‘It’s just a theory’
Nicola Bulley’s sister has hit out at a police theory that the mum-of-two fell into the River Wyre, stating there is “no evidence whatsoever” that is what happened.
At a press conference on Friday, a week after Nicola went missing while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, police said they believe the 45-year-old “accidentally” fell into the river.
Superintendent Sally Riley said: “Our main working hypothesis therefore is Nicola has sadly fallen into the river, that there is no third party or criminal involvement and this is not suspicious.”
“This is particularly important because speculation otherwise can be really distressing for the family and for Nicola’s children.”
Nicola’s sister Louise Cunningham encouraged the public to keep an open mind in a Facebook post on Friday night.
She wrote: “Off the back of the latest police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it’s just a theory.
“Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all CCTV and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over.”
The press conference came a matter of hours after Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell spoke to the press and compared her disappearance to “a dream”, telling Sky News: “It seems absolutely impossible. it’s like a dream, I can’t get my head around it.
“I don’t really have anything to say other than what the family said yesterday, my whole focus is my two girls and staying as strong as I can for them.
“I’m scared that if I put focus into anything else it’s going to take my focus off that.’ Paul added he ‘doesn’t know how he’s coping.”
When questioned by reporters at the press conference, Riley suggested that a possible “issue” with Nicola’s dog may have led her to the water’s edge. The dog, a cocker spaniel called Willow, was off-lead at the time.
Riley said: “It is possible that there may have been an issue with the dog that led her to the water’s edge.
“We assume the dog didn’t enter the river but we don’t know why Nicola may have if she did.”
However, Riley made clear that this is speculation, but pointed out that there is “quite a steep drop to the river” from the area where Nicola’s phone was located.
“Therefore, whilst I don’t want to speculate as to what may have happened, it is our working hypothesis that she’s entered the water accidentally,” Riley said.
The underwater search, Riley said, has been “very thorough”.
Earlier Friday it was revealed that Nicola sent a final text message, at 8.57am, arranging a playdate with a friend whose mortgage she had recently signed off.
One unnamed resident suggested the text was further evidence Nicola had no intention of voluntarily disappearing: “You wouldn’t have done that if you were going to get up and go missing.”
Nicola’s partner, Paul Ansell, spoke out on Friday saying his “whole focus is the two girls, staying as strong as I can for them”.
The partner of missing Nicola Bulley has said he is "staying as strong as I can" a week after the mother-of-two was last seen in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire.
Latest: https://t.co/0P3jVaETKU pic.twitter.com/9q2Pws8d4v
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 3, 2023
On Thursday, Nicola’s sister, Louise Cunningham made a heartfelt plea, saying she needed to “get my sister back”.
“Something has got to have been missed. Somebody must know something. People don’t just vanish into thin air.
“There has got to be somebody who knows something and all we are asking is, no matter how small or big, if there is anything you remember that doesn’t seem right, then please reach out to the police. Get in touch and get my sister back.”
Cunningham said her family felt they were “stuck in a nightmare”.
Nicola’s dad, Ernie Bulley added: “There are two young children there waiting for their mummy to come back and we want her back obviously also, but if Nicola is out there, if she’s watching this, then all we’d like to say is: ‘Come home, contact the police, contact ourselves and we just want you back.’
“And they know that mummy’s missing but they know that she’s going to be coming home and everyone is looking for her, so it’s only a matter of time, that they’re thinking in their minds that she’s going to walk through that door.”
Related links:
- Police believe they know what happened to Nicola Bulley
- Criminologist details 5 possible theories behind Nicola Bulley’s disappearance
- Missing mum Nicola Bulley’s final text before ‘vanishing into thin air’
- Nicola Bulley: Police release image of new witness they want to speak to in search for missing mum
- Missing mum vanished on footpath leaving dog behind and phone still connected to work call
- Dog walker killed in Surrey attack died from ‘multiple penetrating bites to the neck’
