Nicola Bulley identified from dental records, inquest learns after mother-of-two’s body was found in River Wyre
Nicola Bulley was identified from dental records, an inquest into her death has heard.
The 45-year-old mother of two was found by members of the public in the reeds of the River Wyre in Lancashire on Sunday, a mile from the bank where her mobile phone was recovered 23 days earlier.
The opening of an inquest into her death at Lancashire Coroner’s Court heard today that she was identified from dental records.
No family members were present and no cause of death was provided during the brief four-minute hearing, with the case being adjourned until June of this year.
The chief coroner, Dr James Adeley, said he had contacted consultant maxillofacial surgeon Ian Edwards asking him to compare dental records obtained by police from Great Eccleston dental surgery.
Bulley, a mother of two (pictured), was discovered on Sunday morning in the River Wyre in Lancashire, more than three weeks after she went missing.
Nicola Bulley, 45, and her partner Paul Ansell. The body of the mother-of-two was found on Sunday.
He told the court: “I am satisfied with the balance of probabilities, and more, that a positive identification has been made.”
Dr Adeley added: “The family have been informed of the date, time and location of the opening of the inquest and have chosen not to attend for reasons I can understand.”
It comes after Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, 44, and his relatives said police had confirmed their “worst fears” when the body was formally identified on Monday.
Mrs. Bulley’s body was found in a stretch of the river just after a small bend, about a mile out of town, near where a tree had fallen on its side, half in and half out of the water, with branches and undergrowth partially submerged. .
A man and woman are understood to have discovered the body and called police, who said they were called to the River Wyre near Rawcliffe Road at around 11:35am on Sunday.
Meanwhile, TikTok has vowed to crack down on social media hounds who have disrupted the search and posted distressing conspiracy theories online.
TikTok has been inundated with videos speculating about her disappearance, including speculation, rumors, and conspiracy theories.
He said in a statement: ‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Ms Bulley at this difficult time. We have mobilized resources to monitor the evolution of the conversation about this case.
Nicola Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, has shared this yellow heart as the family comes to terms with her death today.
Louise, on the left with her late sister Nikki, on the far right, had been central to the social media campaign to find her missing sister.
“We are taking action against violations of our Community Guidelines, including removing content and accounts, and limiting the reach of some content by making it ineligible for recommendation.”
Police have also been criticized for their handling of the investigation, with calls for an independent investigation intensifying yesterday, with former Home Secretary Priti Patel joining the growing chorus of criticism of the force.
Last week, Lancashire Police called out the social media sleuths at a press conference where they revealed more information about the day Ms Bulley went missing.
Police later revealed that she was classified as a “high risk” missing person from the beginning of the investigation, due to having “specific vulnerabilities” including “significant problems” with alcohol brought on by ongoing struggles with menopause.
The researchers said they had taken an “unusual step” in disclosing this level of detail, as it was “important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid further speculation or misinterpretation.”
But the disclosure of her personal problems sparked public outrage, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman saying she was “not satisfied” with police’ explanation of why they divulged private details about the mother-of-two.
