Body of missing UK woman Nicola Bulley found; family decries 'appalling' speculation about case
Police in the United Kingdom have confirmed a body found in a river over the weekend belongs to missing British mother Nicola Bulley, whose disappearance came before several weeks of widespread criticism of police for sexism in the case, as well as public speculation about how she disappeared.
Bulley, a mortgage adviser, disappeared the morning of Jan. 27 while walking her dog in northern England after dropping her two children off at school, according to LancashirePolice.
“Sadly, we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre,” police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said during a Monday news conference. “Nicola’s family have been informed and are of course devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community."
Shortly after she disappeared, her dog – a brown Spaniel– was found wandering alone and her phone was spotted on a bench next to the Wyre River still logged into a group work call, police said.
The case, which has garnered world-wide media attention, has also spiraled through a social media frenzy police say has been mired in unfounded claims.
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Who is Nicola Bulley?
According to police, Bulley, a 45-year-old mom of two children age 6 and 9, went missing in Wyre, about 50 miles northwest of Manchester.
Stephanie Benyon, a friend of Bulley’s whose children attend the same school, previously told CNN that she is a “kind, loyal and thoughtful person who adores her two girls and family and friends.” Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, had described the situation as a “perpetual hell.”
Family condemns speculation about father of Bulley's children
Bulley's family released in a statement through police condemning some media outlets and the public after they accused the father of Bulley's children of wrongdoing in the case.
"We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us," the statement reads. "We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the centre of our world, she was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that."
“Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most.," the statement continues. "It saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing (and) misquoted and vilified friends and family. This is absolutely appalling. They have to be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family."
Police criticism
Throughout the investigation, Lancashire police have insisted there is no evidence to indicate third-party involvement and their main working hypothesis remained that she fell into the river.
But when divers were unable to locate the missing mom, scores of social media users descended on her village, bugging locals while searching for evidence of a crime, according to The Guardian.
Would-be rescuers broke into derelict buildings despite police assurances that exhaustive searches were taking place. Some launched nighttime patrols, challenging locals who came face-to-face with strangers rattling their gates and prowling through their front gardens.
The Lancashire police department, which dedicated 40 detectives to the investigation, came under increasing criticism the longer the case went unsolved.
Social media influencers playing detectives and pedaling “persistent myths” on TikTok had “significantly distracted” the investigation, Lancashire Police Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith told journalists last week.
“In 29 years’ police service, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Smith said, according to CNN.
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Police have been criticized after announcing publicly that Bulley had struggled with alcohol and menopause.
Even the government slammed the police department's decision to reveal personal details about Bulley, CNN reported, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a British politician, raising concerns over its handling of the case.
Police said the coroner is now handling the investigation, which continued Tuesday.
Contributing: Associated Press.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.