Who was Nicole Bulley?
Nicola Bulley was born in 1977 and spent her childhood near Chelmsford, Essex. She attended William de Ferrers School in South Woodham Ferrers and Thurrock Technical College from 1994 to 1996 before eventually relocating to Lancashire.
Bulley, alongside her partner, raised two daughters who studied in school. They resided in the village of Inskip, where Bulley was employed as a mortgage adviser.
She had sought help for her perimenopause symptoms, which were exacerbated by her struggles with alcohol. On 10 January, authorities and medical experts visited the family’s residence in response to a reported “welfare concern”.
The BBC has reported the creation of a fresh documentary on the vanishing of Lancashire native and mother-of-two, Nicola Bulley. The film will include private conversations with Nicola’s loved ones and individuals closely involved in the investigation.
Titled The Disappearance of Nicola Bulley: The Inside Story (w/t), the project is developed by the acclaimed production company, Rogan Productions, and is scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer in the upcoming months.
What happened to Nicola Bulley?
Nicola Bulley left her residence on Friday, January 27th, 2023, and drove to the nearby village of St. Michael’s on Wyre. After dropping off her children at school around 8:40 GMT, she took a walk along the River Wyre with her springer spaniel.
At 08:53, Bulley emailed her employer and at 08:57, she texted a friend to schedule a playdate for their children that week. Finally, she joined a Microsoft Teams meeting at 9:01, ensuring her phone’s camera and microphone were turned off.
At around 9:10, Nicola Bulley was spotted walking with her unleashed dog in a field by the river. Ten minutes later, her phone was suspected to be near a bench by the riverside. At 9:30, the call with her team ended. Three minutes later, a passer-by found the phone still on the call, on the bench. Bulley’s dog was also found nearby, unharmed and not wet.
Following the news of Bulley’s disappearance, Lancashire Constabulary swiftly classified her as “high risk” due to her “specific vulnerabilities” stemming from “notable struggles with alcohol exacerbated by the menopause.” This designation resulted in a heightened level of attention and allocation of resources towards the case.
Authorities utilized a variety of resources, including police divers, a helicopter, trained dogs, and drones. The Coastguard, Mountain Rescue, and fire departments also provided assistance. The public also pitched in to help, with police specifically asking for assistance in identifying the clothing the missing person, Bulley, was last seen wearing.
Although Bulley was wearing her Fitbit at the time of her disappearance, its data was not helpful to the investigation as it had not synchronized since before her disappearance. The search effort shifted to Morecambe Bay and the River Wyre on February 9th.
Investigation
On February 19, 2023, a man and a woman walking their dog found Nicola Bulley’s body in the River Wyre. The body was near a fallen tree about a mile downstream from St. Michael’s on Wyre. Police arrived and recovered the body. They set up a tent and used a helicopter to search the area.
Some people climbed a fence to take photos of the body, pretending to be journalists. Later, a man was arrested and released on bail for recording video inside the police cordon. He was charged with malicious communications and obstructing justice.
On February 20th, Lancashire Constabulary confirmed Bulley’s body was found. Dental records were used to identify her. The cause of death is unknown.
An inquest was opened on February 22nd in Preston. Senior coroner James Adeley adjourned proceedings after identification was confirmed. On April 11th, Lancashire Police divers returned to the river under the coroner’s direction.
On 26th June, the inquest revealed that Nicola Bulley’s phone and Fitbit indicated she entered the water at 09:22. Her death was accidental drowning, without any evidence of harm before entering the water.
