Nicola Bulley: police sadly confirm death after body recovered
During a brief press conference today (20 February 2023), a spokesperson for the Lancashire Police confirmed that very sadly the body of missing mother of two, Nicola Bulley, has been found.
"Sadly we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre. Nicola's family have been informed and are, of course, devastated," Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson announced, before adding that thoughts were with them and the wider community.
Describing the investigation as "highly complex" and "highly emotional", Lawson added that the case is now being handled by His Majesty's coroner and that this was "not the outcome we would have wanted". .
A statement from Bulley's family was also read aloud at the conference, "We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us.
"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, and 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, misquoted and vilified friends and family. This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family."
The family criticised Sky News and ITV directly, describing them as acting in the interest of money and called them "shameful".
Her body was discovered in a reed-heavy area close to the River Wyre over the weekend by dog walkers. Police and specialist diving teams had been scouring the river for weeks, since Bulley was first declared missing on 27 January, but had been unable to locate her.
The case of Bulley, who worked as a mortgage advisor, has become the focus of much media attention over the past few weeks. Hundreds of people turned up to the site of her disappearance, and much has been made of conspiracy theories on social media. So much so, that her loved ones expressed their need for respect and privacy from members of the public as police continued the search.
Some members of the public have also criticised Lancashire Police for their handling of the case, in particular after the force shared that Bulley was struggling with the menopause and alcohol. Commenting on the police's decision to disclose these personal details, Bulley's family were reported [via the BBC] as saying, "Nikki wouldn’t have wanted this [but it's better than] people out there speculating and threatening to sell stories about her."
Our thoughts are with all of Bulley's loved ones during this deeply sad time.
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