Missing persons expert Charlie Hedges has suggested that Nicola Bulley may have deliberately decided to go “off-grid” and leave behind her old life. He dismissed the theory that Ms Bulley’s body was in the river, which remains the working theory for Lancashire Police. This comes more than three weeks after the 45-year-old mum-of-two was last seen near the River Wyre.
Her phone was found left on a bench next to the river and police have recovered no evidence or clue as to where she might have gone.
Ms Bulley, who has two children aged nine and six, vanished whenwalking her dog near her home in Inskip.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Hedges said Ms Bulley may have wanted to disappear and could never be found.
Mr Hedges is regarded as one of the UK’s foremost experts on missing persons, having worked in the field for nearly 40 years.
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The missing persons expert, who has worked for the National Crime Agency and several UK police forces, said that there is “no indication” she went into the Wyre.
Mr Hedges told GB News: “Nobody goes missing without a reason, and understanding what’s going on in someone’s life is very, very important.
“All lines of action need to be followed. It may be that she just took the decision to go off.
“But it’s not that easy to go off the grid in today’s world.”
At a press conference on Wednesday, police said they had immediately categorised Ms Bulley as high-risk when she was reported missing due to “specific vulnerabilities”.
They later issued information about Ms Bulley’s struggles with the menopause and alcohol, saying they wanted “to avoid any further speculation”.
However, a former police chief has called the backlash “unfair”.
Sir Peter Fahy, former chief at Greater Manchester Police, described the investigators as “very diligent”.
