Police in Lancashire, United Kingdom, reported Monday that they identified a body as that of the missing Nicola Bulley.
Credit: Peter Byrne/PA/AP
(CNN) --
UK police identified the body of British mother Nicola Bulley on Monday, after she went missing while walking her dog in northern England in late January.
Lancashire Police confirmed this Monday at a press conference that the body recovered on Sunday in the River Wyre – near where Bulley, 45, was last seen – is that of the woman.
A mother took her dog for a walk in the north of England and never returned.
Her partner said she "vanished into thin air"
"Sadly, we can now confirm that we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre yesterday," Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson told reporters.
"Nicola's family has been informed and of course they are devastated. Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as all their loved ones and the community at large," he said.
The announcement caps a turbulent and emotional few weeks, in which police have faced widespread criticism for sexism in their investigation, and in which the social media frenzy surrounding her disappearance has been mired in unsubstantiated claims. and conspiracy theories.
Bulley, a mortgage adviser, disappeared on the morning of Friday, January 27.
According to police, she was walking her dog after dropping off her two daughters at school.
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Shortly after, they found her dog wandering alone and her phone on a riverside bench, connected to a group work call.
However, for three weeks, the search undertaken by the Lancashire police yielded no results.
On February 20, Lancashire police reported that they had identified Bulley's body.
Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Lancashire Police Chief Detective Superintendent Pauline Stables read out a statement on behalf of Nicola's family on Monday, saying the identification of the body had confirmed their "worst fears".
"We will never be able to understand what Nicky went through at her last moment," she said.
"Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most. 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 father of doing something wrong (and) misquoted and insulted friends and family members. It is absolutely appalling. They must be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family," the statement added.
Lancashire Police officers have insisted throughout the investigation that there is no evidence to indicate third party involvement and their main working hypothesis remains that it fell into the River Wyre.
The case stunned public opinion and attracted the attention of the media.
In addition, the police decided to reveal that Bulley had problems with alcohol and menopause at the time of his disappearance.
Last week, investigators came down hard on members of the public who they said were spreading "persistent myths."
Lancashire Police Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith told reporters on Wednesday that the social media frenzy had "significantly distracted" from the investigation.
"In 29 years of police service, I've never seen anything like it," Smith said.
Social media users "playing private detective" and spreading "persistent myths" on Tik Tok had "significantly distracted" from the investigation, Smith told reporters last week.
The family also fiercely rebuked journalists in their statement, lashing out at some of the UK's mainstream media outlets as "disgraceful" for contacting the family directly when they "expressly asked for privacy".
Lancashire Police's decision to reveal personal details about Bulley sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing the police force of sexism.
Even the government criticized the police, and Interior Minister Suella Braverman expressed her concern about the handling of the case.
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 daughters and her family and friends."
Bulley's partner of 12 years, Paul Ansell, had described the situation as "perpetual hell".
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