swimming a lot in lakes and rivers, and it just doesn't seem plausible. Unless she hit her head, fainted, etc.

'They can't cordon off the entire area when there is nothing to suggest criminal activity. They have said they did take forensics on the bench on the first day- something so open to the elements with a tonne of DNA etc on it isn't going to overly fruitful anyway after the immediate aftermath'

But someone vanishing without trace surely suggests the potential of criminal activity. Seems odd to focus on a bench when if there was a third party then obviously they'd have staged the scene to look like she'd gone in the river.

I must admit I haven't followed closely regarding police activity but I presume they had officers doing finger tip searches of the fields she was last seen in and haven't literally just looked at the bench and the immediate area?

If I came across a phone on the ground, a harness and lead, an agitated dog and no sign of the owner I’d take a photo of the number on the dog collar and call it. She took the time to tie the dog to the bench so even if she’s in a hurry you can call while you’re walking.

There hasn't been fingertip searches. Dogs have been out apparently.
If the river wasn't there, then would the police have said there is a criminal case? All this case says to me is that if you abduct someone next to a body of water, the police are likely to just treat it as a drowning.

@dawngreen but the Expert said it's impossible that she drowned and wasn't found the same day, or when they searched with their sonar equipment.

Unless you're implying the police are the experts which is nice you have so much trust.

As we now know the dog harness was found partway down the bank I think it might be possible that Willow went down the bank, Nicola went to the top of the bank to shout to her to come back ( she’d stayed dry that long and she didn’t want to put a dripping wet dog in the car). Willow ran up the bank and tripped Nicola or banged against her, knocking Nicola into the river. Harness was in her hand to put back in Willow and she dropped it. I would expect skid or scrabble marks on the bank though where she fell.

True, I hadn't thought about the temperature of the water.

But even slipping down the bank, surely one might be in only up to legs or waist; that wouldn't cause shock in a matter of moments the way full submersion might.

I read the water was 2 or 3ft deep near the edges but up to 13ft in the centre. But even if the cold water did shock her, why wouldn’t either of the harness/phone finders have seen her minutes after this hypothetical fall into the river?

Surely they looked around briefly? And seeing the harness apparently half way down the embankment, they didn’t think to look in the river? Others have also said that her clothes might have provided buoyancy thereby moving her downstream and over the weir - so, again, why wasn’t she seen? She’d be on/near the surface.

@ofwarren completely agree with you

Yes, you'd think investigators would be able to see the track of a sliding, falling body in the plant growth.

It has nothing to do with trust but they deal with missing ppl cases a lot. I am just another person on a forum, wondering what could have happened to her.@Shewasnthere

@dawngreen of course, it wasn't an attack. Apologies if it came across that way. I guess I'm just frustrated with most people seeing the obvious and the police seemingly not. Maybe they are behind the scenes.

I think from the interview with Paul Ansell , I thought it was clear he has assumed she’s dead now and he just wishes closure, for her to be found and for them to know what’s happened And to be able to tell their children. There is no Nikki if you’re out there, type appeals.

He clearly doesn’t believe she’s mysteriously fallen in the river, drowned in shallow water, and been washed out to sea, evading every searcher and their equipment on the way.

its clear he also doesn’t think she’s in hiding some where, but that something unexpected has happened, and said that someone in rhe village will know. Which was a curious thing to say.

which means he thinks a third party is involved. Someone has killed her. Maybe accidentally and has covered it up.

Good point.

That's what I took from it too

'There hasn't been fingertip searches. Dogs have been out apparently. If the river wasn't there, then would the police have said there is a criminal case? All this case says to me is that if you abduct someone next to a body of water, the police are likely to just treat it as a drowning.'

But why wouldn't they search the whole area, why wouldn't they be open to the very obvious that the scene was set to look exactly like what they are presuming.

Sniffer dogs sniff out people don't they, surely they'd miss relevant objects that may be lying in the field?

I hate to be another analysing this when there is of course a family suffering but as has been said upthread it is so hard to have faith and trust in the police at the moment.

No, not all missing persons even if some of their effects are left are treated as criminal until there's something to suggest it is. This doesn't mean that leads are excluded or other possibilities explored, as has been done in this case. I wonder how many criminal/police experts were covid scientists during the pandemic, same vibes.

Its fine its good to hear others views too. @Shewasnthere

@Activelyannoyed exactly. We are told not to speculate but the majority are speculating exactly what the family are too.

Maybe the number on the tag was Nickis and so it just rang right there.

I wonder how many criminal/police experts were covid scientists during the pandemic, same vibes.
What is that supposed to mean?
I take it you are police, yes?

@Coffeeeplease which is completely understandable when it's a phone or a wallet etc, but not a phone and a dog. That is immediately suspicious.

Why are we told not to speculate as if we're naughty school children. Of course we'll speculate about such a high profile, distressing case.

If that was my daughter and the police stupidly said there was no evidence of third party involvement I'd be furious. Surely you presume there is that possibility until proven orherwise?

If this had happened in a park with no water this would be being treated very differently. We've all seen that bit of the river. My bath has more of a current when I get in and out of it.

Exactly