Last Text Revealed in Nicola Bulley Case: What It Means for the Mystery of Her Tragic Death
The first day of the inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley, a 45-year-old woman who went missing while walking her dog along the River Wyre on January 27, provided insights into the tragic events leading up to her demise. The last text message exchanged with her friend Lucy, who was arranging a playdate for their daughters, became a focal point of the evidence presented in court.
Nicola’s disappearance triggered a nationwide manhunt, involving extensive efforts by the police and emergency services. Weeks later, her lifeless body was discovered, having fallen into the water and drowned. The inquest featured testimonies from experts, police officers, and a Home Office pathologist, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding Nicola’s death, as reported by Mirror.
The court received a detailed timeline of Nicola’s final hours, with particular attention given to her last communication with Lucy. Nicola had texted Lucy the night before her disappearance, and Lucy, unaware of the situation, replied the following morning expressing her daughter’s interest in the playdate. Nicola responded at 8.59 am, confirming the arrangements with a smiley face emoji. The friends had plans to meet up the next day for a social gathering with other mothers.
During the inquest, Home Office pathologist Alison Armour stated that the cause of death was drowning, highlighting the presence of water in Nicola’s lungs as evidence. She emphasized that this indicated an “active process” of swallowing the liquid, suggesting Nicola was alive when she entered the river. No signs of brain bleeds or natural diseases were found, and the levels of medication in Nicola’s body were within therapeutic limits. A low level of alcohol detected was attributed to the natural decomposition process.
Professor Michael Tipton, an expert in drowning, concurred with the pathologist’s findings. A police underwater search specialist, PC Matthew Thackray, shared insights into the potential sequence of events, suggesting that Nicola likely fell into the River Wyre and floated downstream.
The video presented in court depicted the challenging conditions, including a cold river temperature of 4°C, which would have made swimming difficult if she fell in. PC Thackray estimated a downstream floatation rate of approximately one meter per second. The inquest continues to unravel the circumstances surrounding Nicola Bulley’s tragic death.