What are the consequences of the online conspiracy theories of this tragic case
On 27th January 2023, Nicola Bulley went missing whilst on a dog walk, shortly after dropping her children at school. Her dog was found wandering alone next to the River Wyre in Lancashire, along with her mobile phone, which was still connected to a work call, approximately 20 minutes after she was last seen. There was an extensive search of the area and a police investigation, but Nicola’s body was not found until the 19th February 2023, 23 days after she went missing, where it was discovered in the river, over a mile from where she was last seen. On 28th June 2023 an inquest into her death ruled that Nicola sadly drowned after accidentally falling into the river she was walking alongside on the day she went missing.
From the outset the police said it was most likely that Nicola had entered the water on the morning of her disappearance, but during the 23 days that Nicola was missing, a number of conspiracy theories were shared on social media about what might have happened to her. These ranged from suggestions that she had been abducted, to theories that she must have faked her death. There were even conspiracy theories that Nicola Bulley didn’t exist at all.
But why do cases like that of Nicola Bulley, attract these conspiracy theories? According to research, People have fundamental needs for certainty, and to feel safe and in control of themselves and their lives. When faced with sudden, shocking, or unexpected events, people sometimes turn to conspiracy theories to try to back that control. Conspiracy theories might seem to offer some kind of relief or promise to make sense of an event which otherwise seems so senseless.
But adopting conspiracy theories might not make people feel better, and they can have other potentially damaging consequences too. They might encourage others to conspire to conceal the truth, and to engage in other unethical or illegal actions. During the search for Nicola, there were numerous reports of individuals trespassing near to the crime scene. Some people were found to be searching in private residents’ sheds and gardens, whilst others were said to have intimidated local people and caused a nuisance to police. One individual was arrested on suspicion of illegal filming as the body of Nicola Bulley was recovered from the river in February.
Another consequence is the negative impact these conspiracy theories can have on those directly involved in the situation. As the family of Nicola Bulley explained in their statement following the inquest, “It’s upsetting that we’ve continued to receive negative targeted messages and still witness wildly inaccurate speculation being shared over numerous platforms.” The family have also previously said how upsetting it is, that they will one day, inevitably have to address this online speculation and the resulting conspiracy theories with Nicola’s two children.
Now that the inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley has closed, the family have once again urged people “to look at the facts”, to ignore those spreading baseless theories on the internet, and allow their family the peace and privacy they need to grieve for her loss.